Interest Expense and Amortization of Debt Discount
Interest expense and amortization of debt discount decreased by $1.8 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2021 to $1.8 million as compared to $3.6 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The decrease reflects lower interest rates and prepayment of debt during 2020 and 2021.
Other non-operating (gain) loss
Other non-operating loss of $1.3 million for the nine month period ended on September 30, 2021 increased $1.1 million from other non-operating gain of $0.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The loss resulted primarily from asset disposal costs related to leasehold improvements associated with the curtailment of operations in Argentina during the second quarter of 2021.
Income Tax Benefit (Expense)
During the nine months ended September 30, 2021, we recognized income tax expense on continuing operations of $0.4 million on $62.8 million of loss before income tax, compared to $5.0 million of income tax benefit on $42.3 million of loss before income tax during the comparable 2020 period.
Income taxes for the interim periods have been based on an estimated annualized worldwide effective tax rate. Income tax (expense) benefit differs from the statutory income tax rate primarily due to the occurrence of orphan drug and research development credits, movement in a valuation allowance and the addition to state and foreign taxes.
The income tax expense was based on the applicable federal, state and foreign tax rates for those periods. For periods with income before provision for income taxes, favorable tax items result in a decrease in the effective tax rate, while unfavorable tax items result in an increase in the effective tax rate. For periods with a loss before benefit from income taxes, favorable tax items result in an increase in the effective tax rate, while unfavorable tax items result in a decrease in the effective tax rate.
Discontinued Operations
For the nine months ended September 30, 2021 the Company recognized loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, of $18.0 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 the Company recognized income from discontinued operations, net of tax of $12.5 million.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our principal sources of liquidity are cash and cash equivalents on hand. We had cash and cash equivalents of $8.4 million as of September 30, 2021. Our primary uses of cash are to fund operating expenses, product development costs, capital expenditures, and debt service payments.
As of September 30, 2021, the interest rate was 4.75% and 5.25% for our Term A Loan and Term B Loan, respectively. As of September 30, 2020, the interest rate was 4.75% and 5.25% for our Term A Loan and Term B Loan, respectively.
On September 8, 2021, we entered into a sales agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., or Cantor under which the Company may offer and sell its ordinary shares having aggregate sales proceeds of up to $75.0 million from time to time through Cantor as its sales agent by any method permitted that is deemed an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including, without limitation, sales made directly on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or any other existing trading market for the Company’s ordinary shares. As of September 30, 2021 we had sold 146,162 of our ordinary shares for aggregate proceeds of $0.5 million and net proceeds to us of $0.04 million, after deducting commissions payable by us.
On January 13, 2020 we completed an equity offering and allotted 6.9 million ordinary shares at a public offering price of $5.00 per share. The number of shares issued in this offering reflected the exercise in full of the underwriters option