Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a late-stage biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing first-in-class critical care products, today announced that the Company has been selected to participate in New Jersey's Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Program, more commonly known as the Net Operating Loss Program, and will receive $3.6 million in non-dilutive capital through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Citius expects to receive the funds by late 2022 or early 2023.
"This was the first year that Citius qualified for the program, and we are delighted to have been selected to participate in New Jersey's NOL Program. As a pre-revenue business, this program allows us to convert certain losses from operations into tangible working capital today, supporting our ongoing research and development efforts. We are thankful to the NJ Economic Development Authority for aiding our efforts in our initial year of participation. This non-dilutive funding will provide added cash runway as we advance a late-Phase 3 trial for Mino-Lok®, a Phase 2b trial for Halo-Lido, and a recently submitted biologics license application for I/ONTAK,"
Jaime Bartushak, Chief Financial Officer of Citius
About the Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Program
The NOL Program enables participants to sell their New Jersey net operating losses and unused R&D tax credits to unrelated profitable corporations for cash. The NJEDA and the New Jersey Department of Treasury's Division of Taxation jointly administer the NOL Program, which has routinely been hailed as a "lifeline" by entrepreneurs seeking capital for their companies. The average award for companies approved to sell their net operating losses through the program in 2022 was over $3.1 million. Thirty-six percent of program applicants are private businesses, while the remaining 64 percent are publicly traded companies. To date, more than $1.17 billion in funding has been distributed to over 570 technology and life sciences companies since the program's inception in the late 1990s.
About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority serves as the State's principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey's long-term economic competitiveness.
About Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Citius is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of first-in-class critical care products, with a focus on oncology, anti-infectives in adjunct cancer care, unique prescription products, and stem cell therapies. The Company's diversified pipeline includes two late-stage product candidates, Mino-Lok®, an antibiotic lock solution for the treatment of patients with catheter-related bloodstream infections which is currently enrolling patients in a Phase 3 Pivotal superiority trial, and I/ONTAK a novel IL-2R immunotherapy for an initial indication in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma for which a BLA has been submitted. Mino-Lok® was granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. I/ONTAK has received orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of CTCL and peripheral T-cell lymphoma. In the first half of 2022, Citius initiated a Phase 2b trial for Halo-Lido, a topical formulation for the relief of hemorrhoids.