Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of consolidation and nature of operations: Veru Inc. is referred to in these notes collectively with its subsidiaries as “we,” “our,” “us,” “Veru” or the “Company.” The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Veru and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Veru International Holdco Inc., Aspen Park Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APP) and The Female Health Company Limited; The Female Health Company Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, The Female Health Company (UK) plc (The Female Health Company Limited and The Female Health Company (UK) plc, collectively, the “U.K. subsidiary”); The Female Health Company (UK) plc’s wholly owned subsidiary, The Female Health Company (M) SDN.BHD (the “Malaysia subsidiary”); and Veru International Holdco Inc.’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Veru Biopharma UK Limited, Veru Biopharma Europe Limited, and Veru Biopharma Netherlands B.V. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company is a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel medicines for the treatment of metabolic diseases, oncology, and ARDS. Our drug development program includes enobosarm, an oral selective androgen receptor modulator, to augment fat loss and to prevent lean mass loss in combination with a GLP-1 RA, and for the management of advanced breast cancer and sabizabulin, a microtubule disruptor, for the treatment of hospitalized patients with viral-induced ARDS. The Company also has the FC2 Female Condom/FC2 Internal Condom® (FC2), an FDA-approved commercial product for the dual protection against unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The Company had ENTADFI® (finasteride and tadalafil) capsules for oral use (ENTADFI), a new treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia that was approved by the FDA in December 2021. We sold substantially all of the assets related to ENTADFI on April 19, 2023. See Note 15 for additional information. Most of the Company’s net revenues during fiscal 2024 and 2023 were derived from sales of FC2.

FC2 has been distributed in either or both commercial (private sector) and public health sector markets in 150 countries. It is marketed to consumers in various countries through distributors, public health programs, and/or retailers and in the U.S. by prescription.

Reclassification, Comparability Adjustment [Policy Text Block]

Reclassifications: Certain prior period amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation. The reclassifications had no effect on the results of operations or financial position for any period presented.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Segments: We regularly review our operating segments and the approach used by management to evaluate performance and allocate resources. The Company operates as a single operating segment. Our determination that we operate as a single segment is consistent with the financial information regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker (CODM) for purposes of evaluating performance, allocating resources, setting incentive compensation targets, and planning and forecasting for future periods. Our CODM allocates resources and assesses financial performance on a consolidated basis.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and cash equivalents and concentration: Cash and cash equivalents, which primarily consist of cash on deposit with financial institutions and highly liquid money market funds, are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company treats short-term, highly liquid funds that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have original maturities of three months or less as cash equivalents. The Company’s cash is maintained primarily in three financial institutions, located in Chicago, Illinois; London, England; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Investment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Investments in equity securities: Investments in equity securities consist of 142,749 shares of common stock (“ONCO Common Stock”) of Onconetix, Inc., formerly known as Blue Water Vaccines Inc. (“ONCO”). The Company has elected to measure the ONCO Common Stock using the fair value option, as provided for by FASB Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 825, Financial Instruments, which allows entities to make an irrevocable election of fair value as the initial and subsequent measurement attribute for certain eligible financial assets and liabilities. Under the fair value option, related gains and losses on the financial instrument will be reflected in non-operating income (expenses) in the Company’s statements of operations. The decision to elect the fair value option is determined on an instrument-by-instrument basis and must be applied to an entire instrument and is irrevocable once elected. Pursuant to this guidance, the carrying value will be adjusted to estimated fair value at the end of each quarter. The value of the ONCO Common Stock is $0.7 million as of September 30, 2024 and is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. See Note 3 for additional discussion.

Accounts Receivable and Concentration of Credit Risk [Policy Text Block]

Accounts receivable and concentration of credit risk: Accounts receivable are carried at original invoice amount less an estimate made for returns, discounts, and credit losses based on a review of all outstanding amounts on a periodic basis.

Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Inventories: Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The cost is determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. Inventories are also written down for management’s estimates of product which will not sell prior to its expiration date. Write-downs of inventories establish a new cost basis which is not increased for future increases in the net realizable value of inventories or changes in estimated obsolescence.

The Company capitalizes inventory costs associated with its drug products following regulatory approval when future commercialization is considered probable and the future economic benefit is expected to be realized. Prior to an initial regulatory approval for our drug products under clinical development, we expense costs relating to the production of inventory as research and development expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations, in the period incurred.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fixed assets: We record equipment, furniture and fixtures, and leasehold improvements at historical cost. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are recorded to expense. Depreciation and amortization are primarily computed using the straight-line method, over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the remaining lease term or the estimated useful lives of the assets.

Lessee, Leases [Policy Text Block]

Leases: Leases are classified as either operating or finance leases at inception. A right-of-use (ROU) asset and corresponding lease liability are established at an amount equal to the present value of fixed lease payments over the lease term at the commencement date. The ROU asset includes any initial direct costs incurred and lease payments made at or before the commencement date and is reduced by lease incentive payments. The Company has elected not to separate the lease and nonlease components for all classes of underlying assets. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate to determine the present value of the lease payments for leases that do not have a readily determinable implicit discount rate. The incremental borrowing rate is the rate of interest that the Company would be charged to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term and amount in a similar economic environment. The Company determines the incremental borrowing rates for its leases by adjusting the risk-free interest rate with a credit risk premium corresponding to the Company’s credit rating.

Operating lease costs are recognized for fixed lease payments on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Finance lease costs are a combination of the amortization expense for the ROU asset and interest expense for the outstanding lease liability using the applicable discount rate. Variable lease payments are recognized when incurred based on occurrence or usage. Short-term leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet; we recognize lease expense for short-term leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Intangible Assets, Finite-Lived, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Patents and trademarks: The costs for patents and trademarks are expensed when incurred.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Goodwill and intangible assets: The Company’s goodwill and intangible assets, primarily developed technology and in-process research and development (IPR&D), arose from the acquisition of APP (the “APP Acquisition”) on October 31, 2016. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized. IPR&D was accounted for as indefinite-lived intangible assets until the underlying projects were discontinued, at which point the intangible assets were written off. Goodwill and indefinite-lived assets are subject to an impairment review annually, in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, and more frequently when indicators of impairment exist. An impairment of goodwill could occur if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeded the fair value of that reporting unit. An impairment of indefinite-lived intangible assets would occur if the fair value of the intangible asset is less than the carrying value. Intangible assets with finite lives were tested for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. These intangible assets were carried at cost less accumulated amortization.

Goodwill consists of the cost of an acquired business in excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired. The Company’s goodwill is assigned to the reporting unit that is expected to benefit from the synergies of a business combination. The Company has identified two reporting units within its single operating segment. The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment by first assessing qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value is less than its carrying amount. If the Company concludes it is more likely than not that the fair value is less than its carrying amount, a quantitative impairment test is performed. For its quantitative impairment tests, the Company uses an estimated future cash flow approach that requires significant judgment with respect to future volume, revenue and expense growth rates, changes in working capital use, the selection of an appropriate discount rate, asset groupings and other assumptions and estimates. The estimates and assumptions used are consistent with the Company's business plans and a market participant's views. The use of alternative estimates and assumptions could increase or decrease the estimated fair value of the assets and potentially result in different impacts to the Company's results of operations. Actual results may differ from the Company's estimates. The fair value of the reporting unit is compared with its carrying amount and an impairment charge would be recognized for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value.

Regarding goodwill, the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is highly sensitive to changes in projections and assumptions; therefore, in some instances changes in these assumptions could potentially lead to impairment. We perform sensitivity analyses around our assumptions in order to assess the reasonableness of the assumptions and the results of our testing. Changes in these assumptions may impact the estimated fair value of a reporting unit and cause the fair value of the reporting unit to be below its carrying value. We believe that our estimates are consistent with assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value; however, if actual results are not consistent with our estimates and assumptions, we may be exposed to an impairment charge that could be material.

Intangible assets are highly vulnerable to impairment charges, particularly IPR&D. These assets are initially measured at fair value and therefore any reduction in expectations used in the valuations could potentially lead to impairment. Some of the more common potential risks leading to impairment include competition, earlier than expected loss of exclusivity, pricing pressures, adverse regulatory changes or clinical trial results, delay or failure to obtain regulatory approval, additional development costs, inability to achieve expected synergies, higher operating costs, changes in tax laws and other macro-economic changes. The complexity in estimating the fair value of intangible assets in connection with an impairment test is similar to the initial valuation. During fiscal 2023, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $3.9 million related to IPR&D. The charge was primarily a result of the Company’s strategic decision to refocus its drug development efforts on those drug candidates that it believes to have the best opportunity to lead to long-term success and shareholder value creation, which led the Company to indefinitely cease development of sabizabulin for prostate cancer and zuclomiphene. See Note 8 for additional information. The Company’s intangible asset balance for IPR&D at September 30, 2024 and 2023, after the impairment charge was recorded, is zero.

Deferred Charges, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Deferred financing costs: Costs incurred in connection with the common stock purchase agreements and the at-the-market sale agreement discussed in Note 10 have been included in other assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at September 30, 2024 and 2023. When shares of the Company’s common stock are sold under the common stock purchase agreement or at-the market sale agreement, a pro-rata portion of the deferred costs is recorded to additional paid-in-capital.

Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair value measurements: Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 820 – Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. FASB ASC Topic 820 requires disclosures about the fair value of all financial instruments, whether or not recognized, for financial statement purposes. Disclosures about the fair value of financial instruments are based on pertinent information available to us as of the reporting dates. Accordingly, the estimates presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that could be realized on disposition of the financial instruments. See Note 3 for a discussion of fair value measurements.

The carrying amounts reported in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other accrued liabilities approximate their fair value based on the short-term nature of these instruments. The carrying value of the residual royalty agreement liabilities, taking into consideration the related derivative instruments, is estimated to approximate fair value.

Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Derivative instruments: The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market or foreign currency risks. The Company reviews the terms of debt instruments it enters into to determine whether there are embedded derivative instruments, which are required to be bifurcated and accounted for separately as derivative financial instruments. Embedded derivatives that are not clearly and closely related to the host contract are bifurcated and are recognized at fair value with changes in fair value recognized as either a gain or loss in earnings. Liabilities incurred in connection with an embedded derivative are discussed in Note 9.

Revenue [Policy Text Block]

Revenue recognition: Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods is transferred to the customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those products. See Note 4 for further discussion on revenue.

Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Research and development costs: Research and development costs are expensed as they are incurred and include salaries and benefits, costs to conduct clinical trials, and contract services. Nonrefundable advance payments made for goods or services to be used in research and development activities are deferred and capitalized until the goods have been delivered or the related services have been performed. If the goods are no longer expected to be delivered or the services are no longer expected to be performed, the Company would be required to expense the related capitalized advance payments. The Company did not have any material capitalized nonrefundable advance payments as of September 30, 2024 or 2023.

The Company records estimated costs of research and development activities conducted by third-party service providers, which include the conduct of preclinical studies and clinical trials and contract manufacturing activities. These costs are a significant component of the Company’s research and development expenses. The Company accrues for these costs based on factors such as estimates of the work completed and in accordance with agreements established with its third-party service providers under the service agreements. The Company makes significant judgments and estimates in determining the accrued liabilities balance in each reporting period. As actual costs become known, the Company adjusts its accrued liabilities. The Company has not experienced any material differences between accrued costs and actual costs incurred. However, the status and timing of actual services performed, number of patients enrolled and the rate of patient enrollments may vary from the Company’s estimates, resulting in adjustments to expense in future periods. Changes in these estimates that result in material changes to the Company’s accruals could materially affect the Company’s results of operations.

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Policy Text Block]

Share-based compensation: The Company recognizes share-based compensation expense in connection with its share-based awards, based on the estimated fair value of the awards on the date of grant, on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Calculating share-based compensation expense requires the input of highly subjective judgment and assumptions, including estimates of the expected life of the share-based award, stock price volatility and risk-free interest rate.

Advertising Cost [Policy Text Block]

Advertising: The Company's policy is to expense advertising costs as incurred. Advertising costs were $0.8 million and $0.9 million for the years ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income taxes: The Company files separate income tax returns for its foreign subsidiaries. FASB ASC Topic 740 requires recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statements and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are also provided for carryforwards for income tax purposes. In addition, the amount of any future tax benefits is reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent such benefits are not expected to be realized.

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]

Foreign currency translation and operations: Effective October 1, 2009, the Company determined that there were significant changes in facts and circumstances, triggering an evaluation of its subsidiaries’ functional currency, resulting in the adoption of the U.S. dollar as the functional currency for all foreign subsidiaries. The consistent use of the U.S. dollar as the functional currency across the Company reduces its foreign currency risk and stabilizes its operating results. The cumulative foreign currency translation loss included in accumulated other comprehensive loss was $0.6 million as of September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023. Assets located outside of the U.S. totaled approximately $9.2 million and $10.5 million at September 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively.

Comprehensive Income, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Other comprehensive loss: Accounting principles generally require that recognized revenue, expenses, gains and losses be included in net loss. Although certain changes in assets and liabilities, such as foreign currency translation adjustments, are reported as a separate component of the equity section of the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, these items, along with net loss, are components of other comprehensive loss.

The U.S. parent company and its U.K. subsidiary routinely purchase inventory produced by its Malaysia subsidiary for sale to their respective customers. These intercompany trade accounts are eliminated in consolidation. The Company’s policy and intent is to settle the intercompany trade account on a current basis. Since the U.K. and Malaysia subsidiaries adopted the U.S. dollar as their functional currencies effective October 1, 2009, no foreign currency gains or losses from intercompany trade are recognized. In fiscal 2024 and 2023, comprehensive income (loss) is equivalent to the reported net income (loss).

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent accounting pronouncements not yet adopted: In November 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. The ASU expands public entities’ segment disclosures by requiring disclosure of significant segment expenses that are regularly reviewed by the CODM and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss, an amount and description of its composition for other segment items, and interim disclosures of a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets. The ASU also allows, in addition to the measure that is most consistent with U.S. GAAP, the disclosure of additional measures of segment profit or loss that are used by the CODM in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. All disclosure requirements under ASU 2023-07 are also required for public entities with a single reportable segment. ASU 2023-07 is effective for the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending  September 30, 2025, and subsequent interim periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-07 on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which includes amendments that further enhance income tax disclosures, primarily through standardization and disaggregation of rate reconciliation categories and income taxes paid by jurisdiction. ASU 2023-09 is effective for the Company’s annual periods beginning with the fiscal year ending  September 30, 2026, with early adoption permitted, and should be applied either prospectively or retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2023-09 on its disclosures.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses, which requires more detailed disclosures about specified categories of expenses (including employee compensation, depreciation, and selling expenses) included in certain expense captions presented on the face of the statement of operations. ASU 2024-03 is effective for the Company's annual reporting periods beginning fiscal year ending September 30, 2028, and subsequent interim periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2024-03 on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

We have reviewed all other recently issued accounting pronouncements and have determined that such standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on our financial statements or do not otherwise apply to our operations.