UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-QSB

x QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2007


Commission File Number 0-9314

ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Exact name of small business issuer as specified in its charter)


 Delaware
 83-0221517  
 (State of Incorporation)
 (I.R.S. Employer I.D. No.)

2600 Stemmons Frwy, Suite 176, Dallas, TX 75207
(Address of principal executive offices)

(214) 905-5100
Issuer’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code

Check whether the issuer (1) filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the past 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 X    No ___

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes  _  No X  

The number of shares outstanding of the issuer's common stock, as of May 14, 2007 was 3,535,358 shares, $0.01 par value per share.

Transitional Small Business Disclosure Format (Check One):  Yes _  No X 
 
Total No. of Pages 31  









ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

INDEX


PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 Page No.
 Item 1.  
 
Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements:
 
 
 
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2007 (unaudited) and   December 31, 2006 (audited)
 25
 
 
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) for the three months ended March 31, 2007 and March 31, 2006 26
 26
 
 
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) for the  three months ended March 31, 2007 and March 31, 2006 27
 27
 
 
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements 
 28
 
Item 2. 
Management's Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation
 2
Item 3.
 
Controls and Procedures
 11
 
 
Risk Factors 
 11
     
 PART II - OTHER INFORMATION  
 
Item 1
Legal Proceedings
 22
 
Item 2
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds 
 22
 
Item 3 
 Defaults Upon Senior Securities 
 22
 
Item 4
 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders 
 22
 
Item 5
 Other Information 
 22
 
Item 6.
  Exhibits 
 23
 
SIGNATURES
 
 24
 

 

1




PART I -FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 
This Quarterly Report (including the information incorporated by reference) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to the uncertainties associated with research and development activities, clinical trials, our ability to raise capital, the timing of and our ability to achieve regulatory approvals, dependence on others to market our licensed products, collaborations, future cash flow, the timing and receipt of licensing and milestone revenues, the future success of our marketed products and products in development, our sales projections, and the sales projections of our licensing partners, our ability to achieve licensing milestones and other risks described below as well as those discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, documents incorporated by reference and other documents and reports that we file periodically with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements include, without limitation, statements relating to our ability to continue as a going concern, anticipated product approvals and timing thereof, product opportunities, clinical trials and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) applications, as well as our drug development strategy, our clinical development organization, expectations regarding our rate of technological developments and competition, our plan not to establish an internal marketing organization, our expectations regarding minimizing development risk and developing and introducing technology, the size of our targeted markets, the terms of future licensing arrangements, our ability to secure additional financing for our operations and our expected cash burn rate. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “could,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the risks outlined under “Risk Factors,” that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels or activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
 
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. We are under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of filing this Form 10-QSB to conform such statements to actual results.

ITEM 1 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The response to this Item is submitted as a separate section of this report.

ITEM 2 MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OR PLAN OF OPERATION

OVERVIEW
 
Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Access” or the “Company”) is a Delaware corporation. We are an emerging biopharmaceutical company developing products for use in the treatment of cancer, the supportive care of cancer, and other disease states. Our product for the management of oral mucositis, MuGard™, has received marketing clearance by the FDA as a device. Our lead clinical development program for the drug candidate ProLindac™ (formerly known as AP5346) is in Phase II clinical testing. Access also has advanced drug delivery technologies including Cobalamin™-mediated oral drug delivery and targeted delivery.
 
2

 
Together with our subsidiaries, we have proprietary patents or rights to one technology approved for marketing and three drug delivery technology platforms:
 
•     MuGard™ (mucoadhesive liquid technology),
•      synthetic polymer targeted delivery,
•      Cobalamin-mediated oral delivery,
•      Cobalamin-mediated targeted delivery.
 
Products
 
We have used our drug delivery technologies to develop the following products and product candidates:
 
ACCESS DRUG PORTFOLIO
Compound
 
Originator
 
 
Technology
 
Indication
 
FDA Filing
 
Clinical
Stage (1)
Cancer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MuGard™
 
Access
 
Mucoadhesive
liquid
 
Mucositis
 
510(k)
 
Marketing clearance
ProLindacTM (Polymer
Platinate, AP5346) (2)
 
Access - U London
 
Synthetic
polymer
 
Cancer
 
Clinical Development(3)
 
Phase II
Oral Insulin
 
Access
 
Cobalamin
 
Diabetes
 
Research
 
Pre-Clinical
Oral Delivery System
 
Access
 
Cobalamin
 
Various
 
Research
 
Pre-Clinical
Cobalamin-Targeted Therapeutics
 
Access
 
Cobalamin
 
Anti-tumor
 
Research
 
Pre-Clinical

(1)   For more information, see “Form 10-KSB, Government Regulation” for description of clinical stages.
 
(2)   Licensed from the School of Pharmacy, The University of London. Subject to a 1% royalty and milestone payments on sales.
 
(3)   Clinical studies being conducted in Europe and US.
 
Approved Products

MuGard™ - Mucoadhesive Liquid Technology (MLT)
 
Mucositis is a debilitating condition involving extensive inflammation of mouth tissue that affects annually an estimated 400,000 cancer patients in the United States undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Any treatment that would accelerate healing and/or diminish the rate of appearance of mucositis would have a significant beneficial impact on the quality of life of these patients and may allow for more aggressive chemotherapy. We believe the potential addressable market for a mucositis product could be over $1 billion world-wide.
 
3

 
Access’ MuGard™ is a viscous polymer solution which provides a coating for the oral cavity. MuGard™ is dispensed in a ready to use form. A multi-site, randomized clinical study was performed in the United States testing MuGard™ and MuGard™ containing an anti-inflammatory drug to determine the effect of these products on the prevention and treatment of mucositis. The data from this trial indicated that the patients using MuGard™ displayed a lower incidence of mucositis than is typically seen in the studied population with no additional benefit from the drug.

The data were retrospectively compared with two historical patient databases to evaluate the potential advantages MuGard™ may represent in the prevention, treatment and management of mucositis. The patient evaluation was conducted using the oral mucositis assessment scale, which qualifies the disease severity on a scale of 0-5. Key highlights of the comparison with the historical patient databases are as follows:
 
•      the average severity of the disease was reduced by approximately 40%;
•      the maximum intensity of the mucositis was approximately 35% lower; and
•      the median peak intensity was approximately 50% lower.
 
These data confirmed the fact that MuGard™ could represent an important advancement in the management and prevention of mucositis. On September 20, 2006, we announced that we had submitted a Premarket Notification 510(k) application to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcing the Company’s intent to market MuGard™. On December 13, 2006, we announced that we had received marketing clearance for MuGard™ from FDA for the indication of the management of oral wounds including mucositis, aphthous ulcers and traumatic ulcers.

Access is currently seeking marketing partners to market MuGard™ in the United States and in other territories worldwide.

Products in Development Status
 
ProLindac™ (Polymer Platinate, AP5346) DACH Platinum
 
Chemotherapy, surgery and radiation are the major components in the clinical management of cancer patients. Chemotherapy serves as the primary therapy for some solid tumors and metastases and is increasingly used as an adjunct to radiation and surgery to improve their effectiveness. For chemotherapeutic agents to be effective in treating cancer patients, however, the agent must reach the target cells in effective quantities with minimal toxicity in normal tissues.
 
The current optimal strategy for chemotherapy involves exposing patients to the most intensive cytotoxic regimens they can tolerate and clinicians attempt to design a combination of chemotherapeutic drugs, a dosing schedule and a method of administration to increase the probability that cancerous cells will be destroyed while minimizing the harm to healthy cells. Notwithstanding clinicians’ efforts, most current chemotherapeutic drugs have significant shortcomings that limit the efficacy of chemotherapy. For example, certain cancers are inherently unresponsive to chemotherapeutic agents. Alternatively, other cancers may initially respond, but subgroups of cancer cells acquire resistance to the drug during the course of therapy and the resistant cells may survive and cause a relapse. Serious toxicity, including bone marrow suppression, renal toxicity, neuropathy, or irreversible cardiotoxicity, are some of the limitations of current anti-cancer drugs that can prevent their administration in curative doses.
 
4

 
Oxaliplatin, a formulation of DACH platinum, is a chemotherapeutic which was initially approved in France and in Europe in 1999 for the treatment of colorectal cancer. It is now also being marketed in the United States and is generating worldwide sales in excess of $2 billion annually. Carboplatin and Cisplatin, two other approved platinum chemotherapy drugs, are not indicated for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Oxaliplatin, in combination with 5-flurouracil and folinic acid (known as the FOLFOX regime) is indicated for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in Europe and the U.S. The colorectal cancer market is a significant opportunity as there are over 940,000 reported new cases annually worldwide, increasing at a rate of approximately three percent per year, and 500,000 deaths.
 
Currently, platinum compounds are one of the largest selling categories of chemotherapeutic agents, with annual sales in excess of $3.0 billion. As is the case with all chemotherapeutic drugs, the use of such compounds is associated with serious systemic side effects. The drug development goal therefore is to enhance delivery of the active drug to the tumor and minimize the amount of active drug affecting normal organs in the body.
 
Utilizing a biocompatible water-soluble polymer HPMA as a drug carrier, Access’ drug candidate ProLindac™, links DACH platinum to a polymer in a manner which permits the selective release of active drug to the tumor by several mechanisms, including taking advantage of the differential pH in tumor tissue compared to healthy tissue. The polymer also capitalizes on the biological differences in the permeability of blood vessels at tumor sites versus normal tissue. In this way, tumor selective delivery and platinum release is achieved. The ability of ProLindac™ to inhibit tumor growth has been evaluated in more than ten preclinical models. Compared with the marketed product oxaliplatin, ProLindac™ showed either marked superiority or superiority in most of these models. Preclinical studies of the delivery of platinum to tumors in an animal model have shown that, compared with oxaliplatin at equitoxic doses, ProLindac™ delivers in excess of 16 times more platinum to the tumor. An analysis of tumor DNA, which is the main target for anti-cancer platinum agents, has shown that ProLindac™ delivers approximately 14 times more platinum to tumor DNA than oxaliplatin. Results from preclinical efficacy studies conducted in the B16 and other tumor models have also shown that ProLindac™ is superior to oxaliplatin in inhibiting the growth of tumors. An extensive preclinical package has been developed supporting the development of ProLindac™.
 
In 2005 we completed a Phase I multi-center clinical study conducted in Europe, which enrolled 26 patients. The study was reported at the AACR-NCI-EORTC conference in Philadelphia in November 2005.  The European trial was designed to identify the maximum tolerated dose, dose limiting toxicities, the pharmacokinetics of the platinum in plasma and the possible anti-tumor activity of ProLindacTM. The open-label, non-randomized, dose-escalation Phase I study was performed at two European centers. ProLindacTM was administered as an intravenous infusion over one hour, once a week on days 1, 8 and 15 of each 28-day cycle to patients with solid progressive tumors. We obtained results in 26 patients with a broad cross-section of tumor types, with doses ranging from 80-1,280 mg Pt/m2.
 
Of the 26 patients, 10 were not evaluable for tumor response, principally due to withdrawal from the study prior to completing the required cycle. Of the 16 evaluable patients, 2 demonstrated a partial response, 1 experienced a partial response based on a biomarker and 4 experienced stable disease. One of the patients who attained a partial response had a melanoma with lung metastasis; a CT scan revealed a tumor decrease of greater than 50%. The other patient who responded had ovarian cancer; she had a reduction in lymph node metastasis and remission of a liver metastasis. The patient who experienced a partial response based on a biomarker was an ovarian cancer patient for whom CA-125 levels returned to normal. Also of note, a patient with cisplatin resistant cervical cancer showed a short lasting significant reduction in lung metastasis after 3 doses. However, due to toxicity, the patient could not be retreated to determine whether the partial response could be maintained.

5

 
We have commenced a European Phase II ProLindac™ trial in ovarian cancer patients who have relapsed after first line platinum therapy. The primary aim of the study is to the determine the response rate of ProLindacTM monotherapy in this patient population. The response rates for other platinum compounds in this indication are well known, and will be used for comparison.

We have provided ProLindacTM to the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego to conduct a Phase II clinical study in patients with head and neck cancer under a physician-sponsored IND. The primary aim of the study is to demonstrate the ability of the tumor-targeting polymer system to deliver more platinum to tumors than can be attained with oxaliplatin, the approved DACH platinum compound.

The company has submitted an IND application to the US Food and Drug Administration, and has received clearance from the agency to proceed with a Phase I clinical study of ProLindac in combination with fluorouracil and leucovorin. The study is designed to evaluate the safety of ProLindac in combination with two standard drugs used to treat colorectal cancer and to establish a safe dose for Phase II clinical studies of this combination in colorectal cancer. The company is currently evaluating whether clinical development of ProLindac in this indication might proceed more rapidly by utilizing an alternative clinical strategy and/or conducting studies in the US and/or elsewhere in the world.

RECENT EVENTS

On April 26, 2007, Access and SCO Capital Partners LLC and affiliates (“SCO”) agreed to extend the maturity date of an aggregate principal amount of $6,000,000 of 7.5% convertible notes to June 11, 2007 from April 27, 2007. On April 30, 2007, Access and SCO and affiliates agreed to amend an Investor Rights Agreement to extend the required filing date of a registration statement to the earlier of the filing of a future registration statement in connection with a qualified financing or August 31, 2007.

On April 24, 2007, Access and Oracle Partners LP and affiliates (“Oracle”) agreed to extend the maturity date of an aggregate principal amount of $4,015,000 of 7.7% convertible notes to June 12, 2007 from April 28, 2007.

SCO, Oracle and their affiliates have extended the due dates of the convertible notes several times. If market conditions are right, we would like SCO, Oracle and their affiliates to convert the notes to equity. We cannot predict whether market conditions will be right for conversion and we do not know if SCO, Oracle and their affiliates will convert or extend the maturity date of the notes in the future.

On April 19, 2007 we announced we had entered into an agreement to acquire Somanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, upon consummation of the acquisition, Somanta’s preferred and common shareholders would receive an aggregate of 1.5 million shares of Access’ common shares which would represent approximately 13% of the combined company assuming the conversion of Access’ existing convertible debt under existing terms of conversion. The closing of the transaction is subject to numerous conditions including receipt of necessary approvals including approval of Somanta shareholders. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be consummated or if consummated that it will be on the terms described herein.

6

 
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

We have funded our operations primarily through private sales of common stock and convertible notes and our principal source of liquidity is cash and cash equivalents. Contract research payments, licensing fees and milestone payments from corporate alliances and mergers have also provided funding for operations. As of March 31, 2006 our cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments were $3,083,000 and our net cash burn rate for the three months ending March 31, 2007 was approximately $435,000 per month. Our working capital deficit was $9,302,000. Our working capital at March 31, 2006 represented a decrease of $3,520,000 as compared to our working capital deficit as of December 31, 2006 of $5,782,000. Our working capital is negative reflecting approximately $10.9 million of debt that becomes due prior to March 31, 2008 and $899,000 of accrued interest payments accrued at March 31, 2007.

As of March 31, 2007, the Company did not have enough capital to achieve its long-term goals.

We do not have sufficient funds to repay our convertible notes at their maturity. We may not be able to restructure the convertible notes or obtain additional financing to repay them on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we raise additional funds by selling equity securities, the relative equity ownership of our existing investors would be diluted and the new investors could obtain terms more favorable than previous investors. A failure to restructure our convertible notes or obtain additional funding to repay the convertible notes and support our working capital and operating requirements, could cause us to be in default of our convertible notes and prevent us from making expenditures that are needed to allow us to maintain our operations. A failure to restructure our existing convertible notes or obtain necessary additional capital in the future could jeopardize our operations.

We have generally incurred negative cash flows from operations since inception, and have expended, and expect to continue to expend in the future, substantial funds to complete our planned product development efforts. Since inception, our expenses have significantly exceeded revenues, resulting in an accumulated deficit as of March 31, 2007 of $81,799,000. We expect that our capital resources will be adequate to fund our current level of operations for just over six months, excluding any obligation to repay the convertible notes and the debt service on the convertible notes, which at this time we do not have the ability to pay. We cannot assure you that we will ever be able to generate significant product revenue or achieve or sustain profitability. We currently do not have the cash resources to repay our debt obligations due in June and September 2007. We plan to satisfy our obligations under the notes either through conversion of the notes into equity or through the sale of equity.

All shares and per share information reflect a one for five reverse stock split effected June 5, 2006.

7

 
SCO Capital Partners LLC - Notes and Warrants
On December 6, 2006, we entered into a secured note and warrant purchase agreement pursuant to which we sold and issued an aggregate of $500,000 of 7.5% convertible notes now due June 11, 2007 and warrants to purchase 386,364 shares of common stock of Access. Net proceeds to Access were $450,000. The notes and warrants were sold in a private placement to a group of accredited investors led by SCO and affiliates. Each noteholder received a warrant to purchase a number of shares of common stock of Access equal to 75% of the total number shares of Access common stock into which such holder's note is convertible. Each warrant has an exercise price of $1.32 per share and is exercisable at any time prior to December 6, 2012.

On October 24, 2006, we entered into a secure note and warrant purchase agreement pursuant to which we sold and issued an aggregate of $500,000 of 7.5% convertible notes now due June 11, 2007 and warrants to purchase 386,364 shares of common stock of Access. Net proceeds to Access were $450,000. The notes and warrants were sold in a private placement to a group of accredited investors led by SCO and affiliates. Each noteholder received a warrant to purchase a number of shares of common stock of Access equal to 75% of the total number shares of Access common stock into which such holder's note is convertible. Each warrant has an exercise price of $1.32 per share and is exercisable at any time prior to October 24, 2012.

On February 16, 2006, we entered into a secured note and warrant purchase agreement pursuant to which we sold and issued an aggregate of $5,000,000 of 7.5% convertible notes now due June 11, 2007 and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 3,863,634 shares of common stock of Access. Net proceeds to Access were $4.5 million after offering costs of approximately $500,000, which are being amortized to interest expense over the term of the debt. The notes and warrants were sold in a private placement to a group of accredited investors led by SCO and its affiliates. Each noteholder received a warrant to purchase a number of shares of common stock of Access equal to 75% of the total number shares of Access common stock into which such holder's note is convertible. Each warrant has an exercise price of $1.32 per share and is exercisable at any time prior to February 16, 2012.

All the secured notes mature on June 11, 2007, are convertible into Access common stock at a fixed conversion rate of $1.10 per share, bear interest of 7.5% per annum and are secured by the assets of Access. Each note may be converted at the option of the noteholder or Access under certain circumstances as set forth in the notes.

In the event SCO and its affiliates were to convert all of their notes and exercise all of their warrants, it would own approximately 74.1% of the voting securities of Access. Access may be required to pay in cash, up to 2% per month, as defined, as liquidated damages for failure to file and keep effective a registration statement timely as required by investor rights agreements.

In connection with the sale and issuance of notes and warrants, Access entered into an investors rights agreement whereby it granted SCO the right to designate two individuals to serve on the Board of Directors of Access while the notes are outstanding, and also granted registration rights with respect to the shares of common stock of Access underlying the notes and warrants. SCO designated Jeffrey B. Davis and Mark J. Alvino to the Board of Directors, and on March 13, 2006 Messrs, Davis and Alvino were appointed to the Board of Directors.

8

 
Uluru, Inc. - Sale of Oral/Topical Care Assets
On December 8, 2006 we amended our 2005 Asset Sale Agreement with Uluru, Inc. Access received from Uluru an upfront payment of $4.9 million at the time of the amendment, received an additional $350,000 on April 9, 2007 and in the future could receive potential milestones of up to $4.8 million based on Uluru sales. The amendment agreement included the anniversary payment due October 12, 2006, the early payment of the two year anniversary payment, and a payment in satisfaction of certain future milestones. Access also transferred to Uluru certain patent applications that Access had previously licensed to Uluru under the 2005 License Agreement. Under a new agreement, Access has acquired a license from Uluru to utilize the nanoparticle aggregate technology contained in the transferred patent applications for subcutaneous, intramuscular, intra-peritoneal and intra-tumoral drug delivery. Additionally, one future milestone was increased by $125,000.

Other Convertible Notes
One holder of $4 million worth of 7.7% convertible notes (Oracle Partners LP and related funds) has amended their notes to a new maturity date, initially to April 28 (and subsequently to June 12, 2007), with the conversion price being reduced from $27.50 per share to $5.00 per share. In addition, the Company may cause a mandatory conversion of the notes into common stock if the common stock trades at a price of at least 1.5 times the conversion price for a minimum number of trading days. There is also a provision to allow for a minimum price for conversion in the event of a change of control of the Company. This modification resulted in us recording additional debt discount of $2.1 million, which will be accreted to interest expense to the revised maturity date. At March 31, 2007, there is $100,000 of debt discount remaining.

Another noteholder, holding $5.5 million worth of 7.7% convertible notes has amended their note to a new maturity date, September 13, 2010 and elected to have the 2005 and 2006 interest of $880,000 to be paid on September 13, 2007 or earlier if the Company receives $5.0 million of new funds. The delayed interest will earn interest at a rate of 10.0%.

Since our inception, we have devoted our resources primarily to fund our research and development programs. We have been unprofitable since inception and to date have received limited revenues from the sale of products. We cannot assure you that we will be able to generate sufficient product revenues to attain profitability on a sustained basis or at all. We expect to incur losses for the next several years as we continue to invest in product research and development, preclinical studies, clinical trials and regulatory compliance. As of March 31, 2007, our accumulated deficit was $81,799,000.


FIRST QUARTER 2007 COMPARED TO FIRST QUARTER 2006

Total research spending for the first quarter of 2007 was $413,000, as compared to $756,000 for the same period in 2006, a decrease of $343,000. The decrease in expenses was primarily due to the following:
 
·
lower costs for product manufacturing for ProLindac™ ($247,000). Product manufacturing was completed early in 2006 which we believe is adequate to supply drug product for all of our current ovarian cancer trial;
 
·
lower costs of clinical trials for ProLindac™ ($137,000). We incurred start-up costs for the clinical trial in early 2006; and
 
·
Other net decreases ($8,000).

9

 
The decrease in research spending is partially offset by higher salary and related cost due to the hiring of additional scientific staff ($49,000).

Total general and administrative expenses were $1,139,000 for the first quarter of 2007, an increase of $473,000 as compared to the same period in 2006. The increase in spending was due primarily to the following:

 
·
higher salary related expenses due to stock option expenses ($203,000);
 
·
higher investor relations expenses ($133,000) due to our increased investor relations efforts;
 
·
increased salary and related expenses due to the hiring of a business development officer ($47,000);
 
·
higher franchise taxes ($34,000);
 
·
higher patent costs ($28,000); and
· by other net increases ($28,000).

Depreciation and amortization was $75,000 for the first quarter of 2007 as compared to $77,000 for the same period in 2006 reflecting a decrease of $2,000. The decrease in depreciation and amortization was due to assets becoming fully depreciated.

Total operating expenses in the first quarter of 2007 were $1,627,000 as compared to total operating expenses of $1,499,000 for the same period in 2006 an increase of $128,000.

Interest and miscellaneous income was $35,000 for the first quarter of 2007 as compared to $92,000 for the same period in 2006, a decrease of $57,000. The decrease in interest income was due to accretion of the receivable due from Uluru that was recorded in 2006.

Interest and other expense was $2,535,000 for the first quarter of 2007 as compared to $1,299,000 the same period in 2006, an increase of $1,236,000. The increase in interest and other expense was due to amortization of the discount on the Oracle convertible notes and the amortization of the SCO notes.

In 2006 there was an unrealized loss on fair value of warrants of $2,150,000 due to the warrants issued to SCO and affiliates. We changed our accounting for the warrants in the fourth quarter of 2006 and there is no unrealized losses or gains in 2007.

Net loss in the first quarter of 2007 was $4,127,000, or a $1.17 basic and diluted loss per common share, compared with a loss of $4,856,000, or a $1.38 basic and diluted loss per common share for the same period in 2006.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

We adopted FIN 48 as of the beginning of our 2007 fiscal year. See Notes to Condensed Financial Statements.

In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS 157, Fair Value Measurements (SFAS 157), which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. The provisions of SFAS 157 are effective as of the beginning of our 2008 fiscal year. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting SFAS 157 on our financial statements.

10

 
In February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities Including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115 (SFAS 159), which permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value. The provisions of SFAS 159 are effective as of the beginning of our 2008 fiscal year. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting SFAS 159 on our financial statements.

ITEM 3 CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.
Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. An evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a — 15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report. Based on this evaluation, our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, concluded that, as of March 31, 2007 our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. 

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
For the quarter ended March 31, 2007, there have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

RISK FACTORS

The risk factors set forth below, other than the risks under the heading “Additional Risks”, were previously discussed in our Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. There have not been any material changes from the risk factors previously disclosed in our Form 10-KSB, other than the risks under the heading “Additional Risks”. These risk factors are not the only ones facing the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently deemed to be material may also materially or adversely affect our financial condition and/or operating results.

Although Access and Somanta expect that the merger will result in benefits to the combined company, the combined company may not realize those benefits because of integration and other challenges.
 
Access’ ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the merger will depend, in part, on the ability of Access to integrate the business of Somanta with the business of Access. The combination of two independent companies is a complex, costly and time-consuming process. This process may disrupt the business of either or both of the companies, and may not result in the full benefits expected by Access and Somanta. The difficulties of combining the operations of the companies include, among others:
  
11

 
 
 
unanticipated issues in integrating information, communications and other systems;

 
 
retaining key employees;
 
 
 
consolidating corporate and administrative infrastructures;
 
 
 
the diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business concerns; and
 
 
 
coordinating geographically separate organizations.
 
We cannot assure you that the combination of Somanta with Access will result in the realization of the full benefits anticipated from the merger.
 
Without obtaining adequate capital funding, we may not be able to continue as a going concern.

The report of our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 contained a fourth explanatory paragraph to reflect its significant doubt about our ability to continue a going concern as a result of our history of losses and our liquidity position, as discussed herein and in this Form 10-QSB. If we are unable to obtain adequate capital funding in the future, we may not be able to continue as a going concern, which would have an adverse effect on our business and operations, and investors’ investment in us may decline.

We have experienced a history of losses, we expect to incur future losses and we may be unable to obtain necessary additional capital to fund operations in the future.

We have recorded minimal revenue to date and we have incurred a cumulative operating loss of approximately $81.8 million through March 31, 2007. Net losses for the years ended 2006, 2005 and 2004 were $12,874,000, $1,700,000 and $10,238,000, respectively. Our losses have resulted principally from costs incurred in research and development activities related to our efforts to develop clinical drug candidates and from the associated administrative costs. We expect to incur additional operating losses over the next several years. We also expect cumulative losses to increase if we expand research and development efforts and preclinical and clinical trials. Our net cash burn rate for the three months ended March 31, 2007 was approximately $435,000 per month. We project our net cash burn rate for the next six months to be approximately $450,000 per month. Capital expenditures are forecasted to be minor for the next seven months.

We require substantial capital for our development programs and operating expenses, to pursue regulatory clearances and to prosecute and defend our intellectual property rights. We believe that our existing capital resources, interest income, product sales, royalties and revenue from possible licensing agreements and collaborative agreements will be sufficient to fund our currently expected operating expenses and capital requirements for six months (other than debt and interest obligations including the approximately $6 million of Senior Convertible notes due June 11, 2007 plus accrued interest; and approximately $4.0 million of convertible notes which are required to be repaid June 12, 2007 plus accrued interest; and capitalized interest of $880,000 due September 13, 2007). We will need to raise substantial additional capital to support our ongoing operations and debt obligations.
 
12

 
If we do raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, further dilution to existing stockholders would result and future investors may be granted rights superior to those of existing stockholders. If adequate funds are not available to us through additional equity offerings, we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of or eliminate one or more of our research and development programs or to obtain funds by entering into arrangements with collaborative partners or others that require us to issue additional equity securities or to relinquish rights to certain technologies or drug candidates that we would not otherwise issue or relinquish in order to continue independent operations.

We do not have operating revenue and we may never attain profitability.
 
To date, we have funded our operations primarily through private sales of common stock and convertible notes. Contract research payments and licensing fees from corporate alliances and mergers have also provided funding for our operations. Our ability to achieve significant revenue or profitability depends upon our ability to successfully complete the development of drug candidates, to develop and obtain patent protection and regulatory approvals for our drug candidates and to manufacture and commercialize the resulting drugs. We sold our only revenue producing assets to Uluru, Inc. in October 2005. We are not expecting any revenues in the short-term from our other assets. Furthermore, we may not be able to ever successfully identify, develop, commercialize, patent, manufacture, obtain required regulatory approvals and market any additional products. Moreover, even if we do identify, develop, commercialize, patent, manufacture, and obtain required regulatory approvals to market additional products, we may not generate revenues or royalties from commercial sales of these products for a significant number of years, if at all. Therefore, our proposed operations are subject to all the risks inherent in the establishment of a new business enterprise. In the next few years, our revenues may be limited to minimal product sales and royalties, any amounts that we receive under strategic partnerships and research or drug development collaborations that we may establish and, as a result, we may be unable to achieve or maintain profitability in the future or to achieve significant revenues in order to fund our operations.

We may not be able to pay our debt and other obligations and our assets may be seized as a result.

We may not generate the cash flow required to pay our liabilities as they become due. Our outstanding debt includes $6 million of Senior Convertible notes due June 11, 2007, and approximately $4.0 million of our Convertible Subordinated Notes due June 12, 2007 and $5.5 million is due in September 2010. We also have capitalized interest of $880,000 plus interest due the Company otherwise it will be due September 13, 2007.

If our cash flow is inadequate to meet these obligations, we will default on the notes. Any default on the notes could allow our note holders to foreclose upon our assets, force us into bankruptcy. We may be unable to repay or repurchase or restructure the convertible subordinated notes due in June 2007 and September 2010 and be forced into bankruptcy. In the event of a default, the holders of our secured convertible notes have the right to foreclose on substantially all of our assets, which could force us to curtail or cease our business operations.

The holders of our convertible notes may require us to repurchase or prepay all of the outstanding convertible notes under certain circumstances. We may not have sufficient cash reserves to repurchase the convertible notes at such time, which would cause an event of default under the convertible notes and may force us to declare bankruptcy.

13

 
We may not successfully commercialize our drug candidates.

Our drug candidates are subject to the risks of failure inherent in the development of pharmaceutical products based on new technologies and our failure to develop safe, commercially viable drugs would severely limit our ability to become profitable or to achieve significant revenues. We may be unable to successfully commercialize our drug candidates because:

 
·
some or all of our drug candidates may be found to be unsafe or ineffective or otherwise fail to meet applicable regulatory standards or receive necessary regulatory clearances;
 
·
our drug candidates, if safe and effective, may be too difficult to develop into commercially viable drugs;
 
·
it may be difficult to manufacture or market our drug candidates on a large scale;
 
·
proprietary rights of third parties may preclude us from marketing our drug candidates; and
 
·
third parties may market superior or equivalent drugs.

The success of our research and development activities, upon which we primarily focus, is uncertain.

Our primary focus is on our research and development activities and the commercialization of compounds covered by proprietary biopharmaceutical patents and patent applications. Research and development activities, by their nature, preclude definitive statements as to the time required and costs involved in reaching certain objectives. Actual research and development costs, therefore, could exceed budgeted amounts and estimated time frames may require extension. Cost overruns, unanticipated regulatory delays or demands, unexpected adverse side effects or insufficient therapeutic efficacy will prevent or substantially slow our research and development effort and our business could ultimately suffer. We anticipate that we will remain principally engaged in research and development activities for an indeterminate, but substantial, period of time.

We may be unable to successfully develop, market, or commercialize our products or our product candidates without establishing new relationships and maintaining current relationships.

Our strategy for the research, development and commercialization of our potential pharmaceutical products may require us to enter into various arrangements with corporate and academic collaborators, licensors, licensees and others, in addition to our existing relationships with other parties. Specifically, we may seek to joint venture, sublicense or enter other marketing arrangements with parties that have an established marketing capability or we may choose to pursue the commercialization of such products on our own. We may, however, be unable to establish such additional collaborative arrangements, license agreements, or marketing agreements as we may deem necessary to develop, commercialize and market our potential pharmaceutical products on acceptable terms. Furthermore, if we maintain and establish arrangements or relationships with third parties, our business may depend upon the successful performance by these third parties of their responsibilities under those arrangements and relationships.

Our ability to successfully commercialize, and market our product candidates could be limited if a number of these existing relationships were terminated.

14

 
Furthermore, our strategy with respect to our polymer platinate program is to enter into a licensing agreement with a pharmaceutical company pursuant to which the further costs of developing a product would be shared with our licensing partner. Although we have had discussions with potential licensing partners with respect to our polymer platinate program, to date we have not entered into any licensing arrangement. We may be unable to execute our licensing strategy for polymer platinate.

We may be unable to successfully manufacture our products and our product candidates in clinical quantities or for commercial purposes without the assistance of contract manufacturers, which may be difficult for us to obtain and maintain.

We have limited experience in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products in clinical quantities or for commercial purposes and we may not be able to manufacture any new pharmaceutical products that we may develop. As a result, we have established, and in the future intend to establish arrangements with contract manufacturers to supply sufficient quantities of products to conduct clinical trials and for the manufacture, packaging, labeling and distribution of finished pharmaceutical products if any of our potential products are approved for commercialization. If we are unable to contract for a sufficient supply of our potential pharmaceutical products on acceptable terms, our preclinical and human clinical testing schedule may be delayed, resulting in the delay of our clinical programs and submission of product candidates for regulatory approval, which could cause our business to suffer. Our business could suffer if there are delays or difficulties in establishing relationships with manufacturers to produce, package, label and distribute our finished pharmaceutical or other medical products, if any, market introduction and subsequent sales of such products. Moreover, contract manufacturers that we may use must adhere to current Good Manufacturing Practices, as required by the FDA. In this regard, the FDA will not issue a pre-market approval or product and establishment licenses, where applicable, to a manufacturing facility for the products until the manufacturing facility passes a pre-approval plant inspection. If we are unable to obtain or retain third party manufacturing on commercially acceptable terms, we may not be able to commercialize our products as planned. Our potential dependence upon third parties for the manufacture of our products may adversely affect our ability to generate profits or acceptable profit margins and our ability to develop and deliver such products on a timely and competitive basis.
 
ProLindac™ is manufactured by third parties for our Phase II clinical trials. Manufacturing is ongoing for the current clinical trials. Certain manufacturing steps are conducted by the Company to enable significant cost savings to be realized.

We are subject to extensive governmental regulation which increases our cost of doing business and may affect our ability to commercialize any new products that we may develop.

The FDA and comparable agencies in foreign countries impose substantial requirements upon the introduction of pharmaceutical products through lengthy and detailed laboratory, preclinical and clinical testing procedures and other costly and time-consuming procedures to establish their safety and efficacy. All of our drugs and drug candidates require receipt and maintenance of governmental approvals for commercialization. Preclinical and clinical trials and manufacturing of our drug candidates will be subject to the rigorous testing and approval processes of the FDA and corresponding foreign regulatory authorities. Satisfaction of these requirements typically takes a significant number of years and can vary substantially based upon the type, complexity and novelty of the product. The status of our principal products is as follows:

15

 
 
·
A mucoadhesive liquid technology product, MuGard™, has received marketing approval by the FDA.
 
·
ProLindac™ is currently in a Phase II trial in Europe and a Phase II trial in the US.
 
·
ProLindac™ has been approved for an additional Phase I trial in the US by the FDA.
 
·
Cobalamin™ mediated delivery technology is currently in the pre-clinical phase.
 
·
We also have other products in the preclinical phase.

Due to the time consuming and uncertain nature of the drug candidate development process and the governmental approval process described above, we cannot assure you when we, independently or with our collaborative partners, might submit a NDA, for FDA or other regulatory review.

Government regulation also affects the manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products. Government regulations may delay marketing of our potential drugs for a considerable or indefinite period of time, impose costly procedural requirements upon our activities and furnish a competitive advantage to larger companies or companies more experienced in regulatory affairs. Delays in obtaining governmental regulatory approval could adversely affect our marketing as well as our ability to generate significant revenues from commercial sales. Our drug candidates may not receive FDA or other regulatory approvals on a timely basis or at all. Moreover, if regulatory approval of a drug candidate is granted, such approval may impose limitations on the indicated use for which such drug may be marketed. Even if we obtain initial regulatory approvals for our drug candidates, Access, our drugs and our manufacturing facilities would be subject to continual review and periodic inspection, and later discovery of previously unknown problems with a drug, manufacturer or facility may result in restrictions on the marketing or manufacture of such drug, including withdrawal of the drug from the market. The FDA and other regulatory authorities stringently apply regulatory standards and failure to comply with regulatory standards can, among other things, result in fines, denial or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls or seizures, operating restrictions and criminal prosecution.

The uncertainty associated with preclinical and clinical testing may affect our ability to successfully commercialize new products.

Before we can obtain regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any of our potential drugs, the drug candidates will be subject to extensive preclinical and clinical trials to demonstrate their safety and efficacy in humans. Preclinical or clinical trials of any of our future drug candidates may not demonstrate the safety and efficacy of such drug candidates at all or to the extent necessary to obtain regulatory approvals. In this regard, for example, adverse side effects can occur during the clinical testing of a new drug on humans which may delay ultimate FDA approval or even lead us to terminate our efforts to develop the drug for commercial use. Companies in the biotechnology industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after demonstrating promising results in earlier trials. In particular, polymer platinate has taken longer to progress through clinical trials than originally planned. This extra time has not been related to concerns of the formulations but rather due to the lengthy regulatory process. The failure to adequately demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a drug candidate under development could delay or prevent regulatory approval of the drug candidate. A delay or failure to receive regulatory approval for any of our drug candidates could prevent us from successfully commercializing such candidates and we could incur substantial additional expenses in our attempts to further develop such candidates and obtain future regulatory approval.

16

 
We may incur substantial product liability expenses due to the use or misuse of our products for which we may be unable to obtain insurance coverage.

Our business exposes us to potential liability risks that are inherent in the testing, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products. These risks will expand with respect to our drug candidates, if any, that receive regulatory approval for commercial sale and we may face substantial liability for damages in the event of adverse side effects or product defects identified with any of our products that are used in clinical tests or marketed to the public. We generally procure product liability insurance for drug candidates that are undergoing human clinical trials. Product liability insurance for the biotechnology industry is generally expensive, if available at all, and as a result, we may be unable to obtain insurance coverage at acceptable costs or in a sufficient amount in the future, if at all. We may be unable to satisfy any claims for which we may be held liable as a result of the use or misuse of products which we have developed, manufactured or sold and any such product liability claim could adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition.

We may incur significant liabilities if we fail to comply with stringent environmental regulations or if we did not comply with these regulations in the past.

Our research and development processes involve the controlled use of hazardous materials. We are subject to a variety of federal, state and local governmental laws and regulations related to the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of such material and certain waste products. Although we believe that our activities and our safety procedures for storing, using, handling and disposing of such materials comply with the standards prescribed by such laws and regulations, the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials cannot be completely eliminated. In the event of such accident, we could be held liable for any damages that result and any such liability could exceed our resources.

Intense competition may limit our ability to successfully develop and market commercial products.

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are intensely competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change. Our competitors in the United States and elsewhere are numerous and include, among others, major multinational pharmaceutical and chemical companies, specialized biotechnology firms and universities and other research institutions.
 
The following products may compete with polymer platinate:
 
•      Cisplatin, marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, the originator of the drug, and several generic manufacturers;
•      Carboplatin, marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb in the US; and
•      Oxaliplatin, marketed exclusively by Sanofi-Aventis.
 
The following companies are working on therapies and formulations that may be competitive with our polymer platinate:
 
•     Antigenics and Regulon are developing liposomal platinum formulations;
•   Spectrum Pharmaceuticals and GPC Biotech are developing oral platinum formulations;
•   Poniard Pharmaceuticals is developing both iv and oral platinum formulations;
•   Nanocarrier and Debio are developing micellar nanoparticle platinum formulations; and
•     American Pharmaceutical Partners, Cell Therapeutics, Daiichi, and Enzon are developing alternate drugs in combination with polymers and other drug delivery systems.
 
17

 
Companies working on therapies and formulations that may be competitive with our vitamin mediated drug delivery system are Bristol-Myers Squibb, Centocor (acquired by Johnson & Johnson), Endocyte, GlaxoSmithKline, Imclone and Xoma which are developing targeted monoclonal antibody therapy.
 
Amgen, Carrington Laboratories, CuraGen Corporation, Cytogen Corporation, Endo Pharmaceuticals, , MGI Pharma, Nuvelo, Inc. and OSI Pharmaceuticals are developing products to treat mucositis that may compete with our mucoadhesive liquid technology.

BioDelivery Sciences International, Biovail Corporation, Cellgate, CIMA Labs, Inc., Cytogen Corporation, Depomed Inc., Emisphere Technologies, Inc., Eurand, Flamel Technologies, Nobex and Xenoport are developing products which compete with our oral drug delivery system.

Many of these competitors have and employ greater financial and other resources, including larger research and development, marketing and manufacturing organizations. As a result, our competitors may successfully develop technologies and drugs that are more effective or less costly than any that we are developing or which would render our technology and future products obsolete and noncompetitive.

In addition, some of our competitors have greater experience than we do in conducting preclinical and clinical trials and obtaining FDA and other regulatory approvals. Accordingly, our competitors may succeed in obtaining FDA or other regulatory approvals for drug candidates more rapidly than we do. Companies that complete clinical trials, obtain required regulatory agency approvals and commence commercial sale of their drugs before their competitors may achieve a significant competitive advantage. Drugs resulting from our research and development efforts or from our joint efforts with collaborative partners therefore may not be commercially competitive with our competitors' existing products or products under development.

Our ability to successfully develop and commercialize our drug candidates will substantially depend upon the availability of reimbursement funds for the costs of the resulting drugs and related treatments.

The successful commercialization of, and the interest of potential collaborative partners to invest in the development of our drug candidates, may depend substantially upon reimbursement of the costs of the resulting drugs and related treatments at acceptable levels from government authorities, private health insurers and other organizations, including health maintenance organizations, or HMOs. Limited reimbursement for the cost of any drugs that we develop may reduce the demand for, or price of such drugs, which would hamper our ability to obtain collaborative partners to commercialize our drugs, or to obtain a sufficient financial return on our own manufacture and commercialization of any future drugs.

The market may not accept any pharmaceutical products that we successfully develop.

The drugs that we are attempting to develop may compete with a number of well-established drugs manufactured and marketed by major pharmaceutical companies. The degree of market acceptance of any drugs developed by us will depend on a number of factors, including the establishment and demonstration of the clinical efficacy and safety of our drug candidates, the potential advantage of our drug candidates over existing therapies and the reimbursement policies of government and third-party payers. Physicians, patients or the medical community in general may not accept or use any drugs that we may develop independently or with our collaborative partners and if they do not, our business could suffer.

18

 
Trends toward managed health care and downward price pressures on medical products and services may limit our ability to profitably sell any drugs that we may develop.

Lower prices for pharmaceutical products may result from:

 
·
third-party payers' increasing challenges to the prices charged for medical products and services;

 
·
the trend toward managed health care in the United States and the concurrent growth of HMOs and similar organizations that can control or significantly influence the purchase of healthcare services and products; and

 
·
legislative proposals to reform healthcare or reduce government insurance programs.

The cost containment measures that healthcare providers are instituting, including practice protocols and guidelines and clinical pathways, and the effect of any healthcare reform, could limit our ability to profitably sell any drugs that we may successfully develop. Moreover, any future legislation or regulation, if any, relating to the healthcare industry or third-party coverage and reimbursement, may cause our business to suffer.

We may not be successful in protecting our intellectual property and proprietary rights.

Our success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain U.S. and foreign patent protection for our drug candidates and processes, preserve our trade secrets and operate our business without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. Legal standards relating to the validity of patents covering pharmaceutical and biotechnological inventions and the scope of claims made under such patents are still developing and there is no consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in biotechnology patents. The patent position of a biotechnology firm is highly uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions. We cannot assure you that any existing or future patents issued to, or licensed by, us will not subsequently be challenged, infringed upon, invalidated or circumvented by others. As a result, although we, together with our subsidiaries, are either the owner or licensee to 13 U.S. patents and to 9 U.S. patent applications now pending, and 4 European patents and 12 European patent applications, we cannot assure you that any additional patents will issue from any of the patent applications owned by, or licensed to, us. Furthermore, any rights that we may have under issued patents may not provide us with significant protection against competitive products or otherwise be commercially viable.

Our patents for the following technologies expire in the years and during the date ranges indicated below:

 
·
Mucoadhesive technology in 2021,
 
·
ProLindac™ in 2021,
 
·
Cobalamin mediated technology between 2007 and 2019

19

 
In addition to issued patents, we have a number of pending patent applications. If issued, the patents underlying theses applications could extend the patent life of our technologies beyond the dates listed above.
 
Patents may have been granted to third parties or may be granted covering products or processes that are necessary or useful to the development of our drug candidates. If our drug candidates or processes are found to infringe upon the patents or otherwise impermissibly utilize the intellectual property of others, our development, manufacture and sale of such drug candidates could be severely restricted or prohibited. In such event, we may be required to obtain licenses from third parties to utilize the patents or proprietary rights of others. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain such licenses on acceptable terms, if at all. If we become involved in litigation regarding our intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others, the potential cost of such litigation, regardless of the strength of our legal position, and the potential damages that we could be required to pay could be substantial.

Our business could suffer if we lose the services of, or fail to attract, key personnel.

We are highly dependent upon the efforts of our senior management and scientific team, including our President and Chief Executive Officer, Stephen R. Seiler. The loss of the services of one or more of these individuals could delay or prevent the achievement of our research, development, marketing, or product commercialization objectives. While we have employment agreements with Stephen R. Seiler, David P. Nowotnik, PhD our Senior Vice President Research and Development, and Stephen B. Thompson, our Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, their employment may be terminated by them or us at any time. Mr. Seiler’s, Dr. Nowotnik's and Mr. Thompson’s agreements expire within one year and are extendable each year on the anniversary date. We do not have employment contracts with our other key personnel. We do not maintain any "key-man" insurance policies on any of our key employees and we do not intend to obtain such insurance. In addition, due to the specialized scientific nature of our business, we are highly dependent upon our ability to attract and retain qualified scientific and technical personnel. In view of the stage of our development and our research and development programs, we have restricted our hiring to research scientists and a small administrative staff and we have made only limited investments in manufacturing, production, sales or regulatory compliance resources. There is intense competition among major pharmaceutical and chemical companies, specialized biotechnology firms and universities and other research institutions for qualified personnel in the areas of our activities, however, and we may be unsuccessful in attracting and retaining these personnel.

An investment in our common stock may be less attractive because it is not traded on a recognized public market.

Our common stock has traded on the OTC Bulletin Board, or OTCBB since June 5, 2006. From February 1, 2006 until June 5, 2006 we traded on the “Pink Sheets” after our common stock was de-listed from trading on AMEX. The OTCBB and Pink Sheets are viewed by most investors as a less desirable, and less liquid, marketplace. As a result, an investor may find it more difficult to purchase, dispose of or obtain accurate quotations as to the value of our common stock.

20

 
Our common stock is subject to Rules 15g-1 through 15g-9 under the Exchange Act, which imposes certain sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell our common stock to persons other than established customers and "accredited investors" (as defined in Rule 501(c) of the Securities Act). For transactions covered by this rule, a broker-dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and have received the purchaser's written consent to the transaction prior to the sale. This rule adversely affects the ability of broker-dealers to sell our common stock and purchasers of our common stock to sell their shares of our common stock.

Additionally, our common stock is subject to SEC regulations applicable to "penny stock." Penny stock includes any non-NASDAQ equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. The regulations require that prior to any non-exempt buy/sell transaction in a penny stock, a disclosure schedule proscribed by the SEC relating to the penny stock market must be delivered by a broker-dealer to the purchaser of such penny stock. This disclosure must include the amount of commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and the registered representative and current price quotations for our common stock. The regulations also require that monthly statements be sent to holders of penny stock that disclose recent price information for the penny stock and information of the limited market for penny stocks. These requirements adversely affect the market liquidity of our common stock.

Ownership of our shares is concentrated in the hands of a few investors which could limit the ability of our other stockholders to influence the direction of the company.

As calculated by the SEC rules of beneficial ownership, SCO Capital Partners LLC and affiliates, Larry N. Feinberg (Oracle Partners LP, Oracle Institutional Partners LP and Oracle Investment Management Inc.), and Jeffrey B. Davis each beneficially owned approximately 74.1%, 26.4%, and 14.9%, respectively, of our common stock as of March 31, 2007. Accordingly, they collectively may have the ability to significantly influence or determine the election of all of our directors or the outcome of most corporate actions requiring stockholder approval. They may exercise this ability in a manner that advances their best interests and not necessarily those of our other stockholders.

Provisions of our charter documents could discourage an acquisition of our company that would benefit our stockholders and may have the effect of entrenching, and making it difficult to remove, management.

Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws and Stockholders Rights Plan may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of the Company, even if a change in control would benefit our stockholders. In particular, shares of our preferred stock may be issued in the future without further stockholder approval and upon such terms and conditions, and having such rights, privileges and preferences, as our Board of Directors may determine, including, for example, rights to convert into our common stock. The rights of the holders of our common stock will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of any of our preferred stock that may be issued in the future. The issuance of our preferred stock, while providing desirable flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us. This could limit the price that certain investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock and discourage these investors from acquiring a majority of our common stock. Further, the existence of these corporate governance provisions could have the effect of entrenching management and making it more difficult to change our management.

21

 
Substantial sales of our common stock could lower our stock price.

The market price for our common stock could drop as a result of sales of a large number of our presently outstanding shares or shares that we may issue or be obligated to issue in the future. All of the 3,535,358 shares of our common stock that are outstanding as of May 14, 2007, are unrestricted and freely tradable or tradable pursuant to a resale registration statement or under Rule 144 of the Securities Act or are covered by a registration rights agreement.

Failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports, our operating results could be harmed. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

While we continue to evaluate and improve our internal controls, we cannot be certain that these measures will ensure that we implement and maintain adequate controls over our financial processes and reporting in the future. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in their implementation, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations.

Failure to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a material adverse effect on our stock price.
 
 
PART II -- OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1      LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

None

ITEM 2     UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

None

ITEM 3     DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES

None

ITEM 4     SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS 

None

ITEM 5     OTHER INFORMATION

None

 
22

 
ITEM 6
     EXHIBITS

Exhibits:  

 
2.2
Agreement and Plan of Merger, by and among Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Somanta Acquisition Corporation, Somanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Somanta Incorporated and Somanta Limited, dated April 18, 2007. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to our Form 8-K dated April 18, 2007)
 
10.35
2007 Special Stock Option Plan and Agreement, dated January 4, 2007, by and between us and Stephen R. Seiler, President and Chief Executive Officer
 
10.36
Employment Agreement, dated January 4, 2007 by and between us and Stephen R. Seiler, President and Chief Executive Officer
   
10.37
Amendment to 7.0% (Subject to Adjustment) Convertible Promissory Notes Due April 28, 2007, dated April 24, 2007 by and between us and Oracle Partners LP and affiliates
   
10.38
Amendment to Amended and Restated 7.5% Secured Convertible Promissory Notes Due April 27, 2007, dated April 26, 2007 by and between us and SCO Capital Partners LLC, Beach Capital LLC and Lake End Capital LLC
   
10.39
Amendment To Investor Rights Agreements, dated April 30, 2007 by and between us and SCO Capital Partners LLC and Lake End Capital LLC
 
31.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)
 
31.2
Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)
 
32.1*
Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
 
32.2*
Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
______________
* This exhibit shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any filings.
 
23




SIGNATURES

In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.


Date:
May, 15 2007
By:
/s/ Stephen R. Seiler
   
Stephen R. Seiler
   
President and Chief Executive Officer
   
(Principal Executive Officer)
     
Date:
May, 15 2007
By:
/s/ Stephen B. Thompson
   
Stephen B. Thompson
   
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
   
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
     








 

24



Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Subsidiaries
 
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
 
 
 
 
March 31, 2007 
 
 
December 31,2006
 
ASSETS
   
(unaudited)
 
 
(audited)
 
 
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
  Short term investments, at cost
  Receivables
  Prepaid expenses and other current assets
 
 
 
$
359,000
2,724,000
356,000
357,000
 
 
 
$
1,194,000
3,195,000
359,000
283,000
 
 Total current assets
   
3,796,000 
   
5,031,000 
 
Property and equipment, net
   
207,000
   
212,000
 
Debt issuance costs, net
   
-
   
158,000
 
Patents, net
   
836,000
   
878,000
 
Licenses, net
   
12,000
   
25,000
 
Other assets
   
25,000
   
122,000
 
Total assets
 
$
4,876,000
 
$
6,426,000
 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
             
 
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Accrued interest payable
Deferred revenues
Current portion of long-term debt, net of discount $101,000 at
March 31, 2007 and $2,062,000 at December 31, 2006
 
$
 
 
 
 
1,232,000
899,000
173,000
 
10,794,000
 
$
 
 
 
 
1,226,000
581,000
173,000
 
8,833,000
 
 Total current liabilities
    13,098,000      10,813,000   
 
Long-term debt
   
5,500,000
   
5,500,000
 
Total liabilities
   
18,598,000
   
16,313,000
 
Commitments and contingencies
   
-
   
-
 
 
Stockholders' deficit
Preferred stock - $.01 par value; authorized 2,000,000 shares;
none issued or outstanding
Common stock - $.01 par value; authorized 100,000,000 shares;
  issued, 3,535,358 at March 31, 2007 and 3,535,108 at
December 31, 2006
Additional paid-in capital
Notes receivable from stockholders
Treasury stock, at cost - 163 shares
Accumulated deficit
   
 
 
-
 
 
35,000
69,091,000
(1,045,000
(4,000
(81,799,000
)
)
)
 
 
 
 
-
 
 
35,000
68,799,000
(1,045,000
(4,000
(77,672,000
)
)
)
)
 Total stockholders' deficit
   
(13,722,000 
)  
(9,887,000 
)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit
 
$
4,876,000
 
$
6,426,000
 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.

 

25


Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Subsidiaries
 
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(unaudited)

   
 
Three Months ended March 31,
 
   
2007
 
2006
 
Expenses 
         
Research and development
 
$
413,000
 
$
756,000
 
General and administrative
   
1,139,000
   
666,000
 
Depreciation and amortization
   
75,000
   
77,000
 
Total expenses
   
1,627,000
   
1,499,000
 
               
Loss from operations
   
(1,627,000
)
 
(1,499,000
)
               
Interest and miscellaneous income
   
35,000
   
92,000
 
Interest and other expense
   
(2,535,000
)
 
(1,299,000
)
Unrealized loss on fair value of warrants
   
-
(2,500,000
)
 
(2,150,000
(3,357,000
)
)
 
Net loss
 
$
(4,127,000
)
$
(4,856,000
)
 
             
Basic and diluted loss per common share
Net loss allocable to common stockholders
 
$
(1.17
)
$
(1.38
)
               
Weighted average basic and diluted
common shares outstanding
   
3,535,197
   
3,528,831
 
               
               

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.


 

26


Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Subsidiaries
 
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
(unaudited)
   
Three Months ended March 31,
 
   
2007
 
2006
 
Cash flows from operating activities:
             
Net loss
 
$
(4,127,000
)
$
(4,856,000
)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash used
in operating activities:
             
Depreciation and amortization 
   
75,000
   
77,000
 
Stock option expense
   
292,000
   
95,000
 
Stock expense
   
-
   
23,000
 
Amortization of debt costs and discounts
   
2,215,000
   
986,000
 
Unrealized loss on fair value of warrants
   
-
   
2,150,000
 
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
         
-
 
Receivables
   
3,000
   
-
 
   Prepaid expenses and other current assets
   
(74,000
)
 
58,000
 
Other assets
   
1,000
   
35,000
 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
   
6,000
   
(150,000
)
Accrued interest payable
   
318,000
   
235,000
 
Net cash used in operating activities
   
(1,291,000
)
 
(1,347,000
)
               
Cash flows from investing activities:
             
Capital expenditures
   
(15,000
)
 
-
 
Redemptions of short term investments and
certificates of deposit
   
471,000
   
(34,000
)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
   
456,000
   
(34,000
)
               
Cash flows from financing activities:
             
Payments of notes payable
   
-
   
(37,000
)
Proceeds from secured convertible notes payable
   
-
   
4,532,000
 
Net cash provided by financing activities
   
-
   
4,495,000
 
               
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
   
(835,000
)
 
3,114,000
 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
   
1,194,000
   
349,000
 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
 
$
359,000
 
$
3,463,000
 
               
Supplemental cash flow information:
             
Cash paid for interest
 
$
2,000
 
$
2,000
 
               
               
 
             
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these statements.
 
27


Access Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Subsidiaries
 
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
Three Months Ended March 31, 2007 and 2006
(unaudited)

(1) Interim Financial Statements

The consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2007 and the consolidated statements of operations and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006 were prepared by management without audit. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, except as otherwise disclosed, necessary for the fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and changes in financial position for such periods, have been made. All share and per share information reflect a one for five reverse stock split effected on June 5, 2006.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted. It is suggested that these interim financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2006. The results of operations for the period ended March 31, 2007 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results which may be expected for a full year. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2006 contains financial information taken from the audited financial statements as of that date.

The report of our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 contained a fourth explanatory paragraph to reflect its significant doubt about our ability to continue a going concern as a result of our history of losses and our liquidity position, as discussed herein and in this Form 10-QSB. If we are unable to obtain adequate capital funding in the future, we may not be able to continue as a going concern, which would have an adverse effect on our business and operations, and investors’ investment in us may decline.

(2) Intangible Assets

Intangible assets consist of the following (in thousands):

   
March 31, 2007
 
December 31, 2006
 
   
Gross
carrying
value
 
 
Accumulated
amortization
 
Gross
carrying
value
 
 
Accumulated
amortization
 
Amortizable intangible assets
 
Patents
Licenses
Total
 
$
 
 
$
1,680
500
2,180
 
$
 
 
$
844
488
1,332
 
$
 
$
1,680
500
2,180
 
$
 
 
$
802
475
1,277
 
                           

28

 
Amortization expense related to intangible assets totaled $55,000 for each of the three months ended March 31, 2007 and 2006. The aggregate estimated amortization expense for intangible assets remaining as of March 31 is as follows (in thousands):
 
 
 2007   $ 138  
 2008     168  
 2009     168  
 2010     168  
 2011     168  
 Thereafter     38  
         
 Total   $ 848  
 
(3) Liquidity

The Company incurred significant losses from continuing operations of $4.1 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, $13.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2006 and $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2005. Additionally, at March 31, 2007, our working capital deficit is $9,302,000. As of March 31, 2007, we did not have sufficient funds to repay our convertible notes at their maturity and support our working capital and operating requirements. Our current funds will allow us to support our working capital and operating requirements for six months. We do not have funds to pay the obligations which are due in June 2007 or September 2007 and will have to raise more funds and/or attempt to restructure the convertible notes.

(4)  Stock Based Compensation

For the first quarter, we recognized stock-based compensation expense of $292,000 in 2007 and $95,000 in 2006. For the first quarter, we granted 205,000 stock options at weighted average grant prices of $3.30, under the terms of our 2005 Equity Incentive Plan and 450,000 stock options at weighted average grant prices of $2.90, under the terms of our 2007 Special Stock Option Plan.

Our weighted average Black-Scholes fair value assumptions are as follows:
               
 
 
  
3/31/07
 
 
3/31/06
 
 
Expected life
  
4.3 yrs.
 
 
2 yrs.
 
 
Risk free interest rate
  
4.66
%
 
4.72
%
 
Expected volatility(a)
  
137
%
 
113
%
 
Expected dividend yield
  
0.0
%
 
0.0
%
               
 
29


(a)
Reflects movements in our stock price over the most recent historical period equivalent to the expected life.


(5)  Income Taxes

In 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued FASB Interpretation No. 48 (FIN 48), which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in tax positions. FIN 48 requires that we recognize in our financial statements the impact of a tax position, if that position is more likely than not of being sustained on audit, based on the technical merits of the position. We adopted the provisions of FIN 48 as of the beginning of our 2007 fiscal year. There was no effect as a result of our adoption of FIN 48.

As of the beginning of our 2007 fiscal year, due to our cumulative net losses we do not have any reserves for income taxes because no taxes are due.

We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions. A number of years may elapse before an uncertain tax position is audited and finally resolved. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular uncertain tax position, we believe that our reserves for income taxes reflect the most probable outcome. We adjust these reserves, as well as the related interest, in light of changing facts and circumstances. Settlement of any particular position would usually require the use of cash. The resolution of a matter would be recognized as an adjustment to our provision for income taxes and our effective tax rate in the period of resolution.

(7) Debt

   
March 31,
2007
 
December 31,
2006
 
Convertible note - Oracle and affiliates
 
$
4,015,000
 
$
4,015,000
 
Convertible note
   
5,500,000
   
5,500,000
 
Convertible note
   
880,000
   
880,000
 
     
10,395,000
   
10,395,000
 
Discount
   
(101,000
)
 
(456,000
)
     
10,294,000
   
9,939,000
 
               
Convertible note - SCO and affiliates
   
6,000,000
   
6,000,000
 
Discount
   
-
   
(1,606,000
)
     
6,000,000
   
4,394,000
 
               
Total
 
$
16,294,000
 
$
14,333,000
 
               
Short term
 
$
10,794,000
 
$
8,833,000
 
Long term
   
5,500,000
   
5,500,000
 
Total
 
$
16,294,000
 
$
14,333,000
 
               

30

 
(8) Subsequent Events

On April 26, 2007, Access and SCO Capital Partners LLC and affiliates (“SCO”) agreed to extend the maturity date of an aggregate principal amount of $6,000,000 of 7.5% convertible notes to June 11, 2007 from April 27, 2007. On April 30, 2007, Access and SCO and affiliates agreed to amend an Investor Rights Agreement to extend the required filing date of a registration statement to the earlier of the filing of a future registration statement in connection with a qualified financing or August 31, 2007.

On April 24, 2007, Access and Oracle Partners LP and affiliates (“Oracle”) agreed to extend the maturity date of an aggregate principal amount of $4,015,000 of 7.7% convertible notes to June 12, 2007 from April 28, 2007.

On April 19, 2007 we announced we had entered into an agreement to acquire Somanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, upon consummation of the acquisition, Somanta’s preferred and common shareholders would receive an aggregate of 1.5 million shares of Access’ common shares which would represent approximately 13% of the combined company assuming the conversion of Access’ existing convertible debt under existing terms of conversion. The closing of the transaction is subject to numerous conditions including receipt of necessary approvals including approval of Somanta shareholders. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be consummated or if consummated that it will be on the terms described herein.

31