BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (POLICIES)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Property Equipment

Property and Equipment - Property and equipment is recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives of five to seven years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated useful life of the asset or the term of the lease. Repairs and maintenance which do not extend the life of the asset are expensed when incurred. The fixed assets are reviewed on a quarterly basis to determine if any of the assets are impaired.

Patents

Patents - Patent expenditures are capitalized and amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the expected useful life or the legal life of the patent (17 years). In the event changes in technology or other circumstances impair the value or life of the patent, appropriate adjustment in the asset value and period of amortization is made. An impairment loss is recognized when estimated future undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset, and from its disposition, is less than the carrying value of the asset. The amount of the impairment loss would be the difference between the estimated fair value of the asset and its carrying value.

Research and Development Costs

Research and Development Costs - Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.  Management accrues Clinical Research Organization (“CRO”) expenses and clinical trial study expenses based on services performed and relies on the CROs to provide estimates of those costs applicable to the completion stage of a study. Estimated accrued CRO costs are subject to revisions as such studies progress to completion. The Company charges revisions to estimated expense in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known.

Leases

Leases - The Company accounts for contracts that convey the right to control the use of identified property, plant or equipment, over a period of time, in exchange for consideration, as leases upon inception. The Company leases certain real estate, machinery, laboratory equipment and office equipment over varying periods. Many of these leases include an option to either renew or terminate the lease. For purposes of calculating lease liabilities, these options are included in the lease term when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options. The incremental borrowing rate utilized to calculate the lease liabilities is based on the information available at commencement date, as most of the leases do not provide an implicit borrowing rate. Short-term leases, defined as leases with initial terms of 12 months or less, are not reflected on the balance sheet. Lease expense for such short-term leases is not material. For purposes of calculating lease liabilities, lease and non-lease components are combined. 

Income Taxes

Income Taxes - The Company uses the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under the asset and liability method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating and tax loss carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce the deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be recognized.  A full valuation allowance was recorded against the deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2020 and September 30, 2020.

Derivative Instruments

Derivative Instruments - The Company has financing arrangements that consist of freestanding derivative instruments that contain embedded derivative features. The Company accounts for these arrangements in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 815, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.” In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP), derivative instruments and hybrid instruments are recognized as either assets or liabilities in the balance sheet and are measured at fair value with gains or losses recognized in earnings or other comprehensive income depending on the nature of the derivative or hybrid instruments. The Company determines the fair value of derivative instruments and hybrid instruments based on available market data using appropriate valuation models considering all the rights and obligations of each instrument. The derivative liabilities are re-measured at fair value at the end of each interim reporting period.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation - Compensation cost for stock-based awards to employees and non-employees is measured at fair value as of the grant date in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718 “Compensation - Stock Compensation.” The fair value of stock options is calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Black-Scholes model requires various judgmental assumptions including volatility and expected option life. The stock-based compensation cost is recognized on the straight-line allocation method as expense over the requisite service or vesting period.

The Company has Incentive Stock Option Plans, Non-Qualified Stock Option Plans, Stock Compensation Plans, Stock Bonus Plans and an Incentive Stock Bonus Plan. In some cases, these Plans are collectively referred to as the "Plans". All Plans have been approved by the stockholders.

The Company’s stock options are not transferable, and the actual value of the stock options that an employee may realize, if any, will depend on the excess of the market price on the date of exercise over the exercise price. The Company has based its assumption for stock price volatility on the variance of daily closing prices of the Company’s common stock. The risk-free interest rate assumption was based on the U.S. Treasury rate at date of the grant with term equal to the expected life of the option. Forfeitures are accounted for when they occur.  The expected term of options represents the period that options granted are expected to be outstanding and has been determined based on an analysis of historical exercise behavior. If any of the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model change significantly, stock-based compensation expense for new awards may differ materially in the future from that recorded in the current period.

Vesting of restricted stock granted under the Incentive Stock Bonus Plan and options granted under the 2020 Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan are subject to service, performance and market conditions and meet the classification of equity awards. These awards were measured at market value on the grant-dates for issuances where the attainment of performance criteria is likely and at fair value on the grant-dates, using a Monte Carlo simulation for issuances where the attainment of performance criteria is uncertain. The total compensation cost will be expensed over the estimated requisite service period.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Newly Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement - Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820).”  Under the new standard, the amount and reason for a transfer between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy is no longer required to be disclosed, but public companies are required to disclose a range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. The Company adopted the new standard on July 1, 2020 with no impact to the Company’s financial statements.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06 (“ASU 2020-06”) Debt-Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging-Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity. The amendments in this Update simplify and clarify the guidance in Subtopic 815-40 and are effective for the Company for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, including interim periods within that fiscal year. Early adoption is permitted.  All of the Company’s liability classified warrants will be expired by that date and the Company does not expect the adoption to have a significant impact on its financial statements. The effect, if any, will largely depend on the composition and terms of the financial instruments at the time of adoption.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The new standard includes several provisions that simplify accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and increasing consistency and clarity for the users of financial statements. This standard will be effective for the Company on October 1, 2021. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this ASU will have on the financial statements.

The Company has considered all other recently issued accounting pronouncements and does not believe the adoption of such pronouncements will have a material impact on its financial statements.