Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Note 2.   SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

These condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts and operations of the Company and those of its subsidiary in which the Company has a controlling financial interest and a variable interest entity (“VIE”) in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. As of June 30, 2020, and 2019, the Company’s accounts include Vaccinex Products, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Vaccinex Products”) and VX3 (DE) LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“VX3”). VX3 was established in October 2017 by a group of Canadian investors and was determined to be a VIE in which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The Company consolidates any VIE of which it is the primary beneficiary. The Company presents its noncontrolling interests as a separate component of stockholders’ equity (deficit).  The company presents the net loss of VX3 equal to the percentage ownership interest retained in such entity by the respective noncontrolling party (VX3), and as a separate component within its consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The financial position of Vaccinex Products was not material as of June 30, 2020 and 2019, and there were no gains or losses for Vaccinex Products for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and following the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), for interim reporting. As permitted under those rules, certain footnotes or other financial information that are normally required by U.S. GAAP can be condensed or omitted. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments that are necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s financial information. The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any subsequent quarter or for the entire year ending December 31, 2020. The year-end balance sheet data was derived from audited consolidated financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been omitted under the rules and regulations of the SEC.

These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 9, 2020.

Use of Estimates

These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amount of expenses during the reporting period. Such management estimates include those relating to assumptions used in the valuation of stock option awards, and valuation allowances against deferred income tax assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Concentration of Credit Risk, Other Risks and Uncertainties

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are deposited in interest-bearing money market accounts. Although the Company deposits its cash with multiple financial institutions, cash balances may occasionally be in excess of the amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Management believes the financial risk associated with these balances is minimal and has not experienced any losses to date.

The Company depends on third-party manufacturers for the manufacture of drug substance and drug product for clinical trials. The Company also relies on certain third parties for its supply chain. Disputes with these third- party manufacturers or shortages in goods or services from third-party suppliers could delay the manufacturing of the Company’s product candidates and adversely impact its results of operations.

Deferred Offering Costs

The Company has incurred certain costs in connection with its ongoing securities offerings with Jefferies and Keystone. The Company capitalizes such deferred offering costs, which consist of direct, incremental legal, professional, accounting, and other third-party fees. The deferred offering costs will be offset against offering proceeds upon the completion of an offering. Should the offering be abandoned, the deferred offering costs will be expensed immediately as a charge to operating expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. At June 30, 2020, deferred offering costs were $0.3 million, and were included within Prepaid expenses and other assets on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”), in order to improve comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets for those leases previously classified as operating leases under U.S. GAAP. The update requires a lessee to recognize in its consolidated balance sheet a liability to make lease payments and also a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. ASU 2016-02 is effective for the Company for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, requiring the use of a modified retrospective transition approach applied at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases, Targeted Improvements to ASC 842, Leases, (“ASU 2018-11”), which contains certain amendments to ASU 2016-02 intended to provide relief in implementing the new standard. ASU 2018-11 provides registrants with an option to not restate comparative periods presented in the financial statements. The Company intends to elect this new transition approach using a cumulative-effect adjustment on the effective date of the standard, for which comparative periods will be presented in accordance with the previous guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 840, Leases.

The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact ASU 2016-02 may have on its financial position, results of operations, and related footnotes. The Company expects it will elect to utilize the available package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard, which does not require the reassessment of the following: (i) whether existing or expired arrangements are or contain a lease, (ii) the lease classification of existing or expired leases, and (iii) whether previous initial direct costs would qualify for capitalization under the new lease standard. Additionally, the Company expects it will make an accounting policy election to keep leases with an initial term of 12 months or less off of its balance sheet.  The Company’s assessment will include, but is not limited to, evaluating the impact that this standard has on the lease of its corporate headquarters in Rochester, New York.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” to improve reporting requirements specific to loans, receivables, and other financial instruments. The new standard requires that credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost be determined using an expected loss model, instead of the current incurred loss model, and requires that credit losses related to available-for-sale debt securities be recorded through an allowance for credit losses and limited to the amount by which carrying value exceeds fair value. The new standard also requires enhanced disclosure of credit risk associated with financial assets. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2022 with early adoption permitted. Based on the composition of the Company’s financial assets, current market conditions and historical credit loss activity, the adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.