Nature of business	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Nature of business
Nature of business	1. Nature of business Verastem, Inc. (the “Company”) is a late-stage development biopharmaceutical company, with an ongoing registration directed trial, committed to advancing new medicines for people diagnosed with cancer. The Company’s pipeline is focused on ras sarcoma (“RAS”)/ mitogen activated pathway kinase (“MAPK”) driven cancers, specifically on novel drug candidates that inhibit signaling pathways critical to cancer cell survival and tumor growth, particularly RAF/ MEK inhibition and FAK inhibition. The Company’s most advanced product candidates, avutometinib and defactinib, are being investigated in both preclinical and clinical studies for the treatment of various solid tumors, including, but not limited to low-grade serous ovarian cancer (“LGSOC”), non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”), pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer (“CRC”), and thyroid. The Company believes that avutometinib may be beneficial as a therapeutic as a single agent or when used together in combination with defactinib, other pathway inhibitors or other current and emerging standard of care treatments in cancers that do not adequately respond to currently available therapies. The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Verastem Securities Company and Verastem Europe GmbH, wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company. All financial information presented has been consolidated and includes the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company is subject to the risks associated with other life science companies, including, but not limited to, possible failure of preclinical testing or clinical trials, competitors developing new technological innovations, inability to obtain marketing approval of the Company’s product candidates, avutometinib and defactinib, market acceptance and commercial success of the Company’s product candidates, avutometinib and defactinib, following receipt of regulatory approval, and, protection of proprietary technology and the continued ability to obtain adequate financing to fund the Company’s future operations. If the Company does not obtain marketing approval and successfully commercialize its product candidates, avutometinib and defactinib, following regulatory approval, it will be unable to generate product revenue or achieve profitability and may need to raise additional capital. As of March 31, 2024, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, and investments of $110.1 million. In accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Company evaluated whether there are conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within 12 months after the date of the issuance of these condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company anticipates operating losses may continue for the foreseeable future since the Company does not yet have regulatory approval to sell any of its product candidates, and the Company continues to incur operating costs to execute its strategic plan, including costs related to research and development of its product candidates and commercial readiness activities. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for 12 months after the date the condensed consolidated financial statements are issued. The Company expects to finance its operations with its existing cash, cash equivalents and investments, through potential future milestones and royalties received pursuant to the asset purchase agreement dated August 10, 2020, between the Company and Secura (the “Secura APA”), through the loan and security agreement with Oxford Finance LLC (“Oxford”), or through other strategic financing opportunities that could include, but are not limited to collaboration agreements, future offerings of its equity, or the incurrence of debt. However, given the risks associated with these potential strategic or financing opportunities, they are not deemed probable for purposes of the going concern assessment. If the Company fails to obtain additional future capital, it may be unable to complete its planned preclinical studies and clinical trials and obtain approval of certain investigational product candidates from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (the “FDA”) or foreign regulatory authorities. Therefore, there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Reverse Stock Split On May 30, 2023, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended to date, with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to effect a reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock, par value $0.0001 at a ratio of 1-for-12 (the “Reverse Stock Split”), as authorized at the Company’s 2023 annual meeting of stockholders held on May 15, 2023. The Company effected the Reverse Stock Split on May 31, 2023. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Stockholders who otherwise were entitled to a fractional share of common stock were entitled to receive a price equal to the closing price of the common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on the date immediately preceding the Reverse Stock Split, as adjusted by the ratio of one share of common stock for every 12 shares of common stock, multiplied by the applicable fraction of a share. The number of shares of common stock that the Company is authorized to issue remains at 300,000,000 shares and the par value of its common stock remains unchanged at $0.0001 per share. The Company has retroactively restated the share and per share amounts in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2023, to give retroactive effect to the Reverse Stock Split. Proportionate adjustments were made to the per share exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable under all outstanding stock options, convertible notes and preferred stock. In addition, proportionate adjustments have been made to the number of shares of common stock issuable upon vesting of the restricted stock units and the number of shares of common stock reserved for the Company’s equity incentive compensation plans. The condensed consolidated statements of convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity reflect the impact of the Reverse Stock Split by reclassifying from “common stock” to “additional paid-in capital” in an amount equal to the par value of the decreased shares resulting from the Reverse Stock Split for the three months ended March 31, 2023.

Nature of business

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

1. Nature of business

Verastem, Inc. (the “Company”) is a late-stage development biopharmaceutical company, with an ongoing registration directed trial, committed to advancing new medicines for people diagnosed with cancer. The Company’s pipeline is focused on ras sarcoma (“RAS”)/ mitogen activated pathway kinase (“MAPK”) driven cancers, specifically on novel drug candidates that inhibit signaling pathways critical to cancer cell survival and tumor growth, particularly RAF/ MEK inhibition and FAK inhibition.

The Company’s most advanced product candidates, avutometinib and defactinib, are being investigated in both preclinical and clinical studies for the treatment of various solid tumors, including, but not limited to low-grade serous ovarian cancer (“LGSOC”), non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”), pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer (“CRC”), and thyroid. The Company believes that avutometinib may be beneficial as a therapeutic as a single agent or when used together in combination with defactinib, other pathway inhibitors or other current and emerging standard of care treatments in cancers that do not adequately respond to currently available therapies.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Verastem Securities Company and Verastem Europe GmbH, wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company. All financial information presented has been consolidated and includes the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company is subject to the risks associated with other life science companies, including, but not limited to, possible failure of preclinical testing or clinical trials, competitors developing new technological innovations, inability to obtain marketing approval of the Company’s product candidates, avutometinib and defactinib, market acceptance and commercial success of the Company’s product candidates, avutometinib and defactinib, following receipt of regulatory approval, and, protection of proprietary technology and the continued ability to obtain adequate financing to fund the Company’s future operations. If the Company does not obtain marketing approval and successfully commercialize its product candidates, avutometinib and defactinib, following regulatory approval, it will be unable to generate product revenue or achieve profitability and may need to raise additional capital.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, and investments of $110.1 million. In accordance with applicable accounting standards, the Company evaluated whether there are conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within 12 months after the date of the issuance of these condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company anticipates operating losses may continue for the foreseeable future since the Company does not yet have regulatory approval to sell any of its product candidates, and the Company continues to incur operating costs to execute its strategic plan, including costs related to research and development of its product candidates and commercial readiness activities. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for 12 months after the date the condensed consolidated financial statements are issued.

The Company expects to finance its operations with its existing cash, cash equivalents and investments, through potential future milestones and royalties received pursuant to the asset purchase agreement dated August 10, 2020, between the Company and Secura (the “Secura APA”), through the loan and security agreement with Oxford Finance LLC (“Oxford”), or through other strategic financing opportunities that could include, but are not limited to collaboration agreements, future offerings of its equity, or the incurrence of debt. However, given the risks associated with these potential strategic or financing opportunities, they are not deemed probable for purposes of the going concern assessment. If the Company fails to obtain additional future capital, it may be unable to complete its planned preclinical studies and clinical trials and obtain approval of certain investigational product candidates from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (the “FDA”) or foreign regulatory authorities. Therefore, there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Reverse Stock Split

On May 30, 2023, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended to date, with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to effect a reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock, par value $0.0001 at a ratio of 1-for-12 (the “Reverse Stock Split”), as authorized at the Company’s 2023 annual meeting of stockholders held on May 15, 2023. The Company effected the Reverse Stock Split on May 31, 2023. No fractional shares were issued in connection with the Reverse Stock Split. Stockholders who otherwise were entitled to a fractional share of common stock were entitled to receive a price equal to the closing price of the common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on the date immediately preceding the Reverse Stock Split, as adjusted by the ratio of one share of common stock for every 12 shares of common stock, multiplied by the applicable fraction of a share. The number of shares of common stock that the Company is authorized to issue remains at 300,000,000 shares and the par value of its common stock remains unchanged at $0.0001 per share.

The Company has retroactively restated the share and per share amounts in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2023, to give retroactive effect to the Reverse Stock Split. Proportionate adjustments were made to the per share exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable under all outstanding stock options, convertible notes and preferred stock. In addition, proportionate adjustments have been made to the number of shares of common stock issuable upon vesting of the restricted stock units and the number of shares of common stock reserved for the Company’s equity incentive compensation plans. The condensed consolidated statements of convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity reflect the impact of the Reverse Stock Split by reclassifying from “common stock” to “additional paid-in capital” in an amount equal to the par value of the decreased shares resulting from the Reverse Stock Split for the three months ended March 31, 2023.