SRNE Sorrento Therapeutics Inc

Item 8.01. Other Events.

As previously disclosed, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (“Sorrento” or the “Company”) was engaged in arbitration before the American Arbitration Association against NantPharma, LLC (“NantPharma”) relating to NantPharma’s alleged breaches of the May 14, 2015 Stock Sale and Purchase Agreement entered into between the Company and NantPharma related to the development of the cancer drug Cynviloq™ (the “Cynviloq Arbitration”).

As previously disclosed, on December 20, 2022, the arbitrator in the Cynviloq Arbitration issued an award granting contractual damages of $125 million to the Company, reflecting the value of lost milestone payments for the approval of Cynviloq for the treatment of breast and lung cancers. As previously disclosed, on March 16, 2023, the Los Angeles Superior Court granted Sorrento’s motion to confirm the award in the Cynviloq Arbitration over NantPharma’s opposition.

On April 7, 2023, the Los Angeles Superior Court entered final judgment (“Final Judgment”) upon the confirmed award in favor of Sorrento in the amount of $127,686,209.93, which includes arbitration costs and accrued interest on the award since December 20, 2022. The Final Judgment is accruing interest at the rate of 10 percent per annum, from March 16, 2023. Sorrento now intends to enforce the Final Judgment.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report on Form 8-K includes certain statements that are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook,” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s ability to enforce on its arbitration award in the Cynviloq Arbitration. The Company’s actual results or outcomes and the timing of certain events may differ significantly from those discussed in any forward-looking statements. These statements are based on various assumptions and on the current expectations of the Company’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability.  

Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of the Company. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with Sorrento’s ability to enforce on its arbitration award in the Cynviloq Arbitration, the unpredictability of trading markets and whether a market will be established for the Company’s common stock; the potential adverse impact of the Company’s bankruptcy proceedings pursuant to Chapter 11 (the “Chapter 11 Cases”) on the Company’s liquidity and results of operations; changes in the Company’s ability to meet its financial obligations during the Chapter 11 process and to maintain contracts that are critical to its operations; the outcome and timing of the Chapter 11 process; the effect of the Chapter 11 Cases on the Company’s relationships with vendors, regulatory authorities, employees and other third parties; possible proceedings that may be brought by third parties in connection with the Chapter 11 process; the timing or amount of any recovery, if any, to the Company’s stakeholders; any effects of the Chapter 11 Cases on the enforcement of the arbitration award in the Cynviloq Arbitration; the trading of the Company’s common stock on the Pink Open Market; and those factors discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in each case under the heading “Risk Factors,” and other documents of the Company filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. If the risks materialize or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that the Company presently does not know or that the Company currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this document. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its assessments to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this document. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.