UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021

or

For the transition period from _____ to _____

Commission File No. 001-38445

HELIUS MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (215) 944-6100

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐     No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐     No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days: Yes ☒     No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒     No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes ☐    

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐     No ☒

The aggregate market value of the common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2021, based on the closing price on that date of $16.99 per share, was approximately $37,214,794. As of March 4, 2022, there were 3,794,269 shares of the registrant’s Class A common stock outstanding.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A in connection with the registrant’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed subsequent to the date hereof, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report.  Such Definitive Proxy Statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the conclusion of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

Audit Firm Id: 243                   Auditor Name: BDOUSA, LLPAuditor Location: Philadelphia, PA, United States

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless otherwise specified, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Helius” or “the Company” mean Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Helius Medical, Inc, or HMI, Helius NeuroRehab, Inc., or HNR, Helius Medical Technologies (Canada), Inc., or HMC, and Helius Canada Acquisition Ltd., or HCA, unless the context otherwise requires. All financial information is stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise specified. Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or U.S. GAAP.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K, or the Annual Report, includes certain statements that may constitute “forward-looking statements.” All statements contained in this Annual Report, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s expectations at the time the statements are made and are subject to risks, uncertainty, and changes in circumstances, which may cause actual results, performance, financial condition or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, financial condition or achievements. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking and the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “calls for,” “could” “depends,” “estimate,” “expect,” “extrapolate,” “foresee,” “goal,” “intend,” “likely,” “might,” “plan,” “project,” “propose,” “potential,” “target,” “think,” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “may,” “should occur” “will,” “would,” or any similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this Annual Report include but are not limited to statements relating to: the Company’s future growth and operational progress, including manufacturing activities for the PoNS device, receipt of prescriptions and progress of commercialization of the PoNS device in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic including its impact on the Company, clinical development plans, product development activities, plans for U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, filings and their subsequent approvals, other foreign or domestic regulatory filings, the safety and effectiveness of our product, our market awareness, our ability to compete effectively, the ability and limitation of our manufacturing source(s), our distribution network, the adequacy of our intellectual property protection, our future patent approvals, our future expenses and cash flow, our ability to become profitable, our future financing arrangements, our accountants’ future perspective including any going concerns, any future stock price, our ability to build commercial infrastructure, and our ability to receive reimbursement coverage under Medicare, Medicaid or under other insurance plans.

Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Helius, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive political and social uncertainties and contingencies. The factors and assumptions used by management of the Company to develop such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, uncertainties associated with the Company’s capital requirements to achieve its business objectives, availability of funds, including that funding from our purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC may be limited or be insufficient to fund our operations, the ability to find additional sources of funding, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing, labor shortage and supply chain risks, including risks related to manufacturing delays, build a commercial team and build relationships with Key Opinion Leaders, neurology experts and neurorehabilitation centers the Company’s ability to train physical therapists in the supervision of the use of the PoNS treatment, the Company’s ability to secure contracts with rehabilitation clinics, the Company’s ability to obtain national Medicare coverage and to obtain a reimbursement code so that the PoNS device is covered by Medicare and Medicaid, the Company’s ability to build internal commercial infrastructure, secure state distribution licenses, market awareness of the PoNS device, future clinical trials and the clinical development process, the product development process and FDA regulatory submission review and approval process, other development activities, ongoing government regulation and other factors included in the section entitled “Risk Factors.”

Although we believe the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions at the time they were made, they are subject to risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, which could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ significantly from such forward-looking statements.

You should refer to the “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report for a discussion of important factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this Annual Report will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future. You should, however, review the factors and risks and other information we describe in the reports we will file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) after the date of this Annual Report.

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SUMMARY RISK FACTORS

Our business is subject to a number of risks, as fully described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report. The principal factors and uncertainties include, among others:

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INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

In this Annual Report, we reference information, statistics and estimates regarding the medical devices and healthcare industries. We have obtained this information from various third-party sources, including industry and general publications, reports by market research firms and other sources. This information involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and we have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of this information. Some data and other information are also based on the good faith estimates of management, which are derived from our research, review of internal surveys, general information discussed in the industry, and third-party sources. We believe that these external sources and estimates are reliable but have not independently verified them. The industries in which we operate are subject to a high degree of uncertainty, change, and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in this Annual Report and other publications.

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PART I

Overview

We are a neurotechnology company focused on neurological wellness. Our purpose is to develop, license or acquire non-implanted technologies targeted at reducing symptoms of neurological disease or trauma.

Our product, known as the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator, or PoNS^®, is an innovative non-implanted medical device, inclusive of a controller and mouthpiece, which delivers mild electrical stimulation to the surface of the tongue to provide treatment of gait deficit and chronic balance deficit. PoNS has marketing clearance in the U.S. for use in the U.S. as a short term treatment of gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate symptoms for multiple sclerosis, or MS, and is to be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients 22 years of age and over by prescription only. We are currently accepting prescriptions for PoNS in the U.S., and we expect the first commercial sales to occur in the near term. PoNS is authorized for sale in Canada for two indications: (i) for use as a short term treatment (14 weeks) of chronic balance deficit due to mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury, or mmTBI, and is to be used in conjunction with physical therapy, or PoNS Therapy^TM; and (ii) for use as a short term treatment (14 weeks) of gait deficit due to mild and moderate symptoms from MS and it is to be used in conjunction with physical therapy. It has been commercially available in Canada since March 2019. PoNS is authorized for sale as a Class IIa medical device in Australia and we are currently seeking a business partner to commercialize and distribute PoNS in Australia.

PoNS Device

The PoNS device is a non-implanted medical device comprised of a controller and a mouthpiece that are connected by a cord. The controller is worn around the neck and the mouthpiece sits on the tongue during treatment. PoNS Therapy, or the “Therapy”, utilizes the PoNS device in conjunction with supervised therapeutic exercise. The Therapy consists of condition specific exercises for movement control, balance and gait training, and breathing and awareness training that are designed to focus on the individual patient’s functional deficits. The Therapy is completed over a period of 14 weeks. The first 2 weeks of the Therapy are administered in a rehabilitation or physical therapy clinic by a PoNS trained therapist. The remaining 12 weeks are completed at home with weekly clinic visits to monitor progress, assess improvements and ensure the therapy level is still appropriate. When the device is on, the 143 gold-plated electrodes on the mouthpiece send mild electrical signals to the tongue. These impulses stimulate sensory nerves in the tongue that have direct pathways to the brain, through the brain stem. The combination of mild stimulation with supervised therapeutic exercise may enhance the neuroplastic effect, potentially resulting in functional improvements in balance and gait. During each clinic visit and at the end of the 14-week Therapy, the clinic downloads the PoNS usage data from the device and reviews it with the patient.  This usage data in combination with the detail of the completed treatment assessments gives the clinician and the patient a unique and powerful method to assess treatment progress. The patient initiates their Therapy sessions with the PoNS device under the supervision of the clinicians through regular check ins.  

Clinical research has shown that translingual neurostimulation activates two major cranial nerves – the trigeminal nerve, and the facial nerve, which creates a flow of neural impulses that are delivered directly into the brain stem and cerebellum – the main control centers for multiple functions including sensory perception and movement. From the brain stem, these impulses travel throughout the brain and may activate or reactivate neurons and structures involved in human function. Researchers believe that supervised therapeutic exercise with neurostimulation can initiate changes in the brain, supporting the restructuring and reorganization (neuroplasticity) of certain areas of the brain.

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Design

The PoNS device is ergonomically designed for patient comfort, is relatively light, contains a replaceable hygienic mouthpiece and a rechargeable battery with built-in technology to allow for tracking of the patient’s usage, including time and intensity of treatments. See Figure 1.

Figure 1

The Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator, PoNS device

The mouthpiece of the PoNS device sits on the front third of the tongue and is held in place by the lips and closed mouth. See Figure 2.

Figure 2

A rechargeable lithium polymer battery with built-in charge safety circuitry provides power. While the voltage and pulse timing to each electrode are programmed into the device and cannot be altered, the user can adjust the stimulus intensity, which is achieved by adjusting the electrical pulse width. The sensation produced by the mouthpiece is similar to the feeling of drinking a carbonated beverage. The patented waveform is specifically designed to minimize the potential for tissue irritation.

Overview of Multiple Sclerosis and Current Available Treatments

Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is currently classified as an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The disease attacks the myelin, the protective covering of the nerve necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses through nerve fibers, causing inflammation and often damaging the myelin. Damage to the myelin is variable, depending on the course of the disease, which influences the type and severity of symptoms. MS is unpredictable and can cause symptoms such as extreme fatigue, lack of coordination, weakness, tingling, impaired sensation, vision problems, bladder problems, cognitive impairment and mood changes. Its effects can be physical and emotional with a substantial financial burden. Currently there is no cure and patients with MS experience a progressive decline in health over time. There are a variety of treatments available for MS, some of which are experimental, including pharmaceutical, dietary, and surgical, which may or may not be covered by government or private health insurance.

Findings from a National MS Society study estimate that nearly 1 million people in the U.S. are living with MS of which approximately 25-30% are on Medicare and 93,000 people in Canada are living with MS. The National MS Society estimates that 2.3 million people

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live with MS globally. The U.S. and Canada have the highest rates of MS, with 309 cases per 100,000 in the U.S., and 291 cases per 100,000 in Canada, respectively. Given the nature of this neurodegenerative disease, these individuals and their caretakers are active in exploring treatment options that may resolve or delay the progression of symptoms. There is also a well-established advocacy framework.

Mobility disability and walking impairment are among the most debilitating consequences of MS with approximately 85% of individuals diagnosed with MS reporting gait impairment as a major limitation in their daily lives. Gait is one of the most important bodily functions for MS patients and gait parameters, such as walking speed and stride length, have been shown to be significant predicators of patient independence in daily activities. A survey of 436 patients found that 45% reported a mobility disability in the first month following diagnosis, with upwards of 90% of patients reporting a mobility disability within 10 years of their diagnosis. Additionally, 50-80% of MS patients suffer from balance and gait dysfunction and over 50% fall at least once a year. It has also been reported that unemployment rates in MS patients range from 24-80% with higher rates associated with decreased ambulation and mobility. The Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, reports that individuals with disabilities, like MS, that result in limited mobility are at greater risk for health problems including injury, mental health and depression, overweight and obesity, pain, pressure sores or ulcers and other issues.

A 2016 economic analysis of MS found the total lifetime costs per person with MS to be $4.1 million, with average yearly healthcare costs ranging from $30 thousand to $100 thousand based on the severity of the disease. Since the exact cause of MS is still unknown, there is no known prevention. Although there is no cure for MS yet, treatments can manage symptoms. MS medications are designed to lessen the frequency of relapses and slow the progression of the disease, but none have proven to halt progression of the disease.

While there are several disease-modifying medications approved by the FDA to treat MS, only one drug approved by FDA and Heath Canada, Ampyra® (dalfampridine), is indicated for the improvement of gait speed in patients with MS, which offers the closest comparison to the effects of PoNS Therapy on improvement in gait.

Overview of mmTBI and Current Available Treatments

There are an estimated 14.5 million people globally, with over 1.5 million in the U.S. and 350,000 in Canada, living with balance deficit due to mmTBI. Every year in the U.S. and Canada, there are approximately 420,000 and 20,000 newly diagnosed mmTBIs, respectively, resulting in balance deficit. This condition often has a significant impact on one’s quality of life, negatively affecting independence, employability, productivity, mental health and participation in the community. Rehabilitation is often required following a mmTBI for resulting motor, cognitive and behavioral impairments. The current standard of care to address balance issues following a mmTBI is supervised therapeutic exercise. While supervised therapeutic exercise can help to promote balance recovery, individuals are often unable to return to their full function and are left living with a balance deficit.  

Prior to the development of the PoNS device, there were no cleared treatments that were clinically indicated to treat balance deficit. A few studies have suggested that supervised therapeutic exercise aimed at improving balance and gait may be mildly effective for rehabilitation in the mmTBI population. Given the small number of published studies, the small number of patients enrolled in the studies of which we are aware, the varying range of interventional protocols employed in such studies and the lower levels of study design, it is difficult to draw any conclusions regarding the effectiveness and dosing parameters of using supervised therapeutic exercise alone for the treatment of balance deficit following mmTBI. Consequently, we believe that there is a large potential commercial opportunity for the PoNS Therapy in the treatment of balance deficit due to mmTBI. Our goal is to establish the PoNS Therapy as the standard of care for this condition all over the world.

PoNS Clinical Trials and Scientific Support in MS

There are two peer reviewed published clinical trials reporting on the results of clinical trials comparing active PoNS + PT vs Placebo PoNS + PT in subjects with mild and moderate MS: Tyler et al. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 2014, 11:79 and Leonard et al. Multiple Sclerosis Journal Experimental, Translational and Clinical January-March 2017: 19 DOI: 10.1177/ 2055217317690561

Summary results of the Tyler study in 20 patients with mild and moderate MS:

Summary results from the Leonard study in 14 patients treated with mild and moderate MS:

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Summary of Real-World Evidence (RWE) in MS patients treated with PoNS in Canada.

PoNS Clinical Trials and Scientific Support in mmTBI

There are two peer reviewed published clinical trials reporting on the results of the PoNS Therapy for persons with mmTBI. The first is from our registrational clinical trial (TBI-001): Ptito A, Papa, L, Gregory, K, Folmer, RL, Walker, WC, Prabhakaran, V, Wardini, R, Skinner, KL, Yochelson, M, (2020). “A Prospective, Multicenter Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Translingual Neurostimulation Plus Physical Therapy for the Treatment of a Chronic Balance Deficit Due to Mild-to-Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury”. Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. The second is from the Long-Term Treatment study in mmTBI Trial: Tyler, ME, Skinner, KL, Prabhakaran, V, Kaczmarek, KA, Danilov, YP (2019). “Translingual neurostimulation for the treatment of chronic symptoms due to mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury.” Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation; 1(304):100026.

PoNS Registrational Clinical Trial in mmTBI

We completed our registrational clinical trial (TBI-001) of the PoNS Therapy for persons with mmTBI in 2017. It was a double-blind randomized, controlled study of the safety and effectiveness of the PoNS Therapy using translingual noninvasive stimulation in participants with balance deficit due to mmTBI.

The trial was launched in 2015 in conjunction with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, or the USAMRMC, and was conducted at seven sites in the U.S. and Canada. The trial evaluated 122 randomized participants between the ages of 18 and 65 years. Each participant received five weeks of treatment, two weeks in clinic and three weeks at home. The treatment consisted of physical therapy geared toward the functional capability of each individual participant. Enrolled participants worked with a certified PoNS trainer and were randomized to receive either a high-frequency pulse, or HFP, (25.7 million pulses per 20-minute treatment) or a low-frequency pulse, or LFP, (13,728 pulses per 20-minute treatment) PoNS device.  While the HFP and the LFP devices were identical, the frequency of the pulses was different.

Trial Design

All participants provided a prior neuroradiologic report (obtained at least one year after the most recent mmTBI), if available, and completed demographic and quality of life surveys and a medical history during an initial screening visit.  Participants who met the initial screening entrance criteria were scheduled for an MRI of the head, a neuropsychiatric evaluation, the SOT to evaluate balance, and a 20-minute walk on the treadmill to evaluate fitness.  Key eligibility criteria to participate in the study included the following:

Participants meeting all the eligibility criteria, and who were not disqualified by exclusion criteria applicable to the trial, were enrolled and randomly assigned in blocks of four to receive an HFP or LFP device.  Randomization occurred at each site, according to the randomization plan developed by the clinical research organization. An objective balance assessment was performed using the composite score from the SOT, which measures balance using computerized sensors that objectively measure participants’ ability to maintain balance under six different conditions. The SOT is a widely used measurement tool for balance disorder associated with TBI and was used as the primary efficacy endpoint for the trial. According to published clinical trial data, patients that received physical therapy alone to treat balance deficit related to mmTBI improved by an average of ten to 13 points on the SOT scale, a 0 to 100 scale, and clinical experience shows those patients tend to drift back to baseline levels when physical therapy is discontinued.  On average, participants entered the trial with an SOT composite score of approximately 40, which is a score that indicates substantially compromised functional balance. In the trial, an SOT responder was defined as a participant with an improvement of at least 15 points in his/her SOT

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composite score from baseline to the end of five weeks of PoNS Therapy, a level of change that to our knowledge, has not been achieved in clinical trials of patients with mmTBI-related balance disorder undergoing standard of care physical therapy.  

Trial Results

The trial’s statistical analysis plan stated that, if the outcome of the primary effectiveness endpoint showed that PoNS Therapy in the HFP and LFP arms both produced responses of greater than 15 points on the SOT composite score that were not significantly different from one another, the secondary endpoint would be calculated by combining the two groups and comparing the response to baseline at week two and week five. This would imply that both devices had a clinical effect.

The primary effectiveness endpoint demonstrated a trend toward a higher responder rate in the HFP arm (with 71.2% of subjects experiencing a greater than 15 point improvement on the SOT composite score) than in the LFP arm (with 63.5% of subjects experiencing a greater than 15 point improvement on the SOT composite score), p<0.081. The primary effectiveness endpoint was not reached because of the significant therapeutic effect observed in the LFP arm.  Because both arms produced responses of greater than 15 points on the SOT composite score that were not significantly different from one another, the secondary effectiveness endpoint was calculated per the statistical analysis plan, as described above.  The secondary effectiveness endpoints demonstrated statistically and clinically significant increases in SOT composite scores:

Since the majority of patients who have a balance disorder associated with mmTBI are subjected to a higher risk of falls and headaches, the primary safety endpoint was an improvement in the frequency of falls as determined by daily event recording on the participant data case report form during the in-clinic phase of the study (week two). The secondary safety endpoint was the frequency and severity of headaches, as measured by the Headache Disability Index at baseline and at the end of treatment, which was at week five.  

PoNS Long-Term Treatment Trial in mmTBI: A 26-Week Study

This study was performed to understand the durability of response to the PoNS Therapy. This double-blind randomized controlled study in patients with mmTBI was completed in 2017 at the Tactile Communication Neurorehabilitation Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was sponsored by the U.S. Army. The study was conducted with 22 and 21 participants randomized to the HFP and LFP PoNS Therapy arms, respectively. Participants underwent 14 weeks of active treatment identical in format to the treatment regime in our registrational clinical trial described above, followed by a 12-week washout period when participants discontinued the PoNS Therapy and were told to resume normal daily lifestyles with no specified physical therapy regime. SOT composite scores were captured at specific time points throughout the study, including at 14 weeks and after the 12-week washout (26 weeks).

Highlights of the study results were as follows:

Conclusion:

Overall Conclusion from the Two mmTBI Trials.

We believe the most significant observations from the two mmTBI trials are:

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Regulatory Status Worldwide

Canadian Regulatory Status: mmTBI and MS

On October 17, 2018, we received our Canadian marketing authorization from Health Canada allowing us to commercialize the PoNS device in Canada for use as a short-term treatment (14 weeks) of balance deficit due to mmTBI.

On March 18, 2020, we received marketing authorization from Health Canada allowing us to commercialize the PoNS device in Canada for the treatment of gait deficit in patients with mild and moderate MS symptoms. Our market authorization application comprised objective statistical evidence as well as independently reviewed clinical research analysis. This label expansion expanded our addressable market in Canada to include a patient population seeking treatment options that may resolve or delay the progression of MS gait deficit symptoms.

U.S. Regulatory Status: MS

On May 7, 2020, we received Breakthrough Designation for the PoNS device as a potential treatment for gait deficit due to symptoms of MS, to be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program. The goal of the Breakthrough Devices Program is to provide patients and health care providers with timely access to these medical devices by speeding up their development, assessment, and review, while preserving the statutory standards for premarket approval, 510(k) clearance, and de novo classification and clearance, consistent with FDA’s mission to protect and promote public health.

The Breakthrough Devices Program offers manufacturers an opportunity to interact with the FDA to efficiently address topics as they arise during the premarket review phase, which can help manufacturers receive feedback from the FDA and identify areas of agreement in a timely way. Manufacturers can also expect prioritized review of their submission.

Breakthrough Device Designation does not change the requirements for approval of an application for a marketing authorization.

On March 26, 2021, we received marketing authorization from the FDA of the PoNS device. The PoNS device is indicated for use as a short term treatment of gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate symptoms of MS and is to be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients 22 years of age and over by prescription only.

On January 14, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, issued the final rule (CMS-3372-F), 42 C.F.R. § 405.603 on the new Medicare coverage pathway referred to as Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology, or MCIT, for FDA-designated breakthrough medical devices. The MCIT rule will provide national Medicare coverage as early as the same day as FDA market authorization for breakthrough devices and coverage would last for four years. To be eligible for coverage through MCIT, the breakthrough device must be used for the FDA approved or cleared indication(s) for use. Manufacturers will be able to opt in to MCIT and choose a start date for coverage anytime within two years from the date of FDA market authorization, but coverage will only be valid for four years from market authorization regardless of opt in date. At the end of the four year period, manufacturers are expected to have obtained coding for the specific product which can then be used as the reimbursement pathway for commercial payers. CMS announced MCIT was delayed from becoming effective March 15, 2021 to May 15, 2021 with an additional comment period during that time. On May 14, 2021, CMS announced it further delayed the effective date of the final rule until December 15, 2021 to provide CMS an opportunity to determine appropriate next steps. On September 15, 2021, CMS published a proposal that would repeal the MCIT pathway. Following a 30-day comment period included in the proposal, CMS announced on November 12, 2021 that it was repealing MCIT to address concerns that the provisions in the final rule may have not been sufficient to protect Medicare patients. While we will continue to monitor this, we also remain focused on building out our reimbursement strategy for both commercial and government payers. We are still working to understand current Medicare requirements and policies for coverage, coding, and payment

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of durable medical equipment and assess how the PoNS device may be treated with respect to coding, coverage, and reimbursement under the Medicare program.

In September 2021, we started activities to setup and implement a new study as part of a Therapeutic Experience Program, or TEP, with NYU Langone Health as our first Center of Excellence clinical site. The TEP is a Helius-sponsored, open label observations, interventional multi-center outcome research trial designed to assess adherence to on-label PoNS therapy for improvement in gait deficits with MS in a real-world clinical setting. The study will measure subjects’ adherence to PoNS therapy, which combines the PoNS device with physical therapy, to better understand the relationship between adherence to the treatment regimen and therapeutic functional outcome. The primary endpoint of the study is maintenance of gait improvement from the end of supervised therapy (Phase 1) to the end of unsupervised therapy (Phase 2) in relation to the subject’s adherence to PoNS therapy. The secondary endpoints are improvement of gait and balance deficit over time, and clinical global impression of change. The study will be conducted at ten to twelve Centers of Excellence across the U.S., with an estimated average of four PoNS devices per site. Enrollment is expected to commence in first half of 2022 and continue throughout the year. Approximately forty to fifty patients with MS are expected to participate in the study.

U.S. Regulatory Status: Stroke

In August 2021, we received Breakthrough Designation for the PoNS device as a potential treatment for dynamic gait and balance deficits due to symptoms from stroke, to be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients 22 years of age and over. With Breakthrough Designation received, a clinical trial of PoNS therapy in stroke patients in collaboration with Medical University of South Carolina is planned to commence in the second quarter of 2022 with initial patient enrollments beginning in the second half of 2022.

U.S. Regulatory Status: mmTBI

Our U.S. regulatory strategy initially focused on pursuing de novo classification and clearance of the PoNS device from the FDA for the treatment of balance deficit due to mmTBI.

We submitted a request for de novo classification and clearance of the PoNS device to the FDA for this indication in August 2018. This request was supported by data from two of our clinical trials in mmTBI, including our registrational trial, TBI-001.

In April 2019, we announced that the FDA had completed its review and had denied our request for de novo classification and clearance of the PoNS device for the treatment of balance deficit due to mmTBI. In reaching its conclusion, the FDA noted, via a denial letter, that although the safety profile of the PoNS device is acceptable, the FDA did not have sufficient information to discern the relative independent contributions of the PoNS device and physical therapy on the improvements from baseline. The FDA noted that we could generate additional data to address its concerns and resubmit our application.

In October 2019, we had a pre-submission meeting where the FDA provided feedback needed to help complete the design of a new clinical trial intended to address the FDA’s request for a trial that demonstrates the benefit of the PoNS Therapy compared to physical therapy alone. In January 2020, we received the FDA’s feedback on the minutes from the October 2019 pre-submission meeting. In its feedback, the FDA provided post-meeting notes with specific recommendations regarding the trial design that were not discussed in the October 2019 pre-submission meeting.

Based on the receipt of the FDA’s final minutes from the pre-submission meeting, we are assessing the feasibility of a clinical program to advance the development of a study aimed to obtain clearance for gait and balance deficits in mmTBI if nondilutive financing to fund the program becomes available.

European Regulatory Status

In December 2018, we submitted an application for a CE Mark, which, if approved, would allow us to market the PoNS device in the EU.  During the second quarter of 2019, we engaged with regulators in Europe to answer questions that we received from them as part of their review of our PoNS device for CE marking. In August 2019, we withdrew our application from the EU marketing process due to uncertainty in Europe caused by the switch from the Medical Device Directive, or MDD, to the Medical Device Regulation, or MDR, Brexit, and the withdrawal of Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, our notified body, from the EU notified body business. We have engaged G-MED NA (North America) as our new ISO registrar and will reconsider submitting to the EU when conditions stabilize.

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Australian Regulatory Status

In the third quarter of 2019, we initiated the submission of our application to the Therapeutic Goods Administration, or TGA. We supplemented our submission with additional data based on questions supplied to date and provided responses to additional questions during the third quarter of 2020. In November 2021, we received market authorization from the TGA for the sale of PoNS as a Class IIa medical device. In Australia, PoNS is intended for short term use by healthcare professionals as an adjunct to a therapeutic exercise program to improve balance and gait. PoNS is not intended to be used alone without an exercise program. We are working to establish a distribution partner for Australia but currently do not expect to have commercial sales of PoNS in Australia in 2022.

Partnerships and Agreements

Canadian Strategic Alliance

On October 30, 2019, we and Health Tech Connex, Inc., or HTC entered into a Share Purchase Agreement, or the SPA, whereby we, through our wholly owned subsidiary, acquired Heuro from HTC.  Under the terms of the SPA, total consideration of approximately $1.6 million was paid to HTC, which included (1) the repayment to HTC for their investment in the set-up of Heuro’s initial commercial infrastructure including the establishment of five authorized PoNS clinics across Canada, (2) the current market value of 55 PoNS devices which we also are to provide to HTC under the SPA, (3) the CAD$750 thousand receivable from the September 2018 strategic alliance agreement and (4) the sale of exclusivity rights granted to HTC in the Co-Promotion Agreement, as defined below, to provide PoNS Therapy in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver metro regions of British Columbia.

In connection with the Share Purchase Agreement, on October 30, 2019, we entered into a Clinical Research and Co-Promotion Agreement with HTC, or the Co-Promotion Agreement, whereby each company will promote the sales of the PoNS Therapy and the NeuroCatch^TM device throughout Canada. The co-promotion arrangement terminated in accordance with its terms on December 31, 2020. Also, subject to certain terms and conditions, we granted to HTC the exclusive right to provide the PoNS Therapy in the Fraser Valley and Vancouver metro regions of British Columbia, where HTC has operated a PoNS authorized clinic since February 2019. HTC will purchase the PoNS devices for use in these regions exclusively from us and on terms no less favorable than the then-current standard terms and conditions. On January 31, 2022, we notified HTC of its material breaches under the Co-Promotion Agreement, which HTC failed to cure under the terms of the Co-Promotion Agreement, and as such, it is our position that this exclusivity right is no longer in effect.

Product Development, Manufacturing and Logistics Services

In January 2017, we entered into an agreement with Cambridge Consultants LLC, or Cambridge, pursuant to which Cambridge assumed responsibilities for key aspects of the design and development of the PoNS device. As part of the agreement, Cambridge validated the performance of the engineering, design verification testing and product documentation to support our FDA submission. Cambridge also assisted us in the identification of, and transition to, our commercial-scale manufacturer.  

On December 29, 2017, we selected Keytronic Corporation, or Keytronic, as our contract-manufacturing partner for the PoNS device after a competitive selection process. The commercial design of the PoNS device is manufactured and assembled at Keytronic’s facility located in Oakdale, Minnesota. Keytronic manufactured devices for engineering and design verification testing and for our FDA submission as well as commercial devices for launch inventory. Keytronic has multiple locations across the U.S., Mexico and China with back-up manufacturing capabilities to help mitigate the risk of a single source provider. We remain ultimately responsible for the compliance of our submissions and products, and activities performed on our behalf.

We place an emphasis on protecting our patented technology, trade secrets and know-how and only share confidential information on an as needed basis. Keytronic is registered as a medical device manufacturer in good standing with the FDA and along with Cambridge are certified in accordance with International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, 13485, a comprehensive quality management system for the design and manufacture of medical devices. HMI maintains a compliant quality management system certified to ISO 13485:2016 and compliant with MDSAP requirements for the U.S., Canada and Australia.

In July 2021, we entered into a contract with Healthlink International Inc. to provide third party logistics for domestic and Canadian shipment and order fulfillment, and to provide warehousing services for finished goods. Healthlink is a life science solutions company, specializing in logistics, temperature-controlled warehousing, fulfillment and freight management as well as back-office services, including multilingual customer service, financial services and VAT management.

Commercialization

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Canadian Commercialization Efforts

In March 2019, we commenced the commercialization of our PoNS Therapy in Canada, where PoNS became the first and only device authorized by Health Canada for the treatment of balance deficit due to mmTBI. Throughout 2019, we made important progress in advancing and refining our commercialization strategy in Canada building access, awareness and credibility for the PoNS Therapy, including the acquisition of the Heuro Canada operating entity of HTC. These efforts, which were led by our local Canadian commercial team, included the establishment of our authorized clinic network throughout Canada, launching digital marketing campaigns, and building key opinion leader and advocacy networks.

On March 18, 2020, the Company received notification that its Canadian Class II license amendment application for the treatment of gait deficit in patients with mild and moderate symptoms from MS, when used in conjunction with physical therapy, was successful and received marketing authorization for PoNS from Health Canada.

Following in-depth market analysis and field intelligence, our Canadian commercial team began an expansion plan to increase the number of authorized PoNS clinics. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we authorized 6 new clinical locations to have 37 clinic locations across Canada as of December 31, 2021. In addition to continuing to increase the number of clinic locations, we have shifted our focus to driving patient throughput to these clinics. Sales performance in Canada continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to space restrictions that the provincial governments have imposed as well as the risk tolerance of patients and therapists.  

In collaboration with Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (part of University Health Network) we are continuing our clinical experience program, the results of which we will look to publish in 2022.

We continue to refine our go-to-market pricing model. In 2020, we implemented a modified pricing approach which is focused on reducing the need for clinics and patients to pay large, upfront costs at the start of treatment. We have also experimented with various promotional pricing programs resulting in lower unit prices for both PoNS system purchases and mouthpieces in order to increase access to the PoNS Therapy and drive market awareness which we believe resulted in an increase in the volume of units sold, beginning in the second half of 2020. We extended the promotional pricing through the end of 2021 including any order placed and accepted, but not fulfilled before December 31, 2021. The promotional pricing was discontinued in 2022 when new pricing was established.

The value dossiers for mmTBI and MS that were created in mid-2020 to fully demonstrate in both scientific and financial terms, the merits of PoNS Therapy for claimants are now being utilized along with submissions from clinics on behalf of their patients. The dossiers are provided to our clinics across Canada to submit as part of treatment plans with reimbursement applications to the payer community. Our reimbursement strategy for mmTBI is focused initially on the auto collision insurance and workers’ compensation, or WC, market as well as long-term disability cases. Our reimbursement strategy for MS is focused on commercial insurers/extended health benefits.

As part of our overall PoNS Therapy strategy, we are also gathering comprehensive health economic assessments of treatment outcomes. These data will, in-turn, be used to support our applications for WC, auto insurance and commercial insurance reimbursement initiatives in Canada, the U.S. and other markets around the world. We believe the Canadian commercial experience will be extremely valuable to prepare us for our launches in the U.S. and internationally.

The real-world results from the collective experience of our patients that have completed the 14-week PoNS Therapy, in Canada thus far, have been encouraging. Consistent with what we observed in our two clinical trials, one for 5 weeks and the other for 14 weeks, commercial MS and mmTBI patients demonstrated improvements in balance and gait within the first two weeks followed by continued improvement over the following twelve weeks. The majority of patients had a mean patient adherence to treatment of over 90% and showed significant improvement in their balance and gait with a meaningful clinical difference at the end of their treatment. The consistency of the patient results from our initial commercial experience supports our plans to expand access PoNS Therapy in Canada.

U.S. Commercialization Activities

As previously stated, on March 26, 2021, we received marketing authorization from the FDA for the PoNS device. The PoNS device is indicated for use as a short term treatment of gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate symptoms of MS and is to be used as an adjunct to a supervised therapeutic exercise program in patients 22 years of age and over by prescription only.

Throughout the pre-commercial phase during 2021, we developed and refined our commercial strategy including a focus on payer strategy, both government and commercial, securing distribution licenses in various states and beginning to build relationships with key large neurorehabilitation centers, which focus on treatment of MS patients. We continue to generate data on outcomes of the PoNS Therapy generated from treatment of patients in Canada and ensuring that our scientific data is presented at many of the key national and international neurology and neuromodulation meetings. We believe this scientific dissemination may begin to pave the way to establishing the PoNS Therapy as the standard of care for the treatment of MS-related gait deficit.

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We are currently accepting prescriptions for PoNS in the United States, and we anticipate our first commercial sales in the near term. We have targeted specific Key Opinion Leaders (i.e., neurologists and physiatrists) and their associated neurorehabilitation centers, where selected physical therapists will be trained to deliver the PoNS Therapy. Importantly, this focused strategy will also allow us to measure patient outcomes to determine if they are similar to those observed in our clinical trials. To further develop and implement the PoNS commercialization strategy, we have hired a Vice President of Sales and Marketing, North America, have identified the initial launch areas within the U.S., and we have continued to build out our commercial team, including field sales, reimbursement specialists, and marketing and operational support commensurate with PoNS sales activity.

During 2021, we contracted with an industry consultant to conduct a health economic study of PoNS. Based upon the results of this study and comparing PoNS to other medical devices utilizing similar patented technologies, we established a U.S. list price for the PoNS device of $25,700, comprised of $17,800 for the controller and $7,900 for the mouthpiece. We are pursuing commercial insurance coverage and Medicare reimbursement for PoNS within the Durable Medical Equipment, or DME, benefit category. While there are currently no applicable Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, or HCPCS, codes to describe the PoNS device or mouthpiece, we intend to use miscellaneous codes – E1399 (Miscellaneous durable medical equipment) and A9999 (Miscellaneous DME supply or accessory, not otherwise specified) until specific HCPCS codes are created. We have applied for unique HCPCS codes during the third quarter of 2021, which is a nine month process from application until coding is to be effective, if assigned. We also intend to provide broad access and reimbursement for the PoNS Therapy over time through commercial insurers. Prior to the initiation of CMS or broad commercial payer coverage, we anticipate the primary source of sales will be self-pay patients. We expect to support the cost of the PoNS Therapy by offering a cash pay discount, collaborating with third parties to provide self-pay patients with financing options as well as working with advocacy groups and charitable organizations to help self-pay patients access our technology. In general, we anticipate that it will take at least 24 months to obtain broad coverage and reimbursement among government and private payers.    

Commercialization in Other Markets

We submitted an application for a CE Mark in December 2018.  In preparation for our launch in the United Kingdom, or UK, and the EU, we entered into a consulting agreement with a UK-based company with expertise in the development of new services in the healthcare industry to leverage local market insights to develop a comprehensive commercialization strategy and tactical plan for launch of the PoNS Therapy in the UK. As previously described, in August 2019, we withdrew our application for EU market authorization and will revisit our UK and EU commercialization plans as terms of market authorization become clearer under the new regulations.

We submitted an application to the TGA in Australia during the third quarter of 2019. We supplemented our submission with additional data based on questions supplied to date and provided responses to additional questions during the third quarter of 2020. In November 2021, we received market authorization from the TGA for the sale of PoNS as a Class IIa medical device. In Australia, PoNS is authorized as a non-implanted neurostimulator intended for short term used by healthcare professionals as an adjunct to a therapeutic exercise program to improve balance and gait. PoNS is not intended to be used alone without an exercise program. We are working to establish a distribution partner for Australia but currently do not expect to have commercial sales of PoNS in Australia in 2022.

COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, which has spread throughout the U.S. and around the world. The Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic conditions. The outbreak and spread of COVID-19 has significantly increased economic uncertainty. Authorities implemented, and continue to implement, numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter in place orders, and business shutdowns. The COVID-19 pandemic initially led to the closure of PoNS authorized clinic locations across Canada from March until June 2020. Patients who completed their initial training in the clinics prior to the closures were able to continue working independently in the at-home portion of the treatment, with remote check-ins with their certified therapists. While all clinics have re-opened, as of December 31, 2021, they were all operating at reduced capacity, which limited operations to 50% capacity during the second half of 2021. Some patients have begun to return to these clinics for treatment, but patients have been and may continue to be less willing to return to the clinics due to COVID-19, impacting our commercial activities and our customer engagement efforts. This was especially true in the first half of 2021, as cases of COVID-19 increased significantly in Canada and additional restrictions, shelter in place orders, and business shutdowns were imposed. The rate of vaccination increased throughout all provinces throughout 2021, facilitating the lifting of some of the previously imposed restrictions. Thus far during the first quarter of 2022, capacity has remained at the 50% threshold with the expectation that the capacity limit will increase as provinces continue to lift restrictions. We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and adjust our operations as the circumstances change.

We have expanded our services to include remote training and treatment, but the long-term viability of these remote programs is still being assessed. Additionally, current and planned clinical experience programs and clinical trials in Canada have experienced and may

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continue to experience delays in the programs as trial participant attendance has generally decreased as a result of the pandemic, and clinics and clinical research sites have experienced delays and difficulties in recruiting and re-hiring clinical site staff.

The COVID-19 pandemic has and may continue to cause delays in or the suspension of our business partners manufacturing operations, our research and product development activities, our regulatory workstreams, our research and development activities and other important commercial functions. We are also dependent upon our suppliers for the manufacture of our PoNS device. In the second quarter of 2020, two of our business partners diverted resources towards other activities related to COVID-19, resulting in delays in our product development activities. Such diversion of suppliers’ resources may occur again in the future, and the pandemic could limit our suppliers’ ability to travel or ship materials or force temporary closure of facilities that we rely upon. Manufacturing delays have occurred and may also occur as the result of labor shortages. Two of our suppliers experienced significant labor shortages as a result of COVID-19 from the end of November 2021 through early January 2022 which reduced the available resources needed to build and test product which may delay the timing for the submission and approval of our marketing applications with regulatory agencies. Further, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could affect our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations.

The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact our business, including our U.S. commercial launch and sales in Canada, as well as our results of operations and our financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. We do not yet know the full extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, operations or the global economy as a whole.

Coverage and Reimbursement

Canadian Reimbursement

We believe that traditional life and health payers may be among the earliest to provide coverage and reimbursement for the PoNS Therapy, and therefore, we are focusing on gaining coverage for the PoNS Therapy through them. Life and health encompasses long- and short-term disability claims. Because these payers are responsible for both medical expenses and lost wages, they have an incentive to seek ways to help injured employees to return to work. As part of our commercial treatment program in Canada, we will collect both outcomes and return to work data, which we plan to utilize with life and health, provincial workers compensation insurance programs, and property and casualty insurers to demonstrate both the clinical and economic value associated with the PoNS Therapy.  

U.S. Reimbursement

In the U.S., we plan to engage with select payer segments to obtain coverage and reimbursement for the PoNS Therapy. We intend to combine evidence from our clinical trials and real-world experience from commercial clinics in Canada to demonstrate the value proposition of the PoNS Therapy to payers and support favorable coverage and reimbursement decisions.

On January 14, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, issued the final rule (CMS-3372-F), 42 C.F.R. § 405.603 on the new Medicare coverage pathway referred to as Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology, or MCIT, for FDA-designated breakthrough medical devices. The purpose of the MCIT rule was to provide national Medicare coverage as early as the same day as FDA market authorization for breakthrough devices and coverage would last for four years. On September 15, 2021, CMS published a proposal that would repeal the MCIT pathway. Following a 30-day comment period included in the proposal, CMS announced on November 12, 2021 that it was rescinding the MCIT final rule to address concerns that the provisions in the final rule may have not been sufficient to protect Medicare patients. While we will continue to monitor this, we also remain focused on building out our reimbursement strategy for both commercial and government payers. We continue to work with Medicare requirements and policies for coverage, coding, and payment of durable medical equipment and assess how the PoNS device may be treated with respect to coding, coverage, and reimbursement under the Medicare program.

Competition

The neurostimulation market is predominantly comprised of surgically implanted, invasive technologies that are not directly competitive with our technology. Several neurostimulation companies are large, publicly-traded companies that have a history in the market, have significantly easier access to capital and other resources and have an established product pipeline. The combined clinical research and product development done by the industry, including by us and all of our competitors, is uncovering the beneficial effects of neurostimulation which now establishes neuromodulation as a valid and scientifically supported approach to the treatment of neurological conditions, and accordingly, we expect for competition in the non-implanted space to grow in the future.

However, we believe that we will have the first-mover advantage in the non-implanted neurostimulation space.

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We believe that the PoNS Therapy introduces an innovative target and method of stimulation, because targeting the tongue for neurostimulation provides several advantages that competitively distinguish the PoNS Therapy, which are discussed below.

Advantages of the PoNS Therapy

We believe that the PoNS Therapy offers the following benefits over existing neurostimulation technologies:

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Intellectual Property

Licensed Intellectual Property

Pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Patent Sub-License, or the Sublicense Agreement, dated June 6, 2014 entered into between Advanced NeuroRehabilitation LLC, or ANR, and HMI, ANR has granted HMI a worldwide, exclusive license to make, have made, use, lease and sell devices utilizing certain patent applications, which are collectively referred to as the “Patent Pending Rights.” The Patent Pending Rights relate to the PoNS device and include the following patents and patent applications, which cover a device that noninvasively delivers neurostimulation through the skin or intra-orally to the brain stem via various nerves including the trigeminal and facial nerves:

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U.S. Patent Nos. 8,909,345; 9,020,612; 9,656,078; 9,597,501; 9,597,504; 9,656,069; 10,293,163; 10,328,263; and 11,185,696 claim priority to U.S. Patent No. 8,849,407.

A U.S. provisional patent application provides the means to establish an early effective filing date for a later filed nonprovisional patent application. Therefore, though the two provisional applications have expired, they establish a priority date for U.S. Patent Nos. 8,909,345; 9,020,612; 9,656,078; 9,597,501; 9,597,504; 9,656,069; 10,293,163; 10,328,263; and 11,185,696, and any future filings that claim priority. We intend to file additional continuation applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 61/019,061 and 61/020,265 to protect other aspects of the PoNS device and related non-invasive neurostimulation techniques.

ANR holds an interest in the Patent Pending Rights pursuant to an exclusive license from the inventors. U.S. Patent Nos. 8,909,345; 9,020,612; 9,656,078; 9,597,501; 9,597,504; 9,656,069; 10,293,163; 10,328,263; and 11,185,696 are included in the exclusive license as the exclusive license agreement covers (i) U.S. Patent Application No. 12/348,301 (now U.S. Patent No. 8,849,407) and Provisional Application No. 61/019,061, (ii) any patents issuing therefrom and (iii) any patents claiming priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 12/348,301 or Provisional Application No. 61/019,061, which U.S. Patent Nos. 8,909,345; 9,020,612; 9,656,078; 9,597,501; 9,597,504; 9,656,069; 10,293,163; 10,328,263; and 11,185,696 claim priority through such provisional application as well as through Provisional Application 61/020,265.

In addition, ANR has agreed that ownership of any improvements, enhancements or derivative works of the Patent Pending Rights that are developed by HMI or ANR shall be owned by HMI, provided that if HMI decides not to patent such improvements, ANR may choose to pursue patent rights independently. Pursuant to the Sublicense Agreement, HMI has agreed to pay ANR royalties equal to 4% of HMI’s revenues collected from the sale of devices covered by the Patent Pending Rights and services related to the therapy or use of devices covered by the Patent Pending Rights in therapy services. The Sublicense Agreement provides that the sublicense granted by ANR to HMI, if in good standing, shall not be cancelled; limited or impaired in any way should there be a termination of the master license granted by the inventors to ANR, which was acknowledged by the inventors in the Sublicense Agreement. On June 6, 2014, HMI and ANR entered into a second amended and restated sublicense agreement, or the Second Sublicense Agreement, which acknowledges the Reverse Merger (see “Our Corporate History - Acquisition of Helius Medical, Inc and Concurrent Financing” below) and adds us as a party to the agreement.

The license of the Patent Pending Rights is subject to the right of the government of the United States, which funded certain research relating to the development of the PoNS device, to a nonexclusive, non-transferable, irrevocable, paid up license to use the Patent Pending Rights for governmental purposes. In addition, HMI has granted a perpetual, royalty-free license to the Patent Pending Rights back to ANR for non-profit research and development activities, which do not compete with HMI’s business and to produce and derive revenues from devices and services in connection with investigational uses of the PoNS device and related technology.

The license of the Patent Pending Rights is also subject to the terms of the CRADA. In the event that we are not willing or unable to commercialize the PoNS technology within four years from the expiration of the CRADA, the Company is required to transfer possession, ownership and sponsorship/holdership of the regulation application, regulatory correspondence and supporting regulatory information related technology to USAMRMC and grant the U.S. Government a non-exclusive, irrevocable license to any patent, copyright, data rights, proprietary information or regulatory information for the U.S. Government to commercialize the technology.

Company Owned Intellectual Property

As of March 7, 2022, we have filed 36 U.S. patent applications related to various technical and ornamental aspects of the PoNS device: 15 non-provisional patent applications that describe various technical features in the current version device and 21 design patent applications describing various ornamental designs. We are the sole assignee for these 36 U.S. patent filings. In addition to the first issued patent (U.S. Patent No. 9,072,889), the USPTO has issued 14 utility patents and 21 design patents as summarized in the table below:

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In addition to our U.S. patents, we have been granted 20 foreign utility patents (nine in Australia, five in Russia, one in Canada, two in Israel, two in Europe (validated in France, Germany, Italy, UK and Spain) and one in Eurasia, or EA (validated in all eight Eurasian

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member-states), and 33 foreign design patents (three in Australia, nine in Canada, six in Russia, and fifteen registered community designs in Europe), as detailed in the tables below.

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Foreign Design Patents

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Further, we have 13 foreign utility patent applications that are currently pending: three in Europe, two in each of Australia, Canada and Russia and one in each of China, Israel, and the U.K., and one design patent application that is currently pending in Canada:

Currently, we own rights in five trademarks: PoNS, PoNS Therapy, Helius, Helius Medical, and Helius Medical Technologies. We own the rights to the PoNS mark by virtue of an assignment agreement having an effective date of October 27, 2014 and entered into with ANR and the inventors of the PoNS technology. We are also the owner of the rights in the PoNS Therapy, Helius, Helius Medical, and Helius Medical Technologies marks.

We are the owner of the rights in PoNS, Helius and Helius Medical Technologies marks in Canada. We have also applied for the PoNS trademark in Europe, Russia, China, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. We have also applied for the Helius mark in the U.S., Australia and Canada, the Helius Medical mark in the U.S., and the PoNS Therapy mark in the U.S.

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Government Regulation  

Our products under development and our operations are subject to significant government regulation. In the U.S., our products are regulated as medical devices by the FDA and other federal, state, and local regulatory authorities. The following is a general description of the review and marketing authorization process of the FDA for medical devices.

FDA Regulation of Medical Devices

The FDA and other U.S. and foreign governmental agencies regulate, among other things, the following activities with respect to medical devices:

In the U.S., numerous laws and regulations govern all the processes by which medical devices are brought to market and marketed. These include the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic, or FD&C Act and the FDA’s implementation of regulations, among others.

The FDA Review, Clearance and Approval Processes

Unless an exemption applies, each medical device commercially distributed in the U.S. requires either FDA clearance of a 510(k) premarket notification, approval of a premarket approval, or PMA, or approval of a de novo application. Under the FDCA, medical devices are classified into one of three classes—Class I, Class II or Class III— depending on the degree of risk associated with each medical device and the extent of manufacturer and regulatory control needed to ensure its safety and effectiveness. Classification of a device is important because the class to which a device is assigned determines, among other things, the necessity and type of FDA review required prior to marketing the device.

Class I devices are those for which safety and effectiveness can be assured by adherence to FDA's "general controls" for medical devices, which include compliance with the applicable portions of the FDA's Quality System Regulation, or QSR, facility registration and product listing, reporting of adverse medical events, and appropriate, truthful and non-misleading labeling, advertising, and promotional materials. Some Class I devices also require premarket clearance by the FDA through the 510(k) premarket notification process described below.

Class II devices are subject to FDA's general controls, and any other "special controls" deemed necessary by FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device, such as performance standards, product-specific guidance documents, special labeling requirements, patient registries or post-market surveillance. Premarket review and clearance by the FDA for Class II devices is accomplished through the 510(k) premarket notification process, though certain Class II devices are exempt from this premarket review process. When a 510(k) is required, the manufacturer must submit to the FDA a premarket notification submission demonstrating that the device is "substantially equivalent" to a legally marketed device, which in some cases may require submission of clinical data. Unless a specific exemption applies, 510(k) premarket notification submissions are subject to user fees. If the FDA determines that the device, or its intended use, is not substantially equivalent to a legally marketed device, the FDA will place the device, or the particular use of the device, into Class III, and the device sponsor must then fulfill much more rigorous premarketing requirements.

Class III devices, consisting of devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risk, such as life-sustaining, life-supporting or implantable devices, or devices deemed not substantially equivalent to a predicate device. The safety and effectiveness of Class III devices cannot be assured solely by general or special controls. Submission and FDA approval of a premarket approval, or PMA, application is required before marketing of a Class III device can proceed. As with 510(k) submissions, unless subject to an exemption, PMA submissions are subject to user fees. The PMA process is much more demanding than the 510(k) premarket notification process.

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A PMA application, which is intended to demonstrate that the device is safe and effective, must be supported by extensive data, typically including data from preclinical studies and human clinical trials.

Our PoNS device is currently regulated as a Class II medical device for use in MS. However, if the FDA requires us to go through a lengthier, more rigorous examination for the PoNS device for balance and gait deficit in stroke, introducing the product for stroke could be delayed or canceled. For example, if the FDA decides that the de novo classification procedures are not the appropriate path to obtain marketing authorizations for the PoNS device in stroke, the FDA may require us to submit a PMA application, which is generally more costly and uncertain and can take from one to three years, or longer, from the time the application is submitted to the FDA until an approval is obtained. Further, even with respect to those future products where a PMA may not be required, we cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain 510(k) clearance with respect to our PoNS device.

510(k) Clearance Process

To obtain 510(k) clearance for a medical device, an applicant must submit to the FDA a premarket notification submission demonstrating that the proposed device is “substantially equivalent” to a legally marketed device, known as a “predicate device.” A legally marketed predicate device may include a device that was legally marketed prior to May 28, 1976 for which a PMA is not required (known as a “pre-amendments device” based on the date of enactment of the Medical Device Amendments of 1976), a device that has been reclassified from Class III to Class II or Class I, or a device that was found substantially equivalent through the 510(k) process. A device is substantially equivalent if, with respect to the predicate device, it has the same intended use and has either (i) the same technological characteristics, or (ii) different technological characteristics, but the information provided in the 510(k) submission demonstrates that the device does not raise new questions of safety and effectiveness and is at least as safe and effective as the predicate device. A showing of substantial equivalence sometimes, but not always, requires clinical data.

Before the FDA will accept a 510(k) submission for substantive review, the FDA will first assess whether the submission satisfies a minimum threshold of acceptability. If the FDA determines that the 510(k) submission is incomplete, the FDA will issue a “Refuse to Accept” letter which generally outlines the information the FDA believes is necessary to permit a substantive review and to reach a determination regarding substantial equivalence. An applicant must submit the requested information before the FDA will proceed with additional review of the submission. Once the 510(k) submission is accepted for review, by regulation, the FDA has 90 days to review and issue a determination. As a practical matter, clearance often takes longer. The FDA may require additional information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence.

If the FDA agrees that the device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device currently on the market, it will grant 510(k) clearance to commercially market the device. If the FDA determines that the device is “not substantially equivalent” to a previously cleared device, the device is automatically designated as a Class III device. The device sponsor must then fulfill more rigorous PMA requirements, or can request a risk-based classification determination for the device in accordance with the “de novo” process, which is a route to market for novel medical devices that are low to moderate risk and are not substantially equivalent to a predicate device.

After a device receives 510(k) marketing clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change or modification in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) marketing clearance or, depending on the modification, PMA approval. The determination as to whether or not a modification could significantly affect the device’s safety or effectiveness is initially left to the manufacturer using available FDA guidance. Many minor modifications today are accomplished by a “letter to file” in which the manufacture documents the rationale for the change and why a new 510(k) is not required.  However, the FDA may review such letters to file to evaluate the regulatory status of the modified product at any time and may require the manufacturer to cease marketing and recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or PMA approval is obtained. The manufacturer may also be subject to significant regulatory fines or penalties.

De novo Classification Process

If a previously unclassified new medical device does not qualify for the 510(k) pre-market notification process because no predicate device to which it is substantially equivalent can be identified, the device is automatically classified into Class III. The Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 established a new route to market for low to moderate risk medical devices that are automatically placed into Class III due to the absence of a predicate device, called the “Request for Evaluation of Automatic Class III Designation,” or the de novo classification procedure. This procedure allows a manufacturer whose novel device is automatically classified into Class III to request classification of its medical device into Class I or Class II on the basis that the device presents low or moderate risk, rather than requiring the submission and approval of a PMA. Prior to the enactment of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, or FDASIA, in July 2012, a medical device could only be eligible for de novo classification if the manufacturer first submitted a 510(k) pre-market notification and received a determination from the FDA that the device was not substantially equivalent. FDASIA streamlined the de novo classification pathway by permitting manufacturers to request de novo classification directly without first submitting a 510(k) pre-market notification to the FDA and receiving a not substantially equivalent determination. Under FDASIA, the FDA was required to classify the device within 120 days following receipt of the de novo application.

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If the manufacturer sought reclassification into Class II, the manufacturer was to include a draft proposal for special controls necessary to provide a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the medical device. The FDA may reject the reclassification petition if it identifies a legally marketed predicate device that would be appropriate for a 510(k) or determines that the device is not low to moderate risk or that general controls would be inadequate to control the risks and special controls cannot be developed.

FDA granted de novo classification for the PoNS device for gait deficit in MS, which resulted in Class II classification. In order to be placed in Class II, the FDA required reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the PoNS device. Under Class II, general controls (e.g., premarket notification) and special controls (e.g., specific performance testing) are applicable.

Obtaining FDA marketing authorization, de novo classification and clearance, or approval for medical devices is expensive and uncertain, generally takes several years, and generally requires detailed and comprehensive scientific and clinical data. Notwithstanding the expense, these efforts may never result in FDA authorization for commercial distribution. Even if we were to obtain regulatory authorization, it may not be for the uses we believe are important or commercially attractive, in which case we would not be permitted to market our product for those uses.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are typically required to support a PMA and are sometimes required to support a 510(k) or de novo submission. All clinical investigations of devices to determine safety and effectiveness must be conducted in accordance with the FDA’s investigational device exemption, or IDE, regulations which govern investigational device labeling, prohibit promotion of the investigational device, and specify an array of recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring responsibilities of study sponsors and study investigators. If the device presents a ‘‘significant risk,’’ as defined by the FDA, to human health, the FDA requires the device sponsor to submit an IDE application to the FDA, which must become effective prior to commencing human clinical trials. A significant risk device is one that presents a potential for serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of a patient and either is implanted, used in supporting or sustaining human life, substantially important in diagnosing, curing, mitigating or treating disease or otherwise preventing impairment of human health, or otherwise presents a potential for serious risk to a subject. An IDE application must be supported by appropriate data, such as animal and laboratory test results, showing that it is safe to test the device in humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. The IDE will automatically become effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA unless the FDA notifies the company that the investigation may not begin. If the FDA determines that there are deficiencies or other concerns with an IDE for which it requires modification, the FDA may permit a clinical trial to proceed under a conditional approval. If the device is considered a "non-significant risk," IDE submission to FDA is not required. Instead, only approval from the Institutional Review Board, or IRB, overseeing the investigation at each clinical trial site is required.

The IRB is responsible for the initial and continuing review of the IDE, and may pose additional requirements for the conduct of the study. If an IDE application is approved by the FDA and one or more IRBs, human clinical trials may begin at a specific number of investigational sites with a specific number of patients, as approved by the FDA. If the device presents a non-significant risk to the patient, a sponsor may begin the clinical trial after obtaining approval for the trial by one or more IRBs without separate approval from the FDA, but must still follow abbreviated IDE requirements, such as monitoring the investigation, ensuring that the investigators obtain informed consent, and labeling and record-keeping requirements. Acceptance of an IDE application for review does not guarantee that the FDA will allow the IDE to become effective and, if it does become effective, the FDA may or may not determine that the data derived from the trials support the safety and effectiveness of the device or warrant the continuation of clinical trials. An IDE supplement must be submitted to, and approved by, the FDA before a sponsor or investigator may make a change to the investigational plan that may affect its scientific soundness, study plan or the rights, safety or welfare of human subjects.

During a study, the sponsor is required to comply with the applicable FDA requirements, including, for example, trial monitoring, selecting clinical investigators and providing them with the investigational plan, ensuring IRB review, adverse event reporting, record keeping and prohibitions on the promotion of investigational devices or on making safety or effectiveness claims for them. The clinical investigators in the clinical study are also subject to FDA’s regulations and must obtain patient informed consent, rigorously follow the investigational plan and study protocol, control the disposition of the investigational device, and comply with all reporting and record keeping requirements.

Additionally, after a trial begins, the sponsor, the FDA or the IRB could suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the risks to study subjects outweigh the anticipated benefits. Even if a clinical trial is completed, there can be no assurance that the data generated during a clinical study will meet the safety and effectiveness endpoints or otherwise produce results that will lead the FDA to grant marketing clearance or approval.

Pervasive and Continuing U.S. Food and Drug Administration Regulation

After a device is cleared or approved for marketing, numerous and pervasive regulatory requirements continue to apply. These include:

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Advertising and promotion of medical devices, in addition to being regulated by the FDA, are also regulated by the FTC and by state regulatory and enforcement authorities.  Recently, promotional activities for FDA-regulated products of other companies have been the subject of enforcement action brought under healthcare reimbursement laws and consumer protection statutes.  In addition, under the federal Lanham Act and similar state laws, competitors and others can initiate litigation relating to advertising claims. If the FDA determines that promotional materials or training constitutes promotion of an unapproved or uncleared use, it could request that modification of promotional materials or subject a company to regulatory or enforcement actions.  It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities might take action if they consider promotional or training materials to constitute promotion of an unapproved or uncleared use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities, such as laws prohibiting false claims for reimbursement.

Healthcare providers, physicians, and third party payers will play a primary role in the recommendation and use of any products for which we obtain marketing approval. Our future arrangements with third party payers, healthcare providers and physicians may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute any device for which we obtain marketing approval. In the U.S., our activities are potentially subject to regulation by various federal, state and local authorities in addition to the FDA, including the CMS, other divisions of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (e.g., the Office of Inspector General), the United States Department of Justice and individual United States Attorney offices within the Department of Justice, and state and local governments. The applicable laws and regulations include the federal health care programs Anti-Kickback Statute, or AKS, and the federal Civil False Claims Act.

The AKS makes it illegal for any person, including a device manufacturer (or a party acting on its behalf), to knowingly and willfully solicit, receive, offer or pay any remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, that is intended to induce or reward referrals, including the purchase, recommendation, or order of a particular device, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program, such as Medicare or Medicaid. Violations of this law are punishable by up to ten years in prison, criminal fines, administrative civil money penalties and exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs. In addition, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it.

The Federal Civil False Claims Act imposes civil penalties, including through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities (including manufacturers) for, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, false or fraudulent claims for payment of government funds or making a false statement or record material to payment of a false claim or avoiding, decreasing or concealing an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Penalties for a False Claims Act violation include three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus mandatory civil penalties of between $11,463 and $22,927 (adjusted annually for inflation) for each separate false claim and the potential for exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs. Conduct that violates the False Claims Act also may implicate various federal criminal statutes. The government may deem manufacturers to have “caused” the submission of false or fraudulent claims by, for example, providing inaccurate billing or coding information to customers or promoting a product off-label. Claims which include items or services resulting from a violation of the federal AKS also are deemed false or fraudulent claims for purposes of the False Claims Act. Our future marketing and activities relating to the reporting of wholesaler or estimated retail prices for our products and other information affecting federal, state and third-party reimbursement for our products, and the sale and marketing of our product and any future product candidates, are subject to scrutiny under this law.

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The manufacturing processes associated with medical devices are required to comply with the applicable portions of the QSR, which cover the methods and the facilities and controls for the design, manufacture, testing, production, processes, controls, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, distribution, installation and servicing of finished devices intended for human use. The QSR also requires, among other things, maintenance of a device master file, design history file, device history records, and complaint files. As a manufacturer, we are subject to periodic scheduled or unscheduled inspections by the FDA. Any failure to maintain compliance with the QSR requirements could result in the shut-down of, or restrictions on manufacturing operations and the recall or seizure of products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business. The discovery of previously unknown problems with any of our products, including unanticipated adverse events or adverse events of increasing severity or frequency, whether resulting from the use of the device within the scope of its clearance or off-label by a physician in the practice of medicine, could result in restrictions on the device, including the removal of the product from the market or voluntary or mandatory device recalls.

The FDA has broad regulatory compliance and enforcement powers. If the FDA determines that a company has failed to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, it can take a variety of compliance or enforcement actions, which may result in any of the following sanctions:

Health Canada

After a medical device has been approved for commercial use in Canada, there are a number of Health Canada requirements that must be adhered to including but not limited to the following:

European Union

We submitted an application for a CE Mark of the PoNS device with our UK based notified body in December 2018.  In August 2019 we withdrew our application from the EU marketing process due to notified body activities being delayed by Brexit and the upcoming medical devices regulation changes. We have engaged G-MED NA as our registrar and will reconsider submitting to the EU when conditions stabilize. The successful completion of this review would result in marketing authorization for the sale of the PoNS device in the EU which now excludes the UK. Some EU member states have additional notification requirements that we expect to satisfy before we launch our PoNS Therapy in those member states. Once the PoNS device is placed into the EU market, post market requirements apply including but not limited to:

Australia

We submitted our application for marketing authorization to the TGA during the third quarter of 2019. We supplemented our submission with additional data based on questions supplied to date and provided responses to additional questions during the third quarter of 2020. In November 2021, we received market authorization from the TGA for the sale of PoNS as a Class IIa medical device. In Australia,

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PoNS is indicated for short term use by healthcare professionals as an adjunct to a therapeutic exercise program to improve balance and gait. PoNS is not intended to be used alone without an exercise program.

Data Privacy and Security Laws; Breaches

Medical device companies may be subject to U.S. federal and state health information privacy, security and data breach notification laws, which may govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, imposes privacy, security and breach reporting obligations with respect to individually identifiable health information upon “covered entities” (health plans, health care clearinghouses and certain health care providers), and their respective business associates, individuals or entities that create, received, maintain or transmit protected health information in connection with providing a service for or on behalf of a covered entity. HIPAA mandates the reporting of certain breaches of health information to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, affected individuals and if the breach is large enough, the media. Entities that are found to be in violation of HIPAA as the result of a breach of unsecured protected health information, or PHI, a complaint about privacy practices or an audit by HHS, may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative fines and penalties and/or additional reporting and oversight obligations if required to enter into a resolution agreement and corrective action plan with HHS to settle allegations of HIPAA non-compliance.  Even when HIPAA does not apply, according to the FTC, failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure constitutes unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C § 45(a). The FTC expects a company’s data security measures to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the sensitivity and volume of consumer information it holds, the size and complexity of its business, and the cost of available tools to improve security and reduce vulnerabilities. Personally identifiable health information is considered sensitive data that merits stronger safeguards. The FTC’s guidance for appropriately securing consumers’ personal information is similar to what is required by the HIPAA Security Rule.

In addition, certain state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, some of which may be more stringent, broader in scope or offer greater individual rights with respect to PHI, than HIPAA, and many of which differ from each other, thus complicating compliance efforts. Failure to comply with these laws, where applicable, can result in the imposition of significant civil and/or criminal penalties and private litigation.  For example, California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act, or the CCPA, on June 28, 2018, which took effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA gives California residents expanded rights to access and delete their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing, and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. Additionally, many of the more ambiguous provisions of the CCPA have yet to be fully interpreted and applied, and numerous amendments have been proposed and are working their way through legislature. Consequently, the CCPA currently presents many compliance questions that remain unresolved. The CCPA may increase our compliance costs and potential liability. In addition to the CCPA, numerous other states’ legislatures are considering similar laws that will require ongoing compliance efforts and investment.

In the European Union, as of May 25, 2018, Regulation 2016/676, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, replaced the Data Protection Directive with respect to the processing of personal data in the European Union. The GDPR imposes many requirements for controllers and processors of personal data, including, for example, higher standards for obtaining consent from individuals to process their personal data, more robust disclosures to individuals and a strengthened individual data rights regime, shortened timelines for data breach notifications, limitations on retention and secondary use of information, increased requirements pertaining to health data and pseudonymized (i.e., key-coded) data and additional obligations when we contract third-party processors in connection with the processing of the personal data. The GDPR allows EU member states to make additional laws and regulations further limiting the processing of genetic, biometric or health data. Failure to comply with the requirements of GDPR and the applicable national data protection laws of the EU member states may result in fines of up to €20 million or up to 4% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher, and other administrative penalties.

Our Corporate History Highlights

Formation and Arrangement with Boomerang Oil, Inc.

We were originally incorporated in British Columbia, Canada on March 13, 2014 under the British Columbia Business Corporations Act, or the BCBCA, as “0996445 B.C. Ltd.” On March 25, 2014, and amended on April 8, 2014, we entered into an arrangement agreement with Boomerang Oil, Inc. (formerly known as 0922327 B.C. Ltd.) and 0995162 B.C. Ltd. to reorganize the business structure of such three entities in such a manner which would allow Boomerang Oil, Inc. to spin us out to become an independent entity that is a reporting issuer in Canada and for us to complete a reverse take-over of 0995162 B.C. Ltd. As a result of the arrangement agreement, we became a reporting issuer in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. In addition, the arrangement resulted in 0995162 B.C. Ltd. becoming our wholly owned subsidiary. The assets of 0995162 B.C. Ltd. consisted of cash and 0995162 B.C. Ltd.’s interest in a letter agreement pursuant to which it had agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of HMI, a Delaware corporation, and to seek a listing on a recognized stock exchange.

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Reincorporation in Wyoming

On May 23, 2014, we changed our name to “Helius Medical Technologies, Inc.” and filed articles of continuation with the Wyoming Secretary of State office to reincorporate from being a corporation governed by the BCBCA to a corporation governed by the Wyoming Business Corporation Act.

Acquisition of NeuroHabilitation Corporation and Concurrent Financing

On June 13, 2014, we completed the acquisition of NeuroHabilitation Corporation, or NHC, by way of an agreement and plan of merger. We refer to this transaction as the Reverse Merger. Pursuant to the agreement and plan of merger, HMT Mergersub, Inc., our wholly owned subsidiary, merged with and into NHC with NHC as the surviving corporation. In connection with the Reverse Merger, we issued an aggregate of 201,714 shares of our common stock to the former shareholders of HMI. The Reverse Merger was deemed to be a capital transaction in substance and recorded as a reverse recapitalization of NHC whereby NHC is deemed to be the continuing, surviving entity for accounting purposes, but through reorganization, has deemed to have adopted the capital structure of Helius. On December 21, 2018, NHC changed its name to Helius Medical, Inc.

In connection with the Reverse Merger, we completed a non-brokered private placement financing of $7.02 million (CAD$7.62 million) by issuing 87,085 subscription receipts. Pursuant to its terms, each subscription receipt automatically converted into one unit upon satisfaction of certain escrow release conditions, which had been satisfied. Each unit consisted of one share of our common stock and one-half of one share purchase warrant with each whole warrant being exercisable at CAD$175.00 per share for a period of two years.

Reincorporation in Delaware

On June 28, 2018, at our 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, our shareholders approved our reincorporation from the state of Wyoming to the state of Delaware. On July 20, 2018, we completed the reincorporation to the state of Delaware.

Formation of Helius NeuroRehab Inc.

In January 2019, we formed Helius NeuroRehab, Inc., or HNR, a Delaware corporation, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Helius Medical Technologies, Inc. with the intent to operate a clinic focusing on the delivery of PoNS Therapy to patients with balance and gait disorders. HNR remains dormant and there are currently no plans to utilize it as originally intended.

Formation of Helius Canada Acquisition Ltd. and Acquisition of Heuro Canada Inc.

On October 10, 2019, we formed HCA, a company incorporated under the federal laws of Canada, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of HMC, a company incorporated under the federal laws of Canada. On October 30, 2019, we acquired Heuro, a company incorporated under the federal laws of Canada, as a wholly owned subsidiary of HCA, from HTC.

Listing of our Common Stock

Following our Reverse Merger, we obtained approval of the listing of our common stock on the Canadian Securities Exchange, or CSE, on June 23, 2014. On April 18, 2016, our common stock was listed on the TSX under the symbol “HSM.” At the same time, we delisted our common stock from the CSE. We voluntarily delisted from the TSX effective as of the close of trading on September 9, 2021. The Company’s common stock also began being quoted on the OTC Markets, or OTCQB, under the ticker symbol “HSDT” on February 10, 2015. On April 11, 2018, our common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “HSDT” and ceased to be quoted on the OTCQB. As of the date of this Annual Report, our common stock continues to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

Reverse Stock Split

At a special meeting of our stockholders on December 28, 2020, our stockholders approved a reverse split of our outstanding common stock at a ratio in the range of 1-for-5 to 1-for-35 to be determined at the discretion of our board of directors, whereby each outstanding 5 to 35 shares would be combined, converted and changed into 1 share of our common stock, to enable us to comply with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements.

Following such meeting, our board of directors approved a final reverse stock split ratio of 1-for-35, and we filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware a Certificate of Amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to effect the reverse stock split. The reverse stock split was effective as of 5:00 pm Eastern Time on December 31, 2020, and our common stock began trading on a split-adjusted basis on The Nasdaq Capital Market and Toronto Stock Exchange on January 4, 2021. The reverse stock split did not change the par

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value of our stock or the authorized number of common or preferred shares. All share and per share amounts for all periods presented in this Annual Report have been retroactively adjusted for the reverse stock split effected on December 31, 2020.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 642 Newtown Yardley Road, Suite 100, Newtown, PA 18940 and our telephone number is 215-944-6100. We maintain a corporate website at www.heliusmedical.com. We make available free of charge through our Internet website our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to these reports, as soon as its reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to the SEC. We are not including the information on our website as a part of, nor incorporating it by reference into this Annual Report. Additionally, the SEC maintains a website that contains annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements, and other information that issuers (including us) file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website address is http://www.sec.gov.

Human Capital Resources

As a neurotechnology company focused on neurological wellness through the development, licensing or acquisition of non-implanted technologies targeted at reducing symptoms of neurological disease or trauma, our human capital is important to the long-term success of our company.

Our People. We believe our diverse workforce is comprised of engaged individuals with appropriate qualifications and competencies to support our growth. Our senior management team has an average of over 25 years of experience in the health sciences industry with recognized leadership expertise in their functional areas.

As of December 31, 2020, we had 19 full time employees, no part time employees, two full time consultants and five part time consultants. During 2021, we expanded our workforce to prepare for our commercial launch in the US following the receipt in March 2021 of marketing authorization from the FDA of the PoNS device for use as a short term treatment of gait deficit due to mild-to-moderate systems of MS, and as such, as of December 31, 2021, we had 26 full time employees, no part time employees, seven full time consultants and three part time consultants.

None of our employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements. We have not experienced any interruptions of operations due to disputes with our employees.

Talent Acquisition, Development and Retention. Hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing employees is important to our operations and we are focused on creating experiences that foster growth, performance and retention. Retaining and acquiring the right talent in this competitive environment, particularly at speed and scale, will continue to be a priority as we have obtained FDA de novo classification and clearance of the PoNS device. Our workforce reflects talent from diverse perspectives.

Compensation, Benefits, Safety and Wellness. In addition to offering market competitive salaries and wages, we offer comprehensive health benefits to eligible employees.

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities has a high degree of risk. Before you invest you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below and the other information in this Annual Report. Any of the risks and uncertainties set forth herein could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition, which in turn could materially and adversely affect the trading price or value of our securities. Additional risks not currently known to us or which we consider immaterial based on information currently available to us may also materially adversely affect us. As a result, you could lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Capital

We have incurred substantial net losses since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur substantial net losses for the foreseeable future. We may never achieve or sustain profitability.

We have incurred substantial net losses since our inception. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we incurred a net loss of $18.1 million and $14.1 million, respectively, and used cash in operations of $13.4 million and $11.7 million, respectively. We have an accumulated deficit of $137.0 million as of December 31, 2021. Our losses have resulted primarily from costs incurred in connection with our design, manufacturing and development activities, research and development activities, building our commercial infrastructure, stock-based compensation, legal, advertising, marketing and investor relations, and general and administrative expenses associated with our operations. Although we have received a medical device license from Health Canada to market the PoNS device in Canada, marketing authorization from the FDA for the sale of our PoNS device in the U.S., market authorization from the TGA in Australia, and even if we are successful in obtaining marketing authorization from additional foreign regulatory authorities to launch outside of the U.S., we expect to continue to incur substantial losses for the foreseeable future as we continue to research and develop and seek regulatory marketing authorization for our product candidate.

We are subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business enterprise, including under-capitalization, cash shortages, limitations with respect to personnel, financial and other resources, lack of significant revenue and the risk that we will not achieve our growth objective. If sales revenue from any product candidate that receives marketing authorization from the FDA or other regulatory body is insufficient, if we are unable to develop and commercialize any of our potential product candidates, or if our product development is delayed, we may never achieve or sustain profitability.

We will require additional financing to carry out our plan of operations and if we are unable to obtain such financing, our business may fail.

From our inception through December 31, 2021, we have generated approximately $2.6 million in revenue from the commercial sales of products or services. Because we have generated limited revenues from commercialization, our operations to date have been principally financed through public and private offerings of our common stock and convertible debt and exercises of options and warrants. There are a number of conditions that we must satisfy before we will be able to generate sufficient revenue to fund our operations, including but not limited to the recruitment of patients for treatment, and demonstration of effectiveness sufficient to generate commercial orders by customers for our product.  Moreover, because we expect that the revenue opportunity in the U.S. is significantly greater than in Canada, we believe our ability to generate significant revenue in the future will be dependent upon the speed and success of our commercial launch in the U.S. during 2022.  

These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern through at least 12 months from the date of this Annual Report. While we had $11.0 million of cash as of December 31, 2021, we do not currently have sufficient resources to accomplish all of the above conditions necessary for us to generate sufficient revenues to achieve profitability, and we will require additional financing to fund our operations beyond the beginning of the third quarter of 2022. There is no guarantee that such funding will be available at all or in sufficient amounts to satisfy our required expenditures.

If we are unable to obtain additional financing as needed, we may be forced to reduce the scope of our operations and planned capital expenditures or sell certain assets, including intellectual property, and we may be forced to cease or wind down operations, seek protection under the provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, or liquidate and dissolve our company, which would have a material adverse effect on the value of our common stock.

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Raising additional capital by issuing securities or through debt financings or licensing arrangements may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or product on terms unfavorable to us.

Our operations to date have principally been financed by public and private offerings of our common stock and convertible debt and exercises of options and warrants and, since inception, we have raised $130.6 million in gross proceeds from equity financings. Until we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through the sale of equity, debt financings, or other capital sources, including potential collaborations with other companies or other strategic transactions. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of such securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take certain actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through strategic partnerships with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies or product, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates, or otherwise grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional capital when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or commercialization efforts for our product or our product candidates, or grant rights to develop and market potential future product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves. Any of these events could adversely affect our ability to achieve our product development and commercialization goals and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our independent registered public accounting firm has included an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern in its report on our audited financial statements. We may be unable to continue to operate without the threat of liquidation for the foreseeable future.

In connection with our management’s assessment, our report from our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our recurring losses from operations and net capital deficiency raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to obtain sufficient funding, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected and we may be unable to continue as a going concern. Future reports from our independent registered public accounting firm may also contain statements expressing substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. We believe our existing capital resources will be sufficient to fund our operations into the third quarter of 2022. However, in light of the commercial launch of PoNS Therapy in the U.S. beginning in 2022, we expect our expenses to increase throughout 2022, particularly as we invest in marketing and distribution capabilities, make improvements to our manufacturing process and product design, and add additional personnel. We also expect our expenses to increase if and as we conduct trials of PoNS Therapy, such as the TEP, or if and as we decide to pursue further regulatory approvals, or maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio. Other than our right to cause Lincoln Park to purchase shares of our common stock under the LPC Purchase Agreement, which is subject to certain limitations and conditions, we do not have any committed external source of funds. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in raising additional capital or that such capital, if available, will be on terms that are acceptable to us. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets and may receive less than the value at which those assets are carried on our consolidated financial statements, and investors will likely lose all or a part of their investment. If we seek additional financing to fund our business activities in the future and there remains substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, investors or other financing sources may be unwilling to provide additional funding on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

Risks Related to the Development and Commercialization of our Product

We currently only have one product which is approved in the U.S. only for treatment of gait deficit and otherwise only in Canada and Australia.

We currently have no products authorized for commercial distribution in Europe, or in any other country outside of Canada, the U.S. and Australia. In the U.S. we have not received marketing authorization for use of the PoNS device other than for MS. In addition, the FDA has previously rejected our de novo application for marketing authorization of the PoNS device for mmTBI. In respect of Europe, we are developing the PoNS device for use in the neuromodulation market, but we cannot begin marketing and selling the device in Europe until we obtain applicable authorizations from the European Union (Notified Body). The process of obtaining regulatory authorization is expensive and time-consuming and can vary substantially based upon, among other things, the type, complexity and novelty of a product. Changes in regulatory policy, changes in or the enactment of additional statutes or regulations, or changes in regulatory review for each submitted product application may cause delays in the authorization of a product or rejection of a regulatory application altogether.

We plan to develop the PoNS device for other indications, or symptoms caused by neurological disorders, and will be required to commit our own resources to fund development of any other indications and each would require separate regulatory clearance or other marketing authorization in other territories. The costs of such development efforts and regulatory clearance or other marketing authorization could

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be substantial and would likely require additional funding, and each such indication would be subject to the same foregoing risks and uncertainties for FDA clearance/authorization.

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted, and may continue to materially and adversely impact, our business, financial condition and results of operations.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, which has spread throughout the U.S. and around the world. The Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic conditions. The outbreak and spread of COVID-19 has significantly increased economic uncertainty. Authorities implemented, and continue to implement, numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, shelter in place orders, and business shutdowns. The COVID-19 pandemic initially led to the closure of PoNS authorized clinic locations across Canada from March until June 2020. Patients who completed their initial training in the clinics prior to the closures were able to continue working independently in the at-home portion of the treatment, with remote check-ins with their certified therapists. While all clinics have re-opened, as of December 31, 2021, they were all operating at reduced capacity, which limited operations to 50% capacity during the second half of 2021. Some patients have begun to return to these clinics for treatment, but patients have been and may continue to be less willing to return to the clinics due to COVID-19, impacting our commercial activities and our customer engagement efforts. This was especially true in the first half of 2021, as cases of COVID-19 increased significantly in Canada and additional restrictions, shelter in place orders, and business shutdowns were imposed. The rate of vaccination increased throughout all provinces throughout 2021, facilitating the lifting of some of the previously imposed restrictions. Thus far during the first quarter of 2022, capacity has remained at the 50% threshold with the expectation that the capacity limit will increase as provinces continue to lift restrictions. We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and adjust our operations as the circumstances change.

We have expanded our services to include remote training and treatment, but the long-term viability of these remote programs is still being assessed. Additionally, current and planned clinical experience programs and clinical trials have experienced and may continue to experience delays in the programs as trial participant attendance has generally decreased as a result of the pandemic, and clinics and clinical research sites have experienced delays and difficulties in recruiting and re-hiring clinical site staff.

The COVID-19 pandemic has and may continue to cause delays in or the suspension of our business partners manufacturing operations, our research and product development activities, our regulatory workstreams, our research and development activities and other important commercial functions. We are also dependent upon our suppliers for the manufacture of our PoNS device. In the second quarter of 2020, two of our business partners diverted resources towards other activities related to COVID-19, resulting in delays in our product development activities. Such diversion of suppliers’ resources may occur again in the future, and the pandemic could limit our suppliers’ ability to travel or ship materials or force temporary closure of facilities that we rely upon. Manufacturing delays have occurred and may also occur as the result of labor shortages. Two of our suppliers experienced significant labor shortages as a result of COVID-19 from the end of November 2021 through early January 2022 which reduced the available resources needed to build and test product resulting in production delays of the PoNS devices. Disruptions in business operations or governmental operations due to COVID-19 may delay the timing for the submission and approval of our marketing applications with regulatory agencies. Further, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could affect our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we may experience additional disruptions that could severely impact our business, including: