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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Although the Company regularly assesses these estimates, actual results could differ from those estimates. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period in which they become known.

The Company’s most significant estimates and judgments used in the preparation of the financial statements are:

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Clinical trial expenses and other research and development expenses;

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Collaboration agreements;

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Fair value measurements of stock-based compensation; and

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Income taxes.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents consist primarily of demand deposit accounts, certificates of deposit and deposits in short-term U.S. treasury money market mutual funds. Cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates fair market value.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents. The Company maintains cash accounts in commercial banks, which may, at times, exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. The Company believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense while the costs of significant improvements are capitalized. Depreciation and amortization is calculated on a straight-line basis using the following periods, which represent the estimated useful lives of the assets:


Office and computer equipment		3 years
Software		3 years
Laboratory equipment		5 years
Leasehold improvements		Life of the lease

Costs, including certain design, construction and installation costs related to assets that are under construction and are in the process of being readied for their intended use, are recorded as construction in progress and are not depreciated until such time as the subject asset is placed in service. Repairs and maintenance that do not extend the useful life of the asset are expensed as incurred. Upon sale, retirement or other disposition of these assets, the costs and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the respective accounts and any gain or loss on the disposition is included in the statements of operations.

Long-Lived Assets

Assessments of long-lived assets and the remaining useful lives of such long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever a triggering event occurs or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. An asset, or group of assets, is considered to be impaired when the undiscounted estimated net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset, or group of assets, are less than its carrying amount. The impairment recognized is the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair market value of the impaired asset, or group of assets, based on the present value of the expected future cash flows associated with the use of the asset.

Operating Segments

Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the Company’s chief operating decision maker, in making decisions regarding resource allocation and assessing performance. The Company views its operations and manages its business in one operating segment.

Warrants

The Company assesses whether warrants issued require accounting as derivatives. The Company determined that the warrants were (1) indexed to the Company’s own stock and (2) classified in stockholders’ equity in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. As such, the Company has concluded the warrants meet the scope exception for determining whether the instruments require accounting as derivatives and should be classified in stockholders’ equity.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company has certain financial assets and liabilities recorded at fair value which have been classified as Level 1, 2 or 3 within the fair value hierarchy as described in the accounting standards for fair value measurements.

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Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

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Level 2—Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as 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 market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

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Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring and nonrecurring basis as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows:


($ in thousands)			Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
Description	Balance as of December 31, 2023		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets/Liabilities (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Cash equivalents	$	5,744	$	5,744	$	—	$	—


($ in thousands)			Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
Description	Balance as of December 31, 2022		Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets/Liabilities (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Cash equivalents	$	38,058	$	38,058	$	—	$	—

The cash equivalents represent demand deposit accounts and deposits in a short-term United States treasury money market mutual fund quoted in an active market and classified as a Level 1 asset. There have been no changes to the valuation methods during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company had no financial assets or liabilities that were classified as Level 2 or Level 3 during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Fair value of non-financial instruments

The Company evaluates assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that indicators of impairment exist. In those evaluations, the Company compares estimated future undiscounted cash flows generated by each asset (or asset group) to the carrying value of the asset (or asset group) to determine if an impairment charge is required. If the undiscounted cash flows test fails, the Company estimates the fair value of the asset (or asset group) to determine the impairment.

Following the Company’s announced strategic reprioritization on August 14, 2023, the Company determined that changes in the intended use of certain property and equipment represented an indicator of impairment, resulting in an impairment charge of $4.8 million, which was primarily related to leasehold improvements of $3.8 million and lab equipment of $1.0 million.

In addition, the Company determined certain prepaid expense balances to be impaired given the Company’s strategic reprioritization, and therefore, has recorded an impairment charge of $0.2 million related to prepaid expenses and other current assets, which is recorded in research and development expenses within the statement of operations.

On November 9, 2023, the Company executed an agreement to sell laboratory equipment for gross proceeds of $1.5 million and recognized a gain on disposal of equipment of $3 thousand, which is recorded in other income in the statement of operations.

Revenue Recognition from Collaboration Agreements

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 consisted of $5 thousand and for the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted of $2.9 million. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized revenue through its Collaboration Agreement with Solasia Pharma K.K. primarily due to the achievement of milestones, as further described in Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies.

The Company primarily generates revenue through collaboration arrangements with strategic partners for the development and commercialization of product candidates. The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, or ASC 606. The core principle of ASC 606 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods and/or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and/or services. To determine the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized for arrangements that the Company determines are within the

scope of ASC 606, the Company performs the following steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with the customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) each performance obligation is satisfied.

The Company recognizes collaboration revenue under certain of the Company’s license or collaboration agreements that are within the scope of ASC 606. The Company’s contracts with customers typically include promises related to licenses to intellectual property, research and development services and options to purchase additional goods and/or services. If the license to the Company’s intellectual property is determined to be distinct from the other performance obligations identified in the arrangement, the Company recognizes revenue from non-refundable, up-front fees allocated to the license when the license is transferred to the licensee and the licensee is able to use and benefit from the license. For licenses that are bundled with other promises, the Company utilizes judgment to assess the nature of the combined performance obligation to determine whether the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time and, if over time, the appropriate method of measuring progress for purposes of recognizing revenue from non-refundable, up-front fees.

Contracts that include an option to acquire additional goods and/or services are evaluated to determine if such option provides a material right to the customer that it would not have received without entering into the contract. If so, the option is accounted for as a separate performance obligation. If not, the option is considered a marketing offer which would be accounted for as a separate contract upon the customer’s election.

The terms of the Company’s arrangements with customers typically include the payment of one or more of the following:(i) non-refundable, up-front payment, (ii) development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, (iii) future options and (iv) royalties on net sales of licensed products. Accordingly, the transaction price is generally comprised of a fixed fee due at contract inception and variable consideration in the form of milestone payments due upon the achievement of specified events and tiered royalties earned when customers recognize net sales of licensed products. The Company measures the transaction price based on the amount of consideration to which it expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring the promised goods and/or services to the customer. The Company utilizes the most likely amount method to estimate the amount of variable consideration, to predict the amount of consideration to which it will be entitled. Amounts of variable consideration are included in the transaction price to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. At the inception of each arrangement that includes development and regulatory milestone payments, the Company evaluates whether the associated event is considered probable of achievement and estimates the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. Milestone payments that are not within the control of the Company or the licensee, such as those dependent upon receipt of regulatory approval, are not considered to be probable of achievement until the triggering event occurs. At the end of each reporting period, the Company reevaluates the probability of achievement of each milestone and any related constraint, and if necessary, adjusts its estimate of the overall transaction price. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which would affect revenue and net loss in the period of adjustment. For arrangements that include sales-based royalties, including milestone payments based upon the achievement of a certain level of product sales, the Company recognizes revenue upon the later of: (i) when the related sales occur or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the payment has been allocated has been satisfied (or partially satisfied). Consideration that would be received for optional goods and/or services is excluded from the transaction price at contract inception.

The Company allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation identified in the contract on a relative standalone selling price basis. However, certain components of variable consideration are allocated specifically to one or more particular performance obligations in a contract to the extent both of the following criteria are met: (i) the terms of the payment relate specifically to the efforts to satisfy the performance obligation or transfer the distinct good or service and (ii) allocating the variable amount of consideration entirely to the performance obligation or the distinct good or service is consistent with the allocation objective of the standard whereby the amount allocated depicts the amount of consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring the promised goods or services. The Company develops assumptions that require the use of judgment to determine the standalone selling price for each performance obligation identified in each contract. The key assumptions utilized in determining the standalone selling price for each performance obligation may include forecasted revenue, development timelines, estimated research and development costs, discount rates, likelihood of exercise and probabilities of technical and regulatory success.

Revenue is recognized based on the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to each respective performance obligation when or as the performance obligation is satisfied by transferring a promised good and/or service to the customer. For performance obligations that are satisfied over time, the Company recognizes revenue by measuring the progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation using a single method of measuring progress which depicts the performance in transferring control of the associated goods and/or services to the customer. The Company uses input methods to measure the progress toward the complete satisfaction of performance obligations satisfied over time. The Company evaluates the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjusts the measure of performance and related revenue recognition. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which would affect revenue and net loss in the period of adjustment.

Research and Development Costs

As part of the process of preparing the Company's financial statements, the Company is required to estimate its accrued research and development expenses. This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with its personnel and third-party vendors to identify services that have been performed on its behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated costs incurred for the services when the Company has not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of the actual costs. The majority of the Company's service providers invoice the Company in arrears for services performed, on a predetermined schedule or when contractual milestones are met; however, a few require advanced payments. The Company makes estimates of its accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in its financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to it at that time. Examples of estimated accrued research and development expenses include fees paid to:

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clinical research organizations, or CROs, in connection with performing research services on its behalf and clinical trials;

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investigative sites or other providers in connection with clinical trials;

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vendors in connection with preclinical and clinical development activities; and

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vendors related to product manufacturing, development, and distribution of preclinical and clinical supplies.

The Company bases its expenses related to preclinical studies and clinical trials on its estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to quotes and contracts with CROs that conduct and manage clinical trials on its behalf. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation, vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. There may be instances in which payments made to the Company's vendors will exceed the level of services provided and result in a prepayment of the clinical expense. Payments under some of these contracts depend on factors such as the completion of clinical trial milestones. In accruing service fees, the Company estimates the time period over which services will be performed, enrollment of patients, number of sites activated and the level of effort to be expended in each period. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from its estimate, the Company adjusts the accrual or amount of prepaid expense accordingly. Although the Company does not expect its estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, its understanding of the status and timing of services performed relative to the actual status and timing of services performed may vary and may result in it reporting amounts that are too high or too low in any particular period.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the year in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The Company evaluates the realizability of its deferred tax assets and establishes a valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of deferred tax assets will not be realized.

The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions using a “more-likely-than-not” threshold for recognizing and resolving uncertain tax positions. The evaluation of uncertain tax positions is based on factors including, but not limited to, changes in tax law, the measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in tax returns, the effective settlement of matters subject to audit, new audit activity and changes in facts or circumstances related to a tax position. The Company evaluates this tax position on an annual basis. The Company also accrues for potential interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense (Refer to Note 12, Income Taxes).

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the estimated fair value of the award and is recognized as expense over the employee’s requisite service period. Stock-based compensation expense is based on the number of awards ultimately expected to vest and is reduced for forfeitures as they occur. Consistent with prior years, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which requires estimates of the expected term option holders will retain their options before exercising them and the estimated volatility of the Company’s common stock price over the expected term.

The Company recognized the full impact of its share-based employee payment plans in the statements of operations for each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 and did not capitalize any such costs on the balance sheets. The Company recognized $2.5 million of compensation expense related to stock options for the year ended December 31, 2023 and $3.0 million of compensation expense related to stock options for the year ended December 31, 2022. The Company recognized $0.3 million of compensation expense related to restricted stock for the year ended December 31, 2023 and $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 (refer to Note 13, Stock Option Plan). The total compensation expense relating to vesting of stock options and restricted stock awards for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $2.8 million

and $3.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The following table presents share-based compensation expense included in the Company’s statements of operations:


	Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2023		2022
Research and development		439		868
General and administrative		2,361		2,660
Stock-based compensation expense	$	2,800	$	3,528

The fair value of each stock option is estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The estimated weighted-average fair value of stock options granted to employees in the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately $5.58 per share and was approximately $11.54 per share for the year ended December 31, 2022. Assumptions regarding volatility, expected term, dividend yield and risk-free interest rate are required for the Black-Scholes model. The volatility assumption is based on the Company’s historical experience. The risk-free interest rate is based on a U.S. treasury note with a maturity similar to the option award’s expected life. The expected life represents the average period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding. The Company calculated expected term using the simplified method described in SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin, or SAB, No. 107 and No. 110 as it continues to meet the requirements promulgated in SAB No. 110. The assumptions for volatility, expected life, dividend yield and risk-free interest rate are presented in the table below:


	Year Ended December 31,
	2023	2022
Risk-free interest rate	3.51 – 4.01%	1.63 – 4.21%
Expected life in years	5.06 – 6.25	5.27 – 6.25
Expected volatility	89.69 – 112.12%	74.49 – 88.75%
Expected dividend yield	—%	—%

Reverse Stock Split

On January 31, 2024, the Company filed a Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter Amendment”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in order to effect a reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock at a ratio of 1-for-15 (the “Reverse Split”). The Charter Amendment decreased the number of authorized shares of common stock from 520,000,000 to 34,666,667. The Charter Amendment does not affect the par value of the Company’s common stock or change the number of authorized shares or par value of the Company’s preferred stock. The Charter Amendment became effective on January 31, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, at which time every 15 shares of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock automatically combined and converted into 1 share of common stock.

No fractional shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Split. Stockholders of record who would otherwise have been entitled to receive fractional shares as a result of the Reverse Split received a cash payment in lieu thereof at a price equal to the fraction to which the stockholder would otherwise be entitled multiplied by the closing sales price per share of the common stock (as adjusted for the Reverse Split) on The Nasdaq Capital Market on January 31, 2024.

All share and per share amounts of common stock, options, warrants, and restricted stock in the accompanying financial statements and notes thereto have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to reflect the Reverse Split as if it had occurred at the beginning of the earliest period presented.

Net Loss per Share

Basic net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted net loss per share is computed using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, plus the dilutive effect of outstanding options and warrants, using the treasury stock method and the average market price of the Company’s common stock during the applicable period, unless their effect on net loss per share is antidilutive. The effect of computing diluted net loss per common share was antidilutive for any potentially issuable shares of common stock from the conversion of stock options, unvested restricted stock and warrants and, as such, have been excluded from the calculation.

The computation of basic and diluted net loss per share consists of the following:


	Year Ended December 31,
	2023			2022
Net loss	$	(35,140	)	$	(37,730	)
Weighted-average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted		15,995,323			14,475,354
Net loss per share, basic and diluted	$	(2.20	)	$	(2.61	)

Certain shares related to some of the Company’s outstanding common stock options, unvested restricted stock and warrants have not been included in the computation of diluted net loss per share for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 as the result would be antidilutive. Such potential common shares on December 31, 2023 and 2022 consist of the following:


	December 31,
	2023		2022
Common stock options		465,898		693,909
Unvested restricted stock		-		62,604
Warrants		1,452,399		1,528,156
		1,918,297		2,284,669

New Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, 2016-13, Financial Instruments: Credit Losses (Topic 326) as clarified in ASU 2019-04, ASU 2019-05 and ASU 2020-02. The objective of this standard is to provide information about expected credit losses on financial instruments at each reporting date and to change how other-than-temporary impairments on investment securities are recorded. The Company adopted ASU 2016-13 effective January 1, 2023, with no material impact upon adoption.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which enhances the disclosures required for operating segments in the Company's annual and interim financial statements. ASU 2023-07 is effective retrospectively for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which is intended to enhance the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. The amendments in ASU 2023-09 provide for enhanced income tax information primarily through changes to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid information. ASU 2023-09 is effective for the Company prospectively to all annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard.