Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“U.S. GAAP”).

Use of Estimates and Judgements

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgements that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses; and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements. Such estimates include the determination of useful lives for property and equipment, the contract term, transaction price and costs of collaboration agreements, as well as estimates of the fair value of common stock (prior to the IPO), stock options and derivative instruments and income tax uncertainties. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Due to the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, there has been uncertainty and disruption in the global economy and financial markets. The Company is not aware of any specific event or circumstance that would require an update to its estimates or judgments or a revision of the carrying value of its assets or liabilities as of December 31, 2021. While there was not a material impact to the Company’s financial statements as of December 31, 2021, these estimates may change, as new events occur and additional information is obtained, as well as other factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic that could result in material impacts to the financial statements in future reporting periods.

Segment Information

The Company operates and manages its business as one reportable and operating segment. The Company’s chief executive officer, who is the chief operating decision maker, reviews financial information on a company-wide basis for purposes of allocating resources and assessing financial performance.

As of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, all of the Company’s long-lived assets were located in the United States and all revenue was earned in the United States.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and accounts receivable. The Company’s cash is held at two financial institutions in the United States of America. The Company’s cash equivalents are invested in money market funds. The Company also invests in U.S. Treasuries, commercial paper and corporate bonds. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash and cash equivalents. Such deposits may, at times, exceed federally insured limits.

The Company’s partners in collaboration and license agreements who represent 10% or more of the Company’s total revenue are as follows:


	Year Ended December 31,
	2021	2020
Customer A	95%	95%
Customer B	*	*
Total	95%	95%

* Less than 10%

The Company’s partners in collaboration and license agreements who represent 10% or more of the Company’s total accounts receivable are as follows:


	December 31,
	2021	2020
Customer A	100%	74%
Customer B	0%	26%
Total	100%	100%

The Company’s total revenues by geographic region, based on the location of the customer, are as follows (in thousands):


	Year Ended December 31,
	2021		2020
Netherlands	$	736	$	742
Switzerland		17,181		12,897
United States		121		(27	)
Total revenue	$	18,038	$	13,612

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist of money market funds.

Marketable Securities

Marketable securities consist of commercial paper, corporate bonds and U.S. Treasuries and are included in current and noncurrent assets. The Company classifies its marketable securities as available-for-sale and carries them at fair value on its balance sheet. Fair value is estimated using independent pricing sources based on quoted prices in active markets for similar securities. Unrealized gains and losses on the marketable securities are reported as a component of stockholders' equity (deficit) in accumulated other comprehensive loss. The amortized cost of marketable securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity, which is included in interest income on the statements of operations. Realized gains and losses are included in interest income on the statements of operations.

The Company periodically evaluates its marketable securities to assess whether those with unrealized loss positions are other than temporarily impaired. The Company considers various factors in determining whether to recognize an impairment charge. If the Company determines that the decline in an investment's fair value is other-than-temporary, the difference is recognized as an impairment loss in the statements of operations.

Other Risks and Uncertainties

The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties common to early-stage companies in the biotechnology industry, including, but not limited to, development by competitors of new technological innovations, protection of proprietary technology, dependence on key personnel, suppliers for key raw materials, contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”) and contract research organizations (“CROs”), compliance with government regulations and the need to obtain additional financing to fund operations. Product candidates currently under development will require significant additional research and development efforts, including extensive preclinical studies, clinical trials and regulatory approval, prior to commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel and infrastructure and extensive compliance and reporting.

There can be no assurance that the Company’s research and development will be successfully completed, that adequate protection for the Company’s intellectual property will be obtained or maintained, that any products developed will obtain necessary government regulatory approval or that any approved products will be commercially viable. Even if the Company’s product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will generate significant revenue from product sales. The Company operates in an environment of rapid change in technology and substantial competition from other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In addition, the Company is dependent upon the services of its employees, consultants and other third parties (including for clinical trials and some aspects of research and preclinical testing).

The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business will depend upon the duration and spread of the outbreak and the extent and severity of the impact on the Company’s clinical trial activities, research activities and suppliers, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. The extent to which the coronavirus outbreak may materially impact the Company’s financial condition, liquidity or results of operations is uncertain.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company applies fair value accounting for all financial assets and liabilities and nonfinancial assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis. Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-level fair value hierarchy has been established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

•

Level 1 — Observable inputs that reflect unadjusted quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that are accessible at the measurement date.

•

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.

•

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.

The Company accounts for transfers of financial instruments between levels of the fair value hierarchy on the date of the event or change in circumstance that caused the transfer.

Accounts Receivable—Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company regularly reviews accounts receivable for collectability and establishes an allowance for probable credit losses and writes off uncollectible accounts as necessary. The Company has determined that no allowance was required at December 31, 2021 and 2020. The Company did not have any write-offs relating to uncollectible accounts receivable during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation for acquired assets. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of assets, ranging from three to five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful life of the assets or the lease term. Upon sale or retirement of assets, the costs and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet and the resulting gain or loss is reflected within operating expenses in the statements of operations. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by comparison of the carrying amount to the future undiscounted net cash flows, which the assets are expected to generate. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is typically measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the projected discounted future net cash flows arising from the asset. There have been no such impairments of long-lived assets in the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock

The Company recorded all shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock at their respective fair values on the date of issuance, net of issuance costs. The redeemable convertible preferred stock was recorded outside of permanent equity because while it was not mandatorily redeemable, in certain events considered not solely within the Company's control, such as a merger or consolidation, sale, lease, or license of substantially all of the Company's assets (each, a "deemed liquidation event"), the convertible preferred stock would become redeemable at the option of the holders of a majority of the outstanding series of redeemable convertible preferred stock. The Company did not adjust the carrying values of the redeemable convertible preferred stock to the liquidation preference of such shares because a deemed liquidation event obligating the Company to pay the liquidation preference did not occur. All outstanding shares of the redeemable convertible preferred stock converted into common stock upon the close of the IPO in December 2020.

Common Stock Warrants

The Company accounts for common stock warrants which meet the definition of a derivative as liabilities if the warrant requires net cash settlement or gives the holder the option of net cash settlement. The Company accounts for common stock warrants as equity if the contract requires physical settlement or net physical settlement or if the Company has the option of physical settlement or net physical settlement. Common stock warrants classified as liabilities are initially recorded at fair value and remeasured at fair value each balance sheet date with the offset adjustments recorded in other income (expense), net within the statements of operations. Common stock warrants classified as equity are initially measured at fair value on the grant date and are not subsequently remeasured.

Leases

On December 31, 2021, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), ("ASC 842") using the alternative modified retrospective approach effective as of January 1, 2021 to recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment on the effective date and to not adjust financial information and disclosures required under the new lease standards for comparative prior periods. The Company has elected to apply the package of practical expedients requiring no reassessment of whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, the lease classification of any expired or existing leases, or the capitalization of initial direct costs for any existing leases. Additionally, the Company has elected not to separate lease and non-lease components and not to recognize leases with an initial term of twelve months or less.

Under ASC 842, at contract inception, the Company determines if an arrangement is or contains a lease. A contract is or contains a lease if the contract conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. If determined to be or contain a lease, the lease is assessed for classification as either an operating or finance lease at the lease commencement date, defined as the date on which the leased asset is made available for use by the Company, based on the economic characteristics of the lease.

A right-of-use asset represents the economic benefit conveyed to the Company by the right to use the underlying asset over the lease term. A lease liability represents the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease right-of-use assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the Company's obligation to make payments arising from the lease. Operating right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date of the lease and are measured at the present value of the fixed payments due over the expected lease term less the present value of any incentives, rebates, or abatements the Company expects to receive from the lessor. The Company records amortization of operating right-of-use assets and accretion of lease liabilities as a single lease cost on a straight-line basis over the lease term. No lease renewal options are recognized as part of the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities.

The Company's operating leases are presented in the balance sheet as operating lease right-of-use assets, classified as noncurrent assets, and operating lease liabilities, classified as current and noncurrent based on the discounted lease payments to be made within the proceeding twelve months.

As the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate , the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate to discount lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate represents an estimated rate of interest that the Company would have to pay to borrow equivalent funds on a collateralized basis at the lease commencement date.

Upon adoption of the new lease standard effective January 1, 2021, the Company recognized operating lease right-of-use assets of $16.5 million, and current and noncurrent operating lease liabilities of $2.0 million and $16.1 million, respectively. In connection with the adoption of this standard, deferred rent of $1.0 million and lease incentive liability of $0.5 million, which were previously recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets, accrued and other current liabilities and other liabilities on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2020, were derecognized. The adoption of the standard did not have an impact on the Company's statements of operations or comprehensive loss, stockholders' equity or cash flows. The impact of adoption of the new lease standard as of January 1, 2021 is summarized as follows:


	December 31, 2020			ASC 842 Adjustments			January 1, 2021
Operating lease right-of-use assets	$	—		$	16,537		$	16,537
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		4,444			(214	)		4,230
Accrued and other current liabilities		(8,371	)		68			(8,303	)
Other liabilities		(1,852	)		1,696			(156	)
Operating lease liabilities, current		—			(2,029	)		(2,029	)
Operating lease liabilities, long-term		—			(16,058	)		(16,058	)

Revenue Recognition

The Company determines revenue recognition for arrangements within the scope of Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) ("ASC 606") by performing the following five steps: (i) identification of the promised goods or services in the contract; (ii) determination of whether the promised goods or services are performance obligations including whether they are distinct in the context of the contract; (iii) measurement of the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations based on estimated selling prices; and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies each performance obligation.

The Company’s revenue is primarily derived through its license, research, development and commercialization agreements. The terms of these types of agreements may include (i) licenses to the Company’s technology, (ii) research and development services, and (iii) services or obligations in connection with participation in research or steering committees. Payments to the Company under these arrangements typically include one or more of the following: nonrefundable upfront and license fees, research funding, milestone and other contingent payments to the Company for the achievement of defined collaboration objectives and certain preclinical, clinical, regulatory and sales-based events, as well as royalties on sales of any commercialized products. Arrangements that include upfront payments are recorded as deferred revenue upon receipt or when due and are recognized as revenue as performance conditions are met. The event-based milestone payments, royalties and cost reimbursements represent variable consideration, and the Company uses the most likely amount method to estimate this variable consideration. Royalty payments are recognized when earned or as the sales occur. The Company records cost reimbursements as accounts receivable when right to consideration is unconditional.

A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer and is the unit of account in ASC 606. The Company allocates the total transaction price to each performance obligation based on the estimated standalone selling price and recognizes revenue when, or as, the performance obligation is satisfied. The Company includes the unconstrained amount of estimated variable consideration in the transaction price. At the end of each reporting period, the Company re-evaluates the estimated variable consideration included in the transaction price and any related constraint, and if necessary, adjusts its estimate of the overall transaction price.

Significant management judgment is required to determine the level of effort required under an arrangement and the period over which the Company expects to complete its performance obligations under the arrangement. Changes in these estimates can have a material effect on revenue recognized.

Research and Development Expenses

Costs related to research, design and development of programs are charged to research and development expense as incurred. Research and development costs include, but are not limited to, payroll and personnel expenses including stock-based compensation, materials, laboratory supplies, outside services and allocated overhead, including rent, insurance, repairs and maintenance, depreciation and utilities. The Company expenses all research and development costs in the period in which they are incurred.

Costs incurred in obtaining technology licenses are charged to research and development expense as acquired in-process research and development if the technology licensed has not reached technological feasibility and has no alternative future use.

Accrued Research and Development

The Company has entered into various agreements with CROs and CMOs. The Company’s research and development accruals are estimated based on the level of services performed, progress of the studies, including the phase or completion of events, and contracted costs. The estimated costs of research and development provided, but not yet invoiced, are included in accrued and other current liabilities on the balance sheet. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from the original estimates, the Company will adjust the accrual accordingly. Payments made to CROs or CMOs under these arrangements in advance of the performance of the related services are recorded as prepaid expenses and other current assets until the services are rendered.

Stock-Based Compensation

As of January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which aligns the measurement and classification guidance for share-based payments to nonemployees with the guidance for share-based payments to employees. As of January 1, 2020, the Company accounts for stock-based compensation for stock options granted to employees, directors and nonemployees as measured at grant date, based on the fair value of the award. The Company measures the fair value of awards granted using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and recognizes the expense in the statements of operations over the requisite service period, generally four years, using the straight-line method. Forfeitures are accounted for as they occur. The Company’s policy for issuing stock upon stock option exercise is to issue new common stock.

Prior to the adoption of ASU 2018-07 on January 1, 2020, stock-based compensation expense related to stock options granted to nonemployees was recognized based on the vesting date fair value of options as the stock options were earned. The Company remeasured the stock-based compensation at each reporting period end with the resulting change in fair value being recognized in the statements of operations over the period the related services were rendered. The Company estimated the service period for the options based on the time that would be required to satisfy the service condition, assuming the service condition would be satisfied. Stock-based compensation expense was recognized over the estimated service period but was accelerated if the performance condition was achieved earlier than estimated.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires, among other things, that deferred income taxes be provided for temporary differences between the tax basis of the Company’s assets and liabilities and their financial statement reported amounts. In addition, deferred tax assets are recorded for the future benefit of utilizing net operating losses and research and development credit carryforwards and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when such items are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is provided against deferred tax assets unless it is more likely than not that they will be realized.

The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions by assessing all material positions taken in any assessment or challenge by relevant taxing authorities. Assessing an uncertain tax position begins with the initial determination of the position’s sustainability and is measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to the underpayment of income taxes as a component of income tax expense or benefit. To date, there have been no interest or penalties charged in relation to the unrecognized tax benefits.

Embedded Derivative

Embedded derivatives that are required to be bifurcated from the underlying host instrument are accounted for and valued as a separate financial instrument. An embedded derivative exists in the award agreement with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (“CFF”). As described in Note 16, the embedded derivative has been bifurcated and is classified as a liability on the balance sheet and separately accounted for at its fair value. The derivative liability is subject to remeasurement to fair value each reporting period. Changes in the fair value of the derivative liability are recognized as a component of other income (expense), net within the statements of operations.

Deferred Offering Costs

The Company capitalizes certain legal, accounting and other third-party fees that are directly related to the Company’s in-process financings, until such financings are consummated. After consummation of the financing, these costs are recorded as a reduction of the proceeds received as a result of the offering. In the event that a planned offering does not occur or is significantly delayed, all related deferred offering costs will be expensed immediately within the Company’s statements of operations.

Net Loss Per Share, Basic and Diluted

The Company calculates basic and diluted net loss per share in conformity with the two-class method required for companies with participating securities. The Company considers all series of redeemable convertible preferred stock to be participating securities as the holders are entitled to receive non-cumulative dividends on a pari passu basis in the event the dividend is paid on common shares. Under the two-class method, the net loss is not allocated to the redeemable convertible preferred stock as the holders of redeemable convertible preferred stock do not have a contractual obligation to share in losses.

Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, less shares subject to repurchase. Diluted net loss per share is computed by giving effect to all potentially dilutive common shares outstanding for the period. For purposes of this calculation, redeemable convertible preferred shares, stock options to acquire shares of common stock, common stock warrants, and unvested common stock subject to repurchase, are considered potentially dilutive common shares, but have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share as their effect is antidilutive.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted

In June 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2018-07, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. This ASU aligns the measurement and classification guidance for share-based payments to nonemployees with the guidance for share-based payment to employees. Under this ASU, the measurement of equity-classified nonemployee awards is fixed at the grant date, which may lower their cost and reduce volatility in the statements of operations. The transition method provided by this ASU is on a modified retrospective basis, which recognizes a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted, but no earlier than a company's adoption date of ASC 606. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective method. The Company recorded a less than $0.1 million cumulative-effect adjustment reflected as a decrease to the opening balance of accumulated deficit and a decrease to additional paid-in capital

In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-18, Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808): Clarifying the Interaction Between Topic 808 and Topic 606. This ASU clarifies that certain transactions between participants in a collaborative arrangement should be accounted for under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, when the counterparty is a customer. This ASU also precludes an entity from presenting consideration received from a transaction as revenue from contracts with customers if the counterparty is not a customer for that transaction. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. Early adoption is permitted for entities that have adopted ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company adopted this ASU on January 1, 2021. The adoption of this ASU did not result in a material impact on the Company’s financial statements and related disclosures.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This ASU affects general principles within Topic 740 and is meant to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general framework. The ASU adds guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas, including recognizing a franchise (or similar) tax that is partially based on income as an income-based tax and incremental amounts incurred as a non-income-based tax and recognizing deferred taxes for tax goodwill. ASU 2019-12 also created an exception to the incremental approach for intraperiod tax allocation when there is a loss from continuing operations and income or a gain from other items (for example, other comprehensive income). The amendments in ASU 2019-12 are effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Early adoption of the amendments is permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2019-12 effective January 1, 2021 on a prospective basis. The adoption of this ASU did not result in a material impact on the Company's financial statements and related disclosures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), as subsequently amended, which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e., lessees and lessors), and replaces the existing guidance in ASC 840, Leases. The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. The classification will determine the recognition pattern of lease expense over the term of the lease. In addition, a lessee is required to record (i) a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on its balance sheet for all leases with accounting lease terms of more than twelve months regardless of whether it is an operating or financing lease and (ii) lease expense in its statements of operations for operating leases and amortization and interest expense in its statements of operations for financing leases. Leases with a term of twelve months or less may be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases under Topic 840. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842), which added an optional transition method that allows companies to adopt the standard as of the beginning of the year of adoption as opposed to the earliest comparative period presented.

See earlier disclosure in this footnote on the impact on the Company of the adoption of this standard in 2021.

New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

As an “emerging growth company,” the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (“JOBS Act”) allows the Company to delay adoption of new or revised accounting pronouncements applicable to public companies until such pronouncements are made applicable to private companies. The Company has elected to use this extended transition period under the JOBS Act. The adoption dates discussed below reflect this election.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, as clarified in subsequent amendments. ASU 2016-13 changes the impairment model for certain financial instruments. The new model is a forward-looking expected loss model and will apply to financial assets subject to credit losses and measured at amortized cost and certain off-balance sheet credit exposures. This includes loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, loan commitments, financial guarantees and net investments in leases, as well as trade receivables. For available-for-sale debt securities with unrealized losses, credit losses will be measured in a manner similar to today, except that the losses will be recognized as allowances rather than reductions in the amortized cost of the securities. In October 2019, the FASB voted to delay the effective date of this standard. Topic 326 will be effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance on its financial statements.