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Significant Accounting Polices (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

The Company’s accounting principles require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates having relatively higher significance include the accounting for acquisitions, stock-based compensation, and income taxes. Actual results could differ from those estimates and changes in estimates may occur.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.

Research and Development Expenses

Costs incurred for research and development are expensed as incurred.

Business Combinations

Assets acquired and liabilities assumed as part of a business acquisition are generally recorded at their fair value at the date of acquisition. The excess of purchase price over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. Determining fair value of identifiable assets, particularly intangibles, and liabilities acquired also requires management to make estimates, which are based on all available information and in some cases assumptions with respect to the timing and amount of future revenues and expenses associated with an asset. Accounting for business acquisitions may require management to make judgments and estimates as to the fair value of consideration transferred. This judgment and determination may affect the amount of consideration paid that is allocable to assets and liabilities acquired in the business purchase transaction.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company records share-based payments at fair value. The measurement date for compensation expense related to employee awards is generally the date of the grant. The measurement date for compensation expense related to nonemployee awards is generally the date that the performance of the awards is completed and, until such time, the fair value of the awards is remeasured at the end of each reporting period. Accordingly, the ultimate expense is not fixed until such awards are vested. The fair value of awards, net of expected forfeitures, is recognized as an expense in the statement of operations over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period. The fair value of options is calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. This option valuation model requires the use of assumptions including, among others, the volatility of stock price, the expected term of the option, and the risk-free interest rate.

The following assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option pricing model:

	2017	2016
Risk-free interest rate	1.93%	1.73%
Expected life (years)	6	5
Volatility	60%	60%
Dividend rate	0%	0%

Due to its limited operating history and a limited trading history of its common stock, the Company estimates the volatility of its stock in consideration of a number of factors including the volatility of comparable public companies. The expected term of a stock option granted to employees and directors (including non-employee directors) is based on the average of the contractual term (generally 10 years) and the vesting period. For other non-employee options, the expected term is the contractual term. The assumed dividend yield is based upon the Company’s expectation of not paying dividends in the foreseeable future. The Company recognizes forfeitures related to employee share-based payments as they occur. The risk-free rate for periods within the expected life of the option is based upon the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. Prior to the Merger, the fair value of the common stock for the purposes of determining the exercise price of stock options was determined by the Board of Directors after considering a broad range of factors, including the results of a third-party valuation. Subsequent to the Merger, option awards are granted at an exercise price equal to the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on the date of grant.

In-process Research and Development

In-process research and development (“IPRD”) represents the value of the three G-protein-coupled receptors (“GPCR”) targets (the “Targets”) from the GPCR Target pools of Anchor to which the Company obtained the rights in its March 20, 2015, acquisition of Anchor. IPRD was recorded at fair value and is an indefinite-lived intangible asset. The Company reviews IPRD annually to determine if any adverse conditions exist or a change in circumstances has occurred that would indicate impairment or a change in the remaining useful life of the asset. There were no triggering events or circumstances that would indicate IPRD is impaired as of December 31, 2017.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of cost over fair value of net assets acquired. The Company evaluates the recoverability of goodwill annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of goodwill might be impaired. The Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. This step serves as the basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. If the Company determines it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then it will perform the two-step test. The two-step test first compares the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying value. If the fair value exceeds the carrying value, no impairment exists, and the second step is not performed. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded as part of the second step of the test, to the extent that the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill is less than the carrying value. The Company performed a qualitative analysis of goodwill in the fourth quarter of 2017, in which management concluded that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount.

Income Taxes

The Company is primarily subject to U.S. Federal and Massachusetts state income taxes. As per statute, the Company’s tax returns since incorporation in 2013 are open to tax examinations by U.S. Federal and state tax authorities. For federal and state income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based upon temporary differences between the financial statement and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. Deferred income taxes are based upon prescribed rates and enacted laws applicable to periods in which differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Accordingly, the Company provides a valuation allowance, if necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts that are realizable.

The tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Company tax returns are required to be evaluated to determine whether the tax positions are “more-likely-than-not” of being sustained by the applicable tax authority. Tax positions not deemed to meet a more-likely-than-not threshold would be recorded as a tax expense in the current year. There were no uncertain tax positions that require accrual or disclosure in the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2017, and 2016. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax, if any, in income tax expense. As of December 31, 2017, and 2016, the Company has no accruals for interest or penalties related to income tax matters.

Basic and Diluted Net Loss per Common Share

Basic and diluted net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss in each period by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during such period. For the periods presented, common stock equivalents, consisting of options, convertible redeemable preferred stock and warrants, were not included in the calculation of the diluted loss per share because to do so would be anti-dilutive.

Segment Information

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company views its operations and manages its business in one operating segment, which is the business of a pharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development, and commercialization of therapies for patients with serious rare and ultra-rare diseases with critical unmet medical need.

Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, or ASU No. 2016-09, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification of cash flows. The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-09 as of January 1, 2017. Under the new standard, all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies are recognized as income tax expense or benefit in the statement of operations. The tax effects of exercised or vested awards are treated as discrete items in the reporting period in which they occur. The Company applied the modified retrospective adoption approach upon adoption of the standard, and prior periods have not been adjusted. The Company has elected to recognize forfeitures related to employee share-based payments as they occur. There was no material impact on the Company’s financial statements as a result of the adoption of this guidance.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). This ASU eliminates step 2 from the goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with the carrying amount of the reporting unit. If the carrying amount exceeds the fair value, an impairment charge for the excess is recorded. The amendments of this ASU are effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on the consolidated financial statements.