Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation

1. Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation

Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in October 2010 under the name Newco LS21, Inc. In October 2011, the Company changed its name to Seres Health, Inc., and in May 2015, the Company changed its name to Seres Therapeutics, Inc. The Company is a microbiome therapeutics platform company developing a novel class of biological drugs, which are designed to restore health by repairing the function of a dysbiotic microbiome. SER-287 is being developed by the Company to treat ulcerative colitis (“UC”). The Company’s lead product candidate, SER-109, is designed to prevent further recurrences of Clostridium difficile infection (“CDI”), a debilitating infection of the colon, and, if approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), could be a first-in-field oral microbiome drug.  The Company is also developing product candidates to treat diseases where the microbiome is implicated, including SER-301, a rationally designed, fermented inflammatory bowel disease (“IBD”), candidate, and SER-401, a microbiome therapeutic candidate for use with checkpoint inhibitors (“CPI’s”) in patients with metastatic melanoma. The Company continues to evaluate microbiome pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data from their SER-262 Phase 1b study and other completed clinical trials, in addition to insights gained from research efforts with their other rationally designed Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutic candidates, in order to determine next steps in the development of both SER-262 to treat an initial recurrence of CDI and SER-155 to modulate the microbiome and dysbiosis in patients following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants. The Company is also using its microbiome therapeutics platform to conduct research on various indications, including: infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, and inflammatory and immune diseases and cancer.

The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the biotechnology industry including, but not limited to, new technological innovations, protection of proprietary technology, dependence on key personnel, compliance with government regulations and the need to obtain additional financing. Product candidates currently under development will require significant additional research and development efforts, including extensive preclinical and clinical testing and regulatory approval, prior to commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel infrastructure and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities.

The Company’s product candidates are in development. There can be no assurance that the Company’s research and development will be successfully completed, that adequate protection for the Company’s intellectual property will be obtained, that any products developed will obtain necessary government regulatory approval or that any approved products will be commercially viable. Even if the Company’s product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will generate significant revenue from product sales. The Company operates in an environment of rapid change in technology and substantial competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In addition, the Company is dependent upon the services of its employees and consultants.

Under Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40) (“ASC 205-40”), the Company has the responsibility to evaluate whether conditions and/or events raise substantial doubt about its ability to meet its future financial obligations as they become due within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. As required by ASC 205-40, this evaluation shall initially not take into consideration the potential mitigating effects of plans that have not been fully implemented as of the date the financial statements are issued.

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $459,649 and cash, cash equivalents and investments of $94,816. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company incurred a loss of $70,279 and used $76,520 of cash in operations. Management has assessed the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern in accordance with the requirements of ASC 205-40 and determined that the Company’s accumulated deficit, history of losses, and future expected losses meet the ASC 205-40 standard for raising substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The Company’s current financial resources and currently forecasted operating plan would allow the Company to operate into the second quarter of 2021. The Company has developed plans to mitigate this risk, which primarily consist of raising additional capital through some combination of equity or debt financings, and/or potentially new collaborations and reducing cash expenditures. If the Company is not able to secure adequate additional funding, the Company plans to make reductions in spending. In that event, the Company may have to delay, scale back, or eliminate some or all of the Company’s planned clinical trials and research stage programs. The actions necessary to reduce spending under this plan at a level that mitigates the factors described above is not considered probable, as defined in the accounting standards and therefore, the full extent to which management may extend the Company’s funds through these actions may not be considered in management’s assessment of the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. As a result, management has concluded that substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The Company is eligible to receive contingent milestone payments under its license and collaboration agreement with Nestec Ltd. (“NHS”), an affiliate of Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc. (“Nestlé Health Science”), a significant stockholder of the Company, if certain development milestones are achieved. However, these milestones are uncertain and there is no assurance that the Company will receive any of them.  Until such time, if ever, as the Company can generate substantial product revenue, the Company will finance its cash needs through a combination of public or private equity offerings, debt financings, governmental funding, collaborations, strategic partnerships or marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third parties. The Company may not be able to obtain funding on acceptable terms, or at all. If the Company is unable to raise additional funds as and when needed, it would have a negative impact on the Company’s financial condition, which may require the Company to delay, reduce or eliminate certain research and development activities and reduce or eliminate discretionary operating expenses, which could constrain the Company’s ability to pursue its business strategies.

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries after elimination of all intercompany accounts and transactions.