Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.22.1
Commitments and Contingencies
6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2022
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

11.  Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation

The Company has become involved in certain legal proceedings and claims which arise in the normal course of business. The Company believes that an adverse outcome is unlikely, and it cannot reasonably estimate the potential loss at this point. If an unfavorable ruling

were to occur, there exists the possibility of a material adverse impact on the Company’s results of operations, prospects, cash flows, financial position and brand. Costs associated with the Company’s involvement in legal proceedings are expensed as incurred.

Securities Litigation

On February 14, 2018, plaintiff Jeevesh Khanna, commenced an action in the Southern District of New York, against Ohr Pharmaceutical, Inc. (“Ohr”), which entered into a merger agreement with NeuBase Therapeutics, Inc. on January 2, 2019 and which merger closed on July 12, 2019, and several of its current and former officers and directors, alleging that they violated federal securities laws between June 24, 2014 and January 4, 2018. On August 7, 2018, the lead plaintiffs, now George Lehman and Insured Benefit Plans, Inc. filed an amended complaint, alleging a putative class period of April 8, 2014 through January 4, 2018. The plaintiffs did not quantify any alleged damages in their complaint, but, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs, they seek to maintain the action as a class action and to recover damages on behalf of themselves and other persons who purchased or otherwise acquired Ohr common stock during the putative class period and purportedly suffered financial harm as a result. Ohr and the individuals dispute these claims and are defending the matter vigorously. On September 17, 2018, Ohr filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. On September 20, 2019, the district court issued an opinion and order granting the motion to dismiss. On October 23, 2019, the plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of that order dismissing the action. After full briefing and oral argument, on October 9, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a summary order affirming the district court’s order granting the motion to dismiss and remanding the action to the district court to make a determination on the record related to plaintiffs’ request for leave to file an amended complaint. On remand, the district court denied plaintiffs’ subsequent request to amend and dismissed with prejudice plaintiffs’ claims. On December 16, 2020, plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal of that order denying plaintiffs leave to amend. On December 16, 2021, the Second Circuit affirmed the decision and order of the district court denying plaintiffs’ motion for leave to amend, thereby dismissing the appeal and action in its entirety.  Plaintiffs have neither sought reconsideration of the Second Circuit’s decision nor filed a writ of certiorari for review by the Supreme Court. This matter is now considered closed.

Derivative Lawsuit

On May 3, 2018, plaintiff Adele J. Barke, derivatively on behalf of Ohr, commenced an action against Michael Ferguson, Orin Hirschman, Thomas M. Riedhammer, June Almenoff and Jason Slakter in the Supreme Court, State of New York, alleging that the action was brought in the right and for the benefit of Ohr seeking to remedy their “breach of fiduciary duties, corporate waste and unjust enrichment that occurred between June 24, 2014 and the present.” It does not quantify any alleged damages. On March 30, 2022, plaintiff filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of the complaint in this action. This matter is now considered closed.

Joint Proxy Statement Lawsuit

Following the issuance of the preliminary joint proxy statement/prospectus related to the merger of the Company and Ohr, on March 18, 2019, the Gomez Action was filed by an individual shareholder in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Ohr and its board of directors.  The plaintiff in the Gomez Action alleges that the preliminary joint proxy/prospectus statement filed by Ohr with the SEC on March 8, 2019 contained false and misleading statements and omitted material information in violation of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and SEC Rule 14a-9 promulgated thereunder, and further that the individual defendants are liable for those alleged misstatements and omissions under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act.  On March 19, 2019, the Barke Action was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York asserting similar Section 14(a) and Section 20(a) claims against Ohr’s board of directors and additionally naming NeuBase and Ohr Acquisition Corp., but not Ohr, as defendants.  On March 20, 2019, the Wheby Action was filed in the United States District Court for District of Delaware asserting similar claims under Section 14(a) and Section 20(a) and naming as defendants Ohr and its board of directors, NeuBase, and Ohr Acquisition Corp.  On March 20, 2019, the Lowinger Action was filed in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware asserting a breach of fiduciary duty claim against Ohr’s board of directors arising out of the same facts and circumstances regarding certain alleged omissions in the preliminary joint proxy/prospectus statement.  On April 4, 2019, the Garaygordobil Action was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York asserting similar Section 14(a) and Section 20(a) claims against Ohr and its board of directors.  Each of the Gomez, Barke, Garaygordobil, and Lowinger Actions have been dismissed, and on July 12, 2019, the Company and Ohr consummated the Merger. On March 23, 2022, plaintiffs in the Wheby Action filed a notice of voluntary dismissal of the complaint and this case was closed.