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Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Summary of significant accounting policies

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted (“GAAP”) in the United States. Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”) promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).

Unaudited Interim Results

Unaudited interim results

These unaudited condensed financial statements and accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s annual financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 25, 2021. The accompanying condensed financial statements as of September 30, 2021 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 are unaudited but include all adjustments that management believes to be necessary for a fair presentation of the periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. Balance sheet amounts as of December 31, 2020 have been derived from the audited financial statements as of that date.

Reverse stock split

The Company’s board of directors approved a one-for-six reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock, stock options, convertible preferred stock and convertible preferred stock warrants legally effective as of September 22, 2020. Accordingly, all convertible preferred shares and common shares, common stock warrants, per share amounts, and additional paid-in capital amounts for all periods presented in the accompanying financial statements and notes thereto have been retroactively adjusted, where applicable, to reflect the reverse stock split.

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on historical experience when available and on various factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in these condensed financial statements include, but are not limited to, the fair value of the Company’s common stock, prior to its IPO in connection with share-based compensation arrangements. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Fair value of financial instruments

ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”), establishes a fair value hierarchy for instruments measured at fair value that distinguishes between assumptions based on market data (observable inputs) and the Company’s own assumptions (unobservable inputs). Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs that market participants would use in pricing the assets or liability and are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. ASC 820 identifies 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. As a basis for considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, ASC 820 establishes a three-tiered value hierarchy that distinguishes between the following:

Level 1 — Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 — Inputs other than Level 1 inputs that are either directly or indirectly observable, such as quoted market prices, interest rates and yield curves.

Level 3 — Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability (i.e. supported by little or no market activity). Level 3 inputs include management’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability (including assumptions about risk).

To the extent the valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair values requires more judgement. Accordingly, the degree of judgement exercised by the Company in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized as Level 3. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash

Restricted cash represents collateral provided for a letter of credit issued as a security deposit in connection with the Company’s lease of its corporate facilities. This lease expires in 2022 at which time the cash will be released from restriction. Restricted cash was $100,000 at both September 30, 2021 and 2020. The following table provides a reconciliation of the components of cash and restricted cash reported in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets to the total of the amount presented in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows:


(in thousands)	September 30, 2021		September 30, 2020
Cash	$	56,243	$	6,744
Restricted cash		100		100
	$	56,343	$	6,844

Equity issuance costs

The Company capitalizes costs that are directly associated with in-process equity financings until such financings are consummated, at which time such costs are recorded against the gross proceeds from the applicable financing. If a financing is abandoned, deferred offering costs are expensed.

As of September 30, 2021, there was $0.3 million of deferred offering costs in connection with the Company’s shelf registration statement (Note 10) and there were no deferred offering costs as of December 31, 2020.

Government contract funding

The Company accounts for amounts received under its U.S. Department of Defense expense reimbursement contract as contra-research and development expenses in the condensed statements of operations.

Research and development costs

Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. Research and development costs consist of costs incurred in performing research and development activities, including salaries and bonuses, share-based compensation, employee benefits, facilities costs, laboratory supplies, depreciation and amortization, preclinical expenses, consulting and other contracted services. Additionally, under the terms of the license agreements, the Company is obligated to make future payments should certain development and regulatory milestones be achieved. No such costs have been incurred for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020. Costs for certain research and development activities are recognized based on the terms of the individual arrangements, which may differ from the pattern of costs incurred, and are reflected in the financial statements as a prepaid or accrued expense.

Net loss per share

The Company follows the two-class method when computing net loss per share, as the Company has issued shares that meet the definition of participating securities. The two-class method determines net loss per share for each class of common and participating securities according to dividends declared or accumulated and participation rights in undistributed earnings. The two-class method requires income available to common stockholders for the period to be allocated between common stock and participating securities based upon their respective rights to receive dividends as if all income for the period had been distributed.

Basic net loss per share of common stock is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net loss per share of common stock is computed by adjusting net loss to reallocate undistributed earnings based on the potential impact of dilutive securities. Diluted net loss per share of common stock is computed by dividing the diluted net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period, including potential dilutive common shares assuming the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents.

The following potentially dilutive securities outstanding as of September 30, 2021 and 2020 have been excluded from the computation of diluted weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding, as they would be anti-dilutive:


	September 30,
	2021	2020
Stock options⁽¹⁾	1,936,546	1,316,267
Common stock warrants⁽¹⁾	1,314,223	1,035,196
Convertible preferred stock⁽¹⁾	—	5,670,184
	3,250,769	8,021,647

(1)	Represents common stock equivalents.

Prior to its conversion, the Company’s Series A convertible preferred stock contractually entitled the holders of such shares to participate in dividends but did not contractually require the holders of such shares to participate in losses of the Company. Accordingly, in periods in which the Company reported a net loss, such losses were not allocated to participating securities. In periods in which the Company reports a net loss per share of common stock, diluted net loss per share of common stock is the same as basic net loss per share of common stock since dilutive common shares are not assumed to have been issued if their effect is anti-dilutive. The Company reported a net loss per share of common stock for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020.

Segment and geographic information

Operating segments are defined as components of an entity about which separate discrete information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The CODM is the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. The Company views its operations as, and manages its business in one operating segment operating exclusively in the United States.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASC Topic 842, Leases, (“Topic 842”). This standard requires all entities that lease assets with terms of more than 12 months to capitalize the assets and related liabilities on the balance sheet. In June 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-05, which amended the effective date of Topic 842 until January 1, 2022. Upon adoption, the standard requires the use of a modified retrospective transition approach for its adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the effect Topic 842 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.