Dermata Therapeutics, Inc. 10-K

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, including those factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of this report, our actual results could differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis. References in the following discussion to “we”, “our”, “us”, “Dermata”, or “the Company”, refer to Dermata Therapeutics, Inc. Overview We are a late-stage medical dermatology company focused on identifying, developing, and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical product candidates for the treatment of medical skin diseases and aesthetic applications we believe represent significant market opportunities. Dermatological diseases such as acne, psoriasis vulgaris (or psoriasis), hyperhidrosis, and various aesthetic indications, affect millions of people worldwide each year which may negatively impact their quality of life and emotional well-being. While there are multiple current treatment options for these indications on the market, we believe that most have significant drawbacks, including underwhelming efficacy, cumbersome application regimens and varying negative side effects, all of which we believe lead to decreased patient compliance. A majority of these indications are first treated with topical therapy; however, many patients frequently switch treatments or discontinue treatment altogether due to patient dissatisfaction. This is primarily due to slow and modest response rates, early onset of negative side effects, daily application schedules and long duration of therapy. Given the limitations with current topical therapies, we believe there is a significant opportunity to address the needs of frustrated patients searching for topical products that satisfy their dermatological and lifestyle needs. 90 Table of Contents Our two product candidates, XYNGARI™ and DMT410, both incorporate our proprietary, multifaceted, Spongilla technology to topically treat a variety of dermatological conditions. Our Spongilla technology is derived from a naturally grown freshwater sponge, Spongilla lacustris or Spongilla , which is processed into a powder that is mixed with a fluidizing agent immediately prior to application to form an easily applicable paste. Spongilla is a unique freshwater sponge that only grows in commercial quantities in select regions of the world and under specific environmental conditions, all of which give it its distinctive anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and mechanical properties. The combination of these environmental conditions, the proprietary harvesting protocols developed with our exclusive supplier, and our post-harvest processing procedures produce a pharmaceutical product candidate that optimizes the mechanical components as well as the chemical components of the sponge to create a product candidate with multiple mechanisms of action for the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions and aesthetic applications. We believe our Spongilla technology platform will enable us to develop and formulate singular and combination products that are able to target the topical delivery of chemical compounds into the dermis for a variety of dermatology indications. We believe the combination of Spongilla’s mechanical and chemical components (which we believe have demonstrated, in-vitro , anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties), add to the versatility of our Spongilla technology platform’s effectiveness as a singular product, in the treatment of a wide variety of medical skin diseases like acne and psoriasis. We also believe the mechanical properties of our Spongilla technology allows for the intradermal delivery of a variety of large molecules, like botulinum toxins, monoclonal antibodies, or dermal fillers, to target treatment sites, through topical application without the need for needles. Our lead product candidate, XYNGARI™, is intended to utilize our Spongilla technology for the once weekly treatment of a variety of skin diseases, with our initial focus being the treatment of acne, which has a U.S. market size of approximately 30 million patients seeking treatment. In November 2024, we completed patient enrollment in the first of two Phase 3 clinical trials of XYNGARI™ in moderate-to-severe acne. We expect to receive top-line results from the first Phase 3 trial in March 2025. Both Phase 3 studies will be double blinded, randomized, placebo controlled, and enroll about 550 patients, age 9 years or older across sites in the United States and Latin America. The primary endpoints include absolute reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions and the improvement in investigators global assessment (IGA) of acne. Patients will be treated once a week for 12 weeks with either XYNGARI™ or placebo and will be evaluated monthly. As requested by the FDA, the second Phase 3 study will be followed by an extension study to follow patients for a 12-month total treatment period. Previously XYNGARI™ has shown its ability to treat the multiple causes of acne in a Phase 2b study where we initially saw a 45% reduction in inflammatory lesions after four treatments, with XYNGARI™ achieving statistically significant improvements at all time points for all three primary endpoints throughout the study (reduction in inflammatory lesions, reduction in non-inflammatory lesions, and improvement in IGA). In addition, based on the multiple mechanisms of action and anti-inflammatory effect seen with the XYNGARI™ acne trial, we completed a Phase 1b proof of concept, or POC, trial in psoriasis where we saw encouraging results warranting further investigation upon receipt of adequate funds. XYNGARI™ consists of two grams of powder processed from the naturally grown freshwater sponge, Spongilla lacustris. The patient mixes the powder with a fluidizing agent (3% hydrogen peroxide) immediately prior to application by the patient to form an easy-to-apply paste. The paste is applied like a mud mask and is left on the skin for approximately ten to fifteen minutes, after which time it is washed off with water. Due to the unique combination of XYNGARI™’s mechanical components and chemical components, and based on our Phase 2 acne data, we believe patients will only need to apply XYNGARI™ once weekly to produce the desired treatment effect. The mechanical components of the Spongilla powder consist of many microscopic siliceous, needle-like spicules that, when massaged into the skin, penetrate the stratum corneum (the skin’s outermost protective layer) and create microchannels into the dermis where pro-inflammatory cytokines and bacteria reside. We believe that the penetration of the spicules also leads to the opening of microchannels, which allow oxygen to enter pilosebaceous glands, helping to kill C. acnes , which grow in an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment C. acnes is the bacteria that cause inflammatory lesions in acne patients). The spicules also cause rejuvenation of the top layer of dead skin, thereby increasing collagen production. Additionally, we believe the newly created microchannels provide a conduit for XYNGARI™’s naturally occurring chemical compounds to be delivered to the dermis and pilosebaceous glands, helping to kill the C. acnes and fight inflammation . In addition to these anti-microbial compounds, XYNGARI™ also appears to have anti-inflammatory chemical compounds, as demonstrated in in vitro experiments, that inhibit inflammation through the reduction of C.acnes stimulated IL-8 production and by inhibiting IL-17A and IL-17F expression in human cell lines. Also, during in vitro studies of XYNGARI™’s organic compounds, we observed the inhibition of the lipogenesis of sebocytes, which may translate to a reduction in sebum (an oily and waxy substance produced by the human body’s sebaceous glands) production and the oiliness of the skin in patients, which was observed by a number of clinical investigators in our Phase 2 acne studies. We believe the combination of these biological and mechanical effects could be important factors in treating multiple inflammatory skin diseases, as seen in our clinical trials. 91 Table of Contents Our second product candidate utilizing our Spongilla technology is DMT410. DMT410 is intended to consist of one treatment of our proprietary sponge powder followed by one topical application of botulinum toxin for delivery into the dermis. Currently, botulinum toxin is only approved to be delivered to the dermis by intradermal injections, which can be painful for the patient and time-consuming for the physician. However, we believe DMT410’s ability to topically deliver botulinum toxin into the dermis could have similar levels of efficacy to existing delivery techniques, with fewer tolerability issues, and a quicker application time, possibly replacing the need for intradermal injections. We first tested DMT410 in a Phase 1 POC trial of axillary hyperhidrosis patients, which saw 80% of patients achieve a reduction in gravimetric sweat production greater than 50% four weeks after a single treatment. With almost 40% of the hyperhidrosis market currently being treated with intradermal injections of botulinum toxin, we believe there could be significant opportunity for DMT410 to break into this market and replace intradermal injections of botulinum toxin. Based on DMT410’s ability to effectively deliver botulinum toxin to the dermis as observed in the Phase 1 axillary hyperhidrosis trial, we also conducted a Phase 1 POC trial of DMT410 for the treatment of multiple aesthetic skin conditions, including reduction of pore size, sebum production, and fine lines, among others. In November 2021, we announced top-line results from this trial, where we saw promising data that we believe warrants further investigation of DMT410. In January 2025, we entered into the Clinical Trial Agreement with Revance pursuant to which we in collaboration with Revance intend to conduct a multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the topical application of XYNGARI™, with DAXXIFY® (daxibotulinumtoxinA-lanm), Revance’s botulinum toxin type A, for the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis. We have a limited operating history. Since our inception, our operations have focused on developing XYNGARI™ and DMT410, organizing and staffing our company, raising capital, establishing our supply chain and manufacturing processes, further characterizing the multiple mechanisms of action of our Spongilla technology, building an intellectual property portfolio, and conducting non-clinical and clinical trials. We do not have any product candidates approved for marketing and have not generated any revenue from product sales. We have funded our operations primarily through the sale of our equity securities and debt securities. Since inception, we have raised an aggregate of approximately $68.8 million of gross proceeds from the sale of our debt and equity securities, including the securities sold in our initial public offering. We have not generated any revenue to date and have incurred significant operating losses. Our net losses were $12.3 million and $7.8 million for years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, respectively, and as of December 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $65.7 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. We anticipate that our expenses will increase significantly in connection with our ongoing activities, as we: · complete development of XYNGARI™ for the treatment of acne, including non-clinical studies and Phase 3 clinical trials; · prepare and file for regulatory approval of XYNGARI™ for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acne upon positive results from the Phase 3 clinical program; · continue development of XYNGARI™ for the treatment of psoriasis, including a Phase 2 clinical trial and Phase 3 clinical trials, pending additional finances or strategic partner; · sign a partnership agreement with a botulinum toxin partner for DMT410 for the treatment of aesthetic and medical skin conditions; · prepare for commercialization of XYNGARI™, if approved, including the hiring of sales and marketing personnel; 92 Table of Contents · manufacture our product candidates for Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials and commercial sale; · hire additional research and development and selling, general and administrative personnel; · maintain, expand, and protect our intellectual property portfolio; and · incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. We will need additional financing to support our operations. We may seek to fund our operations through public or private equity or debt financings or other sources. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Our failure to raise capital when needed or on favorable terms would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy. We will need to generate significant revenues to achieve profitability, and we may never do so. Components of Results of Operations Revenue We have not generated any revenue since inception and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the near future until we obtain regulatory approval of, and commercialize, our product candidates. Operating Expenses Research and Development Expenses Research and development activities are central to our business model. Product candidates in later stages of clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of late-stage clinical trials. We expect research and development costs to increase significantly for the foreseeable future as our pipeline of product candidates progress further into clinical trials. However, we do not believe it is possible at this time to accurately project total program-related expenses to reach commercialization based on numerous factors. In addition, there are numerous unknown expenses related to the commercialization of our product candidates including continued regulatory requirements, many of which cannot be determined with accuracy at this time. Research and development expenses consist of expenses incurred in connection with the development of our product candidates. We expense development costs as incurred. These expenses include: · expenses incurred under agreements with CROs, as well as investigative sites and consultants that conduct our clinical trials and preclinical studies; · manufacturing and supply scale-up expenses and the cost of acquiring and manufacturing preclinical and clinical trial supply and commercial supply, including manufacturing validation batches; and · outsourced laboratory services, including materials and supplies used to support our research and development activities, including payments made for license fees and milestone payments. The successful development of our product candidates is highly uncertain. At this time, we cannot reasonably estimate or know the nature, timing and costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the remainder of the development of, or when, if ever, material net cash inflows may commence from our product candidates. This uncertainty is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the duration and cost of clinical trials, which vary significantly over the life of a project as a result of many factors, including: · the number of clinical sites included in the clinical trials; 93 Table of Contents · the length of time required to enroll suitable patients; · the size of patient populations participating in the clinical trials; · the number of doses a patient receives; · the duration of patient follow-ups; · the development state of the product candidates; and · the efficacy and safety profile of the product candidates. Our expenditures are subject to additional uncertainties, including the terms and timing of regulatory approvals, and the expense of filing, prosecuting, defending, and enforcing any patent claims or other intellectual property rights. We may never succeed in achieving regulatory approval for our product candidates. We may obtain unexpected results from our clinical trials. We may elect to discontinue, delay, or modify clinical trials of our product candidates. A change in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the development of a product candidate could mean a significant change in the costs and timing associated with the development of that product candidate. For example, if the FDA or other regulatory authorities were to require us to conduct clinical trials beyond those that we currently anticipate, or if we experience significant delays in enrollment in any of our clinical trials, we could be required to expend significant additional financial resources and time on the completion of clinical development. Product commercialization will take several years and millions of dollars in development costs. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses consist principally of salaries and related costs for personnel in executive and administrative functions, travel expenses and recruiting expenses. Other general and administrative expenses include stock-based compensation expenses, professional fees for legal, accounting and tax related services, insurance costs, as well as payments made to consultants. We expense all general and administrative expenses as incurred. We anticipate that our general and administrative expenses will increase as a result of increased payroll, expanded infrastructure and higher consulting, legal and tax related services associated with maintaining compliance with stock exchange listing and SEC requirements, accounting and investor relations costs, and director and officer insurance premiums associated with being a public company. Interest Income Interest income consists of interest income earned on cash equivalents from interest bearing demand accounts. Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates We have based our management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements as well as the reported expenses during the reporting periods. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments, including those related to accrued research and development expenses and warrants. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe to be appropriate under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. While our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to our audited financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we believe the following accounting policies are critical to the process of making significant judgments and estimates in the preparation of our financial statements. 94 Table of Contents Accrued Research and Development Expenses As part of the process of preparing our financial statements, we are required to record actual research and development expenses and to estimate accrued research and development expenses, current assets, and other current liabilities. This process involves reviewing open contracts and commitments, communicating with our personnel to identify services that have been performed for us and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of the actual cost. The majority of our service providers invoice us monthly in arrears for services performed or when contractual milestones are met. We make estimates of our accrued research and development expenses, current assets, and other current liabilities as of each balance sheet date in our financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to us at that time. Examples of estimated accrued research and development expenses, prepaid assets, and other current liabilities include fees paid to contract manufacturers made in connection with the manufacturing of clinical trials materials and contract research organizations made in connection the performance of clinical trials on our behalf. We base our expenses related to clinical manufacturing and clinical trials on our estimates of the services performed pursuant to contracts with the entities performing those services on our behalf. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation, vary from contract to contract, and may result in uneven payment flows. Payments under these types of contracts depend heavily upon the successful completion of many separate tasks involved in the manufacturing of drug product and the performance of clinical trials. In the case of clinical trials, a portion of the estimated cost normally relates to the projected cost to treat a patient in the trials, and this cost is recognized based on the number of patients enrolled in the trial. Other indirect costs are generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated period of the study. As actual costs become known to us, we adjust our accruals. To date, our estimates have not differed materially from the actual costs incurred. However, subsequent changes in estimates may result in a material change in our accruals, which could also materially affect our balance sheet and results of operations. We accrue and expense clinical trial activities performed by third parties based upon estimates of the proportion of work completed over the life of the individual clinical trial and patient enrollment rates in accordance with agreements established with clinical research organizations (“CROs”) and clinical trial sites. We determine the estimates by reviewing contracts, vendor agreements and purchase orders, and through discussions with internal clinical personnel and external service providers as to the progress or stage of completion of trials or services and the agreed-upon fee to be paid for such services. However, actual costs and timing of clinical trials are highly uncertain, subject to risks and may change depending upon a number of factors, including our clinical development plan. We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in our financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to us at that time. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from the estimate, we will adjust the accrual accordingly. Nonrefundable advance payments for goods and services, including fees for process development or manufacturing and distribution of clinical supplies that will be used in future research and development activities, are deferred and recognized as expense in the period that the related goods are consumed, or services are performed. Warrants We perform an assessment of warrants upon issuance to determine their proper classification in the financial statements based upon the warrant’s specific terms, in accordance with the authoritative guidance provided in Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”) , and ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (“ASC 815-40”) . The assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480 and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants are indexed in our own Common Stock and whether the warrant holders could potentially require cash settlement of the warrants. For issued or modified warrants that meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be liability-classified and recorded at their initial fair value on the date of issuance and remeasured at fair value at each balance sheet date thereafter. We have performed an assessment of all warrants issued and modified and determined that our warrants are equity classified. 95 Table of Contents Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2024, and 2023 The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, respectively: Year Ended December 31, 2024 2023 Difference Operating expenses: Research and development $ 8,203,691 $ 4,069,766 $ 4,133,925 General and administrative 4,309,551 3,972,140 337,411 Total operating expenses 12,513,242 8,041,906 4,471,336 Losses from operations (12,513,242 ) (8,041,906 ) (4,471,336 ) Other income and expenses: Interest income 225,781 247,216 (21,435 ) Net loss $ (12,287,461 ) $ (7,794,690 ) $ (4,492,771 ) Research and Development Expenses Research and development expenses increased by approximately $4.1 million from $4.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, to $8.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in research and development expense was the result of $4.9 million of increased clinical trial expenses, offset by approximately $0.2 million of decreased non-clinical expenses and approximately $0.6 million in decreased chemistry, manufacturing, and controls, or CMC, expenses. These increases were the result of our efforts dedicated to running the XYNGARI™ Phase 3 STAR-1 clinical trial. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses increased by approximately $0.3 million from $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, to $4.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily attributable to $0.3 million of increased audit related fees as a result of changing auditors in late 2023. Interest income We earn interest income via overnight deposits on our cash and cash equivalents. Interest income was approximately $0.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023. Cash Flows The following table summarizes our cash flows from operating and financing activities: Year Ended December 31, 2024 2023 Statements of cash flows data: Total cash used in operating activities $ (11,162,948 ) $ (6,408,931 ) Total cash provided by financing activities $ 6,886,383 $ 7,605,772 Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents $ (4,276,565 ) $ 1,196,841 96 Table of Contents Operating activities Cash used in operations of approximately $11.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, was the result of the net loss of $12.3 million and a decrease in accounts payable of $0.1 million, offset by non-cash stock-based compensation of $0.7 million, an increase in accrued and other current liabilities of $0.4 million, as well as a decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $0.2 million. Cash used in operations of $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, was the result of the net loss of $7.8 million, offset by non-cash stock-based compensation of $0.5 million, an increase in accounts payable of $0.4 million and an increase in accrued and other current liabilities of $0.3 million, as well as a decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $0.2 million. Financing activities Cash provided by financing activities of approximately $6.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, was the result of the $3.1 million of net proceeds from the September 2024 PIPE financing, net proceeds of $1.4 million from the sale of our common stock through the ATM Agreement, and net proceeds of $2.3 million from our warrant inducement financing in May 2024. Cash provided by financing activities of $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, was the result of $4.2 million of net proceeds received from the issuance of common stock and warrants issued in offering conducted in March 2023, $1.5 million of net proceeds received from the issuance of common stock and warrants in an offering conducted in May 2023, as well as $2.0 million of net proceeds from a warrant inducement offering conducted in November 2023. Liquidity and Capital Resources Since our inception, we have not generated any revenue or commercialized any products. As of December 31, 2024, our cash and cash equivalents totaled $3.2 million, and we had an accumulated deficit of $65.7 million. For the year ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, we used cash in operations of approximately $11.1 million and $6.4 million, respectively. Historically, our principal sources of cash have included proceeds from the issuance of equity and debt. Our principal uses of cash have included cash used in operations (including clinical development of our product candidates and general and administrative expenses) and payments for license rights. We expect that the principal uses of cash in the future will be for continuing operations, funding of research and development, and general working capital requirements. We expect that as research and development expenses continue to grow for our Phase 3 development program, we will need to raise additional capital to sustain operations and fund research and development activities, including our ongoing Phase 3 STAR-1 clinical study. ATM Agreement In June 2024, we entered into an At The Market Offering Agreement (the “ATM Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright &Co., LLC (“Wainwright”), as sales agent, pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to time through Wainwright, shares of our common stock for aggregate proceeds of up to $1,662,761 (upon the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth in the ATM Agreement). In the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, we sold 550,024 shares of common stock under the ATM Agreement, for net proceeds of $1.4 million, after deducting $0.3 million of compensation to Wainwright, auditors, lawyers, and other administration fees. 97 Table of Contents Future Capital Requirements We plan to focus in the near term on the development, regulatory approval, and potential commercialization of XYNGARI™ for the treatment of acne and psoriasis. We anticipate we will continue to incur net losses for the next several years as we complete clinical development of XYNGARI™ for the treatment of acne and psoriasis and continue research and development of DMT410 for the treatment of aesthetic and medical skin conditions. In addition, we plan to seek opportunities to identify, acquire or in license and develop additional drug candidates, potentially build commercial capabilities, and expand our corporate infrastructure. We may not be able to complete the development and initiate commercialization of these programs if, among other things, our clinical trials are not successful or if the FDA does not approve our drug candidate arising out of our current clinical trials when we expect, or at all. Our primary uses of capital are, and we expect will continue to be, compensation and related expenses, clinical costs, external research and development services, legal and other regulatory expenses, and administrative and overhead costs. Our future funding requirements will be heavily determined by the resources needed to support development of our drug candidates. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the third quarter of 2025. We have based this estimate of cash runway on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we expect. We will require additional capital to conduct Phase 3 studies for XYNGARI™ for the treatment of acne, and to pursue in licenses or acquisitions of other drug candidates. Additional funds may not be available on a timely basis, on favorable terms, or at all, and such funds, if raised, may not be sufficient to enable us to continue to implement our long-term business strategy. If we are unable to raise sufficient additional capital, we may need to substantially curtail our planned operations and the pursuit of our growth strategy. We may raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities. In such an event, the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of a holder of our common stock. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical drugs, we are unable to estimate the exact amount of our working capital requirements. Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including: · the number and characteristics of the drug candidates we pursue; · the scope, progress, results, and costs of researching and developing our drug candidates, and conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials; · the timing of, and the costs involved in, obtaining regulatory approvals for our drug candidates; · the cost of manufacturing our drug candidates and any drugs we successfully commercialize; · our ability to establish and maintain strategic collaborations, licensing or other arrangements and the financial terms of such agreements; · the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, defending, and enforcing patent claims, including litigation costs and the outcome of such litigation; and · the timing, receipt and amount of sales of, or milestone payments related to or royalties on, our current or future drug candidates, if any. 98 Table of Contents To continue to grow our business over the longer term, we plan to commit substantial resources to research and development, clinical trials of our product candidates, and other operations and potential product acquisitions and in licensing. We have evaluated and expect to continue to evaluate a wide array of strategic transactions as part of our plan to acquire or in license and develop additional products and product candidates to augment our internal development pipeline. Strategic transaction opportunities that we may pursue could materially affect our liquidity and capital resources and may require us to incur additional indebtedness, seek equity capital or both. In addition, we may pursue development, acquisition or in licensing of approved or development products in new or existing therapeutic areas or continue the expansion of our existing operations. Accordingly, we expect to continue to opportunistically seek access to additional capital to license or acquire additional products, product candidates or companies to expand our operations, or for general corporate purposes. Strategic transactions may require us to raise additional capital through one or more public or private debt or equity financings or could be structured as a collaboration or partnering arrangement. We have no arrangements, agreements, or understandings in place at the present time to enter into any acquisition, in licensing or similar strategic business transaction. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholder will experience dilution. Debt financing, if available, would result in increased fixed payment obligations and may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. Any debt financing or additional equity that we raise may contain terms, such as liquidation and other preferences that are not favorable to us or our stockholder. If we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements with third parties, it may be necessary to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. We cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. In addition, future debt financing into which we enter may impose upon us covenants that restrict our operations, including limitations on our ability to incur liens or additional debt, pay dividends, redeem our stock, make certain investments and engage in certain merger, consolidation or asset sale transactions. If we are unable to raise additional capital when required or on acceptable terms, we may be required to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of one or more of our product candidates, restrict our operations or obtain funds by entering into agreements on unattractive terms, which would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, stock price and our relationships with third parties with whom we have business relationships, at least until additional funding is obtained. If we do not have sufficient funds to continue operations, we could be required to seek bankruptcy protection or other alternatives that would likely result in our stockholders losing some or all of their investment in us. In addition, our ability to achieve profitability or to respond to competitive pressures would be significantly limited. Going Concern Since inception we have been engaged in organizational activities, including raising capital and research and development activities. We have not generated revenues and have not yet achieved profitable operations, nor have we ever generated positive cash flow from operations. There is no assurance that profitable operations, if achieved, could be sustained on a continuing basis. We are subject to those risks associated with any late-clinical stage pharmaceutical company that has substantial expenditures for research and development. There can be no assurance that our research and development projects will be successful, that products developed will obtain necessary regulatory approval, or that any approved product will be commercially viable. In addition, we operate in an environment of rapid technological change and is largely dependent on the services of our employees and consultants. Further, our future operations are dependent on the success of the Company’s efforts to raise additional capital. These uncertainties raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for 12 months after the issuance date of our financial statements. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the possible inability of the company to continue as a going concern, which contemplates the continuation of operations, realization of assets and liquidation of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. We incurred a net loss of $12.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, and had an accumulated deficit of $65.7 million as of December 31, 2024. We anticipate incurring additional losses until such time, if ever, that we can generate significant revenue from our product candidates currently in development. Our primary source of capital has been the issuance of debt and equity securities. Recently Issued Accounting Standards For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, please see the Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to our financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. JOBS Act On April 5, 2012, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, reduce certain reporting requirements for an “emerging growth company”. As an “emerging growth company,” we are electing to take advantage of the extended transition period afforded by the JOBS Act for the implementation of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that our decision not to take advantage of the extended transition period is irrevocable. 99 Table of Contents Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, as an “emerging growth company,” we are not required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404, (ii) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, (iii) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis), and (iv) disclose certain executive compensation-related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply until the fifth anniversary of the completion of our initial public offering, which would be August 2026, or until we no longer meet the requirements for being an “emerging growth company,” whichever occurs first. ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK Not Applicable. ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA The information required by this item appears in a separate section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on page F-1 and is incorporated herein by reference. ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE None.