SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) and applicable rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for interim reporting. As permitted under those rules and regulations, certain notes or other financial information normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted. The interim condensed financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the annual financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal, recurring adjustments that are necessary to present fairly the Company’s results for the interim periods presented. The condensed balance sheet as of December 31, 2020, is derived from the Company’s audited financial statements. The results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021, or for any other future annual or interim period.

The accompanying interim unaudited condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the related notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2020, which are included in the Company’s prospectus related to the Company’s IPO, filed with the SEC on March 26, 2021, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, amended.

Segment Information

Segment Information

The Company operates in one operating segment and, accordingly, no segment disclosures have been presented herein. All equipment and other fixed assets are physically located within the United States.

Use of Estimates

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 disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash Equivalents

Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents as of September 30, 2021 primarily consist of money market accounts and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2020 primarily consist of money market accounts and commercial paper.

Marketable Securities, Available For Sale

Marketable Securities, Available For Sale

All marketable securities have been classified as “available-for-sale” and are carried at fair value, based upon quoted market prices. The Company considers its available-for-sale portfolio as available for use in current operations. Accordingly, the Company may classify certain investments as short-term marketable securities, even though the stated maturity date may be one year or more beyond the current balance sheet date.

Unrealized gains and losses, net of any related tax effects, are excluded from earnings and are included in other comprehensive income and reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity (deficit) until realized. Interest income, realized gains and losses, and declines in value judged to be other than temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in other income, net. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific-identification method. The amortized cost of securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity. In accordance with the Company’s investment policy, management invests in money market funds, corporate bonds, commercial paper, asset-backed securities and government securities. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities since inception.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Periodically, the Company may maintain deposits in financial institutions in excess of government insured limits. The Company believes that it is not exposed to significant credit risk as its deposits are held at financial institutions that management believes to be of high credit quality. The Company has not experienced any losses on deposits since inception. The Company regularly invests excess cash with major financial institutions in money market funds, corporate debt securities, and commercial paper, all of which can be readily purchased and sold using established markets. The Company believes that the market risk arising from our holdings of these financial instruments is mitigated based on the fact that many of these securities are of high credit rating.

Deferred Offering Costs

Deferred Offering Costs

The Company capitalizes certain legal, professional, accounting and other third-party fees that are directly associated with in-process equity issuances as deferred offering costs until such equity issuances are consummated. After consummation of the equity issuance, these costs are recorded as a reduction in the capitalized amount associated with the equity issuance. Should the equity issuance be abandoned, the deferred offering costs are expensed immediately as a charge to operating expenses in the statement of operations. Deferred offering costs as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 were $0 and $0.7 million, respectively. Such costs are classified in other non-current assets in the accompanying balance sheets.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation of property and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the related asset, which is generally three to five years, and in the case of leasehold improvements, the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the term of the lease. Depreciation expense was $64,000 and $194,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively and $49,000 and $135,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such assets may not be fully recoverable. Impairment is evaluated based on the sum of undiscounted estimated future cash flows expected to result from use of the related asset compared to its carrying value. If impairment is recognized, the carrying value of the impaired asset is reduced to its fair value. There were no impairment charges or long-lived assets disposed of during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes are provided on temporary differences between financial statement and income tax reporting. Temporary differences are differences between the amounts of assets and liabilities reported for financial statement purposes and their tax bases.

Deferred tax assets are recognized for temporary differences that will be deductible in future years’ tax returns and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if such deferred tax assets are deemed more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets

will not be realized. Historically, we have not recognized these potential benefits in our financial statements and have fully reserved for such net deferred tax assets, as we believe it is more likely than not that the full benefit of these net deferred tax assets will not be realized before expiration. Deferred tax liabilities are recognized for temporary differences that will be taxable in future years. The Company evaluated its tax positions and determined it has no uncertain tax positions as of September 30, 2021.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company is required to disclose information on all assets and liabilities reported at fair value that enables an assessment of the inputs used in determining the reported fair values. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standard Codification (ASC) Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820), establishes a hierarchy of inputs used when available. Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are those that reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, and are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The fair value hierarchy applies only to the valuation inputs used in determining the reported fair value of financial instruments and is not a measure of the investment credit quality. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

Level 1—quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.

Level 2—other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities, interest rates, credit risk, etc.).

Level 3—significant unobservable inputs (including the Company’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of assets and liabilities).

The following tables summarize the Company’s financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis by level within the fair value hierarchy (in thousands):

	As of September 30, 2021
	Fair Value	Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized		Fair Market
	Hierarchy	Cost Basis		Gains		Losses		Value
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	Level 1	$	10,471	$	—	$	—	$	10,471
Marketable securities, available for sale:
Asset-backed securities	Level 2		35,261		5		(6)		35,260
Corporate debt securities	Level 2		81,240		18		(19)		81,239
Commercial paper	Level 2		81,236		—		—		81,236
U.S. government treasury and agency securities	Level 2		64,708		8		(19)		64,697
Supranational and sovereign government securities	Level 2		17,492		—		(11)		17,481
Total financial assets		$	290,408	$	31	$	(55)	$	290,384

	As of December 31, 2020
	Fair Value	Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized		Fair Market
	Hierarchy	Cost Basis		Gains		Losses		Value
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	Level 1	$	94,020	$	—	$	—	$	94,020
Commercial paper	Level 2		10,796		—		—		10,796
Marketable securities, available for sale:
Asset-backed securities	Level 2		7,246		—		—		7,246
Corporate debt securities	Level 2		13,937		—		—		13,937
Commercial paper	Level 2		2,995		—		—		2,995
Total financial assets		$	128,994	$	—	$	—	$	128,994

The Company’s money market funds are classified as Level 1 because they are valued using quoted market prices. Investments in asset-backed securities, corporate bonds, commercial paper and U.S. government treasury and agency securities, and supranational and sovereign government securities have been classified as Level 2 as they are valued using quoted prices in less active markets or other directly or indirectly observable inputs. Fair values of asset-backed securities, corporate bonds, commercial paper, U.S. government treasury and agency securities, and supranational and sovereign government securities were derived based on input of market prices from multiple sources at each reporting period. With regard to commercial paper, all of the securities had high credit ratings and one year or less to maturity; therefore, fair value was derived from accretion of purchase price to face value over the term of maturity or quoted market prices for similar instruments if available. During the three months ended September 30, 2021, there were no transfers of financial assets between Level 1 and Level 2. As of September 30, 2021, the remaining contractual maturities of $170.1 million of marketable securities were less than one year and $109.8 million were one to three years.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and/or circumstances from non-owner sources. The Company’s only element of other comprehensive income (loss) was net unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

In accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, the Company recognizes compensation expense for all stock-based awards issued to employees based on the estimated grant-date fair value, which is recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The Company has elected to recognize forfeitures as they occur. The fair value of stock options is determined using the Black-

Scholes option-pricing model. The determination of fair value for stock-based awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model requires management to make certain assumptions including expected volatility, expected term, risk-free interest rate and expected dividends in addition to the Company’s common stock valuation (see Note 4).

Due to the absence of an active market for the Company’s common stock prior to the closing of the Company’s IPO, the Company utilized methodologies, approaches and assumptions consistent with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Audit and Accounting Practice Aid Series: Valuation of Privately Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation to estimate the fair value of its common stock. In determining the exercise prices for options granted, the Company considered the fair value of the common stock as of the grant date. The fair value of the common stock has been determined based upon a variety of factors, including the Company’s financial position, historical performance and operating results, the Company’s stage of development, the progress of the Company’s research and development programs, the prices at which the Company sold its convertible preferred stock, the superior rights, preferences and privileges of the Company’s convertible preferred stock relative to its common stock, external market conditions affecting the biotechnology industry, the lack of marketability of the Company’s common stock and the prospects of a liquidity event and the analysis of IPO and market performance of similar companies as well as recently completed mergers and acquisitions of peer companies. Significant changes to the key assumptions underlying the factors used could result in different fair values of common stock at each valuation date. Following the completion of the Company’s IPO, the fair value of its common stock is determined based on the closing price of its common stock on the date of grant.

Research and Development Expenses and Accrued Research and Development Expenses

Research and Development Expenses and Accrued Research and Development Expenses

Expenditures made for research and development are charged to expense as incurred. External costs consist primarily of payments to contract research organizations (CROs), contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), sample acquisition costs and laboratory supplies purchased in connection with the Company’s discovery and preclinical activities, and process development and clinical development activities. Internal costs consist primarily of employee-related costs, facilities, depreciation and costs related to compliance with regulatory requirements. Non-refundable advance payments for goods and services that will be used in future research and development activities are capitalized and recorded as expense in the period that the Company receives the goods or when services are performed.

The Company records expenses related to external research and development services based on its estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to quotes and contracts with multiple CROs and CDMOs that supply, conduct and manage preclinical studies and clinical trials on its behalf. The financial terms of these contracts vary from contract to contract and may result in payment flows that do not match the periods over which materials or services are provided under such contracts. In accruing service fees, the Company estimates the time period over which services will be performed 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 the estimate, the Company adjusts the accrual or the amount of prepaid expenses accordingly.

Emerging Growth Company Status

Emerging Growth Company Status

The Company is an “emerging growth company”, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (JOBS Act). Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, delaying the adoption of these accounting standards until they would apply to private companies. The Company has elected to use this extended transition period for complying with certain new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that it is (1) no longer an emerging growth company or (2) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, these financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (ASC Topic 842). The new guidance maintains two classifications of leases: finance leases, which replace capital leases, and operating leases. Lessees will need to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the statement of financial position for those leases previously classified as operating leases under the old guidance. The liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments. The asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as for direct costs. The accounting standard will be effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the lease guidance on the Company’s financial statements.