Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.20.1
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

15. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Contingencies

 

From time to time, the Company is a party to, or otherwise involved in, legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. As of the date of this report, except as described below, the Company is not aware of any proceedings, threatened or pending, against it which, if determined adversely, would have a material effect on its business, results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

 

On September 20, 2018, Anthony Pepe, individually and on behalf of a class, filed with the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey a complaint against the Company, certain current and former executive officers and directors of the Company and the other defendants named therein for violation of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The class consists of the persons and entities who purchased the Company’s common stock during the period from September 23, 2013 through September 7, 2018. Pepe also alleges violation of other sections of the Exchange Act by the defendants named in the complaint other than the Company. Pepe seeks damages, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, reasonable attorneys’ fees, expert fees and other costs.

 

On January 16, 2019, Ms. Susan Church, a stockholder of the Company, filed with the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington a derivative suit against certain current and former executive officers and directors of the Company alleging breach of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, waste of corporate assets, and violations of the rules governing proxy solicitation. Church seeks, among other things, money damages, disgorgement of profits from alleged wrongful conduct, including cash bonuses, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, reasonable attorneys’ fees, expert fees and other costs.

 

On September 7, 2018, the SEC filed with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York a complaint against Dr. Philip Frost, a director and principal stockholder of the Company, a trust Dr. Frost controls and OPKO Health, Inc., a stockholder of the Company, of which Dr. Frost is the Chief Executive Officer, as well as other defendants named therein. On January 10, 2019, the District Court entered final judgments against these defendants on their consent without admitting or denying the allegations set forth in the complaint. Dr. Frost was permanently enjoined from violating a certain anti-fraud provision of the Securities Act of 1933, future violations of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and Rule 13d-1(a) thereunder, and participating in penny stock offerings subject to certain exceptions.

 

In November 2017, Lee Pederson, a former Biozone lawyer, filed a lawsuit in Minnesota against co-defendants the Company, Dr. Phillip Frost, OPKO Heath, Inc. and Brian Keller for various allegations. On September 13, 2018, the United States District Court granted the Company and its co-defendants’ motion to dismiss Pederson’s amended complaint. Subsequent to September 30, 2018, Pederson has filed a notice of appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on October 11, 2018. The Court of Appeals recently affirmed the lower court.

 

While the Company intends to defend itself vigorously from the claims in the aforementioned disputes, it is unable to predict the outcome of these legal proceedings. Any potential loss as a result of these legal proceedings cannot be reasonably estimated. As a result, the Company has not recorded a loss contingency for any of the aforementioned claims.