Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, OXIS Biotech, Inc. and Georgetown Translational Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Liquidity

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared under the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern. Such assumption contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has no recurring source of revenue and has recorded a net loss of $7.6 million and used cash in operations of $8.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company had a cash and short-term investments balance of $14.0 million at December 31, 2023. We anticipate that we will need cash of approximately $10.0 million for the next twelve months for research and development and selling, general and administrative expenses. We expect the cash and short-term investments totaling $14.0 million will be sufficient to fund operations for the following 12 months, and anticipate raising additional funds as needed to fund our continued clinical trials. Management anticipates that the $14.0 million of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments available are adequate to satisfy the liquidity needs of the Company for at least one year from the date the Company’s 2023 consolidated financial statements are issued.

Historically, the Company has financed its operations through public and private sales of common stock, issuance of preferred stock, issuance of convertible debt instruments, and strategic collaborations. There can be no assurances that the Company will be able to secure additional financing on acceptable terms. In the event that the Company does not generate sufficient cash flows from investing and financing activities, the Company will be forced to delay, reduce, or eliminate some or all of its discretionary spendings, which could adversely affect the Company’s business prospects, ability to meet long-term liquidity needs or ability to continue operations.

Accounting Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates include accruals for potential liabilities, assumptions used in deriving the fair value of warrant liabilities, share-based compensation and valuation of deferred tax assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

The Company considers highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the date of acquisition as cash equivalents in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2023, total cash and cash equivalents which consist of cash and money market funds, amounted to approximately $1.1 million.

The Company also invested its excess cash in commercial paper and corporate notes and bonds. Management generally determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of purchase. We classify these investments as short-term investments as part of current assets, based upon our ability and intent to use any and all of these investments as necessary to satisfy liquidity requirements that may arise from our businesses. Investments are carried at fair value with the unrealized holding gains and losses reported in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2023, total short-term investments amounted to approximately $12.9 million.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) ASC 820-10 requires entities to disclose the fair value of financial instruments, both assets and liabilities recognized and not recognized on the balance sheet for which it is practicable to estimate fair value. ASC 820-10 defines the fair value of a financial instrument as the amount at which the instrument could be exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties.

The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

Level 1 Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity has the ability to access.

Level 2 Valuations based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable, supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

The carrying amount of the Company’s warrant liability of $1.1 million at December 31, 2023 and $19,000 at December 31, 2022 was based on Level 2 measurements.

The carrying amounts of the Company’s other financial assets and liabilities, such as cash and cash equivalents, short term investments, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable, accrued expenses, approximate their fair values because of the short maturity of these instruments.

Warrant Liability

The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (“ASC 815”). For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations.

The Company’s use of derivative financial instruments is generally limited to warrants issued by the Company that do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and are recorded as liabilities. We do not use financial instruments or derivatives for any trading purposes.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company periodically issues stock-based compensation to officers, directors, employees and consultants for services rendered. Such issuances vest and expire according to terms established at the issuance date.

Stock-based payments to officers, directors, employees and consultants for acquiring goods and services from non-employees, which include grants of employee stock options, are recognized in the financial statements based on their grant date fair values in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. Stock based payments to officers, directors, employees and consultants, which are generally time vested, are measured at the grant date fair value and depending on the conditions associated with the vesting of the award, compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line or graded basis over the vesting period. Recognition of compensation expense for non-employees is in the same period and manner as if the Company had paid cash for the services. The fair value of stock options granted is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which uses certain assumptions related to risk-free interest rates, expected volatility, expected life, and future dividends. The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model could materially affect compensation expense recorded in future periods.

Research and Development Costs

Costs incurred for research and development are expensed as incurred. The salaries, benefits, and overhead costs of personnel conducting research and development of the Company’s products comprise research and development expenses. Purchased materials that do not have an alternative future use are also expensed.

Leases

The Company accounts for its lease in accordance with the guidance of ASC 842, Leases. The Company determines whether a contract is, or contains, a lease at inception. Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset during the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are recognized at lease commencement based upon the estimated present value of unpaid lease payments over the lease term. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at lease commencement in determining the present value of unpaid lease payments.

Net Loss Per Share

Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares and the dilutive effect of contingent shares outstanding during the period. Potentially dilutive contingent shares, which primarily consist of stock issuable upon exercise of stock options and warrants have been excluded from the diluted loss per share calculation because their effect is anti-dilutive.

The following shares were excluded in the computation of the diluted net loss per share because their effect is anti-dilutive:

	December 31,
	2023		2022
Warrants to purchase common stock		304,962		77,909
Options to purchase common stock		126,265		54,348
Total anti-dilutive securities		431,227		132,257

Concentration

Cash is deposited in one financial institution. The balances held at this financial institution at times may be in excess of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limits of up to $250,000. Management believes that the financial institutions that hold the Company’s cash are financially sound and, accordingly, minimal credit risk exists.

The Company has a significant concentration of expenses incurred and accounts payable from a single vendor (Note 4).

Segments

The Company determined its reporting units in accordance with “Segment Reporting” (“ASC 280”). Management evaluates a reporting unit by first identifying its operating segments under ASC 280. The Company then evaluates each operating segment to determine if it includes one or more components that constitute a business. If there are components within an operating segment that meet the definition of a business, the Company evaluates those components to determine if they must be aggregated into one or more reporting units. If applicable, when determining if it is appropriate to aggregate different operating segments, the Company determines if the segments are economically similar and, if so, the operating segments are aggregated.

Management has determined that the Company has one consolidated operating segment. The Company’s reporting segment reflects the manner in which its chief operating decision maker reviews results and allocates resources. The Company’s reporting segment meets the definition of an operating segment and does not include the aggregation of multiple operating segments.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The Company’s management has evaluated all the recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards and guidance that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standards-setting bodies through the filing date of these financial statements and does not believe the future adoption of any such pronouncements will have a material effect on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.