Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Notes to Financial Statements
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]	Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies *Commitments* We enter into agreements in the normal course of business with CROs for clinical trials and with vendors for preclinical studies and other services and products for operating purposes, which are cancelable at any time by us, subject to payment of our remaining obligations under binding purchase orders and, in certain cases, nominal early termination fees. These commitments are not deemed significant. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had commitments under various agreements for capital expenditures totaling $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively, related to the construction of our manufacturing facilities. *Contingencies* From time to time, we may have certain contingent legal liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business activities. We accrue a liability for such matters when it is probable that future expenditures will be made, and such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. We are not aware of any current material pending legal matters or claims. We received the following grants from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (“NMSS”): (i) $0.3 million in September 2019 (the “2019 Grant”) to fund biomarker research related our VISIONARY-MS Phase 2 clinical trial, and (ii) $0.7 million in May 2023 (the “2023 Grant”) to fund Cohort 2 of our REPAIR-MS clinical trial. Pursuant to the grant agreements, if we make future commercial sales of CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS, we will repay: (i) 50% of the grants upon the first commercial product sale, (ii) an additional 50% of the grants upon cumulative sales of $10.0 million, (iii) an additional 150% of the grants upon cumulative sales of $50.0 million, and (iv) an additional 200% of the grants upon cumulative sales of $100.0 million, with the maximum repayment equal to 450% of the grants if all milestones are achieved. If NMSS has not yet received repayments equal in the aggregate to 300% of the 2019 Grant or 150% of the 2023 Grant, then upon the closing of any of the following events we will repay 300% of the 2019 Grant, equal to $1.0 million, or 150% of the 2023 Grant, equal to $1.0 million, less any amounts previously paid by us: (i) sale of all or substantially all of our assets and business, (ii) a public offering that occurs more than twelve months after completion of the applicable research, (iii) sale of any portion of our assets and business including CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS, (iv) exclusive licensing of our intellectual property claiming CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS, (v) a collaboration with a third-party to develop CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS (for the 2019 Grant only), or (vi) licensing of our commercialization rights to CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS (for the 2023 Grant only). As of March 31, 2024, we have not met any of the above milestones and the applicable research has not been completed. We accounted for these contingencies in accordance with ASC 450, Contingencies. Management has assessed the likelihood of each contingent event as less than probable and therefore no contingent liability is recognized. Management’s estimate of the possible range of loss is between the minimum and maximum repayment amounts, equal to 50% and 450% of each grant, or approximately $0.2 million and $1.5 million for the 2019 Grant, respectively; and approximately $0.3 million and $3.0 million for the 2023 Grant, respectively. However, it is at least reasonably possible that Management’s estimate of the likelihood of each contingent event and the possible range of loss will change in the near term.

Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

Note 9. Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments

We enter into agreements in the normal course of business with CROs for clinical trials and with vendors for preclinical studies and other services and products for operating purposes, which are cancelable at any time by us, subject to payment of our remaining obligations under binding purchase orders and, in certain cases, nominal early termination fees. These commitments are not deemed significant.

As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had commitments under various agreements for capital expenditures totaling $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively, related to the construction of our manufacturing facilities.

Contingencies

From time to time, we may have certain contingent legal liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business activities. We accrue a liability for such matters when it is probable that future expenditures will be made, and such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. We are not aware of any current material pending legal matters or claims.

We received the following grants from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (“NMSS”): (i) $0.3 million in September 2019 (the “2019 Grant”) to fund biomarker research related our VISIONARY-MS Phase 2 clinical trial, and (ii) $0.7 million in May 2023 (the “2023 Grant”) to fund Cohort 2 of our REPAIR-MS clinical trial. Pursuant to the grant agreements, if we make future commercial sales of CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS, we will repay: (i) 50% of the grants upon the first commercial product sale, (ii) an additional 50% of the grants upon cumulative sales of $10.0 million, (iii) an additional 150% of the grants upon cumulative sales of $50.0 million, and (iv) an additional 200% of the grants upon cumulative sales of $100.0 million, with the maximum repayment equal to 450% of the grants if all milestones are achieved. If NMSS has not yet received repayments equal in the aggregate to 300% of the 2019 Grant or 150% of the 2023 Grant, then upon the closing of any of the following events we will repay 300% of the 2019 Grant, equal to $1.0 million, or 150% of the 2023 Grant, equal to $1.0 million, less any amounts previously paid by us: (i) sale of all or substantially all of our assets and business, (ii) a public offering that occurs more than twelve months after completion of the applicable research, (iii) sale of any portion of our assets and business including CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS, (iv) exclusive licensing of our intellectual property claiming CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS, (v) a collaboration with a third-party to develop CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS (for the 2019 Grant only), or (vi) licensing of our commercialization rights to CNM-Au8 for the treatment of MS (for the 2023 Grant only). As of March 31, 2024, we have not met any of the above milestones and the applicable research has not been completed. We accounted for these contingencies in accordance with ASC 450, Contingencies. Management has assessed the likelihood of each contingent event as less than probable and therefore no contingent liability is recognized. Management’s estimate of the possible range of loss is between the minimum and maximum repayment amounts, equal to 50% and 450% of each grant, or approximately $0.2 million and $1.5 million for the 2019 Grant, respectively; and approximately $0.3 million and $3.0 million for the 2023 Grant, respectively. However, it is at least reasonably possible that Management’s estimate of the likelihood of each contingent event and the possible range of loss will change in the near term.