Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

Unaudited Interim Condensed Financial Statements

The interim condensed balance sheet as of September 30, 2023 and the condensed statements of operations and comprehensive loss and stockholders’ equity for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 and the condensed statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 are unaudited. The unaudited interim condensed financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the annual financial statements and reflect, in the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal and recurring nature that are necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of September 30, 2023 and its results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022. The financial data and the other financial information disclosed in these notes to the financial statements related to the three and nine month periods are also unaudited. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2023 or for any other future annual or interim period. The condensed balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 included herein was derived from the audited financial statements as of that date. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted from these interim financial statements. These condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company's audited financial statements and the related notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2022, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.

Significant Accounting Policies

The significant accounting policies used in preparation of these condensed financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 are consistent with those discussed in Note 2 to the condensed financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of condensed financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed financial statements, and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates estimates and assumptions, including but not limited to those related to the fair value of the marketable securities, stock-based compensation expense, accruals for research and development costs, lease assets and liabilities, the valuation of deferred tax assets, valuation of uncertain income tax positions, and impairment of long-lived assets. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from those estimates.

Principles of Consolidation

The Company assesses entities for consolidation based on the specific facts and circumstances surrounding that entity. The Company first considers whether an entity is considered a variable interest entity (“VIE") and therefore whether to apply the consolidation guidance under the VIE model. Entities that do not qualify as VIEs are assessed for consolidation as voting interest entities (“VOE”) under the voting interest model.

An entity is considered to be a VIE if any of the following conditions exist: (i) the equity investment at risk is not sufficient to finance the activities of the entity without additional subordinated financial support, (ii) as a group, the holders of the equity investment at risk lack the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance or the obligation to absorb the expected losses or right to receive the expected residual returns, and (iii) the voting rights of some holders of the equity investment at risk are disproportionate to their obligation to absorb losses or right to receive returns, and substantially all of the activities are conducted on behalf of the holder of equity investment at risk with disproportionately few voting rights.

The Company consolidates all VIEs in which it is the primary beneficiary. An entity is determined to be the primary beneficiary if it holds a controlling financial interest in a VIE. The consolidation guidance requires an analysis to determine (i) whether an entity in which the Company holds a variable interest is a VIE and (ii) whether the Company’s involvement, through holding interest directly or indirectly in the entity or contractually through other variable interests, would give it a controlling financial interest. Performance of that analysis requires judgment.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with a maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, cash and cash equivalents consisted of cash, money market funds, and commercial paper.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash of $1.7 million as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 represented security deposits in the form of letters of credit issued in connection with the lease of 233 E. Grand Ave, which was to be the company's headquarters. A lease amendment was executed in October 2023, whereby the Company will have no further rent obligations to the landlord following the effective date, and the landlord will return the Company’s letter of credit within 60 days following the amendment’s effective date (Note 14). The letter of credit will be returned to the Company per the lease amendment.

Marketable Securities

The Company’s marketable securities are accounted for as available-for-sale and recorded at fair value with the related unrealized gains and losses included in accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss).

The Company reviews its investment portfolio to identify and evaluate investments that have an indication of possible other-than-temporary impairment. Factors considered in determining whether a loss is other-than-temporary include the length of time and extent to which fair value has been less than the cost basis, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the investee and the Company’s intent and ability to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value.

Operating Leases

The Company accounts for its operating leases by recording right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the Company’s condensed balance sheets in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842, “Leases” (“ASC 842”). Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset over the lease term and include any lease payments made prior to the lease commencement date and are reduced by lease incentives. Lease liabilities represent the present value of the total lease payments over the lease term, calculated using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate. The incremental borrowing rate is determined by using the rate of interest that the Company would pay to borrow on a collateralized basis an amount equal to the lease payments for a similar term and in a similar economic environment. The Company recognizes options to extend a lease when it is reasonably certain that it will exercise such extension. The Company does not recognize options to terminate a lease when it is reasonably certain that it will not exercise such early termination options. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term.

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

The Company is a smaller reporting company and an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies. Thus, the Company has elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that (i) the Company is no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) the Company affirmatively and irrevocably opts out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. The Company may early adopt certain accounting standards, as the JOBS Act does not preclude an emerging growth company from adopting a new or revised accounting standard earlier than the time that such standard applies to private companies to the extent early adoption is permitted.