SEC Company Response from Nuo Therapeutics, (AURX) — Aug 17, 2007
Nuo Therapeutics, Inc.
Date: Aug. 17, 2007 · CIK: 0001091596 · Accession: 0001144204-07-044913
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 001-32518
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CORRESP
1
filename1.htm
Unassociated Document
August
17, 2007
U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
Mail
Stop
6010
Washington,
DC 20549
Re:
Cytomedix,
Inc. (the “Company”)
Form
10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006
Filed
February 26, 2007
File
No.
001-32518
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Filed
today is our response to the Security and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC” or
“Commission”) letter to the Company dated August 8, 2007 regarding the Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. Set forth below is the text of
each
of the comments contained in the SEC letter and the Company’s responses thereto.
The headings and numbered paragraphs below correspond to the headings and
paragraph numbers in the SEC letter. Page references in the Company’s response
to the SEC comments correspond to the page numbers in the Form
10-K.
Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006
Item
7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operation, page 17
Comparative
Results of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005, page
18
Operating
Expenses, page 18
1.
We
see that you present non-GAAP operating expenses excluding equity
based
compensation. Under Item 10(e) of Regulation S-X, registrants are
not
permitted to adjust a non-GAAP performance measure to eliminate or
smooth
items identified as non-recurring, infrequent or unusual if the nature
of
the item is such that it is reasonably likely to recur within two
years or
there was a similar charge within the prior two years. We also refer
you
to SAB Topic 14G which states that if the company determines that
a
non-GAAP measure, excluding equity based compensation, does not violate
any of the prohibitions from inclusion in filings with the Commission
outlined in Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K, management would be required
to
disclose, among other items, the
following:
§
The
reasons that the company’s management believes that presentation of the
non-GAAP financial measure provides useful information to investors
regarding the company’s financial condition and results of operations;
and
§
To
the extent material, the additional purposes, if any, for which the
company’s management uses the non-GAAP financial measure that are not
otherwise disclosed.
In
addition, you should consider the staff’s response to Question 8 included in
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Use of Non-GAAP Measures in June of
2003. Please revise in future filings.
Response
The
Company has elected to remove the non-GAAP disclosure.. In fact, the Company
had
already removed the aforementioned non-GAAP measures, beginning with its Form
10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2007 filed with the SEC on May 8,
2007.
Modified
EBITDA Information Not In Conformity With Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles, page 22
2.
We
see that you present modified EBITDA - Non-GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA
is not
exempt from the prohibition in Item 10(e)(1)(ii)(A) of Regulation
S-K.
Under Item 10(e) of Regulation S-X, registrants are not permitted
to
adjust a non-GAAP performance measure to eliminate or smooth items
identified as non-recurring, infrequent or unusual if the nature
of the
item is such that it is reasonably likely to recur within two years
or
there was a similar charge within the prior two years. As such, please
remove this measure from future
filings.
Response
The
Company has elected to remove the non-GAAP disclosure. In fact, the Company
had
already removed the aforementioned modified EBITDA - Non-GAAP disclosure,
beginning with its Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2007 filed with
the
SEC on May 8, 2007.
Financial
Statements
Statements
of Operations, page 26
3.
We
reference the patent litigation settlement recorded within other
income
(expense) on the statement of operations. Since the patents and license
agreements appear to relate to your operations, please tell us why
you
should not record the settlement within operating income. We also
note
that you record expenses for patent enforcement actions within operations.
Please advise.
Response
The
Company’s patent and license strategy has resulted in the monetization of its
patents in two ways:
§
licensing
of its technology to suitable companies for prospective use in exchange
for a royalty fee
§
settlement
via agreed upon compensation to the Company for prior
infringement
Inherent
in this strategy is the belief that there exist only a select few opportunities
for settlements of prior infringement. Since the Company implemented this
strategy in 2004, 6 companies (of its 8 licensees) have provided compensation
(some only nominal) for prior infringement. The Company has no current plans
to
pursue patent infringement settlements and therefore believes it to be unlikely
that it will realize similar patent settlement income in the future. However,
the Company is actively seeking additional licensees for its technology for
use
on a prospective basis. Therefore, the Company believes that any recoveries
realized as compensation for prior infringement falls outside its core business
operations as it is not something that is expected to recur. However, the
Company does record licensing fees, related to current sales of covered
products, as part of royalty revenue which is included in Operations. The
Company feels that this classification provides the clearest picture to
investors seeking to analyze the Company’s historical performance and prospects
for the future.
The
majority of costs associated with both licensing fees and patent infringement
settlements are contingent fees, due upon receipt from the licensor or
infringer. These costs are matched with the corresponding income. For example,
the contingent legal fees related to patent infringement compensation are netted
with the related income in the Other income (expense) line, whereas the
contingent legal fees relating to Royalty revenue (arising from licensing fees
related to current sales of licensees’ products) are reflected in the Cost of
royalties line.
Certain
direct expenses (e.g., travel reimbursement, expert witness fees, court costs)
that have supported the Company’s overall efforts to enforce its patents have
been recorded as Operating expenses.
The
Company believes that the above described treatment effectively groups costs
with the income stream to which they relate and provides the investor or other
reader of the financial statements with the most appropriate means to analyze
the Company’s results of operations and thereby assess the historical
performance, identifiable trends, and future potential of the
Company.
Note
4. Licensing Agreements, page 36
4.
We
see that you received significant initial licensing fees under license
agreements for the Knighton Patent. Please tell us and clarify in
future
filings your revenue recognition policy for the initial licensing
fees.
The disclosure on page 33 that “certain” upfront license fees are
amortized over the life of the license agreement is not
clear.
Response
The
term “Initial licensing fees”, as used in the Company’s filings with the SEC,
may reflect either compensation for a prior infringement or an up-front fee
provided to the Company as an inducement for it to grant a license to its
technology. In the case where the fee relates to prior infringement and is
deemed collectible, the present value of the settlement amount, net of related
contingent fees, is recorded at the time of the agreement (and reflected in
the
Other income (expense) line as discussed above). In the case where the up front
fee is provided as an inducement to the Company to enter into an agreement,
and
therefore relates to the use of the Company’s patents for some future period,
the amount is recorded as deferred revenue and amortized to revenue on a
straight-line basis over the term of the license agreement.
In
consideration of the Commission’s comment on this matter, the Company has
realized that “Initial license fee” is not the optimal term to describe the two
divergent types of up-front payment it has historically received. In future
filings, the Company will amend its terminology and clarify its disclosure
surrounding revenue recognition for these up-front payments.
The
Company acknowledges that:
§
The
Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure
in
the filing;
§
Staff
comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do
not
foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the
filing; and
§
The
Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding
initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities
laws of the United States
We
appreciate your comments regarding our filing and are pleased to provide the
responses above. If you have any further questions, or if we may be of any
assistance, please contact the undersigned at 240-499-2680.
Very
truly yours,
Andrew
Maslan