On December 18, 2018, the Company agreed to make an investment of up to $5,000,000 in ILiAD Biotechnologies, LLC (“ILiAD”), a privately held development stage biotechnology company dedicated to the prevention of human disease caused by Bordetella pertussis with a current focus on its proprietary intranasal vaccine, BPZE1, for the prevention of pertussis (whooping cough). The investment by the Company was part of a financing of up to approximately $14,500,000 of Class C units of ILiAD, consisting of two tranches. In connection with the Company’s investment, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer became a member of the Board of Managers of ILiAD. The Company incurred approximately $41,000 of advisory and legal expenses in conjunction with its equity investment in ILiAD which have been capitalized as a component of the equity investment carrying value at December 31, 2018.

The Company made an initial investment at the December 18, 2018 closing of $2,500,000 to purchase 1,111,111 Class C units at $2.25 per unit and received five-year warrants to purchase 366,666 Class C units at an exercise price of $2.75 per unit. In connection with its investment, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer obtained a seat on ILiAD’s Board of Managers.

In accordance with the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated December 18, 2018, the Company became obligated to invest an additional $2,500,000 (tranche 2) to purchase 943,396 Class C units at $2.65 per unit (and received additional five-year warrants to purchase 311,320 Class C units at an exercise price of $3.50 per unit) as a result of ILiAD’s notification to the Company on May 2, 2019 that it had received an “allowed to proceed” notice from the FDA permitting ILiAD to advance to the Phase 2b clinical study of its BP2E1 vaccine. ILiAD elected to permit its Class C investors (including the Company) to bifurcate their tranche 2 commitment such that 40% would be currently due ($1,000,000 paid by the Company on May 6, 2019) and 60% (additional $1,500,000 investment by the Company) would be due when ILiAD received satisfactory safety data from the clinical study. On August 9, 2019, ILiAD notified the Company that the FDA has allowed Phase 2b trial to proceed to full enrollment based on satisfactory safety data from the first phase of the clinical study which triggered our additional $1,500,000 investment. The Phase 2b trial is fully enrolled and preliminary immunological data is anticipated to be received by ILiAD by April 2020.

The Company’s investment in ILiAD is accounted for as an equity method investment in accordance with ASC 323, Investments — Equity Method and Joint Ventures as the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over ILiAD. The Company’s investment in ILiAD is measured at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus the Company’s share of ILiAD’s income or loss. The Company’s proportionate share of the income or loss from its investment in ILiAD is recognized on a one-quarter lag. At December 31, 2019, the Company owned approximately 10.3% of the outstanding units of ILiAD (on a non-fully diluted basis). For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company recorded a net (loss) from its equity method investment in ILiAD of $(604,000).

The difference between the Company’s share of equity in ILiAD’s net assets and the equity investment carrying value reported on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2019 is due to an excess amount paid over the book value of the investment totaling approximately $5,041,000 which are accounted for as equity method goodwill.