Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation of Interim Financial Statements

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements were prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for interim financial statements and, in the opinion of management, include all normal and recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the results of the interim periods shown. The December 31, 2023 balance sheet was derived from the December 31, 2023 audited financial statements. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such SEC rules and regulations. Management believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. The results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. The unaudited condensed consolidated

financial statements contained herein should be read in conjunction with the Company’s annual audited financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2023 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with US GAAP, which prescribes elimination of all significant intercompany accounts and transactions in the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, IKT Securities Corporation, Inc., which was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in December 2021. Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative US GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies and are generally adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company believes that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations upon adoption.

The Company qualifies as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended, or the JOBS Act. The JOBS Act permits an emerging growth company such as the Company to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. The Company has elected not to “opt out” of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company will adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard and will do so until such time that it either (i) irrevocably elects to “opt out” of such extended transition period or (ii) no longer qualifies as an emerging growth company.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company utilizes certain estimates in the determination of our liquidity and working capital adequacy, the fair value of its stock options and warrants, deferred tax valuation allowances and revenue recognition, to record expenses relating to research and development contracts and accrued expenses. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and other market-specific or other relevant assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from such estimates.

New Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies that the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed below, the Company does not believe that the adoption of recently issued standards have or may have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In November 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures which is intended to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and early adoption is permitted. The guidance is to be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Upon transition, the segment expense categories and amounts disclosed in the prior periods should be based on the significant segment expense categories identified and disclosed in the period of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this new guidance on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company did not report any revenues. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company derived 100% of its total revenue from a single source, the United States Government, in the form of federal research grants.

Revenue Recognition

The Company generates revenue from research and development grants under contracts with third parties that do not create customer-vendor relationships. The Company’s research and development grants are non-exchange transactions and are not within the scope of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). Contribution revenue earned from activities performed pursuant to research and development grants is reported as grant revenue in the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Revenue from these grants is recognized as the Company incurs

qualifying expenses as stipulated by the terms of the respective grant. Cash received from grants in advance of incurring qualifying expenses is recorded as deferred revenue. The Company records revenue and a corresponding receivable when qualifying costs are incurred before the grants are received.

Research and Development Costs

Costs incurred in the research and development of the Company’s product candidates are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred in performing research and development activities, including activities associated with performing services under grant revenue contracts and include salaries and benefits, stock compensation, research-related subcontractors and consultants, supplies and overhead costs. Advance payments made to suppliers and contract research organizations are classified as prepaid research and development and are expensed as research and development as the supplies are consumed and the contract services are provided. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company incurred expenses of approximately $149 thousand and $446 thousand, respectively, with a related party vendor which were included in research and development expenses. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred expenses of approximately $19 thousand and $30 thousand, respectively, with a related party vendor, which were included in research and development expenses. As of the periods ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company had a payable or accrued expense balance with a related party vendor of approximately $74 thousand and $57 thousand, respectively, included in accounts payable and accrued expenses.

Leases

The Company accounts for its leases under ASU 2021-09, ASU 2018-10, and ASC Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”). ASC 842 requires a lessee to record a right-of-use asset and a corresponding lease liability for most lease arrangements on the Company's condensed and consolidated balance sheet. Under the standard, disclosure of key information about leasing arrangements to assist users of the condensed and consolidated financial statements with assessing the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases is required.

Leases are classified as either finance leases or operating leases. A lease is classified as a finance lease if any one of the following criteria are met: the lease transfers ownership of the asset by the end of the lease term, the lease contains an option to purchase the asset that is reasonably certain to be exercised, the lease term is for a major part of the remaining useful life of the asset or the present value of the lease payments equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the asset. A lease is classified as an operating lease if it does not meet any of these criteria.

For all leases at the lease commencement date, a right-of-use asset and a lease liability are recognized. The right-of-use asset represents the right to use the leased asset for the lease term. The lease liability represents the present value of the lease payments under the lease.

The right-of-use asset is initially measured at cost, which primarily comprises the initial amount of the lease liability, plus any initial direct costs incurred if any, less any lease incentives received. All right-of-use assets are reviewed for impairment. The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease or, if that rate cannot be readily determined, the secured incremental borrowing rate for the same term as the underlying lease.

Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability comprise the following: the fixed noncancelable lease payments, payments for optional renewal periods where it is reasonably certain the renewal period will be exercised, and payments for early termination options unless it is reasonably certain the lease will not be terminated early.

Lease cost for operating leases consists of the lease payments plus any initial direct costs, primarily brokerage commissions, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Included in lease cost are any variable lease payments incurred in the period that are not included in the initial lease liability and lease payments incurred in the period for any leases with an initial term of 12 months or less. Lease cost for finance leases consists of the amortization of the right-of-use asset on a straight-line basis over the lease term and interest expense determined on an amortized cost basis. The lease payments are allocated between a reduction of the lease liability and interest expense.

The Company has made an accounting policy election to not recognize leases with an initial term of 12 months or less within our condensed consolidated balance sheets and to recognize those lease payments on a straight-line basis in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss over the lease term.

Equipment and Improvements

Equipment and improvements are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. For financial reporting purposes, depreciation is recognized using the straight-line method, allocating the cost of the assets over their estimated usefulness from three to five years for network equipment, office equipment, and furniture classified as fixed assets.


		Estimated Useful Economic Life
Leasehold property improvements, right-of-use assets		Lesser of lease term or useful life
Furniture and office equipment		3-5 years
Lab equipment		3 years
IT equipment		3 years

Fair Value Measurement

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.

· Level 1 — Fair values are determined utilizing quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access;

· Level 2 — Fair values are determined by utilizing quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in active markets or other market observable inputs such as interest rates, yield curves and foreign currency spot rates; and

· Level 3 — Inputs are unobservable inputs that reflect the Company’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The Company’s financial assets and financial liabilities, which include cash equivalents and marketable securities and accounts payable, have been initially valued at the transaction price, and subsequently revalued at the end of each reporting period, utilizing third-party pricing services. The pricing services utilize industry standard valuation models, including both income and market-based approaches, to determine value.

Marketable Securities

The Company's marketable securities consist of U.S. Treasury securities with maturities of less than one year which are classified as available-for-sale and included in current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Available-for-sale debt securities are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of stockholders’ (deficit) equity in accumulated other comprehensive income. Realized gains and losses, if any, are included in other income, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Available-for-sale securities are reviewed for possible impairment at least quarterly, or more frequently if circumstances arise that may indicate impairment. When the fair value of the securities declines below the amortized cost basis, impairment is indicated and it must be determined whether it is other than temporary. Impairment is considered to be other than temporary if the Company: (i) intends to sell the security, (ii) will more likely than not be forced to sell the security before recovering its cost, or (iii) does not expect to recover the security’s amortized cost basis. If the decline in fair value is considered other than temporary, the cost basis of the security is adjusted to its fair market value and the realized loss is reported.