XML 32 R22.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Fulcrum Therapeutics Securities Corp., which is a Massachusetts subsidiary created to buy, sell, and hold securities. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The significant accounting policies and estimates used in the preparation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements are described in the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. There have been no material changes in the Company’s significant accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2022, except as noted below with respect to the Company’s accounting policies related to leases.

Leases

Effective January 1, 2022, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”). For contracts entered into on or after the effective date, at the inception of a contract, the Company determines whether the arrangement is or contains a lease based on the unique facts and circumstances present in the arrangement. Leases with a term greater than twelve months are recognized on the balance sheet as right-of-use assets and current and non-current lease liabilities, as applicable. The Company does not recognize leases with terms of twelve months or less on the balance sheet. Options to renew a lease are not included in the Company’s initial lease term assessment unless there is reasonable certainty that the Company will renew the lease.

Leases are classified as either finance leases or operating leases. A lease is classified as a finance lease if any one of the following criteria are met: (i) the lease transfers ownership of the asset by the end of the lease term, (ii) the lease contains an option to purchase the asset that is reasonably certain to be exercised, (iii) the lease term is for a major part of the remaining useful life of the asset or (iv) the present value of the lease payments equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the asset. A lease is classified as an operating lease if it does not meet any of these criteria.

For all operating leases, a lease liability and corresponding right-of-use asset are recognized. The lease liability represents the present value of the lease payments over the expected remaining lease term, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease or, if that rate cannot be readily determined, the Company’s incremental borrowing rate, which reflects the fixed rate at which the Company could borrow on a collateralized basis the amount of the lease payments in the same currency, for a similar term, in a similar economic environment. To estimate the Company’s incremental borrowing rate, a credit rating applicable to the Company is estimated using a synthetic credit rating and yield curve analysis, since the Company does not have a rating agency-based credit rating. The right-of-use asset represents the right to use the leased asset for the lease term. The right-of-use asset is initially measured at cost, which primarily comprises the initial amount of the lease liability, plus any initial direct costs incurred if any, less any lease incentives received.

Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability comprise (i) the fixed noncancelable lease payments, (ii) payments for optional renewal periods where it is reasonably certain the renewal period will be exercised, and (iii) payments for early termination options unless it is reasonably certain the lease will not be terminated early. Lease expense for operating leases consists of the lease payments plus any initial direct costs, and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Included in lease expense are any variable lease payments incurred in the period that are not included in the initial lease liability and lease payments incurred in the period for any leases with an initial term of 12 months or less. The Company accounts for lease and non-lease components together as a single lease component.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, and the reported amount of expenses during the reported periods. Estimates inherent in the preparation of these consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, estimates related to revenue recognition, accrued expenses, stock-based compensation expense, and income taxes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and other market specific or other relevant assumptions it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates as there are changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Actual results could differ from those estimates or assumptions.

Off-Balance Sheet Risk and Concentrations of Credit Risk

The Company has no significant off-balance sheet risk such as foreign exchange contracts, option contracts, or other foreign hedging arrangements. Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, and restricted cash. The Company’s cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash are deposited in accounts at large financial institutions. The Company believes it is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial strength of the depository institutions in which the cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash are held. The Company maintains its cash equivalents in U.S. Treasury securities and money market funds that invest in U.S. Treasury securities. The Company’s marketable securities primarily consist of U.S. Treasury securities, corporate bonds, and commercial paper, and potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk. The Company has adopted an investment policy that limits the amounts the Company may invest in any one type of investment. The Company has not experienced any credit losses and does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk on these funds.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements—To Be Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard requires that credit losses be reported using an expected losses model rather than the incurred losses model that is currently used, and establishes additional disclosures related to credit risks. For available-for-sale debt securities with unrealized losses, this standard requires allowances to be recorded instead of reducing the amortized cost of the investment. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2023. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact that this standard may have on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes-Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The standard eliminates certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period, and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The new guidance also simplifies aspects of the accounting for franchise taxes and enacted changes in tax laws or rates and clarifies the accounting for transactions that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2023. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact that this standard may have on its consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements—Adopted

In February 2016, the FASB ASU 2016-02, as amended by various subsequently issued ASUs. The standard requires lessees to recognize an operating lease with a term greater than one year on their balance sheets as a right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability, measured at the present value of the lease payments. Lessees are required to classify leases as either finance or operating leases. If the lease is effectively a financed-purchase by the lessee, it is classified as a financing lease, otherwise it is classified as an operating lease. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. In July 2018, the FASB also issued ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which permits entities to continue applying legacy guidance in ASC 840, Leases, including its disclosure requirements, in the comparative periods presented in the year that the entity adopts the new leasing standard. Under this transition method, the cumulative effect of initially applying ASU 2016-02, as amended, is recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings or accumulated deficit at the beginning of the annual reporting period that includes the date of initial application.

Accordingly, the Company adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2022 using the transition method permitted by ASU 2016-02, as amended. In adopting the new standard, the Company elected to utilize certain available expedients by electing the transition package of practical expedients permitted within ASU 2016-02, which allow the Company to not reassess previous accounting conclusions around whether arrangements are, or contain, leases, the classification of existing or expired leases, and the treatment of previous initial direct costs that would qualify for capitalization under the new standard. The Company elected to apply the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for new and modified leases. The Company also made an accounting policy election to exclude leases with an initial term of twelve months or less from the balance sheet.

Upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02, as amended, the Company removed its legacy deferred rent balances that were previously recorded under ASC 840 and established an operating lease right-of-use asset of $10.8 million, an operating lease liability, current of $2.2 million and an operating lease liability, net of current portion of $13.4 million, all relating to the Company’s existing operating leases for office and laboratory space. The following table presents a summary of the amount by which each financial statement line item was affected by the adoption of ASU 2016-02, as amended (in thousands):


	January 1, 2022
	Prior to the Adoption of ASU 2016, as Amended		Effect of Adoption			Subsequent to the Adoption of ASU 2016-20, as Amended
	(in thousands, except per share data)
Operating lease right of use asset	$	—	$	10,815			10,815
Operating lease liability, current		—		2,173			2,173
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		9,231		(50	)		9,181
Deferred lease incentive, current portion		469		(469	)		—
Operating lease liability, net of current portion		—		13,423			13,423
Deferred rent, excluding current portion		1,680		(1,680	)		—
Deferred lease incentive, excluding current portion		2,582		(2,582	)		—

The adoption of ASU 2016-02, as amended, did not have a material impact on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss or the consolidated statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2022. See Note 12, “Commitments and Contingencies”, for further information on the application of ASU 2016-02, as amended, to the Company’s operating lease for its existing operating leases for office and laboratory space.