Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Related Party Matters

v3.22.1
Related Party Matters
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Matters Related Party Matters
Emerald Health Sciences

In January 2018, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Sciences pursuant to which Sciences purchased a majority of the equity interest in the Company, resulting in a change in control (the "Emerald Financing"). While Sciences no longer maintains a controlling interest in the Company, it holds a significant equity interest as of December 31, 2021 (Note 13) and has provided the Company with financing under the Amended Credit Agreement (Note 4). As of December 31, 2020, the Company had accrued $7,032 in reimbursable expenses due to Sciences. No amounts were due to Sciences as of December 31, 2021.

On December 19, 2019, the Company entered into an Independent Contractor Services Agreement with Dr. Avtar Dhillon, at the time, a member of Sciences Board of Directors and its CEO, pursuant to which Dr. Dhillon provided ongoing corporate finance and strategic business advisory services to the Company. In exchange for his services, Dr. Dhillon received a monthly fee of $10,000, per month for his services. Under the Independent Contractor Agreement, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company incurred fees of $94,516 and $127,387, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, the Company accrued $10,000 in expense related to the Independent Contractor Services Agreement. On September 14, 2021, Dr. Dhillon provided his notice to terminate the Independent Contractor Services Agreement, with an effective termination date of October 14, 2021. As of October 14, 2021, the Company no longer has any obligations or business relationship with Dr. Dhillon (Note 6).

On August 10, 2020, Sciences, transferred to Dr. Avtar Dhillon 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at a deemed price of $0.10 in exchange for the cancellation of $50,000 of debt.

On August 10, 2020, Sciences, Inc. extinguished debt of $186,667 by transferring 1,566,666 shares of the Company’s common stock at a deemed price of $0.10 per share to certain officers, employees and directors of the Company.
In addition, the Board Observer Agreement in place with Sciences was amended in September 2021 to allow any board member or officer of Sciences to act as a representative of Sciences on a non-voting observer basis in meetings of the Board. On December 14, 2021, the Board Observer Agreement was terminated.

Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

On April 30, 2021, the Company entered into a month-to-month lease agreement with Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals, an affiliate of the Company with a significant common shareholder, as the sublessor and the Company as the sublessee. The Company shared the same office location as Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, California until the termination of the sublease on August 31, 2021. Under the sublease agreement, the Company paid monthly base rent of $4,000 in addition to its share of common area expenses and utilities. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company recognized $15,453 in expense under the sublease.

VivaCell Biotechnology España, S.L.U (formerly known as Emerald Health Biotechnology España, S.L.U.)

In January 2021 and April 2021, the Company entered into two separate Collaborative Research Agreements pursuant to a Master Services Agreement with VivaCell Biotechnology España, S.L.U ("VivaCell"), a research and development entity with substantial expertise in cannabinoid science and a subsidiary of Emerald Health Research, Inc. which is 100% owned by Sciences. Under the Collaborative Research Agreements, VivaCell will provide research and development services pursuant to agreed upon project plans for the research and development of SBI-200 and the preclinical development services for novel derivatives. The term of each agreement is initially for a one-year period. The agreements will terminate upon delivery and acceptance of the final deliverables under the project plans or if either party is in breach of the terms of the contract and such breach remains uncured for 45 days. Payment for services are based on the negotiated amounts for the completion of agreed upon objectives as provided in the Collaborative Research Agreements. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company incurred $220,418 in expenses under the Collaborative Research Agreements. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has recognized a prepaid asset in the amount of $8,056 to be offset against future research and development costs under the Collaborative Research Agreements.

On October 11, 2021, the Company entered into an Exclusive Sponsored Research Agreement (the “ESRA”) with VivaCell to fund certain research and development programs which are of mutual interest to both the Company and VivaCell. The Company will have the right to use all data, products, and information, including intellectual property which are generated in the performance of the research under each and all projects funded by the Company pursuant to the ESRA, and VivaCell assigns and agrees to assign, to the Company all rights to any intellectual property created or reduced-to-practice under, or as a part of, a project funded by the Company pursuant to the ESRA.

The Company has agreed to pay to VivaCell a royalty based on any and all licensing revenue or other consideration paid to the Company by a third-party licensee, assignee or purchaser of intellectual property rights created under the ESRA. In addition, upon a change of control transaction the Company has agreed to pay an amount equal to the royalty percentage multiplied by the fair value of the intellectual property created under the ESRA. Pursuant to the ESRA, VivaCell will provide a budget to be approved by the Company for each project, and the Company will make payments in accordance with the approved budget and pay an annual retainer to VivaCell of $200,000 per year. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company incurred $44,624 in expenses under the ESRA. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has recognized a prepaid asset in the amount of $5,376 to be offset against future research and development costs under the ESRA.

The initial term of the agreement is one year, with automatic renewal for successive one-year terms unless either party terminates upon 60 days' prior written notice to the other party pursuant to the ESRA.
Board Members
As of December 31, 2021, Jim Heppell and Punit Dhillon are board members of the Company and Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Sciences. As of December 31, 2021, Jim Heppell is also a board member of Sciences and VivaCell. The Company’s CEO, Punit Dhillon also served as a board member of Sciences and VivaCell until he tendered his resignation from such boards on August 10, 2020 and September 22, 2021, respectively.