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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies

5. Commitments and Contingencies

Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines and penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. The Company believes there is no litigation pending or loss contingencies that could have, either individually or in the aggregate, a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.

The Company enters into contracts in the normal course of business with third-party contract organizations for clinical trials, preclinical studies, manufacturing and other services and products for operating purposes. These contracts generally provide for termination following a certain period after notice and therefore the Company believes that its non-cancelable obligations under these agreements are not material.

Leases

The Company adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2022 and accordingly, recognized operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease terms at the adoption date, using the Company’s assumed incremental borrowing rate of 8%. The Company amortized the operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities over the applicable lease term.

The Company leased office space for its corporate headquarters located in Blacksburg, Virginia, under a non-cancelable operating lease, which expired in May 2022. In August 2021, the Company entered into a three-year lease for an additional facility in Blacksburg, Virginia that was terminated in March 2022.

In connection with the termination of the lease in March 2022, the Company made a one-time cash payment of $0.2 million and included assets with a net book value of $0.1 million, resulting in a loss on the termination of the lease of $0.3 million, which is included in general and administrative costs in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. In addition, upon termination of the lease in March 2022, operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities were reduced by approximately $0.7 million.

Rent expense was $0 million and $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Retained Compounds Royalty Agreement

Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement entered into by the Company and the Purchasers in February 2023, the Company entered into a royalty agreement whereby the Purchasers are eligible to receive a 2% royalty of all net sales by the Company of any products containing certain compounds that the Company retained following the closing under the Purchase Agreement (“Retained Compounds Royalty Agreement”). The Company recognizes such royalty payment obligations when such payments are probable and reasonably estimable. Due to the uncertainty related to the ongoing research and development activities, obtaining regulatory approval and achieving successful commercialization to which net sales could be derived, the Company has not recognized a royalty obligation as of and for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

NIH Grant

In 2020, the Company was awarded a grant by the NIH for a phase 2 proof-of-concept efficacy study of omilancor in Crohn's disease patients. The grant award provided for reimbursement of actual, allowable costs incurred. As of the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, the Company had received $1.2 million of funding under the grant, which was used to reimburse expenses incurred under its phase 2 study of omilancor in patients with Crohn’s disease during the grant funding periods. In February 2023, the Company transferred omilancor and certain other assets to its scientific founder, however the NIH did not approve the transfer of the grant to the scientific founder. During the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Company made the decision to terminate the grant and repay the grant proceeds to the NIH due to an evaluation of the ongoing effort to continue the grant relative to the benefit of maintaining the grant. As a result of this decision, the Company determined that repayment of the grant is probable, which resulted in a change in estimate and the recording of a liability of $1.2 million in accrued liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2023 and a corresponding charge for $1.2 million included in interest and other (expense) income, net on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.