Going Concern

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Going Concern

Going Concern

2. Going Concern

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern. The Company continues to incur losses and, as of March 31, 2024, the Company had an accumulated deficit of approximately $314.5 million. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Since inception, the Company has financed its activities principally from the proceeds from the issuance of equity securities.

The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the Company’s ability to raise additional debt and equity capital. There can be no assurance that such capital will be available in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to the Company. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability of the recorded assets or the classification of liabilities that may be necessary should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

2. Going Concern – (continued)

The Company does not have sufficient capital to fund its operations beyond the next twelve months. In order to address the Company’s capital needs, including its planned clinical trials, the Company is actively pursuing additional equity or debt financing in the form of either a private placement or a public offering. The Company has been in ongoing discussions with strategic institutional investors and investment banks with respect to such possible offerings. Such additional financing opportunities might not be available to the Company when and if needed, on acceptable terms or at all. If the Company is unable to obtain additional financing in sufficient amounts or on acceptable terms under such circumstances, the Company’s operating results and prospects will be adversely affected.

At March 31, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $18.3 million. Based upon the Company’s current business plans, management believes that the Company’s current cash on hand will be sufficient to fully execute its plans through December 31, 2024 and into first quarter 2025. Commencement of planned future clinical trials is subject to the Company’s successful pursuit of opportunities that will allow it to establish the clinical infrastructure and financial resources necessary to successfully initiate and complete its plan. The Company anticipates its current cash will allow it to cover overhead costs, manufacturing costs for clinical supply, commercial scale up costs and limited research efforts, including completing its funding requirements for its ongoing current trials for VCN-01 and the on-going testing of SYN-004 (ribaxamase). The Company will be required to obtain additional funding in order to continue the development of its current product candidates within the anticipated time periods (including initiation of its planned future clinical trials), if at all, and to continue to fund operations at the current cash expenditure levels. Currently, the Company does not have commitments from any third parties to provide it with capital. Potential sources of financing include strategic relationships, public or private sales of equity (including through its at the market offering sales agreement (the “ATM Sales Agreement”)) or debt and other sources. The Company cannot assure that it will meet the requirements for use of the ATM Sales Agreement or that additional funding will be available on favorable terms, or at all. If the Company fails to obtain additional funding for its clinical trials, whether through the sale of securities or a partner or collaborator, and otherwise when needed, it will not be able to execute its business plan as planned and will be forced to cease certain development activities (including initiation of planned clinical trials) until funding is received and its business will suffer, which would have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The actual amount of funds the Company will need to operate is subject to many factors, some of which are beyond its control. These factors include the following:

● the progress of its research activities;

● the number and scope of its research programs;

● the ability to recruit patients for clinical studies in a timely manner;

● the progress of its preclinical and clinical development activities;

● the progress of the development efforts of parties with whom the Company has entered into research and development agreements and amount of funding received from partners and collaborators;

● its ability to maintain current research and development licensing arrangements and to establish new research and development and licensing arrangements;

● the Company’s ability to achieve its milestones under licensing arrangements;

● the costs associated with manufacturing-related services to produce material for use in its clinical trials;

● the costs involved in prosecuting and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights; and

● the costs and timing of regulatory approvals.

2. Going Concern – (continued)

The Company has based its estimates of funding requirements on assumptions that may prove to be wrong. The Company may need to obtain additional funds sooner or in greater amounts than it currently anticipates.

If the Company raises funds by selling additional shares of common stock or other securities convertible into common stock, the ownership interest of the existing stockholders will be diluted. If the Company is not able to obtain financing when needed, it may be unable to carry out its business plan. As a result, the Company may have to significantly limit its operations and its business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially harmed.