The Company has entered into various research, development, license and supply agreements with Serum Institute and Pharmsynthez (as well as SynBio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pharmsynthez), each a related party whose relationship has not materially changed from that disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on March 26, 2020, as amended on April 29, 2020.

On July 19, 2019, the Company acquired the XCART technology platform from Hesperix and Opko Pharmaceuticals LLC (“OPKO”). Dr. Dmitry Genkin, one of our directors and Chairman of Pharmsynthez, was a director and significant shareholder of Hesperix. In addition, the Company agreed to repay an approximate $225,000 loan that Dr. Genkin entered into with Hesperix. Mr. Adam Logal, one of our directors, is Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer of OPKO Health, Inc., the parent company of OPKO.

During the third quarter of 2019, the Company entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement with Pharmsynthez (the “SRA”) related to experiments identified by the Company to support its efforts for initial tech transfer of the XCART methods to a future academic collaborator. Under the agreement, the Company made a $350,000 payment to Pharmsynthez during the third quarter of 2019, which is refundable on pro rata basis if the project is terminated prematurely as a result of Pharmsynthez failing to perform the work. The Company expensed approximately $0.2 million related to this agreement during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The Company did not record any expense during the three months ended September 30, 2020 as the Company and Pharmsynthez entered into a Master Services Agreement (“MSA”) on June 12, 2020 that terminated and superseded the SRA. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, approximately $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively, was recorded as an advanced payment and included in Prepaid expenses and other on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

In October 2019, the Company entered into a loan agreement with Pharmsynthez (the “Pharmsynthez Loan”), pursuant to which the Company advanced Pharmsynthez an aggregate principal amount of up to $500,000 to be used for the development of a specific product under the August 2011 Stock Subscription and Collaborative Development of Pharmaceutical Products Agreement between the Company and SynBio. The Pharmsynthez Loan has a term of 15-months and accrues interest at a rate of 10% per annum. The Pharmsynthez Loan is guaranteed by all of the operating subsidiaries of Pharmsynthez, including SynBio and AS Kevelt, and is secured by all of the equity interests of the Company owned by Pharmsynthez and SynBio. The Company recognized approximately $13,000 and $38,000 of interest income related to this loan during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. As of September 30, 2020, the Pharmsynthez Loan was included in Prepaid expenses and other on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2019, the Pharmsynthez Loan was included in Other assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

On June 12, 2020, the Company and Pharmsynthez entered into the MSA to advance the development of the Company’s XCART technology for B-cell malignancies. Under the MSA, Pharmsynthez agreed to provide services pursuant to work orders agreed upon by the parties from time to time, which services include, but are not limited to, acting as the Company’s primary contract research organization to assist in managing collaborations with multiple academic institutions in Russia and Belarus. The Company is required to pay reasonable fees, expenses and pass-through costs incurred by Pharmsynthez in providing the services in accordance with a budget and payment terms set forth in each work order. Additionally, in the event that a work order provides for milestone payments, the Company is required to make such payments to Pharmsynthez, or third party service providers designated by Pharmsynthez, in accordance with the terms set forth in the work order, which milestone payments may be made, at the sole discretion of the Company, in cash or shares of the Company’s common stock. The MSA terminated and superseded the SRA between the Company and Pharmsynthez.

The Company and Pharmsynthez executed a work order on June 12, 2020 (the “Work Order”) under the MSA pursuant to which Pharmsynthez agreed to conduct a Stage 1 study of the Company’s XCART technology under the research program as set forth in the Work Order. The activities to be performed under the Work Order are currently expected to take approximately 20 months unless earlier terminated in accordance with the MSA. Under the terms of the Work Order, the Company paid Pharmsynthez $51,000 as an initial payment for trial startup costs, which amount was credited against the amounts paid under the SRA. The Work Order provides for additional pass-through costs to be invoiced by Pharmsynthez upon execution of contracts with third party sites, which will be further credited against the SRA. The total cost under the Work Order is currently estimated to be approximately $1.8 million. Additionally, the Work Order provides for milestone payments of up to an aggregate of $1,050,000, or, in the Company’s sole discretion, up to an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, to be paid or issued, as applicable, by the Company upon achievement of milestones associated with completion of early stages of the research program as set forth in the Work Order. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company expensed $34,000 under the Work Order.