EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1705843
Filing Year: 2025
Filename: 1705843_10-K_2025_0001628280-25-014139.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business
Item 1.A. Risk Factors
Item 1.B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 1.C. Cybersecurity
Item 2. Properties
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Item 6. [Reserved]
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 7.A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Item 9.A. Controls and Procedures
Item 9.B. Other Information
Item 9.C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions That Prevent Inspections
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Item 11. Executive Compensation
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owner and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
Terms
When the terms “Cibus,” the “Company” or “its” are used in this report, unless the context otherwise requires, those terms are being used to refer to Cibus, Inc. (formerly Calyxt, Inc.) and its consolidated subsidiaries (i) excluding Cibus Global, LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries, prior to the completion of the Merger Transactions (as defined under the heading “Explanatory Note” below) and (ii) the combined entity, including Cibus Global, LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries, as of and following the consummation of the Merger Transactions. When the term “Legacy Calyxt” is used, it is being used to exclusively refer to Calyxt, Inc. prior to the Merger Transactions. When the term “Cibus Global” is used, it is being used to refer to Cibus Global, LLC, both prior to and after the completion of the Merger Transactions. When the term “Cellectis,” is used, it is being used to refer to Cellectis S.A. (société anonyme), the Company’s former parent company and largest shareholder prior to the completion of the Merger Transactions.
When the term “Class A Common Stock” is used, it is being used, unless the context requires otherwise, to refer prior to the Merger Transactions to Legacy Calyxt’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (Legacy Common Stock) and following the Merger Transactions to the Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share (Class A Common Stock). Each share of Legacy Common Stock existing and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Transactions remained outstanding as a share of Class A Common Stock without any conversion or exchange thereof.
The Company owns or has the right to use the trademarks, service marks, and trade names that it uses in conjunction with the operation of its business. Some of the more important marks and names that it owns or has rights to use that may appear in this Annual Report on Form 10-K include: “Cibus®,” “RTDS®,” “Rapid Trait Development SystemTM,” “NucelisTM,” “Trait MachineTM,” and “Future of BreedingTM.” This report may also contain additional trade names, trademarks, and service marks belonging to other companies. The Company does not intend its use or display of other parties’ trademarks, trade names, or service marks to imply, and such use or display
should not be construed to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of these other parties.
Explanatory Note
Completion of Merger Transactions
On May 31, 2023, the Company completed the business combination transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of January 13, 2023, as amended by the First Amendment thereto dated as of April 14, 2023 (as amended, the Merger Agreement, and the transactions contemplated thereby, the Merger Transactions), by and among Legacy Calyxt; Calypso Merger Subsidiary, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Legacy Calyxt; Cibus Global; and certain blocker entities party thereto. Among other things, as part of the Merger Transactions, the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation was further amended and restated (the Amended Certificate of Incorporation). The Company is organized in an “Up-C” structure, and the Company’s only material asset consists of membership units of Cibus Global. The Amended Certificate of Incorporation designates two classes of the Company’s common stock: (i) Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the Class A Common Stock), which shares have full voting and economic rights, and (ii) Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the Class B Common Stock), which shares have full voting, but no economic rights.
The prior year financial information presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, represents seven months of Cibus, inclusive of Cibus Global, and five months of Legacy Calyxt results only, except where pro forma figures are presented. All financial information prior to the completion of the Merger Transactions is that of Legacy Calyxt only. Reverse Stock Splits
Prior to the Merger Transactions, Legacy Calyxt effected a one-for-ten reverse stock split (the First Reverse Stock Split) of the Legacy Common Stock, which became effective on April 24, 2023. The First Reverse Stock Split was reflected on the Nasdaq Capital Market beginning with the opening of trading on April 25, 2023.
Immediately prior to the Merger Transactions, the Company effected a one-for-five reverse stock split (the Second Reverse Stock Split and, together with the First Reverse Stock Split, the Reverse Stock Splits) of the Legacy Common Stock, which became effective on May 31, 2023. The Second Reverse Stock Split was reflected on the Nasdaq Capital Market beginning with the opening of trading of the Class A Common Stock on June 1, 2023.
No fractional shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Splits and instead, fractional shares were rounded up to the nearest whole share number. The par value and authorized shares of Legacy Common Stock and preferred stock of the Company were not adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Splits.
Pursuant to the Amended Certificate of Incorporation, following the consummation of the Merger Transactions, the Company is authorized to issue up to 310,000,000 shares, consisting of (i) up to 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, divided into (A) up to 210,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock and (B) up to 90,000,000 shares of Class B Common Stock and (ii) up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Unless otherwise noted, all share and per share amounts in this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to give effect to the Reverse Stock Splits.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The Company may also make forward-looking statements in other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in materials delivered to stockholders, and in press releases. In addition, the Company’s representatives may from time-to-time make oral forward-looking statements.
The Company has made these forward-looking statements in reliance on the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although the company believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “scheduled,” “should,” “targets,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these terms and other similar terminology. Forward-looking statements in this report include statements about the Company’s future financial performance, including its liquidity and capital resources, cash runway, and its ability to continue as a going concern; the advancement, timing and progress of the Company’s platform development and trait development in crop platforms; the anticipated timing for the presentation of data related to trait development and other operational activities; the timeframes for transferring traits in customers’ elite germplasm; the timeframe for commercialization of germplasm with the Company’s traits by seed company customers; the timing for, and degree of, adoption by farmers of germplasm with the Company’s traits following commercialization; the capacity of the Company’s productivity traits to deliver competitive yield improvements; the ability of gene editing to address climate change at scale; the timing and nature of
regulatory developments relating to gene editing; the market opportunity for the Company’s plant traits, including the number of addressable acres, and the trait fees that the Company expects to receive; and the Company’s ability to enter into and maintain significant customer collaborations. These and other forward-looking statements are predictions and projections about future events and trends based on the Company’s current expectations, objectives, and intentions and are premised on current assumptions. The Company’s actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements could be materially different than those expressed, implied, or anticipated by forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: the Company’s need for additional near term funding to finance its activities and challenges in obtaining additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all; changes in expected or existing competition; challenges to the Company’s intellectual property protection and unexpected costs associated with defending intellectual property rights; increased or unanticipated time and resources required for the Company’s platform or trait product development efforts; the Company’s reliance on third parties in connection with its development activities and for commercialization; challenges associated with the Company’s ability to effectively license its productivity traits and sustainable ingredient products; the risk that farmers do not recognize the value in germplasm containing the Company’s traits or that farmers and processors fail to work effectively with crops containing the Company’s traits; delays or disruptions in the Company’s platform or trait product development efforts, particularly with respect to its non-Rice and non-disease projects in light of the Company’s realigned strategic priorities; challenges that arise in respect of the Company’s production of high-quality plants and seeds cost effectively on a large scale; the Company’s dependence on distributions from Cibus Global to pay taxes and cover its corporate and overhead expenses; regulatory developments that disfavor or impose significant burdens on gene editing processes or products; delays and uncertainties regarding regulatory developments in the European Union; the Company’s ability to achieve commercial success; commodity prices and other market risks facing the agricultural sector; technological developments that could render the Company’s technologies obsolete; impacts of the Company’s headcount reductions and other cost reduction measures, which may include operational and strategic challenges; changes in macroeconomic and market conditions, including inflation, supply chain constraints, and rising interest rates; dislocations in the capital markets and challenges in accessing liquidity and the impact of such liquidity challenges on the Company’s ability to execute on its business plan; the outcome of any litigation related to the Merger Transactions; the Company’s assessment of the period of time through which its financial resources will be adequate to support operations; and the risks and uncertainties described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” as they may be updated or supplemented from time-to-time in the Company’s subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K filed with the SEC. The foregoing factors should be considered an integral part of “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.
Any forward-looking statements made by the Company in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are based only on currently available information and speak only as of the date of this report. Except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change.
Summary Risk Factors
•Cibus has incurred significant losses and anticipates that it will continue to incur significant losses for several years. Cibus’ ability to continue as a going concern will depend on its ability to obtain additional financing in the near term.
•Cibus faces significant competition and many of its competitors have substantially greater financial, technical, and other resources than Cibus does.
•The Company’s Restructuring Initiative may result in operational and strategic challenges.
•Cibus success depends, in part, on its ability to effectively estimate future demand.
•Cibus’ business activities are currently conducted at a limited number of locations, and damage or business disruptions at these locations would have an adverse effect on its business.
•Cibus’ research and development efforts may be slower than expected and not be successful.
•Cibus intends to license the intellectual property produced through its gene editing technologies to third parties for use in their products and will be dependent on them to successfully commercialize such products.
•Customer relationships that Cibus establishes may not result in revenue generating commercial contracts.
•Any partnerships that Cibus may enter into in the future may not be successful.
•If ongoing or future field trials are unsuccessful, Cibus may be unable to complete the development of productivity trait candidates on a timely basis or at all.
•Cibus relies on third parties to conduct, monitor, support, and oversee field trials, and any performance issues by them may impact Cibus’ ability to successfully commercialize products or license traits.
•Cibus may lack the necessary expertise, personnel, and resources to effectively license its priority productivity trait products.
•Interruptions in the production or transportation of parent seeds could adversely affect Cibus’ operations and profitability.
•Cibus’ products may not achieve commercial success quickly or at all.
•Public understanding of Cibus’ RTDS technologies and public perception and acceptance of gene editing technologies, including Cibus’ RTDS technologies, could affect Cibus’ sales and results of operations.
•Cibus’ financial statements include goodwill as a result of the Merger Transactions. Goodwill could become impaired in the future under certain conditions, and any such impairment may significantly impact Cibus’ results of operations and financial condition.
•Cibus’ estimates and forecasts with respect to total acres, accessible acres, trait fees, and assumptions regarding Cibus’ trait penetration rates and potential market share may prove to be inaccurate.
•The overall agricultural industry is susceptible to commodity and raw material price changes.
•Adverse weather and environmental conditions and natural disasters can cause significant costs and losses.
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•The agricultural industry is highly seasonal, which may cause Cibus’ sales and operating results to fluctuate significantly.
•Regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions for gene edited products are evolving, and adverse regulatory changes could have a significant negative impact on Cibus’ ability to develop and commercialize its product candidates.
•Potential changes in regulatory frameworks that would be beneficial to Cibus may not come to fruition or may have features that are not advantageous to Cibus.
•The regulatory environment varies greatly from region-to-region and in many countries is less developed than in the United States and the EU.
•Products containing Cibus’ productivity traits may be subject to enhanced regulation.
•Cibus uses hazardous chemicals and biological materials in its business. Compliance with environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, and any claims relating to improper handling, storage, or disposal of these materials could be time consuming and costly.
•Cibus is subject to governmental export and import controls that could impair its ability to compete in international markets due to licensing requirements and subject Cibus to liability if it is not in compliance with applicable laws.
•Cibus’ ability to compete may decline if it does not adequately protect its intellectual property proprietary rights.
•Patents and patent applications involve highly complex legal and factual questions, which, if determined adversely to Cibus, could negatively impact its competitive position.
•Cibus will not seek to protect its intellectual property rights in all jurisdictions throughout the world and Cibus may not be able to adequately enforce its intellectual property rights even in the jurisdictions where Cibus seeks protection.
•Third parties may assert rights to inventions Cibus develops or otherwise regards as its own.
•Cibus may not identify relevant third party patents or may incorrectly interpret the relevance, scope, or expiration of a third party patent which might adversely affect Cibus’ ability to develop and market its products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates.
•Any infringement, misappropriation, or other violation by Cibus of intellectual property rights of others may prevent or delay Cibus’ product development efforts and may prevent or increase the costs of Cibus successfully commercializing its products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates, if approved.
•Cibus may be unsuccessful in licensing or acquiring intellectual property from third parties that may be required to develop and commercialize Cibus’ products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates.
•If Cibus fails to comply with its obligations in the agreements under which Cibus licenses intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to its business relationships with its licensors, Cibus could lose license rights that are important to its business.
•Some of the licenses Cibus may grant to its licensing partners to use Cibus’ proprietary genes in certain crops may be exclusive within certain jurisdictions, which could limit Cibus’ licensing opportunities.
•Cibus’ results of operations will be affected by the level of royalty payments that Cibus is required to pay to third parties.
•Cibus’ headcount reductions and other cost reduction measures may result in operational and strategic challenges.
•Cibus’ Royalty Liability may contribute to net losses for Cibus and cause the value for securities of Cibus to fluctuate.
•Cibus depends on key management personnel and attracting and retaining other qualified personnel, and its business could be harmed if Cibus loses key management personnel or cannot attract and retain other qualified personnel.
•Cibus’ internal computer systems, or those of its third party contractors or consultants, may fail or suffer security breaches, which could result in a material disruption of Cibus’ operations.
•The market price of the Class A Common Stock has been and could remain volatile, and the market price of the Class A Common Stock may drop.
•Provisions in the Amended Certificate of Incorporation and Amended Bylaws and provisions under Delaware Law could make an acquisition of Cibus, which may be beneficial to its stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by its stockholders to replace or remove its management.
•Cibus may issue shares of preferred stock in the future, which could make it difficult for another company to acquire Cibus or could otherwise adversely affect holders of its Class A Common Stock, which could depress the price of the Class A Common Stock.
•Cibus’ executive officers, directors, and principal stockholders have the ability to control or significantly influence all matters submitted to its stockholders for approval.
•The United States net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes of Cibus may be subject to limitations.
•Cibus is a holding company and its only material asset is its interest in Cibus Global, and it is accordingly dependent upon distributions from Cibus Global to pay taxes, make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and cover its corporate and other overhead expenses.
•In certain circumstances, Cibus Global is required to make distributions to Cibus and the other holders of Cibus Common Units, and the distributions that Cibus Global will be required to make may be substantial.
•In certain cases, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed the actual benefits Cibus realizes in respect of the tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement.
•If Cibus Global were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes, Cibus and Cibus Global might be subject to potentially significant tax inefficiencies, and Cibus would not be able to recover payments previously made by it under the Tax Receivable Agreement even if the corresponding tax benefits were subsequently determined to have been unavailable due to such status.
•If Cibus were deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a result of its ownership of Cibus Global, applicable restrictions could make it impractical for Cibus to continue its business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business.
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•In certain cases, the holders of Class B Common Stock have the sole power to approve a reorganization of Cibus, resulting in Cibus no longer being structured as an umbrella partnership C corporation.
•In the event that Cibus’ payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement are accelerated upon certain mergers, other forms of business combinations or other changes of control, the consideration payable to holders of Class A Common Stock could be substantially reduced.
•Cibus will not be reimbursed for any payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement in the event that any tax benefits are subsequently disallowed.
Market Data
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains market data and industry statistics and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications, other publicly available information, and the Company’s internal sources and estimates (including, its knowledge of, and experience to date in, the potential markets for its products). Although the Company believes that third party sources are reliable, it does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information extracted from these sources, and the Company has not independently verified such information. Similarly, while the Company believes its management estimates to be reasonable, they have not been verified by any independent sources. The market and industry data and estimates presented in this Annual Report involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed in the section entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” Forecasts and other forward-looking estimates about the Company’s industry or performance within its industry are subject to the risks and uncertainties regarding forward-looking statements described under the caption “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements.” Accordingly, results could differ materially from those expressed in the estimates made by the independent parties and by the Company, and investors should not place undue reliance on this information. Website Disclosure
The Company uses its website (www.cibus.com), its corporate X account (formerly Twitter) (@CibusGlobal), and its corporate LinkedIn account (https://www.linkedin.com/company/cibus-global) as routine channels of distribution of company information, including press releases, analyst presentations, and supplemental financial information, as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor its website and its corporate X and LinkedIn accounts in addition to following press releases, filings with the SEC, and public conference calls and webcasts.
Additionally, the Company provides notifications of announcements as part of its website. Investors and others can receive notifications of new press releases posted on the Company’s website by signing up for email alerts.
None of the information provided on the Company’s website, in its press releases or public conference calls and webcasts, or through social media is incorporated into, or deemed to be a part of, this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any other report or document it files with the SEC unless such document specifically states otherwise, and any references to its website or its corporate X and LinkedIn accounts are intended to be inactive textual references only.
Part I
Item 1. Business.
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Cibus is a leading agricultural biotechnology company that uses proprietary gene editing technologies to develop plant traits which are specific genetic characteristics in the DNA of a plant’s seed. These characteristics influence how a resulting plant functions and/or interacts with its environment. Its primary business is the development of plant traits for some of the world’s major agricultural food crops that help address specific productivity, profitability, sustainability, or yield challenges in farming. Cibus’ initial focus is on productivity traits, which can be associated with improving crop yields in the face of challenges such as weeds, pests, and diseases, can address environmental challenges with an overall reduction in the use of chemicals like fungicides, insecticides, or fertilizers, or can make crops more adaptable to environmental factors such as heat and drought in the face of climate change.
Cibus’ core technology is its propriety gene editing platform called the Rapid Trait Development System™ or RTDS®. It is the underlying technology for Cibus’ Trait Machine™ process, providing a standardized, end-to-end, semi-automated, high-throughput gene editing system that directly edits seed companies’ elite germplasm. It is a time bound, reproducible, and predictable science-based breeding process. Over 500 patents or patents pending cover RTDS and many of the Company’s gene edited traits. The Company considers the Trait Machine process an important technological milestone that represents a breakthrough in the achievement of a standardized, high-throughput gene editing system that provides the speed, precision, and scale to develop a new class of high value productivity traits that is the promise of gene editing.
Gene-edited traits are importantly distinguishable from traits developed with genetically modified organism (GMO) technologies. While GMO technologies enabled major improvements in farming productivity, they have faced regulatory and adoption headwinds because of their use of foreign DNA, or transgenic material. For example, in the European Union (EU), GMO traits were essentially banned, and
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imports were heavily regulated.
In contrast, a key aspect of Cibus’ Trait Machine process is that plant traits developed using this technology are indistinguishable from plant traits developed using conventional plant breeding (or, from nature). Because of this, most major jurisdictions have either passed regulations that, or started processes to introduce regulations and policies that would, generally treat traits developed using gene editing on the same basis as traits developed using conventional plant breeding. All productivity traits developed using RTDS comprise the types of changes that arise naturally in conventional plant breeding programs. Policies and new legislation in place in key countries and presently under consideration in Europe are aimed at harmonizing how gene edited traits are regulated in order to align with regulations for traits from conventional plant breeding. These policy changes highlight the major global evolution away from the heavily regulated GMO technologies and broader acceptance of gene editing technologies.
Cibus believes that its RTDS technologies and Trait Machine process represent a paradigm shift in plant breeding, which it refers to as industrializing breeding. The Trait Machine process has the potential to materially improve the productivity of the breeding process as compared to conventional breeding, which currently averages more than a decade. Further, the Trait Machine process is a scientifically based process whose trait products are indistinguishable from traits developed through conventional plant breeding and that are increasingly regulated as such.
Cibus believes that its gene editing technologies and productivity traits have the potential to accelerate agriculture’s jump to a climate smart, more sustainable, crop production system and industry’s move to sustainable, natural, and low carbon materials or ingredients. Cibus believes that this is the Future of Breeding™.
Cibus is a leader in this new industry characterized by high-throughput gene editing processes which can also serve as an extension of plant breeding operations for seed company customers. It provides the ability to prototype new productivity traits and, once developed, the ability to materially accelerate the time to commercialize new productivity traits. The Trait Machine process revolutionizes the business of trait development by dramatically improving the speed and scale of developing and prototyping new productivity traits relative to conventional breeding.
The Company’s primary customers are seed companies that have transferred their elite germplasm to Cibus for editing. Cibus does not compete with seed companies’ breeding operations, but rather, can augment them. Customer relationships start with material transfer agreements for delivery of the customer’s elite germplasm to the Company for editing and eventual return to the customer. By working directly with a customer’s elite germplasm, the Trait Machine process enables the introduction of high value productivity traits directly into a customer’s market-ready varieties and parent lines, dramatically reducing the time to commercialization. For commercialization, Cibus’ model contemplates entering into a future commercialization agreement or license agreement under which it would receive royalty or license fees related to the seed company’s sale of seed containing a Cibus developed trait.
Cibus currently has a pipeline of five productivity traits. Three of Cibus’ five pipeline productivity traits are classified as “developed,” meaning that they have been edited in a customer’s elite germplasm and have been validated in field trials. In Canola (known as Winter Oilseed Rape (WOSR) in Europe), the Company’s Pod Shatter Reduction (PSR) productivity trait has been edited into the elite lines of customer seed company partners and transferred back to these customers in their elite germplasm. In Rice, gene-edited herbicide tolerance (HT) productivity traits HT1 and HT3 are being introgressed and/or in process to be edited into multiple customers’ genetics for the United States and Latin America, and Cibus is also initiating efforts to directly edit the HT1 and HT3 traits in certain customers’ germplasm. Two pipeline productivity traits are classified as “advanced,” meaning that the editing and trait development process is underway with known edit targets. Currently, these advanced productivity traits include a trait for Sclerotinia (white mold disease) resistance and herbicide tolerance (HT2), are in Canola. These two advanced pipeline productivity traits are expected to be applicable to multiple crops.
In addition to Cibus’ pipeline of five productivity traits, Cibus is developing, through a partner-funded project, sustainable ingredients or materials for the consumer packaged goods industry aimed at mitigating adverse environment impacts during production, use, or disposal. Cibus will also continue to consider other trait categories, like nutrient use efficiency, through similar partnerships with third parties.
Furthermore, through a collaboration with Biographica, Ltd. (Biographica), Cibus is in the early stages of exploring potential artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and related data analytics to identify and prioritize targets for gene editing, initially focusing on advancing disease resistance in Canola and WOSR.
Activities in 2024 and through the date of this filing have been transformative for Cibus, including significant progress across crop platforms for its developed productivity traits and achieving important milestones in its advanced productivity traits. Cibus received additional patents across 10 plant gene editing and trait families, which further strengthened the Company’s IP portfolio, including in its weed management and herbicide tolerance trait families. On October 18, 2024, the Company announced a restructuring initiative (Restructuring Initiative), as it continues its transformation from a Research and Development (R&D) driven organization to a focused commercial-stage gene editing company in agriculture. Cibus’ related cost reduction actions, including a reduction in force, are expected to save the Company approximately $10.0 million on an annualized run-rate basis, with monthly cash use reduced by the end of the first quarter of 2025 by approximately 20 percent relative to fiscal year 2024.
These initiatives are a result of the Company’s realigned organization, which focuses the allocation of its capital resources toward its
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commercial effort priorities through advancement of Cibus’ weed management productivity traits HT1 and HT3 for Rice, Sclerotinia resistance productivity trait for Canola and Soybean, and the continuing development of Cibus’ Soybean platform, while enabling continued progress on Cibus’ PSR productivity trait and its third weed management productivity trait HT2 with a more streamlined use of resources. The Company will also continue to opportunistically maintain and pursue additional partner-funded projects.
With respect to its HT1 and HT3 developed productivity traits in Rice, Cibus has made substantial advancement with its trait transfer process. Cibus now has material transfer agreements with four leading rice seed companies including Loveland Products, Inc., a subsidiary of Nutrien, Ltd., in the United States and Interoc S.A in Latin America, and Federacion Nacional de Arroceros (FEDEARROZ), one of the largest rice seed companies in Latin America. Cibus has received germplasm from all four of its major Rice seed company customers and in each case, has either completed or initiated trait transfer to the customer germplasm. Together, it is estimated that these four companies represent approximately 40 percent of all addressable acres for the Company’s herbicide tolerance Rice platform in North and Latin America (i.e., acres that would be potentially accessible to Cibus’ HT1 and HT3 productivity traits in Rice). In addition, Cibus completed a successful field trial with one of its customer’s germplasm in the third quarter of 2024. Additionally, Cibus, RTDC Corporation Limited (RTDCCL), and Albaugh LLC (Albaugh) entered into an amendment to certain existing agreements to continue a collaboration to support eventual commercialization of Cibus’ HT3 productivity trait in Rice, which is a Clethodim-tolerance trait, with seed customers in the United States utilizing Albaugh’s herbicide registration and crop protection expertise. The Company also completed its first field trial for stacked gene edited HT productivity traits in an elite Rice variety, which the Company believes is the first known use of stacked gene edited herbicide tolerant traits in an elite variety of rice to improve weed management.
Within the Company’s Canola platform, Cibus achieved significant progress with its developed PSR productivity trait in WOSR, completing a successful initial field trial in the United Kingdom with multiple customers’ germplasm. This achievement is an important milestone in furthering Cibus’ commercialization efforts for WOSR in Europe.
With respect to Cibus’ advanced productivity traits, Cibus has made important advancements. For its Sclerotinia resistance productivity trait in Canola, the Company has received positive field trial results showing resistance for its second mode of action and recently announced positive controlled environment (greenhouse) data for its third mode of action. Multiple modes of action, which are akin to a plant’s defenses to disease, are critical for durable disease resistance. This progress with the Sclerotinia resistance productivity trait is particularly significant as it represents advancement toward providing durable disease resistance to white mold across multiple crops, including Canola and Soybean. The Company also received positive greenhouse data for its HT2 productivity trait in Canola, with additional field trials anticipated to be completed in 2025.
The Company continues to make progress in developing its Soybean platform. The Company has successfully edited a Soybean cell with genetic changes associated with its HT2 productivity trait, achieving sufficiently high editing rates that enabled expanded continued development by the Company of its Soybean platform. Cibus continues to work diligently toward the establishment of an operational Soybean platform.
Major developed market countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the major South America markets are now treating traits from gene editing as conventional-like, and the modernization of global regulation of gene editing technologies in agriculture has continued its general positive progression. In May 2024, Canada joined other jurisdictions endorsing additional policies to regulate gene editing technologies in feed (including that used in Cibus’ RTDS) similar to conventional breeding methods. Previously, on February 7, 2024, the Parliament of the EU voted in favor of new laws that would differentiate gene editing technologies from GMO technologies. The proposal adopted by the EU Parliament would regulate certain traits from gene editing as “conventional-like” or like traits developed using conventional plant breeding, while there is still ongoing discussion of how to address herbicide tolerance traits. Final approval of the EU Parliament’s proposal is subject to, and will be based upon, ongoing negotiations among the EU Parliament, the EU Council, and the European Commission to finalize legislation for adoption. On March 14, 2025, EU member states endorsed the EU Council’s (Council) negotiating mandate on the regulation of plants obtained by New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). This important advancement enables the Council to engage in 3-way discussions (known as trilogue discussions) with the EU Parliament and the European Commission to agree the final text of the legislation to be proposed for final adoption. The legislation is part of a package of measures designed to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources and to strengthen the resilience of EU food systems. It describes a category of NGTs, that include products of gene editing that could be obtained in nature or by conventional breeding. If successful, the proposed regulation would enable EU growers to benefit from improved varieties and would help facilitate international trade by bringing EU policy closer to that of trading partners in North and South America, the United Kingdom, India, Australia, and Japan. Although there can be no assurance if or when the final EU legislation will be adopted, its passage would bring the EU closer to other major developed markets resulting in more consistent regulations for the planting, import, and export of products or commodities.
CIBUS’ PRIORITY PRODUCTS: THREE CROPS, FIVE PRODUCTIVITY TRAITS
Canola
Cibus’ developed productivity trait PSR in Canola and WOSR strengthens the sheath around the canola seeds, which is important to protect them against adverse impacts from high winds and extreme weather. Cibus’ advanced productivity traits, Sclerotinia resistance and HT2 in Canola and WOSR, continue to progress and offer white mold disease resistance and broadleaf weed herbicide tolerance, respectively.
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Canola was the first crop for which Cibus successfully implemented its RTDS technology platform and Trait Machine process. As a result, Canola was the first crop for which Cibus developed multiple productivity traits for a single crop platform. Cibus has 10 customers for its developed and advanced traits in Canola, six of whom continue to work with the Company to progress its developed PSR trait for approximately 7 million customer accessible acres despite a shifting commercial landscape.
Cibus believes that the total market for Canola consists of approximately 48 million acres of crop across North America, Europe including the EU, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Australia. The chart below summarizes information relating to Cibus’ pipeline productivity traits for Canola, including its beliefs with respect to the potential royalties available for Canola in its target market:
Productivity Trait Stage of Development Estimated Accessible Acres (1)(4)
Estimated Trait Fee (per acre) (2)
Estimated Potential Target Market Royalties (3)
PSR Developed 7 million $5-7 $35 million
Sclerotinia resistance
Advanced 30 million $10-15 >$300 million
HT2 Advanced 20 million $5 $100 million
Total - 57 million - >$435 million
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(1) “Accessible Acres” is that portion of a specified total acres planted of a specific trait crop in a specified geography, jurisdiction, or market representing management’s estimate of the number of total acres for the specified geography, jurisdiction, or market on which seed with the specified Cibus productivity trait may be planted. This estimate is based on industry sources or references regarding the need for a specific trait in the specific crop and geography, jurisdiction, or market, taking into account assumptions about competition, trait relevance, switching costs and adoption timeframes, and various other factors. Accessible Acres may vary widely based on the trait, crop, geography, jurisdiction, market, or need and may change materially over time. Among other assumptions, management includes EU acres in determining Accessible Acres. However, access to EU acreage is dependent upon a favorable outcome of the EU legislative process with respect to a currently pending proposal. There can be no assurance that such a favorable outcome will be achieved.
(2) “Trait Fees” represent management’s assumption regarding the potential per acre fee that may be received by Cibus in respect of the applicable productivity trait, taking into account available market information regarding competitors’ current trait fees as well as assumptions regarding competition, trait relevance and trait value in specific geographies and potential savings to farmers, switching costs, and various other factors. Trait fees are divided between the trait company, the seed company, and in cases of herbicide tolerance with the herbicide or chemistry provider, with the percent of the fee that accrues to the trait developer varying depending on the type of trait, value, and intellectual property protection. In analyzing potential Trait Fees for Sclerotinia resistance, management, among other things, considers economic similarities to the Bt trait. See the discussion below under “CIBUS’ PROCESS: THE TRAIT MACHINE PROCESS” under the caption “The Commercial Model” for further information on the economic similarities to the Bt trait fees. Management also takes into account comparable trait fees currently payable in respect of seeds containing existing commercial traits. Actual Target Market Royalties, if any, could be materially different than those expressed, implied, or anticipated by the estimates presented.
(3) “Estimated Potential Target Market Royalties” represents (i) management’s estimates of Accessible Acres, multiplied by (ii) management’s estimate of the Trait Fee for the specific productivity trait for a specific crop in a specific geography, jurisdiction, or market. These figures are calculated based on management estimates and assumptions, which are based on industry references and estimates of key data, such as the number of acres or percentage of total acres for which the productivity trait would be relevant or where the applicable crop is impacted such that it would benefit from a specific productivity trait. In each crop for each productivity trait, the Accessible Acres may vary widely based on the productivity trait, crop, geography, or need. Cibus’ estimates of potential Target Market Royalties also serves as the Company’s estimate of its peak sales for the specific productivity trait and specific crop. This peak would generally be projected to occur several years after commercial availability of seed containing the applicable productivity trait. Accordingly, such calculations should be considered illustrative.
(4) Relative to a Total Canola Market of approximately 48 million total Canola acres in North America (23.4 million acres), Europe (including the EU (14.2 million acres), the United Kingdom (1.0 million acres), and Ukraine (2.5 million acres)), and Australia (6.5 million acres), obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (as the latest 5-year averages from 2018 to 2022.
Rice
Rice was the second crop for which Cibus successfully implemented its RTDS technology platform and Trait Machine process developing two productivity traits to date. Herbicide tolerance has posed challenges in Rice, where GMO traits (and associated herbicides) that have historically been prevalent in other crops have not been available.
Cibus’ developed productivity traits HT1 and HT3 in Rice are expected to provide the crop access to two important herbicides to control common weeds. The Company is presently targeting 5 million acres in the United States and Latin America and 60 million acres in Asia, excluding China.
Cibus believes that the total market for Rice consists of approximately 218 million acres of crop across the United States, Latin America, and Asia (excluding China). The chart below summarizes information relating to the Company’s pipeline productivity traits for Rice, including its beliefs with respect to the potential royalties available for Rice in the Company’s accessible market:
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Productivity Trait Stage of Development Estimated Accessible Acres (1)(4)
Estimated Trait Fee (per acre) (2)
Estimated Potential Target Market Royalties (3)
HT1 and HT3 (United States and Latin America) Developed 5 million $30-50 $200 million
HT1 and HT3 (Asia excluding China) Developed 60 million $2-3 $150 million
Total - 65 million - $350 million
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(1) See note 1 to the “Canola” table above.
(2) See note 2 to the “Canola” table above.
(3) See note 3 to the “Canola” table above.
(4) Relative to a Total Rice Market of approximately 218 million total Rice acres in the United States (2.6 million acres), Latin America (10.0 million acres), and Asia (205 million acres, excluding China), obtained from the FAO (as the latest 5-year averages from 2018 to 2022).
Soybean
Cibus is continuing expanded development of its Soybean platform, having successfully edited a Soybean cell with genetic changes associated with its HT2 productivity trait and achieving editing rates that the Company believes are sufficiently high for commercial development. The Company continues to work diligently toward a fully operational Soybean platform. Cibus’ advanced productivity traits in Canola for Sclerotinia resistance and HT2 are expected to be multi-crop productivity traits also usable in Soybean with further, crop-specific, development and testing.
Cibus believes that the total market for Soybean consists of approximately 245 million acres of crop across North America, Latin America, and Europe (including the EU, Albania, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine). The chart below summarizes information relating to the Company’s pipeline productivity traits for Soybean, including its beliefs with respect to the potential royalties available for Soybean in its target market:
Productivity Trait Stage of Development Estimated Accessible Acres (1)(4)
Estimated Trait Fee (per acre) (2)
Estimated Potential Target Market Royalties (3)
Sclerotinia resistance
Advanced 50 million $10-15 >$500 million
HT2 Advanced 75 million $5-12 $375 million
Total - 125 million - >$875 million
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(1) See note 1 to the “Canola” table above.
(2) See note 2 to the “Canola” table above.
(3) See note 3 to the “Canola” table above.
(4) Relative to a Total Soybean Market of approximately 245 million total Soybean acres in North America (90 million acres), Latin America (148 million acres), and Europe (including EU (2.4 million acres) and Ukraine 3.7 million acres), obtained from the FAO (as the latest 5-year averages from 2018 to 2022).
CIBUS’ PRODUCTS: OPPORTUNISTIC, PARTNER-FUNDED PROJECTS
Cibus also believes there are future opportunities beyond its current three crops, five productivity traits priority strategic focus. Cibus will continue to seek to identify opportunities to supplement its pipeline with productivity traits in Wheat, for which an operational editing platform was established in early 2024, and in Corn.
With respect to Cibus’ operational Wheat platform, Cibus will continue to seek appropriate partner-funded projects with seed companies to develop productivity traits to address significant challenges faced by farmers including disease resistance, nitrogen use efficiency, and low immune (gluten free) or allergy targets. Nitrogen (or nutrient) use efficiency is a need in many crops, but particularly for Wheat with its enormous, cultivated acreage. A nitrogen or nutrient use efficiency productivity trait would have the potential to materially reduce the carbon footprint of the crop while offering better yield with similar fertilization. Fungal diseases cause a significant economic impact in Wheat production with cereals representing the largest fungicide market. Development of disease resistance productivity traits in Wheat offer the promise of protecting yield potential while reducing fungicide use. Finally, Cibus’ Wheat platform enables the potential development of improved Wheat quality productivity traits aimed at reducing or eliminating allergens such as gluten.
Further, gene editing provides opportunities for the development of sustainable low carbon ingredients, which are increasingly attractive to multi-national companies seeking to achieve carbon reduction goals. For example, the goal of many companies’ Net Zero Climate commitments is to replace ingredients that are fossil fuel based or linked to environmental challenges with more sustainable alternatives. The Company believes that using gene editing to develop plant-or micro-organism-based solutions will be a key element of this drive to new renewable low carbon materials.
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Cibus’ product goal for sustainable low carbon ingredients is to use its non-transgenic gene editing platforms in partner-funded collaboration projects. The Company expects these projects will focus on developing certain alternative plant-based oils or bio-based fermentation products to meet the functional needs of the new sustainable ingredients industry to replace current ingredients that are identified to raise environmental challenges, such as ingredients derived from fossil fuels, materials that cause deforestation, or materials that raise other sustainability challenges.
For example, in early 2023, Cibus and Procter & Gamble (P&G), a leading multi-national consumer products company, entered into a collaboration to develop sustainable low carbon ingredients or materials that do not negatively impact the environment during production, use, or disposal. Under the terms of the agreement, P&G is funding a multi-year program to develop sustainable low carbon ingredients that help P&G advance its sustainability objectives.
CIBUS’ PROCESS: THE TRAIT MACHINE PROCESS
The key to the Company’s operational and commercial model is its Trait Machine process. It is based on crop specific trait editing platforms using Cibus’ RTDS technology platform. A crop-specific platform means that the specific Trait Machine process is based on crop-specific single cell models that can grow into a plant after being edited. Once developed, in the specific crop, Cibus is able to edit directly in a customer’s elite germplasm and grow it into the customer’s gene edited plant. This is what the Company means when it says that Cibus is able to operate as an extension of a customer’s breeding program. This means that in any crop in which the Trait Machine process is operational, Cibus will be able to edit any trait in its pipeline directly into a customer’s elite germplasm and transfer back the gene edited elite germplasm to the customer for commercialization. The Company seeks to make the productivity traits available in a way that is coordinated with any seed company’s breeding operation in order to enable and accelerate efficient commercialization of each productivity trait regardless of crop, customer, or geography.
The Operational Model
Historically, trait development has been a crop-by-crop and trait-by-trait process. The Company believes that gene editing fundamentally improves trait development because of the increased scale, scope, and speed enabled through these technologies. This is why the Cibus operational model differs from pre-gene editing models. In Cibus’ Trait Machine process, Cibus is not focused on a specific crop, but rather its focus is specific productivity traits. The goal of Cibus’ operational model is to develop important productivity traits that are applicable to multiple crops with attractive economics.
The operational advantage of the Trait Machine process is that it is a standardized, end-to-end, semi-automated, high-throughput gene editing system that directly edits seed companies’ elite germplasm. It is a time bound, reproducible, and predictable science-based breeding process. It provides the ability to prototype new traits and, once developed, the ability to materially accelerate the time to commercialize new traits. By materially changing the speed and accuracy to develop new traits, the Trait Machine process has the potential to revolutionize the business of trait development by increasing the speed and scale of prototyping new traits relative to conventional breeding. By working directly with a customer’s elite germplasm, the Trait Machine process enables the introduction of high value productivity traits directly into a customer’s market-ready varieties and parent lines, dramatically reducing the time to commercialization. Cibus refers to this new paradigm as industrializing breeding. This is the Company’s vision for the Future of Breeding™ and its position in this new industry.
As of December 31, 2024, Cibus had operational crop platforms in Canola, Rice, and Wheat, and Cibus has used its Canola and Rice platforms to begin editing elite customer germplasm.
The Company continues to work diligently toward a fully operational Soybean platform, having successfully edited a Soybean cell with genetic changes associated with its HT2 trait and achieving sufficiently high editing rates that enabled expanded development.
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Having a Trait Machine process for key major crops enables Cibus to introduce any of its current developed or advanced productivity traits or enable Cibus to prototype new traits for any customer in any of these platform crops in their elite germplasm. This is the scale and breadth of trait development enabled by the Trait Machine process.
The Commercial Model
Cibus’ commercial model involves future development of commercialization or license agreements under which it would receive royalty or license fees related to a seed company customer’s sale of seed containing a Cibus developed productivity trait. Seed companies paying royalties for traits is a long-standing practice in agriculture, and is central to how major GMO-based traits have been commercialized. Cibus’ commercial model is based on this practice. The trait provider is paid a royalty for every bag sold or each acre on which the traits are used. Virtually every seed has royalties owed to third parties for intellectual property associated with either the germplasm or the traits in that seed. In each case, the trait provider is not involved in seed bulk-up or launch once a trait is transferred to the seed company.
The agricultural trait business is driven by three factors: type of trait, addressable acreage, and trait fees. Productivity traits are very valuable to farmers, with the actual trait fee for a given trait for a given crop being based on the economics of the trait in a given crop and geography. Increased productivity means higher yields and/or lower costs. Trait fees are then divided between the trait company, the seed company, and in cases of herbicide tolerance with the herbicide and chemistry provider, depending on the type of trait, value, and intellectual property protection.
To put the model in context, consider that GMO-based traits are generally aimed at addressing weed control and insect resistance. Each of these trait groups has been incorporated in over five different major crops and planted on over 300 million acres and generating a total of approximately $8.0 billion in trait fees per year. The annual royalties associated with the Bt trait are estimated by AgBioInvestor to be approximately $4.0 billion. It is estimated by AgBioInvestor that the GMO-based weed management traits are also planted on over 300 million acres and earn annual trait fees of approximately $4.0 billion.
In analyzing potential Trait Fees for Sclerotinia resistance, management, among other things, considers economic similarities to the Bt trait, a GMO trait that is used to control insects. A 2010 National Research Council study concurred that Bt crops led to reduced pesticide use and/or the use of pesticides with lower toxicity compared to those used on conventional crops.
Based on the underlying positive economics of the Bt trait, it is estimated by AgBioInvestor that the average trait fee paid by farmers for the Bt traits is $10-$20 per acre, with aggregate trait fees estimated at approximately $2.6 billion in corn, $0.7 billion in cotton, and $0.5 billion in soy. At this price, it is also estimated that the Bt trait is incorporated in the genetics of seeds that are planted on over 300 million acres.
Similar to the trait fees paid for the Bt trait, which Cibus believes are based on yield lost on acres due to insects, the Company believes that fees for Sclerotinia resistance will also be based on yield lost on acres due to the disease, which can be significant. The severity of Sclerotinia stem rot is variable from year-to-year, region-to-region, and even from field-to-field, and can be significant. For example, in 2016, Sclerotinia stem rot was widespread in canola across much of Western Canada, with over 90 percent of surveyed fields showing symptoms of infection. Cibus estimates that approximately 30 million acres of canola could be impacted by Sclerotinia stem rot. The chart below, prepared based on information available from the Canola Council of Canada, models the impact of Sclerotinia on crop loss and the potential trait fees that could be earned for the Sclerotinia resistance trait, as compared to the cost of fungicide needed to prevent potential crop loss:
The Breeding Challenge that the Trait Machine Process Addresses
Historically, the introduction of desirable traits in plants was achieved by major seed companies using conventional breeding or by employing transgenic processes. Both conventional breeding and transgenic bioengineering require substantial development time frames.
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According to a 2022 study from AgBioInvestor, the average time to bring a biotechnology-derived genetic trait to the point of commercialization in 2017-2022 was approximately 16.5 years at a cost of $115.0 million. Conventional breeding techniques, on the other hand, can require approximately 12-15 years. Further, for transgenic techniques, the integration of recombinant DNA typically results in seeds being classified as genetically engineered or bioengineered producing GMOs that are subject to significant regulation.
Cibus views gene editing as an extension of plant breeding. The Trait Machine process builds on gene editing technology as a supplement to conventional breeding. It offers a standardized, automated approach that makes the same changes as conventional breeding but more accurately and efficiently, and in a time bound, reproducible, and predictable way. In addition, it has the ability to develop complex traits that are difficult to achieve using conventional breeding. The Trait Machine process introduces high value productivity traits directly into a customer’s market-ready varieties or parent lines in a process that takes on average 3 to 5 years, which shows the potential to transform a historically lengthy and random conventional breeding process. By working directly with a customer’s elite germplasm, the Trait Machine process accelerates the time to market for developed traits.
Critically, the Trait Machine process results in gene edits that are indistinguishable from genetic changes that could occur from conventional breeding or that could occur in nature. As a result, regulatory frameworks around the world are increasingly regulating gene edited traits on a similar basis as traits from conventional breeding. The United States, Canada, and important agricultural countries in South America, along with other countries have already determined not to treat traits from RTDS as GMO or to treat them on the same basis as conventionally bred traits. Each of Cibus’ three developed productivity traits and its two advanced productivity traits have been determined not to be regulated articles under applicable USDA standards. There are several important countries or regions, including the EU, that are considering similar regulations to treat gene editing differently than GMO technology (i.e., to treat gene editing on the same basis as conventional breeding).
CIBUS’ TECHNOLOGY: WHAT CIBUS EDITS
Background
At the heart of Cibus’ Trait Machine process is RTDS, which is a suite of technologies that enable Cibus to isolate a single plant cell, make the desired genetic edits in that cell, and regenerate that cell into an entire plant.
Differences in DNA sequences, many of which are variations in one or a few single base pair(s) (letter(s)) in a DNA sequence, underlie some of the most important traits in plants. These variations can be targeted by gene editing, leading to these important traits in crops.
Plant biologists have recognized that Cibus is in the “genomics information age.” Across the plant kingdom, plants show enormous diversity driven by the enormous differences in their genome sequences - the plant’s “software.” Their genome sequence drives all the characteristics (traits) that define each plant, crop, and variety of a crop. In truly understanding this diversity, and the genome sequences that underlie that diversity, one can leverage these characteristics across plants. Cibus is focused on both understanding this diversity and on leveraging this diversity to improve farmer productivity and to develop sustainable ingredients. Trait platforms are cases where differences in DNA sequences that result in these desired traits are leveraged across multiple crops.
Over the Company’s history, Cibus has accessed the sequences of thousands of genomes (and fragments thereof) allowing it to analyze, classify, and catalog plant DNA sequences. Analysis using comparative genomics allows the Company’s scientists to understand and associate those sequences with important plant traits. Cibus has a team of informatics specialists that use computational biology and AI using the Company’s systems approach to plant genetic data to identify key sequence differences in targets that represent potential candidates or components for its traits. This computational biology analysis can also identify multiple genes and gene edits that influence important traits. These traits include improving plants to address the increase in diseases, to manage the increased challenges of weeds, insects, and pests, and to adapt to less water or increased temperatures. For many traits in the Company’s pipeline, Cibus combines
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computational prediction with hypothesis testing in the laboratory to explore sequence differences in potential targets (genes/loci) to iterate to a list of preferred edits to assess in crops. These discovery efforts are often performed in a variety of microbial hosts. The Company’s long discovery history has enabled sequence changes in microbial assays to be correlated with precise edit performance in plants. By knowing exactly which genes, or edits to those genes, contribute to specific characteristics of a plant, Cibus can rapidly deploy its gene editing capabilities to obtain plant traits to improve farmer productivity and to develop sustainable ingredients.
The Benefit of using Elite Germplasm to Edit
Cibus’ ability to perform direct editing in elite genetics allows seed company plant breeders to rapidly incorporate these new traits into commercial lines or hybrid seed. Increased speed of breeding is of paramount importance for follow on speed to market. Traditionally, trait development and farmer access to seed innovation has been a very slow process. RTDS enables Cibus’ partners to accelerate this process.
Accelerating Trait Development Increases Scale
Important to Cibus’ seed company customers is the potential to add traits to many of their elite germplasms. Cibus’ technologies allow plant breeders to incorporate Cibus’ productivity traits into the often-large breeding populations at a stage that is close to full commercialization. Scaling trait development using RTDS is unique to Cibus. Once Cibus has established this process flow as a predictable, reproducible progression, the RTDS-developed “crop platform” is complete and can effectively function as an automated Trait Machine process, which allows for the rapid and efficient production of customizable crops with multiple stacked traits.
CIBUS’ TECHNOLOGY: HOW CIBUS EDITS
Background
A key component of RTDS is oligonucleotides which edit specific targeted bases within the genome. In some cases, Cibus combines these powerful oligonucleotides with DNA-breaking reagents, such as CRISPR-Cas9, to enhance the efficiency and precision of RTDS.
Another key component of RTDS is Cibus’ proprietary cell culture expertise. Gene edits introduced into a single plant cell are only commercially viable if they can be cultured and regenerated into whole plants having the desired trait. Cibus’ proprietary cell culture expertise enables it to regenerate and grow an entire plant with the desired traits introduced by its targeted edits.
Once Cibus has identified which genes to edit, RTDS can operate within the genome, such as through an Oligonucleotide Directed Mutagenesis (ODM) technique. The first application of ODM as a gene editing technique in plants occurred over 20 years ago, when researchers, including Cibus’ Interim Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Peter Beetham, were able to
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edit plant cells to become resistant to sulfonylurea herbicides. Following this breakthrough, modified plant cells were cultured and regenerated into whole plants that produced hybrid progeny with heritable and stable gene mutations for this herbicide tolerance trait.
Cibus believes that it has been at the forefront of continuously improving the efficiency of gene editing and subsequent cell culture processes, which have made RTDS increasingly faster and more efficient.
RTDS Gene Editing Process-GRONs are Chemically Synthesized Directed Mutagens
Cibus’ RTDS can effect ODM using a carefully designed oligonucleotide, which Cibus refers to as the Gene Repair OligoNucleotide (GRON). The GRON is a chemically-engineered combination of DNA and modified nucleotides and other end-protective chemistries, the structure of which is carefully and purposefully designed.
Validating the non-transgenic nature of Cibus’ RTDS, the GRON is blocked from undergoing recombination (or insertion) with the plant DNA by its end-protective chemical structure. A GRON contains no biologically derived material; it is produced with an automated chemical synthesizer and purified like any other chemical mutagen. In addition, the GRON is formulated without the need for a delivery vector, which ensures that no foreign or extraneous DNA is inserted into the plant DNA. As a result of this carefully designed structure, the GRON acts as a mutagen, and RTDS can serve as a targeted mutagenesis system, rather than a transgenic process.
To effect precision gene editing, the GRON contains carefully sequenced DNA building blocks, but is specifically designed to include a mismatch in one or a few base pairs compared to the target gene’s DNA sequence. This genome sequencing and purposeful mismatch permits the GRON to act as a “DNA template” for the DNA sequence to be edited.
Mechanism of GRON Action
The GRON’s DNA template operates by using the plant DNA’s natural or inherent mismatch-repair system to effect a change.
Once inside the cell, the GRON is transported to the nucleus and based on the GRON’s sequence design, binds with the specific DNA sequence targeted for editing-a process referred to as specific hybridization. However, in connection with this pairing, the designed mismatch between the GRON and the DNA sequence ensures that there is no correspondence between the GRON and the plant genome at the specific target site. Consequently, no binding occurs at this specific site. The cell detects this mismatch and signals the cell’s natural repair system to change the gene’s sequence in order to match the GRON template. The cell uses enzymes to remove the mismatched nucleotide or nucleotides from the plant’s DNA sequence, and a new DNA sequence, which corresponds to the GRON DNA template, is resynthesized to correct the mismatch, thereby producing a continuous sequence using the cell’s own source of nucleotides.
The ability of the GRON to specifically hybridize with great affinity to its target, and its resistance to premature degradation, allows the cellular gene-repair machinery time to locate and replace, insert, or delete the targeted DNA nucleotide(s) on both strands of the genomic DNA. When the DNA strands are corrected to the GRON’s DNA sequence, the GRON is degraded by the cell’s natural processes, and the gene functions under its natural control mechanisms.
Through the controlled and precise mode of action of ODM utilizing the GRON, random or excessive mutations are prevented.
ODM in Combination with Engineered Nucleases
The key to specific gene editing to truly edit genes requires the GRON. While significant and practical gene editing frequency is possible through ODM utilizing the GRON alone, various techniques can enhance the efficiency of the GRON’s editing process. For example, Cibus’ GRON has achieved significant gene editing efficiency improvements when combined with certain engineered nucleases designed to precisely introduce controlled DNA double-strand breaks. These engineered nucleases include meganucleases, zinc finger nucleases, TAL effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated endonuclease Cas9 (CRISPR-Cas9). Cibus’ RTDS technologies have been significantly enhanced where its GRONs are used to reliably and precisely target DNA sequence changes close to a cut site made by such DNA-breaking reagents.
GRON Mode of Action in Combination with CRISPR-Cas9
The following diagram depicts Cibus’ RTDS process deploying the GRON in combination with a CRISPR-Cas9 DNA breaker:
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A Non-Transgenic Process and Product
Until the advent of Cibus’ RTDS technologies, the preponderance of commercial plant traits derived from biotechnology was based on transgenic products and processes. RTDS introduces a commercially viable, non-transgenic alternative.
The mode of action of ODM utilizing the GRON does not incorporate extra genes into the plant genome. Rather, the GRON functions only as a DNA template, guiding the plant to effect a change to its DNA with its own natural mechanisms. This is central to the design and structuring of the GRON, which uses end-protective chemical structures to prevent recombination with the plant’s DNA. Moreover, GRONs contain no biologically derived material-they are produced with an automated chemical synthesizer and purified like any other chemical agent. As a result, the GRON operates solely as a traditional mutagen. Because the GRON is fully degraded by the cell’s natural processes, the final trait products of Cibus’ RTDS are indistinguishable from those that could occur in nature.
In addition, the GRON does not require a delivery vector, which ensures that no foreign or extraneous DNA is inserted into the plant cell as part of the RTDS process. This enables the RTDS process to serve as a targeted mutagenesis system, rather than a transgenic process.
The Uniqueness of Cibus’ Trait Machine Process
Cibus believes its Trait Machine process is unique in the following ways:
•It materially changes the scale and speed of trait development by changing the speed to precisely edit a specific trait in a plant. In so doing, it changes speed and scale with which a breeder can optimize the genetics associated with a specific trait.
•It materially changes the scale and speed at which traits can be commercialized because it edits directly into a customer’s elite germplasm and is able to edit and transfer back a customer’s entire crop product line that is market ready in a time bound, reproducible, and predictable manner.
It is able to do this because:
•It moves from single cell to regenerated whole plant possessing desired traits more quickly and efficiently than other analogous technologies;
•It uses elite genetic parental lines as the starting material for the gene editing process, making trait development and trait stacking more efficient;
•It is standardized, precise, reproducible, and automated, making trait development customizable and trait stacking efficient and rapid;
•It is scalable using newly acquired robotics and has been largely automated to further accelerate the trait development process; and
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•It is non-transgenic, making it cost and speed advantaged in the growing number of markets where it is not subject to heightened GMO regulation.
MARKET AND INDUSTRY OVERVIEW: PLANT GENETICS, GENE EDITING, AND WHAT DIFFERENTIATES CIBUS
Background on the Plant Genetics Industry
Plant genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity specifically in plants, seeds, or germplasm. Germplasm is the term used to describe the seeds, plants, or plant parts useful in plant breeding. The plant genetics industry consists of the activities, like breeding and genetics, that are focused on understanding and improving germplasm. Plant genetics for germplasm and traits are the core technologies in seeds and ultimately, the varieties and parental lines of seed companies. These technologies underpin the expected performance of a given seed and are the primary basis for competition in the seed business. These technologies are generally developed internally by seed companies, but they are often bought or licensed from third parties such as other seed companies or the many academic institutions that have large plant genetics programs.
Increasing yields, lowering costs, and making crop outcomes more predictable are the core targets of trait development programs. Each of these targets has a readily quantifiable economic basis for determining the trait value.
The targets addressed by early GMO-based traits were weed control and insect management. Each of these had a material impact on farming productivity and sustainability. The Bt trait (an early GMO trait for insect resistance) is an excellent example. It is used to control corn borers and is credited with materially increasing farming productivity both through improved yield and through material reduction in the use (and cost) of insecticides. A 2010 National Research Council study concurred that Bt crops led to reduced pesticide use and /or the use of pesticides with lower toxicity compared to those used on conventional crops.
Based on the underlying positive economics of the Bt trait, it is estimated by AgBioInvestor that the average trait fee paid by farmers for the Bt traits is $10-$20 per acre, with aggregate trait fees estimated at approximately $2.6 billion in corn, $0.7 billion in cotton, and $0.5 billion in soy. At this price, it is estimated that the Bt trait is incorporated in the genetics of seeds that are planted on over 300 million acres. The annual royalties associated with the Bt trait are estimated by AgBioInvestor to be approximately $4.0 billion. It is further estimated by AgBioInvestor that the GMO-based weed management traits are also planted on over 300 million acres and earn annual trait fees estimated to be approximately $4.0 billion.
Cibus believes that novel traits or genetic characteristics in seeds will continue to be the driving force of the plant genetics industry and the growth of the seed business. Given peak acres, there is increasing pressure on improved crop productivity to meet the growing demands for food and food security. The promise of the new gene editing industry is to be a key driver behind a new generation of plant traits that can meet the current and future challenges of farming, in general, and climate change, specifically.
Gene Editing
Gene editing in plants is essentially a tool used in plant breeding that can precisely and predictably introduce new traits or improve upon existing ones. Gene editing, like breeding, is the science of optimizing plant genetics to increase a plant’s yield potential and to improve its ability to withstand challenges, such as climate change, diseases, and pests, as well as to deliver end-use characteristics such as nutritional quality or renewable plant-based ingredients. What differentiates gene editing from conventional breeding is that it makes deliberate edits in the existing DNA sequence of a plant as opposed to the lengthy and random conventional breeding process. The promise of gene editing is that it can change the scale and range of possible genetic solutions from breeding by its ability to make genetic changes in less time and more accurately. As challenges to farming sustainability increase with climate change, the ultimate promise of gene editing is that it can help meet those challenges with a timely and predictable process.
In addition, gene editing is an important tool in building genetic diversity needed to address climate resilience in crops. During the process through which wild species were domesticated into the crops we know today, genetic bottlenecks were encountered as a result of selecting traits such as bigger fruits and higher yields, while diversity was reduced for genetic traits like disease resistance. Gene editing is a breeding tool that can augment this lost diversity. Using the suite of technologies underlying RTDS and through the Company’s understanding of the genetic and trait expression relationships, Cibus can apply gene editing to develop more diverse germplasm while eliminating these bottlenecks.
What Differentiates Cibus
Cibus’ patented RTDS technology platform and its crop specific Trait Machine process differentiate Cibus in the plant genetics industry. Using RTDS technologies, Cibus developed the Trait Machine process: the first standardized, end-to-end, semi-automated, crop specific gene editing system that directly edits a seed company’s elite germplasm. The Trait Machine process transforms the lengthy and random conventional breeding process into a time bound, reproducible, and predictable science-based breeding process. Cibus’ trait products are non-transgenic in both process and product and are indistinguishable from plant traits developed using conventional breeding processes. Cibus believes that the Trait Machine process represents the technological breakthrough in plant breeding that is the ultimate promise of
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plant gene editing: the ability to change the scale and range of possible genetic solutions from breeding and to develop desired characteristics or traits with greater speed and accuracy. The Trait Machine process drives and differentiates Cibus’ operational and commercial model.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Cibus is an innovator in precision gene editing. Cibus relies on a combination of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret laws in the United States and other jurisdictions to protect its intellectual property rights. No single patent or trademark is material to its business.
Its proprietary technologies and trait product candidates are protected by more than 500 patents and patent applications worldwide across 27 patent families. The scope of such intellectual property protection depends on the laws of the local jurisdiction, which, in some jurisdictions, may provide less protection than the laws of the United States. Moreover, the duration of protection varies between different types of intellectual property rights. For instance, in the United States patents generally remain in force for 20 years from the filing of the patent application. Cibus’ issued patents are expected to expire between 2027 and 2040. Cibus holds key patents and patent applications with respect to RTDS gene editing methods, its PSR trait, applications of its RTDS technologies, and products of its RTDS technologies. Cibus believes its patent portfolio provides Cibus with a significant competitive advantage and creates a barrier to entry for potential competitors. In addition, as of December 31, 2024, Cibus owns more than 40 trademark registrations and applications related to its products, product candidates, processes, and technologies. Cibus anticipates it will apply for additional patents and trademark registrations in the future as it develops new products, product candidates, processes, and technologies.
Cibus also relies on trade secrets to develop and maintain its proprietary position and protect aspects of its business that are not amenable to, or that Cibus does not consider appropriate for, patent protection. Cibus seeks to protect its proprietary technologies, in part, through confidentiality agreements with its employees, consultants, scientific advisors, contractors, and others with access to its proprietary information. There can be no assurance, however, that these agreements will provide meaningful protection or adequate remedies for any breach, or that its trade secrets will not otherwise become known or be independently discovered by its competitors.
In addition to its own intellectual property, Cibus has also entered into licensing arrangements pursuant to which Cibus licenses third party technologies and intellectual property. These are typically non-exclusive contracts for developing traits in plants.
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS AND PRODUCT APPROVAL
Cibus plans to license its products globally into its key target agricultural markets, including those in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Each region and/or country across these geographies has national statutes and regulations that govern the use of agriculture biotechnology, in food, feed, and environmental applications. While nearly all regions and/or countries have mechanisms to regulate GMOs, the regulatory environment for products of gene editing vary from country-to-country. Because GMO (transgenic) technologies involve the integration of foreign DNA into the plant genome, many countries have imposed severe restrictions and/or have implemented extensive risk assessment and authorization processes for these products. However, in recent years, there has been a significant effort globally to develop separate regulations for products of gene editing technologies that do not involve the integration of foreign DNA (transgenes) into commercial plant products. Generally, where such constructive gene-editing regulations apply, the focus is on regulation of the product, not the process by which it was developed, and recognition of the genetic improvements conferred by these processes as equivalent to those that can be achieved through conventional plant breeding. As such, Cibus’ initial product commercialization efforts with its customers are with respect to those jurisdictions which have or are developing gene-editing regulations that Cibus believes will significantly reduce the adverse cost and competitive impacts of compliance.
Because traits developed through Cibus’ RTDS platform are indistinguishable from traits that occur naturally or those developed through conventional breeding approaches, Cibus’ productivity traits stand to benefit from this increasingly prevalent regulatory approach.
Countries in North and South America have led efforts to modernize regulations in respect of gene editing. Both the United States and Canada have clarified the regulatory status for gene edited plants and countries across South America have aligned with such international standards, resulting in a near harmonized approach across key agricultural jurisdictions. Importantly, Cibus has received regulatory opinions from jurisdictions in both North and South America confirming that the certain early products of Cibus’ RTDS technology will be regulated in alignment with conventional breeding standards.
While many countries have updated regulations to distinguish between gene editing and GMO technology, many others are still in the process of updating guidelines or may not have begun the process formally.
In Europe, the United Kingdom is making quick progress on the implementation of secondary legislation to enable the use of gene editing technologies following the March 2023 passage of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act by the United Kingdom Parliament. In parallel, the EU has been engaged in a multi-year regulatory process, with the European Commission’s proposal for regulation of plants obtained from NGTs adopted by the EU College of Commissioners (NGT Proposal) at their meeting on July 5, 2023, and passed to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU for review. Under the proposal, most products of gene editing technologies would be regulated in a similar way to conventional breeding. On February 7, 2024, the European Parliament adopted its position on the European Commission’s proposal, generally accepting the principles proposed by the European Commission in the NGT
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Proposal, subject to a number of amendments. On March 14, 2025, EU member states endorsed the EU Council’s (Council) negotiating mandate on the regulation of plants obtained by New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). This important advancement enables the Council to engage in 3-way discussions (known as trilogue discussions) with the EU Parliament and the European Commission to agree the final text of the legislation to be proposed for final adoption. The legislation is part of a package of measures designed to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources and to strengthen the resilience of EU food systems. It describes a category of NGTs, that include products of gene editing that could be obtained in nature or by conventional breeding. If successful, the proposed regulation would enable EU growers to benefit from improved varieties and would help facilitate international trade by bringing EU policy closer to that of trading partners in North and South America, the United Kingdom, India, Australia, and Japan. It is not certain, however, that political agreement will be found on the newly proposed rules or that the proposed rules will become law.
In Asia, a number of countries including Japan, China, Thailand, and the Philippines have implemented specific regulations for gene editing. Discussions and/or legislative processes are being initiated and/or moving forward in other Asian countries, albeit at a somewhat slower pace than the foregoing.
While Cibus views the overall trajectory of the regulatory landscape positively, there are a number of headwinds, including lack of international regulatory policy harmonization for products of gene editing and organized and vocal opponents of modifying existing, restrictive regulatory frameworks. As global regulatory policy for products of gene editing technology is evolving quickly, policy developments and market trends will continue to be a key factor in Cibus’ and Cibus’ customers’ ability to successfully commercialize traits from Cibus’ RTDS technologies.
Below is a map graphically showing the current global regulatory landscape, which has been compiled from information published directly by government authorities as well as industry associations representing the agriculture biotechnology industry. As used in the chart below, “Regulatory Policy in Place” means that gene edited crops are regulated in alignment with conventional breeding as opposed to GMOs, “Positive Policy Developments” means regulations are under development or evolving to separate gene editing from that of GMOs, and “Positive Policy Discussions Underway” means the regulatory status of gene edited crops is under discussion, but has not been determined.
COMPETITION AND COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS
Competition
The market for agricultural productivity traits is highly competitive, and Cibus faces significant competition. The development of productivity traits are the primary target of plant breeding programs and a key basis of competition in the “seed and trait” business. These technologies underpin the expected performance of a given seed and are the primary basis for competition in the seed business. These technologies are generally developed internally by seed companies or academic institutions that have large programs, but they are often bought or licensed from third parties such as other seed companies or independent trait developers. The most likely competitors are likely to come from a relatively small number of major global agricultural chemical companies, including BASF, Bayer Crop Science, Corteva AgriScience, and Syngenta, smaller biotechnology research companies and institutions, including Inari Agriculture, Pairwise
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Plants, and academic institutions. The Company’s major competitors in some instances may also be its customers. Many of the companies license out traits they have developed but sometimes they retain the rights for both competitive and technical reasons.
Many of Cibus’ current or potential competitors, either alone or with their R&D or collaboration partners, have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in R&D, manufacturing, testing, and marketing approved products than Cibus does. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through R&D and collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These competitors also compete with Cibus in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, Cibus’ programs.
Patents and proprietary technologies are important competitive barriers. In addition to patents that may exist on technology to develop traits, virtually all of the leading traits that are licensed or sublicensed from third parties have specific intellectual property on the trait itself. Cibus expects to have patents and proprietary technology associated with its productivity traits. For example, Cibus Global was issued a patent in 2022 for one of its developed productivity traits, PSR in Canola and WOSR. With patents, it is still possible for competition to develop the trait in other ways such as conventional breeding but gene editing patents should provide strong competitive barriers to other gene edited traits for the same genetic characteristics.
Competitive Strengths
Cibus believes that it is strategically well-positioned to develop innovative productivity traits and products with high value commercial applications. Cibus’ RTDS technology platform and the Trait Machine process provide a significant competitive advantage in development and commercialization of new productivity traits.
Cibus expects that all of its productivity traits will be treated as gene edited, meaning they are developed without integrating foreign DNA in the process or in the product. This designation that the Company’s productivity traits are not being regulated as GMO in many jurisdictions is an important competitive factor. The non-transgenic categorization of Cibus’ productivity trait products in these key target markets provide Cibus with significant advantages. All five productivity traits in Cibus’ priority pipeline have been determined not to be regulated articles through the USDA’s Am I Regulated process.
Numerous regulatory agencies in the Americas, including the United States, Canada, and Argentina, have confirmed that Cibus’ RTDS-developed trait products are non-transgenic and are not subject to heightened GMO regulation in these markets. In addition, Cibus is able to bring gene edited germplasm to its customers quickly and at a low cost, in part because its products are not subject to the expensive and time consuming regulatory hurdles that apply to transgenic products.
The Trait Machine Process materially accelerates the time and ability to develop new productivity traits. Time to develop and time to commercialize productivity traits are important competitive factors. The ability of Cibus to collaborate with seed companies and edit directly into a their elite, or best, germplasm accelerates time to launch by enabling each new productivity trait to be quickly prototyped to confirm the commercial need and viability before scaling into elite germplasm from multiple customers. Cibus’ priority products include five productivity traits, which were selected as its initial strategic focus based on customer demand and the competitive position for each productivity trait once developed.
Capital-efficient and highly scalable business model. Cibus has a capital-efficient, low-cost, and highly scalable business model. Its productivity trait licensing strategy is based on Cibus’ core strengths in R&D and trait development. Cibus will continue to focus on advancing its gene editing technologies toward developing plant traits for desired characteristics and largely intends to partner and license its productivity traits to leading seed companies who will manage plant breeding and commercialization. Focusing on trait development while leveraging Cibus’ licensing partners’ breeding and commercialization expertise, market presence, and geographic reach will reduce Cibus’ expenses and allow Cibus to pursue diversified growth across crop and trait platforms.
Recognized as non-transgenic in key target markets due to Cibus’ unique processes and products. Numerous regulatory agencies in the Americas, including the United States, Canada, and Argentina, have confirmed that Cibus’ RTDS-developed trait products are non-transgenic and are not subject to heightened GMO regulation in these markets. The non-transgenic categorization of Cibus’ trait products in these key target markets provide Cibus with significant advantages. In particular, Cibus is able to bring its products to market quickly and at a low cost, in part because its products are not subject to the time consuming regulatory hurdles that apply to transgenic products.
Premier management team with broad expertise. Cibus’ management and senior leadership team has more than 300 years of cumulative industry experience and brings broad knowledge across key areas of its business, including R&D, product marketing, patent royalty management, and regulatory compliance and oversight. Cibus’ Interim Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Peter Beetham, and its Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President, Dr. Greg Gocal, are founding members of the management team and each played a key role in developing Cibus’ business. Cibus’ leadership has a significant track record of scientific breakthroughs, including the development of RTDS, and product development at prestigious academic and research institutions and well-known agri-business companies.
EMPLOYEES AND HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES
As of December 31, 2024, Cibus had 159 employees, of which 157 are full-time employees, including a total of 36 employees with Ph.D. degrees. Of these employees, approximately 119 employees are engaged in R&D, including trait development and production.
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None of Cibus’ employees are represented by a labor union or collective bargaining agreement. The Company considers its relationship with its employees to be good.
Cibus views its employees as among its most valuable assets. Its ability to hire and retain highly skilled professionals remains a key element to its success in developing and licensing novel productivity traits and high value, low carbon ingredients. Cibus’ human capital objectives are focused on identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing, and integrating its existing and newly hired employees. Cibus strives to be equitable and inclusive. Cibus designs its compensation and benefit programs to help meet the needs of its employees, focusing on programs that promote well-being across all aspects of their lives, including healthcare, retirement planning, and paid time off. Cibus pays its employees competitively in line with Cibus’ compensation philosophy, which includes paying employees at a rate consistent with an employee’s position, knowledge, and skills. Cibus’ use of equity incentive compensation is designed to attract, retain, and motivate its employees, consultants, and directors through the granting of equity-based compensation awards.
Cibus also strives to make the company an inclusive, safe, and healthy workplace, with opportunities for each of its employees to grow and develop in their careers. Additionally, Cibus promotes opportunities for employees of all backgrounds and seeks to actively support, promote, and maintain a culture that fosters inclusion and diversity with respect to age, disability, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, military veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and other backgrounds and experiences. Cibus has a highly matrixed team that fosters diversity in ideas and background with 52 percent of its employees holding advanced degrees and approximately half of its employees who are women. Cibus is committed to continuing to improve representation and diversity, while fostering a welcoming environment where everyone belongs.
The Company’s dynamic culture has been developed over time by teams of employees who represent six major components of engagement:
•Team Building
•Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
•Communications
•Wellness
•Social Events
•Safety Action
These components are important threads which weave through the Company’s culture and encourage involvement and empowerment, while providing everyone with the ability to positively influence the work environment.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Cibus’ R&D is involved in multiple aspects of platform and trait development. It is involved in building the crop-specific single cell platforms that are integral to the Trait Machine process. In addition, they are integral to the development and implementation of the RTDS and ODM gene editing technologies and the development building and implementation of the crop-specific platforms with the Trait Machine process. The team has technical expertise in genomics, genome engineering, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics and genetic engineering, cell biology, plant physiology, plant breeding, and strain engineering. Cibus’ R&D activities are conducted at both its San Diego, California and Roseville, Minnesota facilities. Cibus has made, and will continue to make, substantial investments in R&D. Its R&D expenses were $50.4 million and $42.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
SEASONALITY
The agriculture industry is highly seasonal. The sale of plant and seed products is dependent upon growing and harvesting seasons, which vary from year-to-year and across geographies as a result of weather-related shifts in planting schedules and purchase patterns of farmers. Seasonality in the seed industry is expected to result in both highly seasonal patterns and substantial fluctuations in quarterly sales and profitability for Cibus’ business and may be further impacted by climate change.
CORPORATE INFORMATION
Cibus, Inc. (formerly known as Calyxt, Inc.) incorporated in Delaware on January 8, 2010. Cibus Global, LLC (Cibus Global), a Delaware limited liability company and a subsidiary of the Company, was formed on May 10, 2019. Prior to this, Cibus Global was organized as a British Virgin Islands company (Cibus Global, Ltd.), which was formed on September 11, 2008. The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 6455 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, California 92121, and its telephone number is (858) 450-0008. The Company also maintains a website at www.cibus.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, its website is not part of this report.
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AVAILABLE INFORMATION
The Company files or furnishes periodic reports and amendments thereto, including its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements, and other information with the SEC. On the Company’s website located at www.cibus.com, investors can obtain, free of charge, this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and all other filings with the SEC as soon as reasonably practicable after it electronically files or furnishes such information with the SEC. Information contained on the Company’s website is not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, the SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The website can be accessed at www.sec.gov.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
This section includes a discussion of what the Company believes to be the material factors that make an investment in the Company speculative or risky and that could affect its business, operating results, financial condition, and future growth prospects or cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements the Company has made or may make from time-to-time. In these circumstances, the market price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Cibus cannot assure you that any of the events discussed below will not occur. Further, the risks described below are not the only risks the Company faces. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company, or that the Company currently deems to be immaterial, may occur or become material in the future. You should carefully consider these risk factors in connection with Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations,” the consolidated financials, and the other information in this Annual Report.
Risks Related to Cibus’ Business and Operations
Cibus has incurred significant losses and anticipates that it will continue to incur significant losses for several years.
Cibus’ business is currently primarily focused on R&D of plant gene editing. While Cibus has established commercial relationships with seed company counterparties, it presently does not have any revenue generating commercial contract with such seed companies. Accordingly, the Company has only a limited operating history upon which to evaluate its business and long-term prospects.
Cibus has historically incurred net losses and had an accumulated deficit. Cibus anticipates that its expenses will increase substantially if it, directly or through partners, broadens its R&D activities with respect to additional crops and future productivity traits (including conducting requisite field trials for productivity trait validation) or pursues R&D activities in respect of sustainable ingredients products. Cibus’ expenses will also increase as it continues to invest in scaling of its high-throughput semi-automated gene editing system, the Trait Machine; seeks to expand its operational footprint in light of evolving global regulatory regimes applicable to plant gene editing; actively maintains, protects, expands, and defends its intellectual property portfolio; and engages in other activities that may further the development of its business. Accordingly, Cibus expects to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for at least the next several years.
The amount of Cibus’ future net losses will depend, in part, on the amount of its future operating expenses and the pace at which they are incurred, the satisfaction of its Royalty Liability (as defined herein) and its interest expense related thereto, and its ability to obtain funding through its licensing activities, through equity or debt financings, or through grants or partnerships.
As a result of its present lack of commercial revenue and significant expenses, Cibus has concluded that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern for at least 12 months from the issuance date of the financial statements included with this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Cibus’ ability to continue as a going concern will depend on its ability to obtain additional financing in the near term.
As of December 31, 2024, Cibus had $14.4 million of cash and cash equivalents. Current liabilities were $19.9 million as of December 31, 2024.
In the absence of significant additional financing, there will likely continue to be substantial doubt about Cibus’ ability to continue as a going concern. To finance Cibus’ continued operations under its current business plan over the next 12 months, Cibus will need to raise additional capital in addition to incremental proceeds raised pursuant to its ongoing at-the-market (ATM) equity program. Such financing may not be available within Cibus’ required timeframes, on acceptable terms, or at all. Furthermore, the Company’s ability to raise additional capital may be limited by applicable SEC rules and Nasdaq shareholder approval requirements.
In light of the foregoing needs and constraints on the Company’s capital resources, its Board of Directors will continue to evaluate a full range of strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value, which may include potential equity or debt financing transactions, business combination transactions (including an acquisition or merger transaction), sales of assets, licensing, and other strategic transactions. Certain potential strategic transaction alternatives could (i) result in substantial additional dilution to existing stockholders, (ii) result in the issuance of securities with preferences over Cibus’ existing Common Stock, (iii) subject the Company to covenants that impose operational restrictions, (iv) require it to relinquish potentially valuable rights to pipeline traits or proprietary technologies, (v) result in
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the granting of licenses on terms that are not favorable to the Company, or (vi) have a material adverse effect on the market price of the Class A Common Stock.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, Cibus implemented a strategic realignment pursuant to which the Company initiated cost reduction initiatives designed to preserve capital resources for the advancement of Cibus’ priority objectives, which initiatives included reductions in capital expenditures, streamlining of independent contractor utilization, and prioritization of near-term payment obligations. Additionally, in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company initiated its Restructuring Initiative designed to preserve capital resources for the advancement of its streamlined priority objectives, which initiatives include reductions in expenditures for consultants and other third-party service providers, organizational restructuring and related talent optimization, and streamlining of rent and facility expenses, including the non-renewal of the lease for the Company’s Oberlin facility upon expiration in August 2025.
If Cibus fails to obtain substantial funding or consummate a strategic transaction in the next several months and is unable to continue as a going concern, it may be required to discontinue or delay one or more of its development programs or to wind-down its business through the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings. In the event of a wind-down, it is likely that holders of Cibus’ Common Stock will lose all or part of their investment. If Cibus seeks additional financing to fund its business activities in the future and there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern, investors or other financing sources may be unwilling to provide additional funding to Cibus on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
Cibus faces significant competition and many of its competitors have substantially greater financial, technical, and other resources than Cibus does.
The markets in which Cibus operates are highly competitive, and Cibus faces significant competition in its business.
In agriculture, competition for improving plant genetics comes from traditional and advanced plant breeding techniques, as well as from the development of desirable plant traits through gene editing techniques. Competition for the discovery of new desirable traits based on biotechnology is likely to come from a relatively small number of major global agricultural chemical companies, smaller biotechnology research companies and institutions, and academic institutions. For improving crop yields, Cibus’ traits compete as a system with other practices, including the application of crop protection chemicals, fertilizer formulations, farm mechanization, other biotechnology, and information management. Programs to improve genetics and chemistry are generally concentrated within a relatively small number of large companies, while non-genetic approaches are underway with a broader set of companies. With respect to the development of sustainable ingredients, competition comes from traditional chemical and non-sustainable ingredients primarily produced by global health and nutrition companies, large international chemical companies, and companies specializing in specific products, such as flavor or fragrance ingredients, as well as from emerging alternatives produced from renewable sources, including fermentation and synthetic biology.
Many of Cibus’ current or potential competitors, either alone or with their R&D or collaboration partners, have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in R&D, marketing, and licensing than Cibus does and invest substantial resources in ongoing R&D. Further, many competitors have well-developed networks for their products, including valuable historical relationships with potential customers that it is seeking to engage with. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through R&D and collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. Competitors also compete with Cibus in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, Cibus’ programs. Future mergers and acquisitions may result in a concentration of resources among an increasingly smaller number of competitors. In addition, large seed companies that Cibus intends as potential customers may seek to bring gene editing capabilities in-house, which may reduce the available customer pool for Cibus.
Cibus’ ability to compete depends on its ability to anticipate market demands and responsively innovate in an efficient manner. At the heart of Cibus’ innovation activities is its proprietary RTDS technologies. If Cibus’ competitors are able to refine existing alternative gene editing technologies to be, or develop new gene editing technologies that are, superior to its RTDS technologies, Cibus may face reputational damage and a decline in the demand for its products.
Ultimately, if Cibus cannot demonstrate that its products are better alternatives to existing or future product options, Cibus may not succeed in its markets, or its technologies may be rendered obsolete or uneconomical, which would adversely affect its business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The Company’s Restructuring Initiative may result in operational and strategic challenges.
On October 18, 2024, Cibus announced its Restructuring Initiative, which included a reduction in its workforce by approximately 26 full-time employees, a reduction of approximately 14 percent. The Restructuring Initiative was a result of Cibus’ realigned organization, which focuses the allocation of the Company’s capital resources toward its commercial effort priorities through advancement of Cibus’ weed management traits HT1 and HT3 for Rice, Sclerotinia resistance trait for Soybean and Canola, and the continuing development of its Soybean platform, while enabling continued progress on its PSR trait and its third weed management trait HT2 with a more streamlined use of resources. Headcount reductions, which may result in the loss of institutional knowledge and expertise, may adversely affect operations and yield unintended consequences, such as attrition beyond Cibus’ intended reductions and reduced employee morale. The Company’s ability to successfully execute on its strategy depends on retaining key remaining personnel, and unanticipated attrition, which may occur on short notice, could potentially harm the Company’s business and operations. As a result of the Restructuring
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Initiative, Cibus’ management may need to divert attention away from day-to-day strategic and operational activities and devote additional time to managing organizational changes.
Cibus’ success depends, in part, on its ability to effectively estimate future demand.
Due to the lead time involved in developing a gene edited plant product, Cibus and its licensee customers must make a number of assumptions and estimates regarding the commercial feasibility of development, including assumptions and estimates regarding the demand for end-products containing Cibus licensed intellectual property, the existence or non-existence of products being simultaneously developed by competitors, global and regional agricultural and macro-economic conditions, and potential market penetration and obsolescence, whether planned or unplanned.
Any failure to realize such demand forecasts for Cibus’ products or downstream products containing Cibus’ intellectual property could have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business, results of operations, and financial condition. As a result, it is possible that Cibus and its licensee customers may invest substantial time and resources to develop intellectual property for a contemplated product that is quickly displaced or that addresses a market that no longer exists or is smaller than previously thought.
Cibus’ business activities are currently conducted at a limited number of locations, and damage or business disruptions at these locations would have an adverse effect on its business.
Cibus’ current headquarters, as well as its Oberlin Facility, are located in San Diego, California. At present, Cibus’ R&D operations are conducted at both its San Diego, California and Roseville, Minnesota facilities. In addition, Cibus’ first generation parent seed is also produced by Cibus staff in greenhouses near its headquarters and hybrids designated for testing are developed using several different cooperators, primarily in Chile.
Cibus takes precautions to safeguard its facilities, including restricting access to its facilities, maintaining customary insurance coverage, implementing safety protocols, and keeping critical research results and computer data backed-up on off-site storage networks. However, damage to, or destruction of, critical facilities, equipment, inventory or development projects, or any business disruptions at Cibus’ critical locations, whether due to natural disasters, acts of vandalism, or otherwise, could cause substantial delays in R&D activities and commercial licensing efforts and could cause Cibus to incur additional expenses.
Cibus’ research and development efforts may be slower than expected and not be successful.
The development and advancement of Cibus’ gene edited trait products entail substantial R&D efforts using complex technology platforms, such as its RTDS. These development efforts require significant investments, including expenses relating to laboratory infrastructure as well as greenhouse and field testing.
Historically, Cibus has incurred significant R&D expenses. Cibus intends to continue to invest in R&D to develop and validate its technologies, productivity traits, and other gene edited plant-based products. Notwithstanding its investments in R&D, there is significant risk that Cibus will not be able to achieve its development goals in the desired timeframe or at all, and Cibus may not realize significant product revenue in the near term, if ever.
Moreover, the application of gene editing technologies can be unpredictable and may prove to be unsuccessful when attempting to achieve desired productivity traits in different crops and plants or to produce gene edited plant-based products at scale. For example, Cibus may be unable to achieve a desired trait using its RTDS, or Cibus’ productivity traits that perform in the greenhouse may not achieve similar performance levels in the field, or may achieve varying performance levels as a result of environmental and geographic conditions. Any such outcomes or variations could substantially harm Cibus’ ability to license the relevant intellectual property for such products. Even if successfully executed, the value that Cibus ascribes to its products may not be recognized or accepted by potential licensors or their downstream end-user customers.
Furthermore, through a collaboration with Biographica, Cibus is in the early stages of exploring potential AI capabilities and related data analytics to identify and prioritize targets for gene editing, initially focusing on advancing disease resistance in Canola and WOSR. As an emerging and rapidly evolving technology, Cibus’ use of AI presents risks. AI systems may produce inaccurate or flawed outputs due to flawed algorithms, or insufficient and/or erroneous training data. Reliance on flawed outputs could result in lower quality decision-making or prevent the Company from effectively utilizing AI in its business. If Cibus and Biographica do not effectively implement guardrails and train their respective employees on the proper use of AI, Cibus may experience adverse effects on its business, including the loss of confidential information (including Cibus’ intellectual property), or other misuse of the Company’s proprietary information, which could result in significant reputational harm and could have a material adverse effect on its business and results of operations.
Lastly, the field of gene editing in plants is still in its early stages. Unexpected or negative developments from the use of RTDS, including with respect to the exhibition of unanticipated undesirable traits or characteristics, could adversely affect the commercial value of Cibus’ product offerings and harm its reputation. In addition, negative developments arising from its competitors’ use of certain gene editing technologies could harm the reputation of gene editing technology, generally.
Cibus intends to license the intellectual property produced through its gene editing technologies to third parties for use in their products and will be dependent on them to successfully commercialize such products.
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Cibus’ business model contemplates that it will license to third parties-primarily seed companies-the intellectual property with respect to substantially all of the productivity traits it develops for sale in their product offerings. Cibus’ licensee customers will typically oversee the development and commercialization of seeds containing such licensed intellectual property. In such cases, Cibus’ ability to achieve milestone payments or generate royalties is not within its direct control and will substantially depend on the efforts and success of its licensee customers.
If Cibus’ licensees are delayed or unsuccessful in introducing Cibus’ licensed intellectual property into their products or commercializing the products that contain Cibus’ licensed intellectual property, or if they fail to devote sufficient time and resources to support the marketing and selling efforts of those products, Cibus may not receive royalty payments as expected and its financial results could be harmed. Further, if these licensee customers fail to market products incorporating Cibus’ intellectual property at prices that will achieve or sustain market acceptance for those products, Cibus’ royalty revenues could be further harmed.
Customer relationships that Cibus establishes may not result in revenue generating commercial contracts.
In light of the nature of Cibus’ relationship with seed companies, Cibus refers to seed companies as “customers” when Cibus commences a collaboration process to make edits in such seed companies’ elite germplasm. All such collaboration processes begin with an agreement on the material transfer of the customer’s elite germplasm to Cibus for editing and agreement on the specific edits to be performed, following which the gene editing germplasm is delivered back to the seed company for validation. Although Cibus believes that the initiation of this collaboration process with the entry into a material transfer agreement reflects the parties’ joint intent of commercializing the Cibus trait in the customer’s elite germplasm, seed companies are generally not obligated under such agreements to advance toward commercialization. In order to convert such early relationships into revenue generating commercial arrangements, Cibus will need to negotiate commercial contract terms following the customers’ trait validation. If Cibus fails to do so, or if the terms of such commercial contracts are not attractive, Cibus’ business, results of operations, and financial condition may be adversely effected.
Any partnerships that Cibus may enter into in the future may not be successful.
Cibus may seek R&D partnerships or joint venture arrangements with third parties for the development or commercialization of certain intellectual property. To the extent that Cibus pursues such arrangements, Cibus will face significant competition in seeking appropriate partners. Moreover, such arrangements are complex and time consuming to negotiate, document, implement, and maintain. Cibus may not be successful in establishing or implementing such arrangements. The terms of any partnerships, joint ventures, or other arrangements that Cibus may establish may not be favorable to Cibus.
The success of any future partnerships or joint ventures is uncertain and will depend heavily on the efforts and activities of Cibus’ partners. Such arrangements are subject to numerous risks, many of which are outside of Cibus’ control, including the risks that:
•its partners may have significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to the arrangement;
•its partners may not contribute sufficient capital or resources toward development in light of changes in strategic focus, competing priorities, availability of funding or capital resources, or other external factors;
•its partners may delay or abandon development efforts, fail to conduct R&D activities that produce sufficient conclusory data, or provide insufficient funding;
•its partners could develop, independently or with third parties, intellectual property or products that compete with Cibus’ products;
•partners who license intellectual property rights from Cibus may not commit sufficient resources to, or otherwise not perform satisfactorily in executing, downstream product commercialization activities;
•to the extent that such arrangements provide for exclusive rights, Cibus may be precluded from collaborating with others;
•its partners may not properly maintain or defend Cibus’ intellectual property rights, or may use Cibus’ intellectual property or proprietary information in a way that gives rise to actual or threatened litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate Cibus’ intellectual property or proprietary information or expose Cibus to potential liability;
•disputes may arise between Cibus and a partner that causes the delay or termination of R&D activities or downstream product commercialization efforts, or that result in costly litigation or arbitration that diverts management attention and resources;
•such arrangements may be terminated, and, if terminated, may result in a need for additional capital for Cibus’ independent pursuit of matters previously covered by such arrangement;
•its partners may own or co-own intellectual property that results from its arrangement; and
•a partner’s activities may not be in compliance with applicable laws resulting in civil or criminal proceedings.
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If ongoing or future field trials are unsuccessful, Cibus may be unable to complete the development of productivity trait candidates on a timely basis or at all.
Cibus relies on field trials to evaluate and demonstrate the efficacy of productivity traits that it has developed and evaluated in greenhouse conditions. Field trials allow Cibus to test the productivity traits that it has developed as well as to increase seed production, and to measure performance across multiple geographies and conditions. The successful completion of field trials is critical to the success of Cibus’ productivity trait development efforts and supports its licensing efforts with respect to its productivity trait candidates.
If Cibus’ ongoing or future field trials are unsuccessful or produce inconsistent results or unanticipated adverse effects on the agronomic performance of seeds with its traits, or if the field trials do not produce reliable data, Cibus’ productivity trait development efforts could be delayed, subject to additional regulatory review, or abandoned entirely. In addition, in order to support its licensing efforts, it is necessary to collect data across multiple growing seasons and from different geographies. Even in cases where initial field trials are successful, Cibus cannot be certain that additional field trials conducted on a greater number of acres or in different geographies will also be successful. Many factors that are beyond Cibus’ control may adversely affect the success of these field trials, including unique geographic conditions, weather and climatic variations, disease or pests, or acts of protest or vandalism. Field trials, which may take up to 2-3 years, are costly, and any field trial failures that Cibus may experience may not be covered by insurance and, therefore, could result in increased costs, which may negatively impact its business and results of operations.
Cibus relies on third parties to conduct, monitor, support, and oversee field trials, and any performance issues by them may impact Cibus’ ability to successfully commercialize products or license traits.
Cibus currently relies on third parties, such as growers, consultants, contractors, and universities, to conduct, monitor, support, and oversee its field trials. Because field trials are conducted in multiple geographies, it is often difficult for Cibus to monitor the daily activity of the work being conducted by such third parties that it engages. Although Cibus provides its third parties with extensive protocols regarding the establishment, management, data collection, harvest, transportation, and storage of its productivity trait candidates, Cibus has limited control over the execution of field trials. Poor field trial execution or data collection, failure to follow required agronomic practices, protocols, or regulatory requirements, or mishandling of productivity trait candidates by these third parties could impair the success of Cibus’ field trials. Any such failures may result in delays in the development of Cibus’ productivity trait candidates or generate additional costs. Ultimately, Cibus remains responsible for ensuring that each of its field trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal and regulatory, and agronomic standards, and its reliance on third parties does not relieve Cibus of its responsibilities. Should such third parties fail to comply with these standards, Cibus’ ability to develop its productivity trait candidates for licensing could be adversely impacted, and Cibus may be forced to incur additional costs in regaining compliance.
Additionally, if Cibus is unable to enter into, or maintain, agreements with such third parties on acceptable terms, or if any such engagement is terminated prematurely, Cibus may be unable to conduct or complete its field trials in the manner it anticipates. If Cibus’ relationship with any of these third parties is terminated, Cibus may be unable to enter into arrangements with alternative third parties on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Switching or adding third parties can involve substantial cost and require extensive management time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when any new third party commences field trial work. As a result, delays may occur, which could materially impact Cibus’ ability to meet its desired development timelines.
Cibus may lack the necessary expertise, personnel, and resources to effectively license its priority productivity trait products.
To successfully license the intellectual property underlying Cibus’ priority productivity trait products, Cibus must develop, foster, and maintain commercial relationships with a range of potential seed company customers, including potential customers that may have long-standing historical relationships with competitors or that may have, or be developing, in-house gene editing capabilities. In order to be successful in this regard, Cibus will need to develop and enhance its commercial team to both establish new relationships as well as to maintain relationships with existing seed company customers. To foster the commercial success of Cibus’ licensee customers in effectively marketing and commercializing their products containing Cibus licensed intellectual property, Cibus will need to develop and build-out its understanding of the seed industry and such customers’ capabilities.
Factors that may affect Cibus’ ability to effectively license its intellectual property and support its licensee’s commercialization efforts include its ability to: recruit and retain adequate numbers of qualified personnel, effectively develop relationships with potential licensee customers in the seed industry, secure license agreements with companies requiring them to undertake specific commercialization activities within specified timeframes, and persuade downstream farmers to purchase and use seed products that integrate Cibus licensed intellectual property. Developing and maintaining such capabilities requires significant investment, is time consuming and could delay the licensing of Cibus’ intellectual property with respect to productivity traits or the commercial launch of its licensees’ seed products.
Interruptions in the production or transportation of parent seeds could adversely affect Cibus’ operations and profitability.
With respect to productivity traits, Cibus’ licensee customers will provide elite germplasm to Cibus so that Cibus may introduce a desired productivity trait. Cibus will produce parent or hybrid seeds containing such productivity traits for the licensee customer. Cibus’ licensee customers would then utilize the parent seed containing Cibus’ traits to produce their own hybrids. Cibus will rely on contract seed producers for such parent seed production.
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Poor execution, failure to follow required agronomic practices, protocols, or regulatory requirements, or mishandling of productivity trait candidates by these contract seed producers could adversely affect products. Any such failures may result in delays in Cibus’ ability to deliver parent seed to Cibus’ licensee customers in a timely manner. Such delays could adversely affect the ability of Cibus’ licensee customers to deliver hybrid seed products to farmers to meet their planting window. Cibus’ dependency upon timely seed deliveries means that interruptions or stoppages in such deliveries, or delays or limitations with respect to seed production, could adversely affect Cibus’ operations until alternative arrangements could be made. Such a delay would adversely affect Cibus’, and its licensee customers’, reputations and revenues and could result in write-offs of inventory. If Cibus was unable to produce the necessary seed for an extended period of time for any reason, its business, customer relations, and operating results could suffer.
Cibus may not be able to identify suitable seed producers to meet its production needs. If Cibus does identify suitable seed producers, it may not be able to enter into cost effective agreements on acceptable terms. If any contract seed producers whom Cibus engages fail to perform their obligations as expected or breach or terminate their agreements with Cibus, or if Cibus is unable to secure the services of such third parties when and as needed, Cibus may lose opportunities to generate revenue from product sales.
Cibus’ products may not achieve commercial success quickly or at all.
Cibus intends to license intellectual property with respect to its RTDS-developed productivity traits and sustainable ingredient products to third parties. Cibus’ productivity traits are in various stages of development and sustainable ingredient products would be developed solely in response to customer demand. There are no established channels to market for the commercialization by potential licensee customers of any of Cibus’ products. If Cibus is unable to license its productivity traits and sustainable ingredient products on a significant scale, then Cibus may not be successful in building a profitable business.
Cibus expects to price its licenses based on its assessment of the value that Cibus’ productivity traits or sustainable ingredient products will provide within the relevant end product market dynamics, rather than on the cost of production. If licensees, commercial product end users, or other market participants attribute a lower value to Cibus’ productivity traits or sustainable ingredient products than Cibus does, they may not be willing to pay the premiums that Cibus expects to charge. Pricing levels may also be negatively affected if Cibus’ productivity traits or sustainable ingredient products traits are unsuccessful or suboptimal in producing or exhibiting the characteristics expected by Cibus and its licensees.
Public understanding of Cibus’ RTDS technologies and public perception and acceptance of gene editing technologies, including Cibus’ RTDS technologies, could affect Cibus’ sales and results of operations.
The ability of Cibus’ licensees to successfully commercialize products containing Cibus’ intellectual property depends, in part, on public understanding and acceptance of gene editing.
Such understanding is particularly relevant with respect to plant gene editing, where end products may enter consumer food supply chains. Farmers, seed companies, and end-product consumers may not understand the nature of Cibus’ RTDS technologies or the scientific distinction between Cibus’ non-transgenic products and processes and transgenic products and processes of competitors. As a result, these parties may transfer negative perceptions and attitudes regarding transgenic products to Cibus’ products and productivity trait candidates. A lack of understanding of Cibus’ RTDS technologies may also make consumers more susceptible to the influence of negative information provided by opponents of biotechnology. Some opponents of biotechnology actively seek to raise public concern about gene editing, whether transgenic or non-transgenic, by claiming that plant products developed using biotechnology are unsafe for consumption or use, pose risks of damage to the environment, or create legal, social, and ethical dilemmas. The commercial success of Cibus’ trait candidates may be adversely affected by such claims, even if unsubstantiated. In addition, extreme opponents of biotechnology have vandalized the fields of farmers planting biotech seeds and facilities used by biotechnology companies. Any such acts of vandalism targeting the fields of farmers planting seed with Cibus traits, Cibus’ field testing sites, or its research, production, or other facilities, could adversely affect Cibus’ sales and costs.
Negative public perceptions about gene editing can also affect the regulatory environment in the jurisdictions in which Cibus is targeting the licensing of its intellectual property. Any increase in such negative perceptions or any restrictive government regulations in response thereto, could have a negative effect on Cibus’ business and may delay or impair its ability to enter licensing agreements or to receive milestone and royalty payments pursuant to such licensing arrangements.
Cibus’ financial statements include goodwill as a result of the Merger Transactions. Goodwill could become impaired in the future under certain conditions, and any such impairment may significantly impact Cibus’ results of operations and financial condition.
As of December 31, 2024, Cibus had approximately $253.5 million in goodwill from the Merger Transactions. In accordance with ASC 350, Goodwill and Other, the Company evaluates the carrying value of goodwill for impairment annually as of November 1. On November 1, 2024, Cibus performed its annual impairment analysis and determined there was no change from the preceding analysis, which occurred on September 30, 2024, and no additional impairment was triggered related to this annual review.
In addition to annual analysis, Cibus also assesses goodwill between annual evaluations if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of goodwill below its carrying amount. During the third quarter of 2024, the Company experienced a triggering event and assessed its goodwill for impairment. Cibus considered the decline in its stock price since its last annual assessment and concluded it was more likely than not that its goodwill would be impaired. The Company determined its goodwill
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was impaired by $181.4 million, which was recorded during the third quarter of 2024 in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
Triggering events that could indicate impairment and necessitate an evaluation of goodwill include, but are not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, increases in Cibus’ costs, commercial performance relative to strategic initiatives, adverse regulatory developments, or the deterioration of the market price of Cibus’ Class A Common Stock.
To the extent a triggering event occurs and Cibus concludes that goodwill has become further impaired, Cibus may be required to incur material write-offs relating to such impairment and any such write-offs could have a material impact on the Company’s future operating results and financial position.
Risks Related to the Agriculture Industry
Cibus’ estimates and forecasts with respect to total acres, accessible acres, trait fees, and assumptions regarding Cibus’ trait penetration rates and potential market share may prove to be inaccurate.
Estimates about current markets and market opportunity estimates, projections, and forecasts are based on assumptions and estimates by Cibus’ management that may not prove to be accurate and are therefore inherently uncertain. Cibus’ management makes estimates that it believes to be reasonable based on currently available information, but estimates, projections, and forecasts relating to the size and expected growth of Cibus’ industry, the biotech seeds market, the market for productivity traits and expected trait penetration, and estimates regarding Cibus’ ability to capture accessible acres may prove to be materially inaccurate. In addition, management’s estimates about the incremental value increase that a novel, newly developed productivity trait may produce, may prove to be materially inaccurate.
In particular, management’s estimates, projections, and forecasts include an assumption that changes are likely to be made to the EU regulatory landscape that would enable Cibus’ productivity traits to be licensed for use in seed distributed in EU member states. This assumption could prove to be incorrect and if the RTDS technologies by which Cibus’ productivity traits are developed continue to be subject to GMO regulation in the EU, Cibus’ estimates, projections, and forecasts would need to be materially revised. Assumptions regarding uncertain regulatory outcomes are subject to numerous risks. See “ -Risks Related to Regulatory and Legal Matters.”
Even if Cibus’ general industry and market projections and forecasts are achieved, Cibus’ business could fail to realize management’s expectations with respect to Cibus’ ability to compete effectively, including by capturing addressable acres and realizing management’s expectations regarding trait values.
The overall agricultural industry is susceptible to commodity and raw material price changes.
Prices for agricultural commodities and their byproducts are often volatile and sensitive to local and international changes in supply and demand caused by a variety of factors, including general economic conditions, farmer planting and selling decisions, government agriculture programs and policies, global and local inventory levels, demand for biofuels, weather and crop conditions, food safety concerns, government regulations, and demand for and supply of, competing commodities and substitutes. As a result, Cibus may not be able to anticipate or react to changing costs by adjusting its practices, which could cause its operating results to deteriorate. Cibus may engage in hedging or other financial transactions to mitigate these risks. If these efforts are not successful, it could materially affect Cibus’ business, operating results, and prospects and cause the value of its securities to decline.
The successful licensing of Cibus’ productivity trait candidates, and the commercialization by seed partners of seed products containing these traits, may also be adversely affected by fluctuations in the prices of agricultural commodities and agricultural inputs, such as fertilizer, energy, labor, and water, in each case caused by market factors beyond Cibus’ control. Changes in the prices of certain raw materials used by farmers in growing Cibus’ crops could result in higher overall costs along the agricultural supply chain. Depending on the nature of such price changes, the cultivation of certain crops could be impacted to a greater extent than others. While increases in certain costs could make certain of Cibus’ productivity traits more valuable, increases in certain raw material costs could adversely affect demand for Cibus’ productivity traits, including as a result of farmers being less willing to transition to new and unfamiliar seed products containing Cibus traits.
Adverse weather and environmental conditions and natural disasters can cause significant costs and losses.
Cibus’ revenues will depend, in part, on trait royalties paid to Cibus from seed sales by the companies that license Cibus’ productivity traits for their commercial seed products. Cibus’ licensees’ seed crops are vulnerable to adverse weather conditions, including windstorms, floods, drought, and temperature extremes, which are common but difficult to predict. In addition, such seed crops are vulnerable to crop disease and to pests, which may vary in severity and effect, depending on the stage of production at the time of infection or infestation, the type of treatment applied, and climatic conditions. The weather also can affect the quality, volume, and cost of seed produced for sale as well as demand and product mix. In addition, climate change may increase the frequency or intensity of extreme weather such as storms, floods, heat waves, droughts, and other events that could affect the quality, volume, and cost of seed produced for sale as well as demand and product mix. Climate change may also affect the availability and suitability of arable land and
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contribute to unpredictable shifts in the average growing season and types of crops produced. Unfavorable growing conditions can reduce both crop size and quality.
Although Cibus licenses its traits to seed companies that are responsible for the growing of their seed directly, these factors can still impact Cibus by potentially decreasing the quality and yields of seed containing Cibus’ productivity traits and reducing Cibus’ licensees’ available inventory. These factors can adversely impact Cibus’ licensees sales, which would result in lower royalty payments to Cibus, which in turn may have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The agricultural industry is highly seasonal, which may cause Cibus’ sales and operating results to fluctuate significantly.
The sale of plant and seed products is dependent upon growing and harvesting seasons, which vary from year-to-year and across geographies as a result of weather-related shifts in planting schedules and purchase patterns of farmers. Seasonality in the seed industry is expected to result in both highly seasonal patterns and substantial fluctuations in quarterly sales and profitability for Cibus’ business and may be further impacted by climate change.
Seasonality also relates to the limited windows of opportunity that farmers have to complete required tasks at each stage of crop cultivation. Weather and environmental conditions and natural disasters, such as heavy rains, hurricanes, hail, floods, tornadoes, freezing conditions, excessively hot or cold weather, drought, or fire, affect decisions by farmers about the types and amounts of seeds to plant and the timing of harvesting and planting such seeds. Should adverse conditions occur during key growing and harvesting seasons, such conditions could substantially impact demand for agricultural inputs. Any delayed or cancelled orders as a result of such conditions would negatively affect the quarter in which they occur and cause fluctuations in Cibus’ operating results.
Risks Related to Regulatory and Legal Matters
Regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions for gene edited products are evolving, and adverse regulatory changes could have a significant negative impact on Cibus’ ability to develop and commercialize its product candidates.
Although the regulatory framework applicable to Cibus and its trait products in several strategically important jurisdictions, such as the United States, Canada, and certain Latin American countries, is currently favorable, there can be no guarantee that the governing regulations in such jurisdictions will not change. Governments of, or regulators within, such jurisdictions could institute new laws or regulations, modify existing laws or regulations, or change the way they interpret existing laws and regulations, in each case, in a way that subjects Cibus and its trait products to more burdensome standards. If the regulatory frameworks in strategically important jurisdictions changes in a manner adverse to the Company’s interests, this could substantially increase the time and costs associated with required regulatory activities of Cibus and its customers. If the regulatory burden and expense required for the utilization of Cibus’ products becomes too significant, its customers may seek alternatives that involve lesser regulatory costs.
In key strategic jurisdictions, such as the United States, the Company’s productivity trait candidates are not considered “regulated” articles, and therefore are not subject to the substantially more burdensome regulations applicable to regulated articles, such as GMOs or plant pests. In the event that any of Cibus’ productivity trait candidates are determined by applicable regulators to be regulated articles or plant pests, Cibus would be required to comply with a more onerous regulatory framework, which may include extensive permitting and notification requirements. Moreover, Cibus cannot assure you that applicable regulators will analyze any of Cibus’ future productivity trait candidates in a manner consistent with their analysis of Cibus’ products or productivity trait candidates to date. Complying with regulatory frameworks applicable to regulated articles or plant pests, even in respect of a limited number of products, would be a costly, time consuming process and could substantially delay or prevent the commercialization of Cibus’ products.
Potential changes in regulatory frameworks that would be beneficial to Cibus may not come to fruition or may have features that are not advantageous to Cibus.
For example, the existing EU regulatory framework considers organisms obtained by modern mutagenesis plant breeding technologies, including the technologies utilized for substantially all productivity traits in Cibus’ current pipeline, as GMOs. As a result, the current EU regulatory framework effectively precludes access to potential licensee customers in the EU with respect to Cibus’ gene edited productivity traits.
As described under “Item. 1 Business-Government Regulations and Product Approval,” following a multi-year regulatory process, on July 5, 2023, the European Commission proposed the NGT Proposal, which would enable certain gene editing to be regulated similar to conventional breeding. On February 7, 2024, the European Parliament adopted its position on the European Commission’s proposal, generally accepting the principles proposed by the European Commission in the NGT Proposal, subject to a number of amendments. Although the Company is encouraged by the progress to date toward relaxation of the EU regulatory framework, the final text of any legislation and its ultimate adoption remain subject to political negotiations between the European Council and the European Parliament. There have been vocal opponents to the NGT Proposal in Europe, including within the European Council and the European Parliament, and such legislation may not be adopted in its current form or at all. Further, even if ultimately adopted in the EU, the final form of such legislation may have features that are not advantageous to or may even be detrimental to Cibus. For example, the NGT Proposal, as adopted by the European Parliament, proposes to ban all patents on NGT plants, plant parts or material, the genetic information that they may contain, and processes to obtain such plants, which ban could potentially have a retroactive effect. If the NGT Proposal is adopted by the EU member states without further changes, this proposed patent ban could be readily implemented through amendments to
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existing regulations. If a ban on patents for NGT plants, their genetic information, or the processes to obtain NGT plants were to go into effect in the EU, this could have an adverse impact on the Company’s ability to sufficiently protect its patent portfolio and its proprietary intellectual property, which is essential to the Company’s business and operations. Additional amendments may be adopted during the negotiations between the European Council and the European Parliament that could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business and which could make the EU an unattractive market for the Company’s products.
Moreover, even if favorable regulatory changes are adopted in a jurisdiction, such changes may require a substantial amount of time to be fully implemented. Although there cannot be any guarantee that any regulatory changes will be adopted in the EU, Cibus’ management has given effect to the adoption and timely implementation of a favorable regulatory framework in estimating accessible acres and other forward-looking forecasts. In the event that favorable regulatory developments in the EU are not adopted or timely implemented, Cibus’ estimates and forecasts may require substantial revisions, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations or financial results.
Further, even if the legal and regulatory regime in jurisdictions that currently have a restrictive regulatory framework, such as the EU, are relaxed, there can be no assurance that Cibus’ licensed productivity traits will be accepted by consumers and other market participants in such jurisdictions.
The regulatory environment varies greatly from region-to-region and in many countries is less developed than in the United States and the European Union.
Outside of the United States and the EU, the regulatory environment around gene editing in plants and microorganisms is uncertain and varies greatly from jurisdiction-to-jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction may have its own regulatory framework regarding GMOs, which may include restrictions and regulations on planting and growing genetically modified plants and in the consumption and labeling of genetically modified foods, which may encapsulate products containing Cibus licensed intellectual property. Although there has generally been a positive regulatory trend toward the acceptance of non-transgenic gene editing technologies, Cibus cannot predict how the global regulatory landscape regarding gene editing in plants will evolve, and Cibus may incur increased regulatory costs as regulations change in the jurisdictions in which it operates.
Products containing Cibus’ productivity traits may be subject to enhanced regulation.
Some products containing Cibus’ productivity traits may be subject to FDA food product regulations or EPA environmental impact regulations. Under the FDA, any substance that is reasonably expected to become a food or animal feed component or additive is subject to FDA premarket review and approval, unless generally recognized among qualified experts as having been adequately shown to be Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) or the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the “food additive” definition. The FDA may classify some or all of Cibus’ productivity traits as containing a food additive that is not GRAS or otherwise determine that further review is required. Such classification would cause these productivity traits to require premarket approval, which could delay a licensee customer’s commercialization of products containing these productivity traits.
The FDA’s thinking on the use of genome editing techniques to produce new plant varieties that are used for human or animal food continues to evolve, and in January 2017, the FDA announced an RFC seeking public input to help inform its thinking about human and animal foods derived from new plant varieties produced using genome editing techniques. If the FDA enacts new regulations or policies with respect to gene edited plants, such policies could result in additional compliance costs and/or delay the commercialization of any products containing Cibus’ productivity trait candidates, which could adversely affect Cibus’ profitability.
Similarly, in some instances, products containing Cibus’ productivity traits may be subject to EPA environmental impact regulations.
In each case, such classification could substantially increase the time and costs associated with required regulatory activities of Cibus and its customers. If the regulatory burden and expense required becomes too significant, Cibus’ customers may seek alternatives that involve lesser regulatory costs.
Cibus uses hazardous chemicals and biological materials in its business. Compliance with environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, and any claims relating to improper handling, storage, or disposal of these materials could be time consuming and costly.
Cibus is subject to federal, state, local, and foreign environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures, the handling, use, storage, treatment, manufacture, and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes discharge of pollutants into the environment, and human health and safety matters. Cibus’ R&D processes may involve the controlled use of hazardous materials, including chemicals and biological materials. Cibus cannot eliminate the risk of contamination or discharge and any resultant injury from these materials. Cibus may be sued for any injury or contamination that results from its use or the use by third parties of these materials, or may otherwise be required to remediate such contamination, and Cibus’ liability with respect to such claims may exceed any insurance coverage that it maintains or the value of its total assets. Compliance with environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations is time consuming and expensive. If Cibus fails to comply with these requirements, it could incur substantial costs and liabilities, including civil or criminal fines and penalties, clean-up costs, or capital expenditures for control equipment or operational changes necessary to achieve and maintain compliance. In addition, Cibus cannot predict the impact on its business of new or amended
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environmental, health, and safety laws or regulations or any changes in the way existing and future laws and regulations are interpreted and enforced. These current or future laws and regulations may impair Cibus’ research, development, or production efforts.
Cibus is subject to governmental export and import controls that could impair its ability to compete in international markets due to licensing requirements and subject Cibus to liability if it is not in compliance with applicable laws.
Cibus’ productivity trait and sustainable ingredient candidates are subject to export control and import laws and regulations, including the United States Export Administration Regulations, United States Customs regulations, and various economic and trade sanction regulations administered by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls. Exports of Cibus’ technologies must be made in compliance with these laws and regulations. If Cibus fails to comply with these laws and regulations, Cibus and certain of its employees could be subject to substantial civil or criminal penalties, including the possible loss of export or import privileges; fines, which may be imposed on Cibus and the responsible employees or managers; and, in extreme cases, the incarceration of the responsible employees or managers.
In addition, changes in Cibus’ technologies or changes in applicable export or import laws and regulations may create delays in the introduction and sale of products containing Cibus’ technologies in international markets, prevent Cibus’ customers from deploying their products or, in some cases, prevent the export or import of Cibus’ technologies to certain countries, governments, or persons altogether. Any change in export or import laws and regulations, shift in the enforcement or scope of existing laws and regulations, or change in the countries, governments, persons, or technologies targeted by such laws and regulations, could also result in decreased use of Cibus’ technologies, or in its decreased ability to export or sell its products to existing or potential customers. Any decreased use of Cibus’ technologies or limitation on Cibus’ ability to export or sell such technologies would likely adversely affect its business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
Cibus’ ability to compete may decline if it does not adequately protect its intellectual property proprietary rights.
Cibus’ commercial success depends, in part, on obtaining and maintaining proprietary rights to its and its licensors’ intellectual property as well as successfully defending these rights against third party challenges. Cibus will only be able to protect against unauthorized use of its intellectual property by third parties to the extent that valid and enforceable patents, or effectively protected trade secrets, cover it. Such protection, where available, will be inherently limited by the limited lifespan of patent protections, which varies by country (with protection in the United States generally available for 20 years after the first effective filing date, subject to the availability of certain extensions). Cibus’ ability to obtain patent protection for its productivity trait or sustainable ingredient products, processes, and technologies is uncertain due to a number of factors, including:
•Cibus or its licensors may not have been the first to invent the technology covered by Cibus’ or their pending patent applications or issued patents;
•Cibus cannot be certain that it or its licensors were the first to file patent applications covering Cibus’ productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product, processes. or technologies, as patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing;
•others may independently develop identical, similar, or alternative productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product, processes, and technologies;
•the disclosures in Cibus’ or its licensors’ patent applications may not be sufficient to meet the statutory requirements for patentability;
•any or all of Cibus’ or its licensors’ pending patent applications may not result in issued patents;
•Cibus or its licensors may not seek or obtain patent protection in countries or jurisdictions that may eventually provide Cibus a significant business opportunity;
•any patents issued to Cibus or its licensors may not provide a basis for commercially viable products, may not provide any competitive advantages, or may be successfully challenged by third parties, which may result in Cibus’ or its licensors’ patent claims being narrowed, invalidated, or held unenforceable;
•Cibus’ productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product, processes, and technologies may not be patentable;
•others may design around Cibus’ or its licensors’ patent claims to produce competitive productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product, processes, and technologies that fall outside of the scope of Cibus’ or its licensors’ patents; and
•others may identify prior art or other bases upon which to challenge and ultimately invalidate Cibus’ or its licensors’ patents or otherwise render them unenforceable.
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Even if Cibus owns, obtains, or in-licenses patents covering its productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product, processes, and technologies, Cibus may still be barred from making, using, and selling its productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product, processes, and technologies because of the patent rights or intellectual property rights of others. Others may have filed, and in the future may file, patent applications covering productivity traits or sustainable ingredient products, processes, or technologies that are similar or identical to Cibus’, which could materially affect Cibus’ ability to successfully develop and commercialize its productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product. In addition, because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending applications unknown to Cibus that may later result in issued patents that Cibus’ productivity traits or sustainable ingredient products, processes, or technologies may infringe. These patent applications may have priority over patent applications filed by Cibus or its licensors.
Obtaining and maintaining a patent portfolio entails significant expense of resources. Part of such expense includes periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees, and various other governmental fees on patents and/or applications due over the course of several stages of prosecuting patent applications, and over the lifetime of maintaining and enforcing issued patents. Cibus or its licensors may or may not choose to pursue or maintain protection for particular intellectual property in Cibus’ or its licensors’ portfolio. If Cibus or its licensors choose to forgo patent protection or to allow a patent application or patent to lapse purposefully or inadvertently, Cibus’ competitive position could suffer. Furthermore, Cibus and its licensors employ reputable law firms and other professionals to help comply with the various procedural, documentary, fee payment, and other similar provisions Cibus and they are subject to and, in many cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules. There are situations, however, in which failure to make certain payments or noncompliance with certain requirements in the patent prosecution and maintenance process can result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application, resulting in a partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. In such an event, Cibus’ competitors might be able to enter the market, which would have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business.
Legal action that may be required to enforce Cibus’ patent rights can be expensive and may involve the diversion of significant management time. In addition, these legal actions could be unsuccessful and could also result in the invalidation of Cibus’ or its licensors’ patents or a finding that they are unenforceable. Cibus or its licensors may or may not choose to pursue litigation or other actions against those that have infringed on Cibus’ or their patents, or have used them without authorization, due to the associated expense and time commitment of monitoring these activities. In some cases, the enforcement and defense of patents Cibus in-licenses is controlled by the applicable licensor. If such licensor fails to actively enforce and defend such patents, any competitive advantage afforded by such patents could be materially impaired. In addition, some of Cibus’ competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than Cibus or its licensors can because of their greater financial resources and more mature and developed intellectual property portfolios. Accordingly, despite Cibus’ efforts, Cibus may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating or from successfully challenging Cibus’ intellectual property rights. If Cibus fails to protect or to enforce its intellectual property rights successfully, its competitive position could suffer, which could harm its results of operations.
In addition to patent protection, because Cibus operates in the highly technical field of biotechnology, Cibus relies in part on trade secret protection in order to protect its proprietary technology and processes. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. Monitoring unauthorized uses and disclosures is difficult, and Cibus does not know whether the steps it has taken to protect its proprietary technologies will be effective. Cibus cannot guarantee that its trade secrets and other proprietary and confidential information will not be disclosed or that competitors will not otherwise gain access to Cibus’ trade secrets. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose Cibus’ proprietary information, including its trade secrets, and Cibus may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Cibus enters into confidentiality and intellectual property assignment agreements with its employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers, and other advisors. These agreements generally require that the other party keep confidential and not disclose to third parties all confidential information developed by the party or made known to the party by Cibus during the course of the party’s relationship with Cibus. These agreements also generally provide that inventions conceived by the party in the course of rendering services to Cibus will be Cibus’ exclusive property. However, these agreements may be breached or held unenforceable and may not effectively assign intellectual property rights to Cibus.
In addition to contractual measures, Cibus tries to protect the confidential nature of its proprietary information using physical and technological security measures. Such measures may not provide adequate protection for Cibus’ proprietary information. For example, Cibus’ security measures may not prevent an employee or consultant with authorized access from misappropriating Cibus’ trade secrets and providing them to a competitor, and the recourse Cibus has available against such misconduct may not provide an adequate remedy to protect its interests fully. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret can be difficult, expensive, and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, courts outside the United States may be less willing to protect trade secrets. Furthermore, Cibus’ proprietary information may be independently developed by others in a manner that could prevent legal recourse by Cibus. If any of Cibus’ confidential or proprietary information, including its trade secrets, were to be disclosed or misappropriated, or if any such information was independently developed by a competitor, Cibus’ competitive position could be harmed and its business could be materially and adversely affected.
Patents and patent applications involve highly complex legal and factual questions, which, if determined adversely to Cibus, could negatively impact its competitive position.
The patent positions of biotechnology companies and other actors in Cibus’ fields of business can be highly uncertain and typically involve complex scientific, legal, and factual analyses. In particular, the interpretation and breadth of claims allowed in some patents covering biological compositions may be uncertain and difficult to determine, and are often affected materially by the facts and circumstances that pertain to the patented compositions and the related patent claims. The standards of the United States Patent and
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Trademark Office (USPTO) and foreign patent offices are sometimes uncertain and could change in the future. Consequently, the issuance and scope of patents cannot be predicted with certainty. Patents, if issued, may be challenged, invalidated, narrowed, or circumvented. United States patents and patent applications may also be subject to interference proceedings, and United States patents may be subject to reexamination proceedings, post-grant review, inter parties review, or other administrative proceedings in the USPTO. Foreign patents as well may be subject to opposition or comparable proceedings in corresponding foreign patent offices. Challenges to Cibus’ or its licensors’ patents and patent applications, if successful, may result in the denial of Cibus’ or its licensors’ patent applications or the loss or reduction in their scope. In addition, such interference, reexamination, post-grant review, inter parties review, opposition proceedings, and other administrative proceedings may be costly and involve the diversion of significant management time. Accordingly, rights under any of Cibus’ or its licensors’ patents may not provide Cibus with sufficient protection against competitive products or processes and any loss, denial, or reduction in scope of any of such patents and patent applications may have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business.
Furthermore, even if not challenged, Cibus’ or its licensors’ patents and patent applications may not adequately protect its productivity traits or sustainable ingredient products, processes, or technologies or prevent others from designing their products or technology to avoid being covered by Cibus’ or its licensors’ patent claims. If the breadth or strength of protection provided by the patents Cibus owns or licenses with respect to its productivity traits or sustainable ingredient products, processes, or technologies is threatened, it could dissuade companies from partnering with Cibus to develop, and could threaten its ability to successfully commercialize, its products and productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates. Furthermore, for United States patent applications in which claims are entitled to a priority date before March 16, 2013, an interference proceeding can be provoked by a third party or instituted by the USPTO in order to determine who was the first to invent any of the subject matter covered by such patent claims.
In addition, changes in, or different interpretations of, patent laws in the United States and other countries may permit others to use Cibus’ discoveries or to develop and commercialize Cibus’ technologies and products without providing any notice or compensation to Cibus, or may limit the scope of patent protection that Cibus or its licensors are able to obtain. The laws of some countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as United States laws and those countries may lack adequate rules and procedures for defending Cibus’ intellectual property rights.
If Cibus or its licensors fail to obtain and maintain patent protection and trade secret protection of Cibus’ productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product, processes, and technologies, Cibus could lose its competitive advantage and competition it faces would increase, potentially reducing revenues and having a material adverse effect on its business.
Cibus will not seek to protect its intellectual property rights in all jurisdictions throughout the world and Cibus may not be able to adequately enforce its intellectual property rights even in the jurisdictions where Cibus seeks protection.
Filing, prosecuting, and defending patents on Cibus’ productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product, processes, and technologies in all countries and jurisdictions throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and Cibus’ intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States could be less extensive than those in the United States, assuming that rights are obtained in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. Consequently, Cibus may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing Cibus’ inventions in all countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing products made using Cibus’ inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions.
Competitors may use Cibus’ technologies in jurisdictions where Cibus or its licensors do not pursue and obtain patent protection to develop their own products and further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where Cibus or its licensors have patent protection, but where the ability to enforce Cibus’ or its licensors’ patent rights is not as strong as in the United States. These products may compete with Cibus’ products and its intellectual property rights and such rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent such competition.
The laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Patent protection must be sought on a country-by-country basis, which is an expensive and time consuming process with uncertain outcomes. Accordingly, Cibus and its licensors may choose not to seek patent protection in certain countries, and Cibus will not have the benefit of patent protection in such countries. In addition, the legal systems of some countries, particularly developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, especially those relating to biotechnologies, and the requirements for patentability differ, in varying degrees, from country-to-country, and the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights, including trade secrets, to the same extent as federal and state laws of the United States. As a result, many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in certain foreign jurisdictions. Such issues may make it difficult for Cibus to stop the infringement, misappropriation, or other violation of its intellectual property rights. For example, many foreign countries, including the EU countries, have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner must grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against third parties, including government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, patents may provide limited or no benefit. In those countries, Cibus and its licensors may have limited remedies if patents are infringed or if Cibus or its licensors are compelled to grant a license to a third party, which could materially diminish the value of those patents. This could limit Cibus’ potential revenue opportunities. Accordingly, Cibus’ and its licensors’ efforts to enforce intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that Cibus owns or licenses. Similarly, if Cibus’ trade secrets are disclosed in a foreign jurisdiction, competitors worldwide could have access to Cibus’ proprietary information and Cibus may be without satisfactory recourse.
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Such disclosure could have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business. Moreover, Cibus’ ability to protect and enforce its intellectual property rights may be adversely affected by unforeseen changes in foreign intellectual property laws.
Furthermore, proceedings to enforce Cibus’ licensors’ and Cibus’ own patent rights and other intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert Cibus’ efforts and attention from other aspects of its business, could put Cibus’ or its licensors’ patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could put Cibus’ or its licensors’ patent applications at risk of not issuing, and could provoke third parties to assert claims against Cibus or its licensors. Cibus may not prevail in any lawsuits that it initiates and the damages or other remedies awarded to Cibus, if any, may not be commercially meaningful, while the damages and other remedies Cibus may be ordered to pay such third parties may be significant. Accordingly, Cibus’ licensors’ and Cibus’ own efforts to enforce its intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that Cibus develops or licenses.
Third parties may assert rights to inventions Cibus develops or otherwise regards as its own.
Third parties may in the future make claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of Cibus’ or its licensors’ intellectual property. Cibus has written agreements with R&D partners that provide for the ownership of intellectual property arising from its strategic alliances. These agreements provide that Cibus must negotiate certain commercial rights with such partners with respect to joint inventions or inventions made by Cibus’ partners that arise from the results of the strategic alliance. In some instances, there may not be adequate written provisions to address clearly the allocation of intellectual property rights that may arise from the respective alliance. If Cibus cannot successfully negotiate sufficient ownership and commercial rights to the inventions that result from Cibus’ use of a third party partner’s materials when required, or if disputes otherwise arise with respect to the intellectual property developed through the use of a partner’s samples, Cibus may be limited in its ability to capitalize on the full market potential of these inventions. In addition, Cibus may face claims by third parties that its agreements with employees, contractors, or consultants obligating them to assign intellectual property to Cibus are ineffective, or are in conflict with prior or competing contractual obligations of assignment, which could result in ownership disputes regarding intellectual property Cibus has developed or will develop and could interfere with Cibus’ ability to capture the full commercial value of such inventions. Litigation may be necessary to resolve an ownership dispute, and if Cibus is not successful, Cibus may be precluded from using certain intellectual property and associated products, processes, and technologies, or may lose its rights in that intellectual property. Either outcome could have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business.
Cibus may not identify relevant third party patents or may incorrectly interpret the relevance, scope, or expiration of a third party patent which might adversely affect Cibus’ ability to develop and market its products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates.
Cibus cannot guarantee that any of its patent searches or analyses, including but not limited to the identification of relevant patents, the scope of patent claims or the expiration of relevant patents, are complete or thorough, nor can Cibus be certain that it has identified each and every third party patent and pending application in the United States and abroad that is relevant to or necessary for the commercialization of Cibus’ products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates in any jurisdiction.
The scope of a patent claim is determined by an interpretation of the law, the written disclosure in a patent and the patent’s prosecution history. Cibus’ interpretation of the relevance or the scope of a patent or a pending application may be incorrect, which may negatively impact Cibus’ ability to market its products. Cibus may incorrectly determine that its products are not covered by a third party patent or may incorrectly predict whether a third party’s pending application will issue with claims of relevant scope. Cibus’ determination of the expiration date of any patent in the United States or abroad that Cibus considers relevant may be incorrect, which may negatively impact Cibus’ ability to develop and market its products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates. Cibus’ failure to identify and correctly interpret relevant patents may negatively impact its ability to develop and market its products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates.
Any infringement, misappropriation, or other violation by Cibus of intellectual property rights of others may prevent or delay Cibus’ product development efforts and may prevent or increase the costs of Cibus successfully commercializing its products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates, if approved.
The biotechnology industry is characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights. Cibus’ success will depend in part on its ability to operate without infringing, misappropriating, or otherwise violating the intellectual property and proprietary rights of third parties. Cibus cannot assure you that its business operations, productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product and methods and the business operations, or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product and methods of its partners do not or will not infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate the patents or other intellectual property rights of third parties. Cibus may, from time-to-time, utilize techniques or compounds for which Cibus has determined a license is not required. For example, in some cases, Cibus uses DNA-breaking reagents, such as CRISPR-Cas9, to make site-specific cuts in the DNA of a plant cell. In cases where Cibus has determined a license is not required, other parties may allege that the use of such techniques or compounds infringes, misappropriates, or otherwise violates patent claims or other intellectual property rights held by them or that Cibus is employing their proprietary technology without authorization. In addition, although Cibus tries to ensure that its employees and consultants do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for Cibus, Cibus may be subject to claims that it or its employees, consultants, or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of a former employer or other third parties.
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Other parties may allege that Cibus’ productivity traits or sustainable ingredient products, processes, or technologies infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate patent claims or other intellectual property rights held by them or that Cibus is employing their proprietary technology without authorization. Patent and other types of intellectual property litigation can involve complex factual and legal questions, and their outcome is uncertain. Any claim relating to intellectual property infringement that is successfully asserted against Cibus may require Cibus to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees if Cibus or its partners are found to be willfully infringing another party’s patents, for past use of the asserted intellectual property and royalties and other consideration going forward if Cibus is forced to take a license. Such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Even if Cibus was able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving Cibus’ competitors access to the same intellectual property rights or technologies licensed to Cibus. In addition, if any such claim were successfully asserted against Cibus and Cibus could not obtain a license, Cibus or its partners may be forced to stop or delay developing, manufacturing, selling, or otherwise commercializing its productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product or other infringing technology, or those Cibus develops with its R&D partners.
Even if Cibus is successful in these proceedings, Cibus may incur substantial costs and divert management time and attention pursuing these proceedings, which could have a material adverse effect on Cibus. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of Cibus’ confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions, or other interim proceedings or developments and if investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the value of Cibus’ securities. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase Cibus’ operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing, or distribution activities. If Cibus is unable to avoid infringing the patent rights of others, Cibus may be required to seek a license, defend an infringement action, or challenge the validity of the patents in court, or redesign its products. Patent litigation is costly and time consuming. Cibus may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a successful conclusion. In addition, intellectual property litigation or claims could force Cibus to do one or more of the following:
•cease developing, selling, or otherwise commercializing its products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates;
•pay substantial damages for past use of the asserted intellectual property;
•obtain a license from the holder of the asserted intellectual property, which license may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all; and
•in the case of trademark claims, redesign, or rename trademarks Cibus may own, to avoid infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may not be possible and, even if possible, could be costly and time consuming.
Any of these risks coming to fruition could have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business, results of operations, financial condition, and prospects.
Cibus may be unsuccessful in licensing or acquiring intellectual property from third parties that may be required to develop and commercialize Cibus’ products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates.
Because Cibus’ programs may involve the use of intellectual property or proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of Cibus’ business will likely depend in part on its ability to acquire, in-license, or use these intellectual property and proprietary rights. For example, if Cibus determined to use a technology to perform its gene editing, Cibus may need one or more licenses to use that technology. However, Cibus may be unable to acquire or in-license any third party intellectual property or proprietary rights. Even if Cibus is able to acquire or in-license such rights, Cibus may be unable to do so on commercially reasonable terms. The licensing and acquisition of third party intellectual property and proprietary rights is a competitive area, and a number of more established companies are also pursuing strategies to license or acquire third party intellectual property and proprietary rights that Cibus may consider attractive or necessary. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over Cibus due to their size, capital resources, and agricultural development and commercialization capabilities.
Cibus sometimes partners with academic institutions to accelerate its R&D under written agreements with these institutions. Typically, these institutions provide Cibus with an option to negotiate a license to any of the institution’s rights in technology resulting from the strategic alliance. Regardless of such option, Cibus may be unable to negotiate a license within the specified time frame or under terms that are acceptable to Cibus, and the institution may license such intellectual property rights to third parties, potentially blocking Cibus’ ability to pursue its development and commercialization plans.
In addition, companies that perceive Cibus to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license intellectual property and proprietary rights to Cibus. Cibus also may be unable to license or acquire third party intellectual property and proprietary rights on terms that would allow it to make an appropriate return on its investment or at all. If Cibus is unable to successfully acquire or in-license rights to required third party intellectual property and proprietary rights or maintain the existing intellectual property and proprietary rights Cibus has, Cibus may have to cease development of the relevant program, product, or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidate, which could have a material adverse effect on its business.
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If Cibus fails to comply with its obligations in the agreements under which Cibus licenses intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to its business relationships with its licensors, Cibus could lose license rights that are important to its business.
Cibus is a party to a number of intellectual property license agreements that are important to its business and expects to enter into additional license agreements in the future. Cibus’ existing license agreements impose, and Cibus expects that future license agreements will impose, various diligence, royalty, and other obligations on Cibus. If Cibus fails to comply with its obligations under these agreements, or Cibus is subject to a bankruptcy, its licensors may have the right to terminate the license, in which event Cibus would not be able to market products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates covered by the license.
In addition, disputes may arise regarding the payment of the royalties or other considerations due to licensors in connection with Cibus’ exploitation of the rights it licenses from them. Licensors may contest the basis of payments Cibus retained and claim that Cibus is obligated to make payments under a broader basis. In addition to the costs of any litigation Cibus may face as a result, any legal action against Cibus could increase its payment obligations under the respective agreement and require Cibus to pay interest and potentially damages to such licensors.
In some cases, patent prosecution of Cibus’ licensed technology is controlled solely by the licensor. If such licensor fails to obtain and maintain patent or other protection for the proprietary intellectual property Cibus licenses from such licensor, Cibus could lose its rights to such intellectual property or the exclusivity of such rights, and its competitors could market competing products using such intellectual property. In addition, these patents and applications may not be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of Cibus’ business. In that event, Cibus may be required to expend significant time and resources to develop or license replacement technology. If Cibus is unable to do so, Cibus may be unable to develop or commercialize the affected products and productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates, which could harm its business significantly. In other cases, Cibus controls the prosecution of patents resulting from licensed technology. In the event Cibus breaches any of its obligations related to such prosecution, Cibus may incur significant liability to its licensing partners. Cibus may also require the cooperation of its licensors to enforce any licensed patent rights, and such cooperation may not be provided. Moreover, Cibus has obligations under these license agreements, and any failure to satisfy those obligations could give its licensor the right to terminate the agreement. Termination of a necessary license agreement could have a material adverse impact on Cibus’ business.
Licensing of intellectual property is of critical importance to Cibus’ business and involves complex legal, business, and scientific issues and is complicated by the rapid pace of scientific discovery in its industry. Disputes may arise regarding intellectual property subject to a licensing agreement, including:
•the scope of rights granted under the license agreement and other interpretation-related issues;
•the basis of royalties and other consideration due to its licensors;
•the extent to which its productivity trait or sustainable ingredient product, technology, and processes infringe on intellectual property of the licensor that is not subject to the licensing agreement;
•the sublicensing of patent and other rights under its development relationships;
•Cibus’ diligence obligations under the license agreement and what activities satisfy those diligence obligations;
•the ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by its licensors and Cibus and its partners; and
•the priority of invention of patented technology.
If disputes over intellectual property that Cibus has licensed from third parties prevent or impair Cibus’ ability to maintain its current licensing arrangements on acceptable terms, Cibus may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected products or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates, which could have a material adverse effect on its business.
Some of the licenses Cibus may grant to its licensing partners to use Cibus’ proprietary genes in certain crops may be exclusive within certain jurisdictions, which could limit Cibus’ licensing opportunities.
Some of the licenses Cibus may grant its licensing partners to use Cibus’ proprietary traits in certain crops may be exclusive within specified jurisdictions, so long as its licensing partners comply with certain diligence requirements. That means that once traits are licensed to a licensing partner in a specified crop or crops, Cibus may be generally prohibited from licensing those traits to any third party. The limitations imposed by such exclusive licenses could prevent Cibus from expanding its business and increasing its product development initiatives with new licensing partners, both of which could adversely affect Cibus’ business and results of operations.
Cibus’ results of operations will be affected by the level of royalty payments that Cibus is required to pay to third parties.
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Cibus is, or may become, party to agreements, including licensing agreements and its Warrant Exchange Agreement (as defined herein), that require Cibus to remit royalty payments and other payments related to its owned or licensed intellectual property.
Under its in-license agreements, Cibus may pay up-front fees and milestone payments and be subject to future royalties. Cibus cannot precisely predict the amount, if any, of royalties it will owe in the future, and if its calculations of royalty payments are incorrect, Cibus may owe additional royalties, which could negatively affect its results of operations. As its product sales increase, Cibus may, from time-to-time, disagree with its third party collaborators as to the appropriate royalties owed and the resolution of such disputes may be costly and may consume management’s time. Furthermore, Cibus may enter into additional license agreements in the future, which may also include royalty, milestone, and other payments.
Risks Related to Cibus’ Organization and Operations
Cibus’ headcount reductions and other cost reduction measures may result in operational and strategic challenges.
Management has implemented a strategic reduction in workforce and other cost reduction measures. Headcount reductions, which may result in the loss of institutional knowledge and expertise, may adversely affect operations and yield unintended consequences, such as attrition beyond Cibus’ intended reductions and reduced employee morale. Cibus’ ability to successfully execute on its strategy depends on retaining key remaining personnel, and unanticipated attrition, which may occur on short notice, could potentially harm Cibus’ business and operations. As a result of headcount reductions, Cibus’ management may need to divert attention away from day-to-day strategic and operational activities and devote additional time to managing organizational changes.
In addition, cost reduction measures may result in additional execution challenges, including in respect of customer acquisition and business development efforts and maintaining productivity among remaining employees. Due to limited resources, including reduced human capital resources following the headcount reductions, Cibus may encounter challenges in effectively expanding its operations, training additional qualified personnel, or otherwise manage its expected development and expansion. Negative publicity associated with cost reduction activities could adversely affect Cibus’ relationships with its suppliers, service providers, customers and potential customers, and employees, which could adversely affect its operations and financial condition.
Cibus’ Royalty Liability may contribute to net losses for Cibus and cause the value for securities of Cibus to fluctuate.
In connection with certain financing transactions by Cibus Global between November 2013 and December 2014, Cibus Global issued to each investor in these financings Cibus Warrants to purchase certain preferred units of Cibus Global. Subsequently, certain of the investors exchanged their Cibus Warrants with Cibus Global for future royalty payments equal to a portion of Cibus’ aggregate amount of certain worldwide cash revenues received during the applicable quarter. Cibus refers to these future royalty payment obligations as its “Royalty Liability” as more fully described under “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Financial Operations Overview-Royalty Liability Interest Expense - Related Parties.”
Certain directors and officers of Cibus are beneficiaries of the Royalty Liability. The financial interest of such directors and officers under the Royalty Liability may create real or perceived conflicts of interest between stockholders’ interests and those of such affiliates. In addition, once the Company generates sufficient revenue to trigger royalty payments under the Royalty Liability, the satisfaction of such payment obligations and the interest expense related thereto may adversely affect the cash flow available for Cibus’ operations, particularly in connection with the initial payment of aggregated, but unpaid, royalty payment amounts. Further, even prior to the Company having payment obligations in respect of the Royalty Liability, fluctuations in the liability balance of the Royalty Liability due to changes in Cibus’ business model and anticipated Subject Revenues (as defined below) from productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates in development could cause the value of Cibus’ securities to fluctuate, which may limit or prevent investors from readily selling their Class A Common Stock at a favorable price, or at all, and may otherwise negatively affect the liquidity of the Class A Common Stock.
Cibus depends on key management personnel and attracting and retaining other qualified personnel, and its business could be harmed if Cibus loses key management personnel or cannot attract and retain other qualified personnel.
Cibus’ success depends to a significant degree upon the technical skills and continued service of certain members of its management team, particularly Peter Beetham, Noel Sauer, and Greg Gocal. The loss of the services of any of these key executive officers could have a material adverse effect on Cibus. Cibus does not maintain “key person” insurance policies on the lives of any of its employees.
Cibus’ success will also depend upon its ability to attract and retain additional qualified management, regulatory, technical, and licensing executives, and personnel. The failure to attract, integrate, motivate, and retain additional skilled and qualified personnel could have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business. Cibus competes for such personnel against numerous companies, including larger, more established companies with significantly greater financial resources than Cibus possesses. In addition, failure to succeed in Cibus’ productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates’ development may make it more challenging to recruit and retain qualified personnel. There can be no assurance that Cibus will be successful in attracting or retaining such personnel and the failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Cibus’ internal computer systems, or those of its third party contractors or consultants, may fail or suffer security breaches, which could result in a material disruption of Cibus’ operations.
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Despite the implementation of security measures, Cibus’ internal computer systems, and those of third parties on which Cibus relies, are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, malware, natural disasters, terrorism, war, telecommunication and electrical failures, cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions over the Internet, attachments to emails, persons inside its organization, or persons with access to systems inside its organization. While Cibus does not believe that it has experienced any such material system failure, accident, or security breach to date, if such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in its systems, it could result in a material disruption of Cibus’ operations. For example, the loss of field trial data for Cibus’ productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates could result in delays in Cibus’ commercialization efforts and significantly increase Cibus’ costs to recover or reproduce the data. Additionally, there have been reported cases in the industry where productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates have been stolen from the field during field trials. To the extent that any disruption or security breach results in a loss of or damage to Cibus’ data or applications or other data or applications relating to its technology or productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, Cibus could incur liabilities, damage to its reputation, and the further development of its productivity trait or sustainable ingredient candidates could be delayed. See “Item 1.C. Cybersecurity” for additional information related to cybersecurity risks and how Cibus manages such risks.
Risks Related to Cibus’ Common Stock
The market price of the Class A Common Stock has been and could remain volatile, and the market price of the Class A Common Stock may drop.
The market price of the Class A Common Stock has experienced, and may continue to experience, volatility in response to various factors. Some factors that may cause the market price of the Class A Common Stock to fluctuate include the Company’s quarterly operating results, its perceived prospects or the perceptions of the market of its pipeline, new products or technologies, changes in securities analysts’ recommendations or earnings estimates and the Company’s ability to meet such estimates, changes in general conditions in the economy or the financial markets, capital raising activity, and other developments affecting the Company or its competitors.
In particular, the trading market for Cibus’ Class A Common Stock is influenced by the research and reports that equity research analysts publish about Cibus and its business. The price of the Class A Common Stock could decline if one or more equity research analysts ceases coverage of the Class A Common Stock, fails to regularly publish reports on Cibus and its Class A Common Stock, or downgrades the Class A Common Stock or issues other unfavorable commentary regarding Cibus or its industry.
These and other market and industry factors may cause the market price and demand for the Class A Common Stock to fluctuate substantially, regardless of the Company’s actual operating performance, which may limit or prevent investors from readily selling their Class A Common Stock at a favorable price, or at all, and may otherwise negatively affect the liquidity of the Class A Common Stock.
Provisions in the Amended Certificate of Incorporation and Amended Bylaws and provisions under Delaware Law could make an acquisition of Cibus, which may be beneficial to its stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by its stockholders to replace or remove its management.
Provisions included in the Amended Certificate of Incorporation and Amended Bylaws may discourage, delay, or prevent a merger, acquisition, or other change in control of Cibus that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which holders of its Class A Common Stock might otherwise receive a premium price for their shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for the Class A Common Stock, thereby depressing the market price of the Class A Common Stock. In addition, because the Cibus Board is responsible for appointing the members of the Cibus management team, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by Cibus’ stockholders to replace or remove its current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of the Cibus Board. Among other things, these provisions:
•allow the authorized number of Cibus’ directors to be changed only by resolution of the Cibus Board;
•establish advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals that can be acted on at stockholder meetings and for nominations to the Cibus Board;
•limit who may call stockholder meetings;
•prohibit actions by Cibus’ stockholders by written consent;
•require that stockholder actions be effected at a duly called stockholders meeting; and
•authorize the Cibus Board to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used to institute a “poison pill” that would work to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, effectively preventing acquisitions that have not been approved by the Cibus Board.
Moreover, because Cibus is incorporated in Delaware, it is governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL which prohibits a person who owns 15 percent or more of Cibus’ outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with Cibus for a period of three
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years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired 15 percent or more of Cibus’ outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a manner prescribed by the statute.
Cibus may issue shares of preferred stock in the future, which could make it difficult for another company to acquire Cibus or could otherwise adversely affect holders of its Class A Common Stock, which could depress the price of the Class A Common Stock.
The Amended Certificate of Incorporation authorizes Cibus to issue one or more series of preferred stock. The Cibus Board has the authority to determine the preferences, limitations, and relative rights of the shares of preferred stock and to fix the number of shares constituting any series and the designation of such series, without any further vote or action by its stockholders. Cibus’ preferred stock could be issued with voting, liquidation, dividend, and other rights superior to the rights of the Class A Common Stock. The potential issuance of preferred stock may delay or prevent a change in control of Cibus, discourage bids for the Class A Common Stock at a premium to the market price, and materially and adversely affect the market price and the voting and other rights of the holders of the Class A Common Stock.
Cibus’ executive officers, directors, and principal stockholders have the ability to control or significantly influence all matters submitted to its stockholders for approval.
Cibus’ executive officers, directors, and principal stockholders, in the aggregate, beneficially owned approximately 41.1 percent of Cibus’ outstanding Shares as of December 31, 2024. As a result, if these stockholders were to choose to act together, they would be able to control or significantly influence all matters submitted to Cibus’ stockholders for approval, as well as Cibus’ management and affairs. For example, these persons, if they choose to act together, would control or significantly influence the election of directors and approval of any merger, consolidation, or sale of all or substantially all of Cibus’ assets. This concentration of voting power could delay or prevent an acquisition of Cibus on terms that other stockholders may desire.
The United States net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes of Cibus may be subject to limitations.
As of December 31, 2024, Cibus had approximately $427.3 million of net operating loss carryforwards (NOLs) for federal and state income tax purposes, which may be available to offset federal income tax liabilities in the future. In addition, Cibus may generate additional NOLs in future years. Cibus established a full valuation allowance for its deferred tax assets, including NOLs, due to the uncertainty that enough taxable income will be generated to utilize the assets.
In general, a corporation’s ability to utilize its NOLs may be limited if it experiences an “ownership change” as defined in Section 382. An ownership change generally occurs if certain direct or indirect five percent shareholders increase their aggregate percentage ownership of a corporation’s stock by more than 50 percentage points over their lowest percentage ownership at any time during the testing period, which is generally the three-year period preceding any potential ownership change. If a corporation experiences an ownership change, the corporation will be subject to an annual limitation that applies to the amount of pre-ownership change NOLs that may be used to offset post-ownership change taxable income. This limitation is generally determined by multiplying the value of the corporation’s stock immediately before the ownership change by the applicable long-term tax-exempt rate. Any unused annual limitation may, subject to certain limits, be carried over to later years, and the limitation may under certain circumstances be increased by built-in gains in the assets held by such corporation at the time of the ownership change. Similar rules and limitations may apply for state income tax purposes.
The Company completed a Section 382 analysis through December 31, 2023, and it was determined that the Company experienced an IRC 382 cumulative shift as of 5/31/2023, as a result of the Merger Transactions. The Company completed an additional analysis through December 31, 2024, to determine if any additional cumulative shifts have occurred and concluded no Section 382 ownership change was identified in 2024. For financial statement purposes, the Company has included the federal and state NOLs and R&D credit in the schedule of deferred tax assets offset with a full valuation allowance. If eliminated, the related asset would be removed from the deferred tax asset schedule with a corresponding reduction in the valuation allowance. Due to the existence of the valuation allowance, limitations created by historical ownership changes will not impact the Company’s effective tax rate in the future. There is no assurance that Cibus will not experience additional ownership changes under Section 382 that would further limit or possibly eliminate its ability to use its NOLs. In addition, Cibus may experience ownership changes as a result of shifts in the direct or indirect ownership of its stock, some of which may be outside of its control. There is also a risk that future legal or regulatory changes may limit Cibus’ ability to use current or future NOLs to offset its future federal income tax liabilities.
Risks Related to the Organizational Structure of Cibus
Cibus is a holding company and its only material asset is its interest in Cibus Global, and it is accordingly dependent upon distributions from Cibus Global to pay taxes, make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and cover its corporate and other overhead expenses.
Cibus is a holding company with no material assets other than its ownership of Cibus Common Units. As a result, Cibus has no independent means of generating revenue or cash flow. Cibus’ ability to pay taxes, make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and cover its corporate and other overhead expenses depends on the financial results and cash flows of Cibus Global and its subsidiaries and the distributions that Cibus receives from Cibus Global. Deterioration in the financial condition, earnings, or cash flow of Cibus Global and its subsidiaries, for any reason, could limit or impair Cibus Global’s ability to pay such distributions. Additionally,
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to the extent that Cibus needs funds and Cibus Global and/or any of its subsidiaries are restricted from making such distributions under applicable law or regulation or under the terms of any financing arrangements, or Cibus Global is otherwise unable to provide such funds, it could materially adversely affect Cibus’ liquidity and financial condition.
Subject to the potential risk of being treated as a publicly traded partnership discussed below, Cibus Global is treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes and, as such, generally is not subject to any entity-level United States federal income tax. Instead, the taxable income of Cibus Global will be allocated to holders of Cibus Common Units, including Cibus. Accordingly, Cibus is required to pay income taxes on its allocable share of any net taxable income of Cibus Global. Under the terms of the Cibus Amended Operating Agreement, Cibus Global is obligated to make tax distributions to holders of Cibus Common Units, including Cibus, calculated at certain assumed tax rates. In addition to tax expenses, Cibus will also incur expenses related to its operations, including payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement (and the cost of administering such payment obligations), which could be significant and some of which may be reimbursed by Cibus Global (excluding payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement). Cibus intends to cause Cibus Global to make distributions to holders of Cibus Common Units in amounts sufficient to cover all applicable taxes (calculated at assumed tax rates), relevant operating expenses, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and dividends, if any, declared by Cibus. However, as discussed below, Cibus Global’s ability to make such distributions may be subject to various limitations and restrictions including, but not limited to, restrictions on distributions that would either violate any contract or agreement to which Cibus Global is then a party, including debt agreements, or any applicable law, or that would have the effect of rendering Cibus Global insolvent. If Cibus’ cash resources are insufficient to meet its obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement and to fund its obligations, Cibus may be required to incur additional indebtedness to provide the liquidity needed to make such payments, which could materially adversely affect its liquidity and financial condition and subject Cibus to various restrictions imposed by any such lenders. To the extent that Cibus is unable to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement for any reason, such payments will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid; provided, however, that nonpayment for a specified period may constitute a material breach of a material obligation under the Tax Receivable Agreement and therefore accelerate payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement, which could be substantial.
Additionally, although Cibus Global generally is not subject to any entity-level United States federal income tax, it may be liable under federal tax legislation for adjustments to its tax return, absent an election to the contrary. In the event Cibus Global’s calculations of taxable income are incorrect, its members, including Cibus, in later years may be subject to material liabilities pursuant to this federal legislation and its related guidance. Cibus anticipates that the distributions it will receive from Cibus Global may, in certain periods, exceed Cibus’ actual tax liabilities and obligations to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The Cibus Board, in its sole discretion, may make any determination from time-to-time with respect to the use of any such excess cash so accumulated, which may include, among other uses, to pay dividends on Class A Common Stock. Cibus has no obligation to distribute such cash (or other available cash other than any declared dividend) to its stockholders.
In certain circumstances, Cibus Global is required to make distributions to Cibus and the other holders of Cibus Common Units, and the distributions that Cibus Global will be required to make may be substantial.
Cibus Global is generally required from time-to-time to make pro rata distributions in cash to Cibus and the other holders of Cibus Common Units at certain assumed tax rates in amounts that are intended to be sufficient to cover the taxes on Cibus’ and the other Cibus Common Unit holders’ respective allocable shares of the taxable income of Cibus Global. As a result of (i) potential differences in the amount of net taxable income allocable to Cibus and the other holders of Cibus Common Units, (ii) the lower tax rate applicable to corporations than individuals and (iii) the use of an assumed tax rate (based on the tax rate applicable to individuals) in calculating Cibus Global’s distribution obligations, Cibus may receive tax distributions significantly in excess of its tax liabilities and obligations to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement. Cibus will determine in its sole discretion the appropriate uses for any excess cash so accumulated, which may include, among other uses, dividends, the payment of obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and the payment of other expenses. Cibus has no obligation to distribute such excess cash (or other available cash other than any declared dividend) to the other holders of Class A Common Stock. The current expectation is that Cibus will invest its future earnings, if any, to fund growth of Cibus Global’s operating business and will not pay any dividends to holders of Class A Common Stock for the foreseeable future.
No adjustments to the redemption or exchange ratio of Cibus Common Units for shares of Class A Common Stock will be made as a result of either (i) any cash dividend by Cibus or (ii) any cash that Cibus retains and does not distribute to its stockholders. To the extent that Cibus does not distribute such excess cash as dividends on Class A Common Stock and instead, for example, holds such cash balances or lends them to Cibus Global, Cibus Global equityholders would benefit from any value attributable to such cash balances as a result of their ownership of Class A Common Stock following a redemption or exchange of their Cibus Common Units.
Cibus is required to make payments to the TRA Parties pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement for certain tax benefits Cibus may receive and the amounts payable may be substantial.
Cibus acquired certain favorable tax attributes from certain Blockers in the Blocker Mergers. In addition, future redemptions or exchanges of Cibus Common Units for shares of Class A Common Stock or cash, and other transactions described herein, are expected to result in favorable tax attributes for Cibus. These tax attributes would not be available to Cibus in the absence of those transactions and are expected to reduce the amount of tax that Cibus would otherwise be required to pay in the future.
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Cibus entered into the Tax Receivable Agreement, pursuant to which Cibus generally is required to pay to the TRA Parties, in the aggregate, 85 percent of the net income tax savings that Cibus actually realizes (or in certain circumstances, is deemed to realize) as a result of (i) certain favorable tax attributes Cibus acquired from the Blockers in the Blocker Mergers (including net operating losses), (ii) increases to Cibus’ allocable share of the tax basis of Cibus Global’s assets resulting from future redemptions or exchanges of Cibus Common Units for shares of Class A Common Stock or cash, (iii) tax attributes resulting from certain payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement and (iv) deductions in respect of interest under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement are Cibus’ obligations and not obligations of Cibus Global.
It is expected that the payments Cibus is required to make under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be substantial. Because potential future tax savings that Cibus will be deemed to realize, and the Tax Receivable Agreement payments made by Cibus, are and will be calculated based in part on the market value of the Class A Common Stock at the time of each redemption or exchange under the Exchange Agreement and the prevailing applicable tax rates applicable to Cibus over the life of the Tax Receivable Agreement and depend on Cibus generating sufficient taxable income to realize the tax benefits that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement, the actual amounts Cibus will be required to pay are difficult to predict and may differ materially from any management projections that may be made from time-to-time. Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are not conditioned on the Cibus Global equityholders’ or Blocker equityholders’ continued ownership of Cibus.
In certain cases, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed the actual benefits Cibus realizes in respect of the tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement.
Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are based on the tax reporting positions Cibus determines, and the IRS or another tax authority may challenge all or a part of the tax basis increases, net operating losses, or other tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement, and a court could sustain such challenge. The parties to the Tax Receivable Agreement do not reimburse Cibus for any payments previously made if such tax basis or other tax benefits are subsequently disallowed, except that any excess payments made to a party under the Tax Receivable Agreement will be netted against future payments otherwise to be made under the Tax Receivable Agreement, if any, after the determination of such excess.
In addition, the Tax Receivable Agreement provides that if (1) Cibus breaches any of its material obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement (including in the event that Cibus is more than three months late making a payment that is due under the Tax Receivable Agreement, except in the case of certain liquidity exceptions), (2) Cibus is subject to certain bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar proceedings, (3) upon certain mergers, asset sales, or other forms of business combination, or certain other changes of control, or (4) at any time, Cibus elects an early termination of the Tax Receivable Agreement, Cibus’ obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement (with respect to all Cibus Common Units, whether or not such units have been exchanged or redeemed before or after such transaction) would accelerate and become payable in a lump sum amount equal to the present value of the anticipated future tax benefits calculated based on certain assumptions, including that Cibus would have sufficient taxable income to fully utilize the deductions arising from the tax deductions, tax basis, and other tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement. As a result, upon any acceleration of Cibus’ obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement and upon a change of control, Cibus could be required to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement that are greater than 85 percent of its actual cash tax savings, which could negatively impact its liquidity. The change of control provisions in the Tax Receivable Agreement may also result in situations where the Cibus Global equityholders and the relevant Blocker Owners that are TRA Parties will have interests that differ from or are in addition to those of the other holders of Class A Common Stock.
Finally, because Cibus is a holding company with no operations of its own, its ability to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement depends on the ability of Cibus Global to make distributions to it. To the extent that Cibus is unable to make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement for any reason, such payments will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid, which could negatively impact Cibus’ results of operations and could also affect its liquidity in periods in which such payments are made.
If Cibus Global were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes, Cibus and Cibus Global might be subject to potentially significant tax inefficiencies, and Cibus would not be able to recover payments previously made by it under the Tax Receivable Agreement even if the corresponding tax benefits were subsequently determined to have been unavailable due to such status.
Cibus’ management intends to operate Cibus Global such that it does not become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes. A “publicly traded partnership” is a partnership the interests of which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof. Under certain circumstances, exchanges of Cibus Common Units pursuant to the Exchange Agreement or other transfers of Cibus Common Units could cause Cibus Global to be treated as a publicly traded partnership. Applicable Treasury Regulations provide for certain safe harbors from treatment as a publicly traded partnership, and it is intended that Cibus Global will be operated such that exchanges or other transfers of Cibus Common Units qualify for one or more such safe harbors. For example, the Exchange Agreement and the Cibus Amended Operating Agreement provide for limitations on the ability of Cibus Global equityholders to transfer their Cibus Common Units and provide Cibus with the right to cause the imposition of limitations and restrictions (in addition to those already in place) on the ability of Cibus Global equityholders to exchange their Cibus Common Units pursuant to the Exchange Agreement to the extent Cibus believes it is necessary to ensure that Cibus Global will continue to be treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes.
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If Cibus Global were to become a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes, significant tax inefficiencies might result for Cibus and Cibus Global, including as a result of Cibus’ inability to file a consolidated United States federal income tax return with Cibus Global. In addition, Cibus may not be able to realize tax benefits covered under the Tax Receivable Agreement, and Cibus would not be able to recover any payments previously made by it under the Tax Receivable Agreement, even if the corresponding tax benefits (including any claimed increase in the tax basis of Cibus Global’s assets) were subsequently determined to have been unavailable.
If Cibus were deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a result of its ownership of Cibus Global, applicable restrictions could make it impractical for Cibus to continue its business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business.
Under Sections 3(a)(1)(A) and (C) of the 1940 Act, a company generally will be deemed to be an “investment company” for purposes of the 1940 Act if (i) it is, or holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting, or trading in securities or (ii) it engages, or proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding, or trading in securities and it owns or proposes to acquire investment securities having a value exceeding 40 percent of the value of its total assets (exclusive of United States government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. It is not expected that Cibus would be an “investment company,” as such term is defined in either of those sections of the 1940 Act.
Cibus regards itself as a plant trait company. Cibus believes that it is engaged primarily in the business of using gene editing technologies to develop and license gene edited plant traits that improve farming productivity or produce renewable low carbon plant products and not in the business of investing, reinvesting, or trading in securities. Cibus also believes its primary source of income is properly characterized as income earned in exchange for products and services derived from such applications of its gene editing technologies. Cibus holds itself out as being engaged primarily in the plant trait business and does not propose to engage primarily in the business of investing, reinvesting, or trading in securities.
As the sole managing member of Cibus Global, Cibus controls and operates Cibus Global. It is intended that Cibus and Cibus Global conduct their operations so that Cibus will not be deemed an investment company. However, if Cibus were to be deemed an investment company, restrictions imposed by the 1940 Act, including limitations on Cibus’ capital structure and its ability to transact with affiliates, could make it impractical for Cibus to continue its business as contemplated and could have a material adverse effect on Cibus’ business.
In certain cases, the holders of Class B Common Stock have the sole power to approve a reorganization of Cibus, resulting in Cibus no longer being structured as an umbrella partnership C corporation.
The holders of Class B Common Stock have the sole power to vote on any merger, consolidation, or conversion in connection with a reorganization of the Up-C structure (an “Up-C Reorganization”) or any necessary amendment to the Amended Certificate of Incorporation in order to effect an Up-C Reorganization. For purposes of this right of the holders of Class B Common Stock, an Up-C Reorganization means any transaction or series of transactions intended to result in Cibus no longer being structured as an umbrella partnership C corporation so long as (i) such transaction or series of transactions does not have a material adverse effect on the rights or preferences of the Class A Common Stock (in the sole determination of the independent members of the Cibus Board) and (ii) such transaction or series of transactions shall not be treated as resulting in a “Change of Control” under the Tax Receivable Agreement. If the holders of Class B Common Stock were to approve an Up-C Reorganization, such decision could have an adverse effect on the trading price of the Class A Common Stock to the extent investors perceive a disadvantage in owning stock of a company that is no longer in an Up-C structure.
In the event that Cibus’ payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreement are accelerated upon certain mergers, other forms of business combinations or other changes of control, the consideration payable to holders of Class A Common Stock could be substantially reduced.
If Cibus experiences a change of control (as defined under the Tax Receivable Agreement), its obligation to make a substantial, immediate lump-sum payment under the Tax Receivable Agreement could result in holders of Class A Common Stock receiving substantially less consideration in connection with a change of control transaction than they would receive in the absence of such obligation. Further, holders of rights under the Tax Receivable Agreement may not have an equity interest in Cibus. Accordingly, the interests of holders of rights under the Tax Receivable Agreement may conflict with those of the holders of Class A Common Stock.
Cibus will not be reimbursed for any payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement in the event that any tax benefits are subsequently disallowed.
Payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement are based on the tax reporting positions that Cibus determines. The holders of rights under the Tax Receivable Agreement will not reimburse Cibus for any payments previously made under the Tax Receivable Agreement if such basis increases or other benefits are subsequently disallowed, except that excess payments made to any such holder will be netted against payments otherwise to be made, if any, to such holder after determination of such excess. However, a determination that Cibus has made an excess payment might not occur until a number of years after such payment has been made. Additionally, if any of Cibus’ tax reporting positions are challenged by a taxing authority, Cibus will not be permitted to reduce any future cash payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement until any such challenge is finally settled or determined. The applicable United States federal income tax rules for determining Cibus’ tax reporting positions are complex and factual in nature, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a
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court will not disagree with Cibus’ tax reporting positions. As a result, in such circumstances, Cibus could make payments that are greater than actual cash tax savings, if any, and may not be able to recoup those payments, which could adversely affect Cibus’ liquidity.

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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.
The Company’s headquarters are located in San Diego, California where it has leases for its headquarters facility, which includes office and laboratory space and it has a trait development facility for editing plants. The headquarters facility and the trait development facility are 53,423 and 31,939 square feet, respectively, with terms that expire in March 2033 and August 2025, respectively. In June 2024, the headquarters facility lease term was extended until March 2033. The headquarters facility lease includes one option to extend the lease. The Company had one option to extend the trait development facility lease for one year, but will terminate the lease in August 2025.
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Additionally, the Company has certain leases for greenhouse and warehouse facilities, totaling 30,800 and 6,207 square feet, respectively, with terms that expire in August 2028 and August 2026, respectively. The Company had one option to extend the term of the greenhouse lease, for five years, and executed this right with an amended lease agreement beginning in September 2023 and expiring at the end of August 2028. There are no other options to extend this lease. The Company has one option to extend the warehouse lease for five years.
The Company also continues to lease its former corporate headquarters facility in Roseville, Minnesota totaling 44,000 square feet. This facility includes office, research laboratories, greenhouses, and outdoor growing plots. The lease has an initial term that began in May 2018 and expires on May 31, 2038, with monthly base rent with scheduled rent increases every five years thereafter until the end of the lease. The Company has the option to extend the term of the lease for four successive additional renewal terms of five years each commencing at the expiration date of the initial term, with monthly base rent set for each of these renewal terms. Cellectis, the Company’s former majority stockholder, has guaranteed all obligations under the lease, as discussed in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report.
Cibus also has offices in different locations in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
For the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, Cibus incurred rent expenses under these leases of $7.0 million and $4.5 million, respectively.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
The Company is not a party to any material pending legal proceedings as of December 31, 2024. From time-to-time, the Company may be involved in legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
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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.
The Company’s Class A Common Stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol of “CBUS.” The Company’s Class B Common Stock is not listed or traded on any stock exchange.
Holders of Common Stock
As of March 18, 2025, there were 445 holders of record of 32,850,026 outstanding shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock (including 211,615 restricted shares of Class A Common Stock, which remain subject to vesting), and 30 holders of record of 1,712,373 outstanding shares of the Company’s Class B Common Stock. The number of holders of record of the Company’s Class A Common Stock does not reflect the number of beneficial holders whose shares are held by banks, depositaries, brokers, or other nominees.
Dividends
The Company has not paid dividends on its Class A Common Stock and does not currently plan to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. In the future, dividends on Class A Common Stock, if any, will be paid at the discretion of the Board, which will consider, among other things, the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition, current and expected cash needs, plans for expansion, and any legal or contractual limitations on its ability to pay such dividends.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities During the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company did not issue any unregistered equity securities, other than pursuant to transactions previously disclosed in the Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The Company did not repurchase any shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock during the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. During the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, 12,514 shares of Class A Common Stock were withheld for net share settlement resulting from restricted stock unit award vesting.

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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.
The following discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations should be read together with its consolidated financial statements and related notes, which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
OVERVIEW AND BUSINESS UPDATE
Cibus is a leading agricultural biotechnology company that uses proprietary gene editing technologies to develop plant traits, which are specific genetic characteristics in the DNA of a plant’s seed. These characteristics influence how a resulting plant functions and/or interacts with its environment. Its primary business is the development of plant traits for some of the world’s major agricultural food crops that help address specific productivity, profitability, sustainability, or yield challenges in farming. Cibus’ initial focus is on productivity traits, which can be associated with improving crop yields in the face of challenges such as weeds, pests, and diseases, can address environmental challenges with an overall reduction in the use of chemicals like fungicides, insecticides, or fertilizers, or can make crops more adaptable to environmental factors such as heat and drought in the face of climate change.
Cibus’ core technology is its propriety gene editing platform called the Rapid Trait Development System™ or RTDS®. It is the underlying technology for Cibus’ Trait Machine™ process, providing a standardized end-to-end, semi-automated, high-throughput gene editing system that directly edits seed companies’ elite germplasm. It is a time bound, reproducible, and predictable science-based breeding process. Over 500 patents or patents pending cover RTDS and many of the Company’s gene edited traits. The Company considers the Trait Machine process an important technological milestone that represents a breakthrough in the achievement of a standardized, high-throughput gene editing system that provides the speed, precision, and scale to develop a new class of high value productivity traits that is the promise of gene editing.
Gene-edited traits are importantly distinguishable from traits developed with genetically modified organism (GMO) technologies. While GMO technologies enabled major improvements in farming productivity, they have faced regulatory and adoption headwinds because of their use of foreign DNA, or transgenic material. For example, in the European Union (EU), GMO traits were essentially banned, and imports were heavily regulated.
The Company has incurred net losses since its inception. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $731.2 million. The Company’s net loss was $282.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. As Cibus continues to develop its pipeline of productivity traits and as a result of its limited commercial activities, Cibus expects to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the next several years. Those expenses and losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year.
ATM Facility
On January 2, 2024, the Company entered into a Sales Agreement (Sales Agreement) with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (Stifel). Pursuant to the terms of the Sales Agreement, the Company may offer and sell through Stifel, from time-to-time and at its sole discretion (and subject to the applicable baby shelf limitations described under “-Liquidity and Capital Resources” below), shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $80.0 million (ATM Facility). During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company issued 974,727 shares of Class A Common Stock and received net proceeds of approximately $16.9 million from the ATM Facility.
June 2024 Registered Direct Offering
In June 2024, the Company issued 1,298,040 shares of its Class A Common Stock together with accompanying warrants (2024 Common Warrants) to purchase up to 1,298,040 shares of Class A Common Stock in a registered direct offering (2024 Follow-On Offering). The combined offering price for each share of Class A Common Stock and the accompanying 2024 Common Warrant was $10.00 per share, except that each share of Class A Common Stock and the accompanying 2024 Common Warrant issued to one of the Company’s then executive officers was issued at a combined offering price of $10.20 per share. At the time of issuance, the 2024 Common Warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $10.00 per share (or $10.07 per share, in the case of 2024 Common Warrants issued to one of the Company’s then executive officers) until fully exercised, subject to ownership limitations, and are set to expire five years after their date of issuance. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $12.0 million from the 2024 Follow-On Offering, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company.
Certain investors in the January 2025 Follow-On Offering (as described below) are holders of outstanding 2024 Common Warrants. The Company agreed to contractual amendments with those certain investors (Warrant Amendment Agreement) to (i) reduce the exercise price of those 2024 Common Warrants to $2.50 per share, (ii) reduce the threshold for satisfaction of the trading condition in respect of the redemption provisions from $20.00 per share to $5.00 per share as well adding a redemption notice of 30 days, and (iii) extend the termination date of those 2024 Common Warrants held by those certain investors to five years following the closings of the January 2025 Follow-On Offering (as described below). The Warrant Amendment Agreement, with respect to one of the Company’s then executive officers, is conditioned on, and will not be effective until, the trading day after the Company obtains the requisite approval from its stockholders with respect to those 2024 Common Warrants held by one of the Company’s then executive officers.
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September 2024 SEC-Registered Underwritten Offering
In September 2024, the Company issued 3,289,953 shares of its Class A Common Stock in an SEC-registered underwritten offering, including shares issued to one of the Company’s then executive officers. The offering price for each share of Class A Common Stock was $4.00 per share. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $12.1 million after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company.
Restructuring Initiative On October 18, 2024, Cibus announced its restructuring initiative (Restructuring Initiative), which included a reduction in its workforce by approximately 26 full-time employees. The Company incurred a one-time cash expense of approximately $0.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 in connection with the reduction in workforce, primarily related to accrued vacation and severance payments along with approximately $0.2 million of one-time non-cash stock compensation expense related to the acceleration of unvested awards of Class A Restricted Stock (RSAs) approved by the Board of Directors of Cibus.
The Company has initiated additional cost reduction actions designed to preserve capital resources for the advancement of its streamlined priority objectives, which initiatives include reductions in expenditures for consultants and other third-party service providers, organizational restructuring and related talent optimization, and streamlining of rent and facility expenses, including the non-renewal of the lease for the Company’s trait development facility for editing plants in San Diego, California upon expiration in August 2025.
January 2025 Registered Direct Offering
In January 2025, the Company issued 4,340,000 shares of its Class A Common Stock and, in lieu of Class A Common Stock to one of the Company’s then executive officers and other investors, pre-funded warrants (2025 Pre-Funded Warrants) to purchase 4,700,000 shares of Class A Common Stock both together with an accompanying common warrant (2025 Common Warrants) to purchase up to 4,340,000 shares of Class A Common Stock and 4,700,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, respectively, in a registered direct offering (January 2025 Follow-On Offering). The combined offering price for each share of Class A Common Stock and the accompanying 2025 Common Warrant was $2.50. The combined offering price for each 2025 Pre-Funded Warrant and the accompanying 2025 Common Warrant was $2.4999. The 2025 Common Warrants have an exercise price of $2.50 per share of Class A Common Stock and are only exercisable after the Company receives certain approvals from its stockholders. The 2025 Common Warrants will be exercisable for five years following the date of receipt of certain stockholder approvals, subject to ownership limitations. The 2025 Pre-Funded Warrants were immediately exercisable at the time of issuance and will be exercisable until they are fully exercised at an exercise price of $0.0001 per share of Class A Common Stock, subject to ownership limitations. Through the date of this filing, the Company has received net proceeds related to the January 2025 Follow-On Offering of approximately $21.4 million after deducting approximately $1.2 million for the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company.
Certain investors in the January 2025 Registered Direct Offering were holders of the 2024 Common Warrants, and entered into the Warrant Amendment Agreements with the Company, in connection with the January 2025 Registered Direct Offering, as described above.
FINANCIAL OPERATIONS OVERVIEW
Revenue
Revenue is recognized from research collaboration agreements, sales of products, from licenses of technology, and from product development activities for customers.
Collaboration and research revenues are primarily related to revenues earned from performance obligations under collaboration arrangements. Pursuant to the terms of the collaboration agreements, the Company receives non-refundable payments for ongoing R&D activities, reimbursements of R&D costs, and milestone payments upon the achievement of certain scientific, regulatory, or commercial milestones. Pursuant to the collaboration agreements, the Company also will receive royalty payments in connection with the sale of commercialized products containing the traits that are subject to those agreements.
In the future, the Company may continue to generate revenue from collaboration and research agreements, but it expects an increasing amount of its revenue to come from royalty payments relating to its trait development activities. The Company is using advanced technologies, including RTDS, to develop desirable plant traits for the global seed industry. The Company plans to sell or license its developed traits with royalty revenue from these licensing agreements increasingly becoming its main source of future revenues.
The Company’s ability to generate substantial revenue from plant traits depends upon the ability to further expand its Trait Machine process/RTDS platforms, which are fundamental for multiple different plant traits. The Company is advancing the licensing for commercialization by seed companies of traits developed using RTDS and currently has three developed traits for two global crops.
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Research and Development Expenses
The company’s R&D expenses primarily consist of expenses incurred while performing activities to discover and develop potential product candidates and to establish Trait Machine process/RTDS platforms such as:
•personnel costs, including salaries and related benefits, for employees engaged in scientific R&D functions;
•cost of third party contractors and consultants who support its product candidate and Trait Machine process/RTDS platform development;
•development costs associated with seed increases (small-scale and large-scale testing) for productivity trait validation;
•purchases of laboratory supplies and non-capital equipment used for its R&D activities;
•facilities costs, including rent, utilities, and maintenance expenses, allocated to R&D activities; and
•costs of in-licensing or acquiring technology from third parties.
The Company’s R&D efforts are driven by the Company’s realigned organization, which focuses the allocation of its capital resources toward its commercial effort priorities through advancement of Cibus’ weed management productivity traits HT1 and HT3 for Rice, Sclerotinia resistance productivity trait for Canola and Soybean, and the continuing development of Cibus’ Soybean platform, while enabling continued progress on Cibus’ PSR productivity trait and its third weed management productivity trait HT2 with a more streamlined use of resources. The Company’s infrastructure resources are utilized across multiple R&D programs. In addition, employees typically work across multiple R&D programs. The Company manages certain activities, such as field trials and seed production, through third party vendors. Due to the number of ongoing projects and its ability to use resources across several projects, it does not record or maintain information regarding the costs incurred for its R&D programs on a program-specific basis.
The Company’s R&D efforts are central to its business and account for a significant portion of its operating expenses. With the Company’s realigned organization focus, R&D expenses are expected to remain flat, except for inflation considerations, for the foreseeable future. Additionally, product candidates in later stages of development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of development, primarily due to the increased expense associated with large-scale field testing and seed increases (small scale and large-scale) for trait validation.
The Company recognizes R&D expenses as they are incurred, primarily due to the uncertainty of future commercial value. At this time, it cannot reasonably estimate or know the nature, timing, and estimated costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the development of its current product candidates or any new product candidates that may be identified and developed. The duration, costs, and timing of development of its product candidates are subject to numerous uncertainties and will depend on a variety of factors, including:
•levels of hiring and retaining R&D personnel;
•the extent to which any serious adverse events in its field trials are encountered;
•the impact of any business interruptions to operations or to those of the third parties with whom the Company works with; and
•the impact of any new or changing government regulations related to its product candidates.
Any of these factors could significantly impact the costs, timing, and viability associated with the development of its product candidates.
Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses
SG&A expense consists primarily of employee-related expenses, such as salaries for its executive, business development, legal, intellectual property, information technology, finance, human resources, and other administrative functions. These costs include legal, professional, and consulting fees for external firms and contractors. All selling and marketing expenses, including advertising expenses and allocated facility costs including rent, utilities, maintenance expenses, and depreciation and amortization, are included in SG&A expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets impairment
In connection with the Merger Transactions with Cibus Global, the Company recognized goodwill and intangible assets. Cibus classifies intangible assets into three categories: (1) intangible assets with finite lives subject to amortization; (2) intangible assets with indefinite lives not subject to amortization; and (3) goodwill. Cibus determined the useful lives of its identifiable intangible assets after considering the specific facts and circumstances related to each intangible asset. Factors it considers when determining useful lives include the contractual term of any agreement related to the asset, the historical performance of the asset, the Company’s long-term strategy for using the asset, any laws or regulations which could impact the useful life of the asset, and other economic factors, including competition and specific market conditions. Intangible assets that are deemed to have finite lives are amortized, primarily on a straight-line basis, over their useful lives to their estimated residual values.
See Note 1 for the Company’s policy related to the impairment of finite-lived intangible assets under the heading Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Finite-Lived Intangible Assets.
The Company evaluates the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually as of November 1 each year in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, and between
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annual evaluations if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying amount. Such circumstances could include, but are not limited to (1) a significant adverse change in legal factors or in business climate, (2) unanticipated competition, or (3) an adverse action or assessment by a regulator.
In-process R&D has an indefinite life and is not amortized until completion and development of the project, at which time the in-process R&D becomes an amortizable asset. Until such time as the projects are either completed or abandoned, Cibus tests those assets for impairment at least annually, or more frequently at interim periods, by evaluating qualitative factors which could be indicative of impairment. Qualitative factors being considered include, but are not limited to, macro-economic conditions, progress on development activities, and overall financial performance. If impairment indicators are present as a result of the Company’s qualitative assessment, it will test those assets for impairment by comparing the fair value of the assets to their carrying value. Quantitative factors being considered include, but are not limited to, the current project status, forecasted changes in the timing or amounts required to complete the project, forecasted changes in timing or changes in the future cash flows to be generated by the completed products, a probability of success of the ultimate project and changes to other market-based assumptions, such as discount rates, its current market capitalization, and estimates of the fair value of the Company’s reporting unit. Upon completion or abandonment, the value of the in-process R&D indefinite-lived intangible assets will be amortized to expense over the anticipated useful life of the developed products, if completed, or charged to expense when abandoned if no alternative future use exists. The Company fully impaired its in-process R&D indefinite-lived intangible assets in 2023. As a result of the full impairment, the Company no longer had in-process R&D indefinite-lived intangible assets as of December 31, 2023.
Goodwill is evaluated for impairment by first performing a qualitative assessment to determine whether a quantitative goodwill test is necessary. If it is determined, based on qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit may more likely than not be less than its carrying amount, or if significant adverse changes in the Company’s future financial performance occur that could materially impact fair value, a quantitative goodwill impairment test would be required. Additionally, the Company can elect to forgo the qualitative assessment and perform the quantitative test. If the qualitative assessment indicates that the quantitative analysis should be performed, or if management elects to bypass a qualitative assessment, it then evaluates goodwill for impairment by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill. The quantitative assessment for goodwill requires Cibus to estimate the fair value of its reporting unit using either an income or market approach or a combination thereof. Management makes critical assumptions and estimates in completing impairment assessments of goodwill and other intangible assets. The Company’s cash flow projections look several years into the future and include assumptions on variables such as future royalties and operating margins, economic conditions, probability of success, market competition, inflation, and discount rates.
Royalty Liability Interest Expense - Related Parties
On December 31, 2014, Cibus Global entered into a Warrant Transfer and Exchange Agreement (Warrant Exchange Agreement) and a related Intellectual Property Security Agreement (IP Security Agreement), pursuant to which certain investors, including certain directors of the Company and entities affiliated with directors of the Company (collectively, Royalty Holders), exchanged warrants issued by Cibus Global in previous financing transactions, for the right to receive future royalty payments (Royalty Payments). The Warrant Exchange Agreement and IP Security Agreement remain in place following the Company’s acquisition of Cibus Global in the Merger Transactions.
Under the Warrant Exchange Agreement, the Royalty Holders are entitled to future Royalty Payments equal to 10 percent of specified Subject Revenues (as defined in the Warrant Exchange Agreement), actually collected, attributable to product sales, license fees, sublicense payments, distribution fees, milestones, maintenance payments, royalties, and distributions to the Company, arising from products or technology developed using or based upon intellectual property rights in RTDS or oligonucleotide directed mutagenesis technology applied in plants, biologicals, animals, and humans, as well as improvements related to such products or technology. Subject Revenues exclude revenues attributable to certain Nucelis product lines (certain applications in microorganisms), amounts received from the sale or disposition of the Company’s assets to the extent the purchaser agrees to be bound by the Warrant Exchange Agreement, fair market value payments for Cibus Global capital stock, and revenues attributable to collaboration and research projects. Royalty Payments are contingent because they are based upon the actual cash amounts constituting Subject Revenues that are collected from the Company’s customers.
Royalty Payments will not begin until after the first fiscal quarter in which the aggregate Subject Revenues cash inflow during any consecutive 12 month period equals or exceeds $50.0 million, at which point Cibus Global will be obligated to pay all aggregated, but unpaid, Royalty Payments under the Warrant Exchange Agreement. As of December 31, 2024, the amount of aggregated, but unpaid, Royalty Payments is $0.6 million.
The initial term of the Warrant Exchange Agreement runs for 30 years from the date the first Royalty Payment becomes due and may be extended for an additional 30-year term upon written notice and a $100 payment. Pursuant to the IP Security Agreement, Cibus Global’s payment and performance obligations under the Warrant Exchange Agreement are secured by a security interest in substantially all of Cibus Global’s intellectual property.
The royalty liability - related parties (Royalty Liability) calculation is based on the Company’s current estimates of future Subject Revenues collected by the Company from customers and, in turn, expected Royalty Payments based on these Subject Revenues to be paid to Royalty Holders over the life of the arrangement based on 10 percent of the actual Subject Revenues collected. The Warrant Exchange Agreement is on a cash basis meaning that all Royalty Payments to Royalty Holders in a given period are based on cash
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actually collected by the Company for Subject Revenues in that period. The Company recorded the Royalty Liability obligation at fair value as of May 31, 2023, in connection with the acquisition of Cibus Global, LLC. The Company will periodically reassess the estimated future Royalty Payments using internal projections and external sources. Any change in estimated future Royalty Payments, resulting from changes in Cibus’ business model and anticipated Subject Revenues, is recognized prospectively as an adjustment to the effective yield as an increase or decrease to interest expense.
Royalty liability interest expense - related parties (Royalty Liability Interest) is based on the Warrant Exchange Agreement Cibus Global entered into in 2014. See Note 11 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further details. The Company expects the contingent Royalty Liability balance to continue to increase each year until the accretion of Royalty Liability interest expense, which increases the Royalty Liability, is outpaced by the expected contingent Royalty Payments due, which decreases the Royalty Liability. Similarly, the Company expects the related non-cash contingent Royalty Liability interest expense it records to increase in conjunction with the underlying Royalty Liability balance. There are risks associated with the Royalty Liability. See “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Cibus’ Organization and Operations-Cibus’ Royalty Liability may contribute to net losses for Cibus and cause the value for securities of Cibus to fluctuate,” included in this Annual Report.
Other Interest Income, net
Other interest income, net is comprised of interest income resulting from investments of cash and cash equivalents and interest expense incurred related to financing lease obligations and notes payable. It is also driven by balances, yields, and timing of financing and other capital raising activities.
Non-Operating Income (Expense), net
Non-operating income (expense), net are income or expenses that are not directly related to ongoing operations and are primarily comprised of gains and losses from the fair value adjustment of the Common Warrants (as defined in Note 1 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements).
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024, COMPARED TO THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023
A summary of the Company’s results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023 follows:
Years Ended December 31,
In Thousands, except per share and percentage values 2024
$ Change
% Change
Revenue $ 4,262 $ 1,817 $ 2,445 135 %
Research and development 50,429 42,367 8,062 19 %
Selling, general, and administrative 30,797 28,914 1,883 7 %
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment 181,432 249,419 (67,987) (27) %
Loss from operations (258,396) (318,883) 60,487 19 %
Royalty liability interest expense - related parties (34,190) (18,892) (15,298) (81) %
Other interest income, net 631 527 104 20 %
Non-operating income (expense), net 9,271 (395) 9,666 2,447 %
Loss before income taxes (282,684) (337,643) 54,959 16 %
Income tax (expense) benefit (29) 4 (33) (825) %
Net loss $ (282,713) $ (337,639) $ 54,926 16 %
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest (31,325) (70,012) 38,687 55 %
Net loss attributable to Cibus, Inc. $ (251,388) $ (267,627) $ 16,239 6 %
Basic and diluted net loss per share of Class A common stock $ (10.83) $ (25.95) $ 15.12 58 %
Revenue
Revenue was $4.3 million in 2024, an increase of $2.4 million from 2023. The increase was driven by the acquisition of Cibus Global revenue which included amounts earned from collaboration agreements related to contract research for Rice and Soybean. Revenue from operations associated with Legacy Calyxt in 2024 and 2023 was primarily associated with the Company’s agreement with a large food ingredient manufacturer to develop a palm oil alternative.
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Research and Development Expense
R&D expense was $50.4 million in 2024, an increase of $8.1 million from 2023. The increase was primarily due to the acquisition of Cibus Global which included increases in headcount, laboratory supplies, and facility costs. The increase was partially offset by decreases of $2.4 million of stock compensation expense related to RSAs granted as part of the completion of the Merger Transactions, $1.3 million in one-time expenses due to the closing of the Merger Transactions in the first six months of 2023, and a decrease in Legacy Calyxt expenses due to lower headcount and cost reduction efforts in preparation for the Merger Transactions.
Selling, General, and Administrative Expense
SG&A expense was $30.8 million in 2024, an increase of $1.9 million from 2023. The increase was primarily due to the acquisition of Cibus Global which included increases in headcount, professional fees, and stock compensation expense related to RSAs granted as part of the completion of the Merger Transactions and new stock award grants in 2024. These expenses were partially offset by $6.5 million in one-time expenses due to the closing of the Merger Transactions in the first six months of 2023 as well as a decrease in Legacy Calyxt expenses due to lower headcount and cost reduction efforts in preparation of the Merger Transactions.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Impairment
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment was $181.4 million in 2024, a decrease of $68.0 million from 2023. The decrease was due to the impairment of goodwill resulting from a fair value assessment, based on the decline of the Company’s stock price, performed in the third quarter of 2024 versus the impairment in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Royalty Liability Interest Expense - Related Parties
Royalty liability interest expense - related parties was $34.2 million in 2024, an increase of $15.3 million from 2023. The increase was due to the assumption of the Royalty Liability as part of the Merger Transactions, which was primarily driven by the recognition of seven months of interest expense in 2023 and a full year of interest expense in 2024.
Other Interest Income, net
Other interest income, net was $0.6 million in 2024, an increase of $0.1 million from 2023. The increase was driven by interest earned on cash balances.
Non-Operating Income (Expense), net
Non-operating income (expense), net was income of $9.3 million in the 2024, an increase in income of $9.7 million from 2023. The increase in income was driven by the fair value adjustment of the Common Warrants (as defined in Note 1 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements).
Net Loss Attributable to Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
Net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest was $31.3 million in 2024, a decrease in net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest of $38.7 million from 2023. The decrease in net loss attributable to redeemable noncontrolling interest is a result of the Up-C Units created as part of the closing of the Merger Transactions, and the amount for the period is based on the percentage of Cibus Global that is not owned by Cibus, Inc.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Liquidity
The Company’s primary source of liquidity is its cash and cash equivalents, with additional capital resources accessible from the capital markets, subject to market conditions and other factors, including limitations that may apply to the Company under applicable Nasdaq regulations.
The Company has an effective shelf registration on Form S-3 on file with the SEC; however, amounts available under the shelf registration statement, including pursuant to the ATM Facility, are significantly limited because the Company’s public float is less than $75,000,000. Subject to Instruction I.B.6 to Form S-3, which is referred to as the “baby shelf” rules, for so long as the Company’s public float is less than $75,000,000, it may not use the Form S-3 to sell more than the equivalent of one-third of its public float during any 12 consecutive months pursuant to the baby shelf rules.
The Company’s liquidity funds its non-discretionary cash requirements and its discretionary spending. The Company has contractual obligations related to recurring business operations, primarily related to lease payments for its corporate and laboratory facilities. The
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Company’s principal discretionary cash spending is for salaries, capital expenditures, short-term working capital payments, and professional and other transaction-related expenses incurred as the Company pursues additional financing. Until the Company is able to obtain additional public or private financing, it currently expects to satisfy its near-term requirements with existing cash on hand and proceeds raised from the ATM Facility.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $14.4 million of cash and cash equivalents. Current liabilities were $19.9 million as of December 31, 2024. The Company incurred a net loss of $282.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $731.2 million and expects to continue to incur losses in the future.
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Years Ended December 31,
In Thousands, except percentage values 2024 2023 $ Change % Change
Net loss $ (282,713) $ (337,639) $ 54,926 16 %
Royalty liability interest expense - related parties 34,190 18,892 15,298 81 %
Goodwill and intangible assets impairment 181,432 249,419 (67,987) (27) %
Depreciation and amortization 6,859 4,693 2,166 46 %
Stock-based compensation 10,750 16,092 (5,342) (33) %
Loss on disposal of property, plant, and equipment 335 224 111 50 %
Change in fair value of liability classified Class A common stock warrants (9,301) 1,127 (10,428) (925) %
Other 22 21 1 5 %
Changes in operating assets and liabilities 383 961 (578) (60) %
Net cash used by operating activities $ (58,043) $ (46,210) $ (11,833) (26) %
Net cash used by operating activities was $58.0 million in 2024, an increase in cash used of $11.8 million from 2023. The increase in cash used was primarily driven by a $11.3 million increase in net loss related to the operations acquired in the Merger Transactions and a decrease of $0.6 million from the changes in operating assets and liabilities related to assets and liabilities assumed from the closing of the Merger Transactions with Cibus Global, LLC.
The Company expects cash used by operating activities in 2025 to be lower than 2024 driven by the strategic realignment and further cost reduction efforts taken during 2024 focusing on the Company’s streamlined priority objectives.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Years Ended December 31,
In Thousands, except percentage values 2024 2023 $ Change % Change
Cash acquired from merger with Cibus Global, LLC $ - $ 59,381 $ (59,381) (100) %
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment (808) (4,321) 3,513 81 %
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities $ (808) $ 55,060 $ (55,868) (101) %
Net cash used by investing activities was $0.8 million in 2024 while cash provided by investing activities was $55.1 million in 2023, a decrease in cash provided of $55.9 million from 2023. The decrease in cash provided was driven by the $59.4 million cash acquired as a result of the Merger Transactions in 2023 partially offset by a decrease of $3.5 million from purchases of property, plant, and equipment from the prior year.
The Company expects cash used by investing activities in 2025 to be similar to 2024 driven by the Company’s focus to preserve capital resources for the advancement of its streamlined priority objectives.
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Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Years Ended December 31,
In Thousands, except percentage values 2024 2023 $ Change % Change
Proceeds from issuances of securities $ 43,902 $ 20,306 $ 23,596 116 %
Costs incurred related to issuances of securities (2,211) (1,550) (661) (43) %
Proceeds from draws on revolving line of credit from Cibus Global, LLC - 2,500 (2,500) (100) %
Payment of taxes related to vested restricted stock units (214) (742) 528 71 %
Proceeds from issuance of notes payable 204 1,378 (1,174) (85) %
Repayments of financing lease obligations (171) (297) 126 42 %
Repayments of notes payable (912) (1,275) 363 28 %
Net cash provided by financing activities $ 40,598 $ 20,320 $ 20,278 100 %
Net cash provided by financing activities was $40.6 million in 2024, an increase of $20.3 million from 2023. The increase was primarily due to net proceeds from additional capital raised in 2024. The increase was partially offset by the $2.5 million receipt of funds from draws on the revolving line of credit from Cibus Global and by the $1.2 million issuance of notes payable related to equipment and insurance policy purchases, both in the prior year period.
The Company expects cash provided by financing activities in 2025 to be similar to 2024 driven by the need to raise capital to fulfill the Company’s anticipated spending in 2025 and beyond.
Capital Resources
The Company’s primary source of liquidity is its cash and cash equivalents, with additional capital resources accessible, subject to market conditions and other factors, including limitations that may apply to the Company under applicable Nasdaq regulations, from the capital markets, including through stock offerings of common stock or other securities, which may be implemented pursuant to the Company’s effective registration statement on Form S-3.
The Company has recently completed the following capital raising transactions:
•On December 14, 2023, the Company issued 2,106,723 shares of its Class A Common Stock and, in lieu of Class A Common Stock to one of the Company’s then executive officers, pre-funded warrants (2023 Pre-Funded Warrants) to purchase up to 50,000 shares of Class A Common Stock (Warrant Shares) in an underwritten registered direct offering (2023 Follow-On Offering). The offering price for each share of Class A Common Stock in the 2023 Follow-On Offering was $9.00 per share, except for shares of Class A Common Stock purchased by a former executive officer of the Company, which were offered at a price of $10.58 per share, which was the closing bid price for shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on December 11, 2023, and $10.57 per 2023 Pre-Funded Warrant, which was the closing bid price for shares of Class A Common Stock on December 11, 2023, minus the $0.01 exercise price per 2023 Pre-Funded Warrant. The 2023 Pre-Funded Warrants are immediately exercisable until fully exercised at an exercise price of $0.01 per share, subject to an ownership limitation. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $18.6 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company.
•In June 2024, the Company issued 1,298,040 shares of its Class A Common Stock together with an accompanying 2024 Common Warrant to purchase up to 1,298,040 shares of Class A Common Stock in the 2024 Follow-On Offering. The combined offering price for each share of Class A Common Stock and the accompanying 2024 Common Warrant was $10.00 per share, except that each share of Class A Common Stock and the accompanying 2024 Common Warrant issued to one of the Company’s then executive officers was issued at a combined offering price of $10.20 per share. At the time of issuance, the 2024 Common Warrants were immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $10.00 per share (or $10.07 per share, in the case of 2024 Common Warrants issued to one of the Company’s then executive officers) until fully exercised, subject to ownership limitations, and are set to expire five years after their date of issuance. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $12.0 million from the 2024 Follow-On Offering, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company. The net proceeds were allocated between the 2024 Common Warrants and the Class A Common Stock based on their relative fair values. The fair value of the 2024 Common Warrants was $10.2 million with associated costs of $0.8 million included in SG&A expense in the consolidated statements of operations. The net proceeds of Class A Common Stock were $2.6 million.
•In September 2024, the Company issued 3,289,953 shares of its Class A Common Stock in an SEC-registered underwritten offering, including shares issued to one of the Company’s then executive officers. The offering price for each share of Class A
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Common Stock was $4.00 per share. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $12.1 million after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company.
•During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company issued 974,727 shares of Class A Common Stock and received net proceeds of approximately $16.9 million from the ATM Facility.
•In January 2025, the Company issued 4,340,000 shares of its Class A Common Stock and, in lieu of Class A Common Stock to one of the Company’s then executive officers and other investors, the 2025 Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase 4,700,000 shares of Class A Common Stock both together with an accompanying 2025 Common Warrant to purchase up to 4,340,000 shares of Class A Common Stock and 4,700,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, respectively, in the January 2025 Follow-On Offering. The combined offering price for each share of Class A Common Stock and the accompanying 2025 Common Warrant was $2.50. The combined offering price for each 2025 Pre-Funded Warrant and the accompanying 2025 Common Warrant was $2.4999. The 2025 Common Warrants have an exercise price of $2.50 per share of Class A Common Stock and are only exercisable after the Company receives certain approvals from its stockholders. The 2025 Common Warrants will be exercisable for five years following the date of receipt of the stockholder approvals, subject to ownership limitations. The 2025 Pre-Funded Warrants are immediately exercisable until fully exercised at an exercise price of $0.0001 per share of Class A Common Stock, subject to ownership limitations. Through the date of this filing, the Company has received net proceeds related to the January 2025 Follow-On Offering of approximately $21.4 million after deducting approximately $1.2 million for the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company.
Operating Capital Requirements
The Company has incurred losses since its inception and its net loss was $282.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, and it used $58.0 million of cash for operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $14.4 million of cash and cash equivalents. Current liabilities were $19.9 million as of December 31, 2024.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company initiated cost reduction initiatives designed to preserve capital resources for the advancement of its priority objectives. Such initiatives included reductions in capital expenditures, streamlining of independent contractor utilization and cost management, reduced and prioritized spending on business travel, careful management of contract approvals to ensure they align with priority objectives, and prioritization of near-term payment obligations.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company initiated additional cost reduction actions designed to preserve capital resources for the advancement of its streamlined priority objectives, which initiatives include reductions in expenditures for consultants and other third-party service providers, organizational restructuring and related talent optimization, and streamlining of rent and facility expenses, including the non-renewal of the lease for the Company’s trait development facility for editing plants in San Diego, California upon expiration in August 2025.
The Company has incurred losses since its inception and anticipates that it will continue to generate losses for the next several years. Over the longer term and until the Company can generate cash flows sufficient to support its operating capital requirements, it expects to finance a portion of future cash needs through (i) cash on hand, (ii) commercialization activities, which may result in various types of revenue streams from future trait R&D collaboration agreements and technology licenses, including upfront and milestone payments, annual license fees, and royalties; (iii) government or other third party funding (iv) public or private equity or debt financings, or (v) a combination of the foregoing. However, capital generated by commercialization activities, if any, is expected to be received over a period of time and near-term additional capital may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. The financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might result from the outcome of the uncertainties described above.
The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern will depend on its ability to obtain additional public or private equity or debt financing (including through the continued availability of the ATM Facility, subject to the applicable baby shelf limitations), obtain government or private grants and other similar types of funding, attain further operating efficiencies, reduce or contain expenditures, and, ultimately, to generate revenue. The Company believes that its cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024, is not sufficient to fund its operations for a period of 12 months or more from the date of this filing. Taking into account the impact of cost saving initiatives implemented through the date of this report and without giving effect to potential financing transactions Cibus is pursuing, Cibus expects that existing cash and cash equivalents will fund planned operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into late in the third quarter of 2025. The Company’s assessment of the period of time through which its financial resources will be adequate to support its operations is a forward-looking statement and involves risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary as a result of a number of factors. The Company has based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong. Circumstances and business conditions may change that would require the Company to use its cash resources for purposes beyond those that are currently forecast, which would shorten its cash runway. In addition, changes in market conditions may reduce the Company’s opportunities to raise additional capital, including through the ATM Facility.
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The Company will need to raise additional capital to support its business plans to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the accompanying consolidated financial statements are issued. If the Company is unable to raise additional capital in a sufficient amount or on acceptable terms in the near term, the Company may have to implement additional, more stringent cost reduction measures to manage liquidity, and the Company may have to significantly delay, scale back, or cease operations, in part or in full. If the Company raises additional funds through the issuance of additional debt or equity securities, including as part of a strategic alternative, it could result in substantial dilution to its existing stockholders and increased fixed payment obligations, and these securities may have rights senior to those of the Company’s shares of common stock. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for at least one year from the date of issuance of the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Any of these events could impact the Company’s business, financial condition, and prospects.
The Company’s financing needs are subject to change depending on, among other things, the success of its trait and product development efforts, the effective execution of its business model, its revenue, and its efforts to effectively manage expenses. The effects of macroeconomic events and potential geopolitical developments on the financial markets and broader economic uncertainties may make obtaining capital through equity or debt financings more challenging and may exacerbate the risk that such capital, if available, may not be available on terms acceptable to the Company.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, COMMITMENTS, AND CONTINGENCIES
In evaluating the Company’s planned operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements, Cibus takes into account key contractual obligations and commitments, including with respect to notes payable relating to its financing of certain fixed assets and the lease obligations relating to its facilities.
Notes Payable
See Note 6 to the accompanying financial statements for further details on the Company’s notes payable.
Lease Obligations
In June 2024, the Company’s headquarters facility lease term was extended until March 2033. The additional operating lease right-of-use asset and associated operating lease liability was $16.4 million. See Note 10 to the accompanying financial statements for further details on the Company’s lease obligations.
Royalty Liability - Related Parties
The company assumed the Royalty Liability as part of the Merger Transactions. See Note 11 to the accompanying financial statements for further details.
Cibus Non-Profit Foundation
During 2022, Cibus Global created the Cibus Charitable Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit legal entity (the Cibus Non-Profit Foundation). As of December 31, 2024, the Cibus Non-Profit Foundation has not received any donations or commenced operations. The Company is obligated to make donations to the Cibus Non-Profit Foundation each fiscal year at a rate of 1.0 percent of all net royalty revenue in the applicable fiscal year that is equal to or greater than $100 million up to, and including, $1.0 billion, and then steps up to 2.0 percent in respect of any portion of such net royalty revenue in excess of $1.0 billion. For purposes of this calculation, net royalty revenue refers to all royalty payments received by the Company, net of all taxes (other than income taxes) and all amounts payable pursuant to the Royalty Liability. The donation payable by the Company may be reduced, including to zero, to the extent necessary to comply with any covenant or obligation in any instrument evidencing third party indebtedness, to permit a financing to occur, to preclude undercapitalization, to satisfy working capital requirements or provide for strategic needs of the Company, to ensure timely payment of the Company’s liabilities and debts to third parties as they become due, or to comply with applicable law. The Company has agreed not to enter any change of control transaction unless the surviving entity assumes the obligation to pay such donations to the Cibus Non-Profit Foundation.
This obligation is contingent upon the Cibus Non-Profit Foundation obtaining and maintaining its status as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, although such registration has not yet been achieved. The Cibus Non-Profit Foundation must use all donations received consistent with its mission statement: to drive sustainable agriculture and sustainable agricultural communities in the developing world. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2024, the Company had not recorded a liability related to its obligations to the Cibus Non-Profit Foundation within the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
The accompanying discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations are based upon its consolidated financial statements and the related disclosures, which have been prepared in accordance with United States GAAP. The
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preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires the Company to make estimates, assumptions, and judgments that affect the reported amounts in its consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The Company believes the policies discussed in Note 1, Nature of Business & Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, are the most critical to an understanding of its financial condition and results of operations because they require it to make estimates, assumptions, and judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain.
Royalty Liability - Related Parties
On December 31, 2014, Cibus Global entered into the Warrant Transfer and the related IP Security Agreement, pursuant to which the Royalty Holders exchanged warrants issued by Cibus Global in previous financing transactions, for the right to receive future Royalty Payments. The Warrant Exchange Agreement and IP Security Agreement remain in place following the Company’s acquisition of Cibus Global in the Merger Transactions.
Under the Warrant Exchange Agreement, the Royalty Holders are entitled to future Royalty Payments equal to 10 percent of specified Subject Revenues actually collected, attributable to product sales, license fees, sublicense payments, distribution fees, milestones, maintenance payments, royalties, and distributions to the Company, arising from products or technology developed using or based upon intellectual property rights in RTDS or oligonucleotide directed mutagenesis technology applied in plants, biologicals, animals, and humans, as well as improvements related to such products or technology. Subject Revenues exclude revenues attributable to certain Nucelis product lines (certain applications in microorganisms), amounts received from the sale or disposition of the Company’s assets to the extent the purchaser agrees to be bound by the Warrant Exchange Agreement, fair market value payments for Cibus Global capital stock, and revenues attributable to collaboration and research projects. Royalty Payments are contingent because they are based upon the actual cash amounts constituting Subject Revenues that are collected from the Company’s customers.
Royalty Payments will not begin until after the first fiscal quarter in which the aggregate Subject Revenues cash inflow during any consecutive 12 month period equals or exceeds $50.0 million, at which point Cibus Global will be obligated to pay all aggregated, but unpaid, Royalty Payments under the Warrant Exchange Agreement. As of December 31, 2024, the amount of aggregated, but unpaid, Royalty Payments is $0.6 million.
The initial term of the Warrant Exchange Agreement runs for 30 years from the date the first Royalty Payment becomes due and may be extended for an additional 30-year term upon written notice and a $100 payment. Pursuant to the IP Security Agreement, Cibus Global’s payment and performance obligations under the Warrant Exchange Agreement are secured by a security interest in substantially all of Cibus Global’s intellectual property.
The Royalty Liability calculation is based on the Company’s current estimates of future Subject Revenues collected by the Company from customers and, in turn, expected Royalty Payments based on these Subject Revenues to be paid to Royalty Holders over the life of the arrangement based on 10 percent of the actual Subject Revenues collected. The Warrant Exchange Agreement is on a cash basis meaning that all Royalty Payments to Royalty Holders in a given period are based on cash actually collected by the Company for Subject Revenues in that period. The Company recorded the Royalty Liability obligation at fair value as of May 31, 2023, in connection with the acquisition of Cibus Global, LLC. The Company will periodically reassess the estimated future Royalty Payments using internal projections and external sources. Any change in estimated future Royalty Payments, resulting from changes in Cibus’ business model and anticipated Subject Revenues, is recognized prospectively as an adjustment to the effective yield as an increase or decrease to interest expense.
Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets
The Company evaluates the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually as of November 1 each year in accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles Goodwill and Other, and between annual evaluations if events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying amount. Such circumstances could include, but are not limited to (1) a significant adverse change in legal factors or in business climate, (2) unanticipated competition, or (3) an adverse action or assessment by a regulator.
Goodwill is evaluated for impairment by first performing a qualitative assessment to determine whether a quantitative goodwill test is necessary. If it is determined, based on qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit may more likely than not be less than its carrying amount, or if significant adverse changes in the Company’s future financial performance occur that could materially impact fair value, a quantitative goodwill impairment test would be required. Additionally, the Company can elect to forgo the qualitative assessment and perform the quantitative test. If the qualitative assessment indicates that the quantitative analysis should be performed, or if management elects to bypass a qualitative assessment, it then evaluates goodwill for impairment by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill. The quantitative assessment for goodwill requires Cibus to estimate the fair value of its reporting unit using either an income or market approach or a combination thereof. Management makes critical assumptions and estimates in completing impairment assessments of goodwill and other intangible assets. The Company’s cash flow projections look several years into the future and include assumptions on variables such as future royalties and operating margins, economic conditions, probability of success, market competition, inflation, and discount rates.
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During the third quarter of 2024, the Company experienced a Triggering Event and assessed its goodwill for impairment. The Company considered the decline in its stock price since its last annual assessment and concluded it was more likely than not that its goodwill would be impaired. The Company then performed a quantitative analysis and concluded that its goodwill was impaired. Management makes critical assumptions and estimates in completing impairment assessments of goodwill. The Company utilized the discounted cash flow method to calculate the fair value for its goodwill. The Company’s cash flow projections look several years into the future and include assumptions on variables such as future royalties and operating margins, economic conditions, probability of success, market competition, inflation, and discount rates. The Company utilized its most recent cash flow projections in combination with the decline of the Company’s stock price as of September 30, 2024, to calculate the fair value of its goodwill using a long-term growth rate of 3 percent and a discount rate of 37 percent, which is considered a Level 3 fair value measurement. The Company determined its goodwill was impaired by $181.4 million, which was recorded during the third quarter of 2024 in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
The Company began its annual impairment test by performing the step zero qualitative assessment. Based on its assessment of qualitative factors since its last review on September 30, 2024, the Company concluded it was not more likely than not that the carrying values of its reporting unit exceeded its fair value.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company determined its goodwill was impaired by $150.4 million, which was recorded in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company determined its in-process R&D indefinite-lived intangible assets were impaired by $99.0 million, which was recorded in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. As such, there was no longer a carrying value for the Company’s in-process R&D indefinite-lived intangible assets as of December 31, 2023. Long-Lived Assets and Finite-Lived Intangible Assets
The Company evaluates long-lived assets and finite-lived intangible assets for potential impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. The Company reviews the recoverability of the net book value of long-lived assets and finite-lived intangible assets whenever events and circumstances indicate that the net book value of an asset may not be recoverable from the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from its use and eventual disposition (Triggering Event). In cases where a Triggering Event occurs and undiscounted expected future cash flows are less than the net book value, the Company recognizes an impairment loss equal to an amount by which the net book value exceeds the fair value of the asset. During the third quarter of 2024, the Company experienced a Triggering Event and assessed its long-lived assets and finite-lived intangible assets for impairment, however, the assets net book values did not exceed their fair values based on expected undiscounted future cash flows and no impairment loss was recognized. The Company has not recognized any impairment losses related to long-lived assets or finite-lived intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023.
RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
For more information on recently issued accounting pronouncements, see the Company’s consolidated financial statements and footnotes on page and specifically Note 1.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
As a smaller reporting company, the Company is not required to provide information for this item.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
The consolidated financial statements and related financial statement schedules required to be filed are listed in the Index to Consolidated Financial Statements on page hereto and are incorporated herein.

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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.
Management’s Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in its Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the
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Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to Management, including the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Based on an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, its principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, were effective as of December 31, 2024.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act. The Company’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of its internal controls over financial reporting based on the framework set forth in the “Internal Control-Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 Framework). Based on an evaluation under the 2013 Framework, Management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024.
Inherent Limitations on Controls and Procedures
The Company’s management, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer, does not expect that its disclosure controls and procedures and its internal control over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable assurances that the objectives of the control system are met. The design of a control system reflects resource constraints; the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because there are inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, for the Company have been or will be detected. As these inherent limitations are known features of the disclosure and financial reporting processes, it is possible to design into the processes safeguards to reduce, though not eliminate, these risks. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty and that breakdowns occur because of simple error or mistake. Controls can also be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events. While the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and its internal control over financial reporting are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives, there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all future conditions. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
No changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the three months ended December 31, 2024, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information.
During the Company’s fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2024, none of the Company’s directors or officers adopted, modified, or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” (as each term is defined in Regulation 408(a) of Regulation S-K).

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ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Other than the biographies below, which are presented for the Company's directors and officers as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the information required by this item concerning the Company’s directors, executive officers, and corporate governance matters (including with respect to its insider trading policies and procedures) is incorporated by reference to the Company's 2025 Proxy Statement.
Biographies of Directors and Officers
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Peter Beetham, Ph.D. is Cibus’ co-founder and serves as its Interim Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Beetham also served on Cibus’ Board. Previously, Dr. Beetham served as Cibus’ Chief Executive Officer, Senior Vice President of Research and Development and in other executive capacities. Dr. Beetham has over 30 years of experience in agriculture. Prior to joining Cibus, Dr. Beetham was Research Director of the Plant and Industrial Products Division at ValiGen and a Senior Scientist at Kimeragen where he led research teams exploring gene targeting. Part of his extensive research experience was at the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University, where he was a postdoctoral scientist and one of the pioneers of the early work that led to Cibus’ RTDS technologies. Dr. Beetham was employed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Victoria, Australia from 1985 to 1992. He served as a scientific officer based at the Plant Research Institute, working with research groups throughout Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. Dr. Beetham received his Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Virology from QUT in Brisbane, Australia and is a B.Sc. (Hons) graduate of Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. The Company believes Dr. Beetham’s expertise in the agricultural industry, and his role as Cibus’ co-founder, qualifies him to serve on the Board.
Greg Gocal, Ph.D. is Cibus’ co-founder and serves as its Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President since 2016. Prior to that, from 2014 to 2016, he served as Cibus’ Senior Vice President of Research and Development, and from 2010 to 2014 served as Vice President of Research. In 2000, Dr. Gocal joined an innovative cross disciplinary team at ValiGen, Cibus’ predecessor, as the lead molecular biologist. Within the Plant and Industrial Products Division, his team began developing the RTDS suite of technologies in plant and microbial systems in what was then the nascent field that has become gene editing. Continuing this focus and enabling Cibus’ technologies and product pipeline, Dr. Gocal has held various research management positions. Dr. Gocal has studied many aspects of plant biology. He was awarded undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Calgary. He worked at CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra, Australia where he received his Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from the Australian National University, then continued studying in this field as a postdoctoral scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California.
Cornelis (Carlo) Broos serves as Cibus’ Interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Broos was appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer on October 1, 2024. Mr. Broos has served as Senior Vice President of Finance of the Company since 2024 and has significant public finance, accounting and audit experience. Mr. Broos previously served as the Company’s Vice President of Finance and Business Development after joining the Company in 2011. Before joining the Company, Mr. Broos served as the Head of Finance (Services) for Syngenta Europe Africa Middle East from 2008 to 2011, as CFO Netherlands and CFO Belgium for Syngenta from 2005 to 2008, as Group Controller for Advanta from 2002 to 2005 and as Audit Manager at Deloitte (Netherlands) from 1995 to 2002. Mr. Broos completed a Master of Science in Business Administration from Radboud University in 1995 and completed a post-master program in accountancy at Tilburg University in the Netherlands in 1999, becoming Registered Accountant (the equivalent of a CPA) in the Netherlands.
Rory Riggs serves on Cibus’ Board and is Chairman of the Board. Mr. Riggs is Cibus’ co-founder and served as its Chief Executive Officer from October 2021 until February 2025. Mr. Riggs is a co-founder, director and former chair of the investment committee of Royalty Pharma, an investment company focused on drug royalties; and founder and Chief Executive Officer of Locus Analytics, LLC, and of Syntax, LLC, data analytics and Fintech companies based on a new information technology platform for economics, business and portfolio management. Mr. Riggs has served as President and a director of Biomatrix, Inc. (acquired by Genzyme Corp.); Chief Executive Officer of RF&P Corporation, an investment company owned by the State of Virginia Retirement System; and a managing director in PaineWebber’s mergers and acquisitions department. Mr. Riggs was a co-founder and Managing Member of Scientia Venture’s predecessor, New Venture Funds, a venture fund focused on healthcare, and served on the board of FibroGen, Inc. (co-founder, publicly-traded). Mr. Riggs currently serves on the boards of Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (publicly-traded); StageZero Life Sciences Ltd. (publicly-traded); and eReceivables (private). Mr. Riggs graduated from Middlebury College and holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University. The Company believes that Mr. Riggs’ significant experience in the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and his founding and leading of Cibus’ business, qualifies him to serve on the Board.
Mark Finn serves on Cibus’ Board. Mr. Finn has been the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Vantage Consulting Group since August 1985. Mr. Finn’s previous involvements include the Virginia National Bank, the State of Virginia Retirement Plan’s Investment Advisory Committee, and the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Retirement System. Mr. Finn also chaired the Operations Advisory Committee for the State of Alaska Retirement System. Mr. Finn is also former Chair of the Board of Directors of RF&P Corporation, a privately held railroad and real estate company. Currently Mr. Finn serves on the advisory board of Auven Therapeutics, a private equity company focused on life science investment, as well as on the board of managers of the Managing Member of New Ventures I, LLC, a venture capital fund investing in biotechnology related entities, and New Ventures Select, LLC, a pharmaceutical royalty fund, as well as the New Ventures III, LLC, Vantage Multi-Strategy Fund, LP, New Ventures III VO, LLC, New Ventures as Solutions, LLC and New Ventures as Solutions II, LLC Managing Member boards. He also is a Director of Enterin Inc. (private), a life sciences company focused on Parkinson’s disease. Mr. Finn serves as an independent director on the Legg Mason Partners Fund Board. He has taught at the University of Virginia Graduate Business School and the College of William and Mary’s Mason School of Business, where he received his M.B.A. in 1987. The Company believes that Mr. Finn’s leadership role in its development and growth, and his experience in the life sciences investment space, qualifies him to serve on the Board.
Jean-Pierre Lehmann serves on Cibus’ Board. Mr. Lehmann has been a private investor for the past 30 years, with a diversified portfolio in venture capital, private equity, especially in Asia, as well as hotels and commercial and residential real estate in the United States. Prior to this, Mr. Lehmann resided in Geneva, Switzerland, where he managed portfolios for Morval Bank and its holding company. He previously oversaw a diversified holding company for Edmond de Rothschild. Mr. Lehmann is a graduate of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales in Paris and holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School; he was also an officer in the French Navy.
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The Company believes that Mr. Lehmann’s extensive background in financial investments brings valuable skills to the Board and qualifies him to serve on the Board.
Gerhard Prante, Ph.D. serves on Cibus’ Board. Dr. Prante became Head of the Agriculture division of Hoechst AG in 1985. After forming AgrEvo GmbH (a joint venture of Hoechst AG and Schering AG), he served as its Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board. Following the merger of Hoechst and Rhone Polenc into Aventis SE, Dr. Prante served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Aventis CropScience (which was later acquired by Bayer AG). He then worked as an industry consultant, and served on several boards, including Bayer CropScience AG, Gerresheimer AG, Allessa GmbH and Direvo Industrial Biotechnology GmbH. He studied Agriculture at Kiel University in Germany, and finished his Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences in 1970. Dr. Prante has served on numerous industry associations, at times as their president, including German Crop Protection and Fertilizer Association (IVA), Europe Crop Protection Association (ECPA), Global Crop Protection Federation (GCPF), Global Plant Science Industry Federation (Croplife International), German Association of Biotech Industry (DIB), and the Federation of Sustainable Agriculture. In his career, Dr. Prante has been a strong proponent of the integration of biotechnology into agribusiness since the mid-1980s, led the $0.7 billion acquisition of Plant Genetic Systems by AgrEvo, and built the InVigor canola business in Canada, in addition to buying and integrating several seed companies. The Company believes that Dr. Prante’s experience in the biotechnology industry, and particularly the integration of biotechnology and agribusiness, qualifies him to serve on the Board.
Keith Walker, Ph.D. serves on Cibus’ Board. In 2014, Dr. Walker founded Valley Oils Partners, LLC and currently serves as Chair of its Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Walker was instrumental in transforming the Plant and Industrial Products Division of ValiGen into, and thus founding, Cibus, and served as Cibus’ President and Chief Executive Officer from November 2001 to July 2014. Previously, Dr. Walker worked at Agrigenetics, Inc. and held a variety of management positions at Mycogen Seeds, an agricultural company that engages in the research, development, and testing of genetics in certain crops, after it acquired Agrigenetics, Inc. He was also a co-founder, director, and Vice President of Research at Plant Genetics, Inc. (“PGI”). Before founding PGI, Dr. Walker served in a variety of research roles with Monsanto, an agricultural biotechnology company. He received a B.A. from the College of Wooster and a Ph.D. in Biology from Yale University. The Company believes that Dr. Walker’s experience in agricultural biotechnology, which spans over 40 years, and his leadership role in Cibus’ development, qualifies him to serve on the Board.
August Moretti, serves on Cibus’ Board. Mr. Moretti was appointed to the Cibus Board on November 18, 2024, and has extensive operating and financial executive experience in all phases of company growth and funding, from early-stage development to product approval and commercialization. Mr. Moretti is currently self-employed as a consultant. From 2019 until his retirement in September 2023, Mr. Moretti served as the Chief Financial Officer of 4D Molecular Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company. Mr. Moretti previously served as Chief Financial Officer at Assertio Therapeutics (formerly Depomed, Inc.), a specialty pharmaceuticals company focused in pain and neurology, from January 2012 until August 2018. Prior to this, Mr. Moretti served as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, and as Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel of Alavita, Inc., a personalized medicine company. Earlier in his career, Mr. Moretti was a partner in an international law firm, where his practice included representation of life science companies on issues relating to public and private financings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, disclosure and public reporting. Mr. Moretti received his B.A. in Economics from Princeton University in 1972. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1975. The Company believes that Mr. Moretti’s operating and financial executive experience, particularly for early-stage companies, qualifies him to serve on the Board.
The Company’s Board of Directors has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to all officers, directors, and employees. The Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines, and the charters of its Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are available on the Company’s website (https://cibus.com) under “Corporate Governance” in the “Investors” section. The Company will provide a copy of these documents to any person, without charge, upon request. The Company intends to make all required disclosures concerning any amendments to, or waivers from, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics on its website.

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ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information required by this item regarding executive compensation is incorporated by reference to the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement.

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ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owner and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
The information required by this item regarding security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management is incorporated by reference to the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement.
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Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table sets forth certain information related to the Company’s compensation plans under which shares of its Class A Common Stock are authorized for issuance as of December 31, 2024:
Plan Category
(a) Number of securities
to be issued upon
exercise of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights (2)
Weighted average
exercise price of
outstanding options,
warrants and rights (3)
Number of securities
remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a)) (4)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (1)
1,626,183 $ 75.44 874,607
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders - - -
Total 1,626,183 $ 75.44 874,607
___________________________________________
(1) Includes the Calyxt, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan (2014 Plan) and the Cibus, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Plan (2017 Plan).
(2) Includes shares of Class A Common Stock to be issued upon exercise under equity compensation plans approved by security holders of 572,264 stock options, 779,861 restricted stock units (RSUs) subject to vesting, and 274,058 restricted stock awards (RSAs) subject to vesting.
(3) Represents the weighted average exercise price of options outstanding under equity compensation plans approved by security holders under the 2014 Plan and the 2017 Plan. Does not take into account outstanding RSUs and RSAs which, when settled, will be settled in shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis at no additional cost.
(4) For equity compensation plans approved by security holders, of these shares, none are available for future issuance from the 2014 Plan and 874,607 remain available for future issuance from the 2017 Plan. The total number of shares available for issuance under the 2017 Plan will be increased on the first day of each Company fiscal year during the term of the Plan beginning in 2024 in an amount equal to the least of (i) 7.5 percent of the outstanding Shares (as defined in the 2017 Plan) on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year or (ii) such number of shares as determined by the Board of Directors in its discretion. All of these shares are available for issuance other than upon exercise of options, warrants, or rights.

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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 regarding certain related transactions is incorporated by reference to the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement.

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ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.
The information required by this item regarding principal accounting fees and services is incorporated by reference to the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement.
Part IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(1)Consolidated Financial Statements
(2)See “Index to Consolidated Financial Statements” in Item 8, which is incorporated into this Item by reference.
(3)Financial Statement Schedules-Not applicable.
(4)Schedules not filed with this Annual Report on Form 10-K are omitted because of the absence of conditions under which they are required or because the information called for is shown in the consolidated financial statements or related notes.
(a)(3) Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
Description
2.1 Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated January 13, 2023, by and among Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.), Calypso Merger Subsidiary, LLC, Cibus Global, LLC and the other parties thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 17, 2023).
2.2 First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 14, 2023, by and among Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) and Cibus Global, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 14, 2023)
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3.1 Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Cibus, Inc., dated May 31, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 1, 2023)
3.2 Amended and Restated Bylaws of Cibus, Inc., dated May 31, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 1, 2023)
4.1 Description of Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Current Report Form 8-K filed on June 29, 2023)
4.2 Form of Pre-Funded Warrant issued in December 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report filed on December 11, 2023)
4.3 Form of Common Warrant issued in February 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 23, 2022)
4.4 Form of Common Warrant issued in June 2024 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 13, 2024)
4.5 Form of Warrant Amendment Agreement to Common Warrants issued in June 2024 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 22, 2025)
4.6 Form of Common Warrant issued in January 2025 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 22, 2025)
4.7 Form of Pre-Funded Warrant issued in January 2025 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 22, 2025)
10.1† Executive Employment Agreement, dated November 15, 2018, by and between Peter R. Beetham and Cibus Global, LLC (as successor to Cibus Global, Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.46 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on February 14, 2023)
10.2† First Amendment to Executive Employment Agreement, dated September 17, 2021, by and between Peter R. Beetham and Cibus Global, LLC (as successor to Cibus Global, Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.47 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on February 14, 2023)
10.3† Executive Employment Agreement, dated November 15, 2018, by and between Gregory F. Gocal and Cibus Global, LLC (as successor to Cibus Global, Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.48 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on February 14, 2023)
10.4† First Amendment to Executive Employment Agreement, dated September 17, 2021, by and between Gregory F. Gocal and Cibus Global, LLC (as successor to Cibus Global, Ltd.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.49 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on February 14, 2023)
10.5 Warrant IP Security Agreement, dated December 31, 2014, by and among Cibus Global Ltd., Cibus International GP, Ltd., Cibus International, L.P., Cibus Netherland Partners, Ltd., Cibus Netherlands Holding Cooperatif U.A., Cibus Europe B.V., Cibus Europe Ltd., Cibus US LLC, Cibus Canada, Inc., Incima B.V., Incima IPCO B.V., and Incima US LLC as Grantors, and Rory Riggs, as the Secured Party (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.55 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on February 14, 2023)
10.6 Warrant Transfer and Exchange Agreement, dated December 31, 2014, by and among Cibus Global Ltd.; Richard Spizzirri, DTC CFBO Richard Spizzirri IRA, Rory Riggs, Rory Riggs Family Trust, Jean Pierre Lehmann, and New Venture Holdings, Inc. as Sellers; and Rory Riggs, as the Seller Representative (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.56 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on February 14, 2023)
10.7 Registration Rights Agreement, dated May 31, 2023, by and among Cibus, Inc. and each of the persons identified on the Schedule of Investors attached thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 1, 2023)
10.8 First Amendment to Registration Rights Agreement, dated December 27, 2023, by and between Cibus, Inc. and a Cibus Global Majority-in-Interest (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 27, 2023)
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10.9 Exchange Agreement, dated May 31, 2023, by and among Cibus, Inc., Cibus Global, LLC and each of the other persons identified on the signature pages thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 1, 2023)
10.10 Tax Receivable Agreement, dated May 31, 2023, by and among Cibus, Inc., Rory Riggs and each of the other persons identified on the signature pages thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 1, 2023)
10.11 Cibus Global, LLC Third Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement, dated May 31, 2023, by and among Cibus, Inc., Cibus Global, LLC and the Members set forth on Exhibit A attached thereto (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 1, 2023)
10.12 Form of Indemnification Agreement for Directors and Officers of Cibus, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 1, 2023)
10.13 License Agreement dated July 25, 2017 between Cellectis S.A. and Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 14, 2018)
10.14+
First Amendment to the License Agreement, dated May 31, 2023, by and between Cellectis S.A. and Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 1, 2023)
10.15†
Cibus, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan (As Amended) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 1, 2023)
10.16†
Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) 2017 Stock Option Sub-Plan for French Employees and Directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on July 3, 2017 (File No. 333-218924)).
10.17†
Form of Stock Option Agreement pursuant to the Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020).
10.18†*
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (Employees) pursuant to the Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended
10.19†*
Form of Stock Option Agreement (Employees) pursuant to the Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended
10.20†*
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (Directors) pursuant to the Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended
10.21†*
Form of Stock Option Agreement (Directors) pursuant to the Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended
10.22†
Form of Restricted Stock Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.10 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with the SEC on June 30, 2023)
10.23 Sales Agreement dated January 2, 2024, by and between Cibus, Inc. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 2, 2024)
10.24†
Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) 2021 Executive Severance Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 18, 2021)
10.25 Lease Agreement between Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.), as Tenant, and NLD Mount Ridge LLC, as Landlord, dated September 6, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 7, 2017)
10.26 Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) Form of Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Inventions Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 15, 2021)
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10.27 Indemnity Agreement, dated November 10, 2017, between Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) and Cellectis S.A. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 13, 2017)
10.28#
Exclusive Patent License Agreement between Regents of the University of Minnesota and Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Cellectis Plant Sciences, Inc.), dated December 15, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1/A filed with the SEC on July 3, 2017)
10.29†
Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a Calyxt, Inc.) Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC on June 23, 2017)
10.30†
Amendment to Cibus, Inc.'s (f/k/a/ as Calyxt, Inc.) 2021 Executive Severance Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 17, 2023)
10.31†
Second Amendment to Cibus, Inc.’s (f/k/a as Calyxt, Inc.) 2021 Executive Severance Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 17, 2023)
10.32†
Cibus, Inc. (f/k/a as Calyxt, Inc.) 2023 Short Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on May 17, 2023)
19.1*
Insider Trading Policy
21.1 Subsidiaries of Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3/A filed with the SEC on October 25, 2023)
23.1* Consent of BDO USA, P.C.
24.1*
Power of Attorney (included on signature page to this Form 10-K)
31.1*
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act
31.2* Certification of the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) of the Exchange Act
32.1*
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
97.1 Clawback Policy, Effective May 31, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 97 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 21, 2024)
101.INS* Inline XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104* The cover page for the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, has been formatted in Inline XBRL
_______________________________________
† Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.
+ Certain confidential portions of this exhibit were omitted by means of marking such portions with brackets (“[***]”) because the identified confidential portions (i) are not material and (ii) is the type of information that the Company treats as private or confidential.
# Confidential treatment has been granted for certain information contained in this exhibit. These portions have been omitted and filed separately with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
* Filed herewith
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