Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Forward-Looking Statements
This Form 10-Q contains certain
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this purpose, any statements
contained in this Form 10-Q that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting
the foregoing, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,”
“estimate” or “continue” or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety
of factors, many of which are not within our control. These factors include but are not limited to economic conditions generally and in
the industries in which we may participate; competition within our chosen industry, including competition from much larger competitors;
technological advances and failure to successfully develop business relationships.
Description of Business
Overview
We are a clinical-stage immunotherapy
company focused on developing drugs that may reprogram the patient’s innate immune system to treat disease. We believe this may
be done by targeting cells of the innate immune system that cause acute and chronic inflammation and are involved in the immune dysfunction
associated with chronic diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative, metabolic and infectious diseases. The Company has two therapeutic
platforms – dominant-negative TNF platform (“DN-TNF”) and the Natural Killer (“NK”) platform. The DN-TNF
platform neutralizes soluble TNF (“sTNF”) without affecting trans-membrane TNF (“tmTNF”) or the receptors TNFR1
and TNFR2. This unique biologic mechanism differentiates the DN-TNF drugs from currently approved non-selective TNF inhibitors that inhibit
the function of both sTNF and tmTNF. Protecting the function of tmTNF while neutralizing the function of sTNF is a potent anti-inflammatory
drug that does not cause immunosuppression or demyelination. Currently approved non-selective TNF inhibitors are approved to treat autoimmune
disease, however they are contraindicated in patients with infection, cancer and neurologic diseases because they increase the risk of
infection, cancer and demyelinating neurologic diseases, respectively, because of off-target effects on inhibiting tmTNF. The NK platform
targets the dysfunctional natural killer cells (“NK cells”) in patients with cancer. NK cells are part of the normal immunologic
response to cancer with important roles in immunosurveillance to prevent cancer and in preventing relapse by clearing residual disease.
Residual disease is the cancer left behind, often undetected, that can grow and cause relapse. The NK cells of cancer patients have the
ability to kill cancer cells but are not effective because cancer cells mutate to evade NK cell immune surveillance. INKmune provides
the missing signals needed to prime NK cells to overcome the immune evasion mutation to allow NK cells to kill the cancer cell. We believe
INKmune is best used to eliminate residual disease after the patient has completed other cancer therapies. Both the DN-TNF platform and
the INKmune platform can be used to treat multiple diseases. The DN-TNF platform will be used as an immunotherapy for the treatment of
cancer, neurodegenerative, metabolic and infectious diseases. INKmune is being developed to treat NK sensitive hematologic malignancies
and solid tumors.
We believe our DN-TNF platform
can be used to reverse resistance in immunotherapy, to target glial activation to prevent progression of Alzheimer’s disease (“AD”),
to target neuroinflammation in treatment resistant depression (“TRD”), to target intestinal leak and inflammation to treat
non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (“NASH”) and to treat complications of the cytokine storm associated with COVID-19 infection.
The drug is named differently for each indication; INB03, XPro1595, LIVNate and Quellor, respectively, but it is the same drug product.
In each case, we believe neutralizing sTNF is a cornerstone to the treatment of each of these diseases. As an immunotherapy for cancer,
we are using INB03 to neutralize sTNF produced by HER2+ trastuzumab resistant breast cancers to reverse resistance to therapy. sTNF causes
an up-regulation of MUC4 expression that causes steric hindrance of trastuzumab binding to the HER2/Neu receptor on HER2+ breast cancer
cells. Without binding, trastuzumab is not effective. In addition, INB03 changes the immunobiology of the tumor microenvironment by decreasing
the number of immunosuppressive myeloid cells, both myeloid derived suppressor cells and tumor active macrophages, and increasing the
number of cytotoxic lymphocytes in the TME. The Company has completed an open label dose escalation trial in cancer patients with metastatic
solid tumors that have failed multiple lines of therapy. The trial informs the design of the Phase II trial by demonstrating that INB03
was safe and well tolerated, defined the dose of INB03 to carry into Phase II trials, and demonstrated a pharmacodynamic end-point. A
Phase II trial is planned in women with advanced HER2+ breast cancer with metastasis.
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Likewise, we believe the DN-TNF
platform can be used to treat selected neurodegenerative diseases. XPro1595 is being used to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease
in a Phase I trial partially funded by a Part-the-Clouds Award from the Alzheimer’s Association. XPro1595 targets activated microglia
and astrocytes of the brain that produce sTNF that promotes nerve cell loss and synaptic dysfunction, key elements in the development
of dementia. In animal models, elimination of sTNF prevents nerve cell dysfunction and reverses synaptic pruning. The Phase I trial in
patients with biomarkers of inflammation with AD is enrolling patients. The open label, dose escalation trial is designed to demonstrate
that XPro1595 decreases neuroinflammation in patients with AD. This end-points of the trial are measures of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration
in blood and cerebral spinal fluid, measures of neuroinflammation by MRI by measuring white matter free water and breath by measuring
volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath and by monitoring neuropsychiatric symptoms known to be associated with neuroinflammation
including depression, apathy, aggression, hallucinations and sleep disorders.
In addition, we believe the
DN-TNF platform can be used to treat selected metabolic diseases. LIVNate is being developed to treat NASH. NASH is a pleiotropic disease
caused by a complex mix of metabolic, inflammatory and fibrotic pathophysiology. We believe targeting inflammation caused by intestinal
leak, mesenteric and peripheral fat will prevent lipotoxicity, hepatic stellate cell activation and hepatocyte death that causes fibrosis
and liver dysfunction associated with advanced disease. sTNF is elevated in obesity and is believed to cause intestinal leak. Intestinal
leak combined with cytokines coming from mesenteric fat may dramatically increase the concentration of inflammatory cytokines in portal
blood destined for the liver. The cytokine load contributes to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (“NAFLD”)
and progression to NASH. LIVNate, by neutralizing sTNF improves insulin sensitivity, decreases the inflammation in peripheral and mesenteric
fat and may also seal the intestinal leak. This combination prevents development of NAFLD or NASH in animal models. The Company is planning
a Phase II open label randomized study using non-invasive measures to enroll patients with NASH in a study using a fixed dose of LIVNate
delivered as a once a week sub-cutaneous injection.
We also believe the DN-TNF
platform may be used to treat the complications associated with the cytokine storm caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”).
Three inflammatory cytokines make up the cytokine storm associated with COVID19 infection – sTNF, IL-6 and IL-1β. Targeting
sTNF with Quellor may have advantages because IL-6 and IL-1 expression occur after sTNF expression; sTNF promotes endothelial activation
causing expression of proteins that promote trafficking of immune cells from the blood vessel to the tissue and expression of Tissue Factor
that stimulates the coagulopathy that is a prominent pathology of COVID-19 infection. The Company plans a Phase II trial in patients with
symptomatic COVID-19 infection and hypoxia. The goal of the study is to prevent the catastrophic complications of advanced COVID-19 infection
including one or more of the need for mechanical ventilation, new onset of cardiovascular, neurologic or thromboembolic disease, admission
to an intensive care unit or death. The randomized trial will treat patients requiring hospitalization because of their disease.
Effective therapy for treatment
resistant depression (TRD) is a large unmet need. Twenty percent of patients with a Major Depressive Disorder have TRD. Once third of
TRD patients have peripheral biomarkers to inflammation (elevated CRP). This is a large patient population. The role of TNF and anti-TNF
therapeutics was explored in a small open label clinical trial by Prof. Andrew Miller, MD of Emory University demonstrated the patients
have elevated TNF levels and treatment with infliximab treated their depression (Miller, 2011). The Company received a $2.9M USD award
from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to treat TRD with XPro1595. The blinded, randomized Phase II trial will use a biomarkers
of peripheral inflammation to select patients with TRD for enrollment. Patients will be treated for 6 weeks. Primary end-points include
both clinical and neuroimaging measures. The final trial design has is ongoing and discussions with the FDA are not complete. The Company
anticipates receiving authorization to initiate the clinical trial in the second half of 2021.
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We believe that INKmune improves
the ability of the patient’s own NK cells to attack their tumor. INKmune interacts with the patient’s NK cells to convert
them from inert resting NK cells that ignores the cancer into primed NK cells that kill the cancer cell. INKmune is a replication incompetent
proprietary cell line we have named INB16 that is given to the patient after determining that i) the patient has adequate NK cells in
their circulation and ii) those NK cells are functional when exposed to INKmune in vitro. INKmune is designed to be given to patients
after their immune system has recovered after cytotoxic chemotherapy to target the residual disease the remains after treatment with cytotoxic
therapy. INKmune can be used to treat numerous hematologic malignancies and solid tumors including leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphoma,
lung, ovary, breast, renal and prostate cancer. The Company plans Phase I trials using INKmune to treat patients with high risk MDS, a
form of leukemia and women with relapsed refractory ovarian. During July 2021, the Company’s Phase I trial using INKmune was initiated
and its first patient was dosed.
Since our inception in 2015,
we have devoted substantially all of our resources to the discovery and development of our product candidates, including clinical trials
and preclinical studies as well as general and administrative support for these operations. To date, we have generated no significant
revenue. We have incurred net losses in each year since our inception and, as of June 30, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately
$44.6 million. Our net losses were $11,211,000 and $4,178,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Substantially
all of our net losses resulted from costs incurred in connection with our research and development programs and from general and administrative
costs associated with our operations, including stock-based compensation.
The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
on the Company’s business is highly uncertain and difficult to predict. Also, economies worldwide have also been negatively impacted
by the COVID-19 pandemic, however policymakers around the globe have responded with fiscal policy actions to support the healthcare industry
and economy as a whole. The magnitude and overall effectiveness of these actions remain uncertain.
In addition, the Company’s
clinical trials have been affected by and may continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical site initiation and patient enrollment
have and may continue to be delayed due to prioritization of hospital resources toward the COVID-19 pandemic. Some patients have not and
others may not be able to comply with clinical trial protocols if quarantines impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services.
Similarly, the ability to recruit and retain patients and principal investigators and site staff who, as healthcare providers, may have
heightened exposure to COVID-19, may adversely impact the Company’s clinical trial operations.
The severity of the impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the duration
and severity of the pandemic and the extent and severity of the impact on the Company’s service providers, suppliers, contract research
organizations (“CROs”) and the Company’s clinical trials, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. As of
the date of issuance of Company’s financial statements, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may materially impact the Company’s
financial condition, liquidity or results of operations is uncertain.
We classify our operating
expenses into two categories: research and development; and general and administrative expenses. Personnel costs including salaries, benefits
and stock-based compensation expense comprise a significant component of our research and development and general and administrative expense
categories.
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We qualify as an “emerging
growth company” under the JOBS Act. As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other
requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include:
●
only two years of audited financial statements in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements with correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure;
●
reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements;
●
no non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements;
●
exemption from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting; and
●
delaying the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies.
We have elected to take advantage
of the above-referenced exemptions and we may take advantage of these exemptions for up to five years or such earlier time that we are
no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth company if we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenues,
we have more than $700 million in market value of our stock held by non-affiliates, or we issue more than $1 billion of non-convertible
debt over a three-year period. We may choose to take advantage of some but not all of these reduced burdens.
Research and Development
Research and development expense
consists of expenses incurred while performing research and development activities to discover and develop our product candidates. This
includes conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials, manufacturing development efforts and activities related to regulatory filings
for product candidates. We recognize research and development expenses as they are incurred. Our research and development expense primarily
consist of:
● clinical
trial and regulatory-related costs;
●
expenses incurred under agreements with investigative sites and consultants that conduct our clinical trials;
●
manufacturing and testing costs and related supplies and materials; and
●
employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits, travel and stock-based compensation.
We typically use our employee,
consultant and infrastructure resources across our development programs. We track outsourced development costs by product candidate or
development program, but we do not allocate personnel costs, other internal costs or external consultant costs to specific product candidates
or development programs.
We
participate, through our wholly-owned subsidiary in Australia, in the Australian research and development tax incentive program, such
that a percentage of our qualifying research and development expenditures are reimbursed by the Australian government, and such incentives
are reflected as a reduction of research and development expense. The Australian research and development tax incentive is recognized
when there is reasonable assurance that the incentive will be received, the relevant expenditure has been incurred and the amount of the
consideration can be reliably measured. In the future, the Company may elect to cease to perform research and development in Australia
at which point the Company may not participate the Australian research and development tax incentive program.
We
participate, through our wholly-owned subsidiary in the United Kingdom, in the research and development program provided by the United
Kingdom tax relief program, such that a percentage of our qualifying research and development expenditures are reimbursed by the United
Kingdom government, and such incentives are reflected as a reduction of research and development expense. The United Kingdom research
and development tax incentive is recognized when there is reasonable assurance that the incentive will be received, the relevant expenditure
has been incurred and the amount of the consideration can be reliably measured. In the future, the Company may elect to cease to perform
research and development in the United Kingdom at which point the Company may not participate in the United Kingdom tax relief program.
20
Substantially all of our research
and development expenses to date have been incurred in connection with our current and future product candidates. We expect our research
and development expenses to increase significantly for the foreseeable future as we advance an increased number of our product candidates
through clinical development, including the conduct of our planned clinical trials and manufacturing drug to be used in those clinical
trials. The process of conducting clinical trials necessary to obtain regulatory approval is costly and time consuming. The successful
development of product candidates is highly uncertain. At this time, we cannot reasonably estimate the nature, timing or costs required
to complete the remaining development of any product candidates. This is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the
development of product candidates.
The costs of clinical trials
may vary significantly over the life of a project owing to, but not limited to, the following:
●
per patient trial costs;
●
the number of sites included in the clinical trials;
●
the countries in which the clinical trials are conducted;
●
the length of time required to enroll eligible patients;
●
the number of patients that participate in the clinical trials;
●
the number of doses that patients receive;
●
the cost of comparative agents used in clinical trials;
●
the drop-out or discontinuation rates of patients;
●
potential additional safety monitoring or other studies requested by regulatory agencies;
●
the duration of patient follow-up;
●
the efficacy and safety profile of the product candidate; and
●
the cost of manufacturing, finishing, labelling and storage drug used in the clinical trial.
We do not expect any of our
product candidates to be commercially available for at least the next several years, if ever. We expect to continue to incur significant
expenses and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future, which may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year.
We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially as we:
●
continue research and development, including preclinical and clinical development of our existing product candidates;
●
potentially seek regulatory approval for our product candidates;
●
seek to discover and develop additional product candidates;
●
establish a commercialization infrastructure and scale up our manufacturing and distribution capabilities to commercialize any of our product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval;
21
●
seek to comply with regulatory standards and laws;
●
maintain, leverage and expand our intellectual property portfolio;
●
hire clinical, manufacturing, scientific and other personnel to support our product candidates development and future commercialization efforts;
●
add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel; and
●
incur additional legal, accounting and other expenses in operating as a public company.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative
expenses consist principally of payroll and personnel expenses, including stock-based compensation; professional fees for legal, consulting,
accounting and tax services; overhead, including rent and utilities; and other general operating expenses not otherwise classified as
research and development expenses.
Other income (expense)
Other income (expense) primarily consists of interest
expense on debt, interest income on money market accounts and foreign currency exchange gains and losses.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended June
30, 2021 and 2020
The following table summarizes
our results of operations for the periods indicated:
Three Months Ended
June 30,
(in thousands)
2021
2020
Change
Revenues
$ -
$ -
$ -
Operating expenses:
Research and development
4,464
903
3,561
General and administrative
2,090
1,204
886
Total operating expenses
6,554
2,107
4,447
Loss from operations
(6,554 )
(2,107 )
(4,447 )
Other expense
(101 )
(1 )
(100 )
Net loss
$ (6,655 )
$ (2,108 )
$ (4,547 )
22
General and Administrative
General and administrative
expenses were approximately $2.1 million during the three months ended June 30, 2021, compared to approximately $1.2 million during the
three months ended June 30, 2020. The increase in general and administrative expenses is largely due to higher professional fees ($0.6
million higher during the three months ended June 30, 2021) and higher payroll expense ($0.2 million higher during the three months ended
June 30, 2021).
Research and Development
Research and development expenses
were approximately $4.5 million during the three months ended June 30, 2021, compared to approximately $0.9 million during the three months
ended June 30, 2020. The increase in research and development expenses during the three months ending June 30, 2021 compared to
the three months ending June 30, 2020 is largely due to higher costs associated with manufacturing additional drugs ($0.9 million increase),
incurring additional costs in connection with the Company’s COVID-19 clinical trial ($1.2 million increase), and incurring higher
compensation expense, including stock-based compensation ($0.2 million increase).
Other Expense
The Company’s other
expense is higher in 2021 due to the Company incurring interest expense from a loan the Company obtained in June 2021.
Comparison of the Six Months Ended June
30, 2021 and 2020
The following table summarizes
our results of operations for the periods indicated:
Six Months Ended
June 30,
(in thousands)
2021
2020
Change
Revenues
$ 4
$ -
$ 4
Operating expenses:
Research and development
6,955
1,696
5,259
General and administrative
4,151
2,504
1,647
Total operating expenses
11,106
4,200
6,906
Loss from operations
(11,102 )
(4,200 )
(6,902 )
Other (expense) income
(109 )
22
(131 )
Net loss
$ (11,211 )
$ (4,178 )
$ (7,033 )
Revenues
During the six months ended
June 30, 2021, the Company sold MSC’s to one third-party and recognized $4,000 of revenues. There were no revenues during the six
months ended June 30, 2020.
General and Administrative
General and administrative
expenses were approximately $4.2 million during the six months ended June 30, 2021, compared to approximately $2.5 million during
the six months ended June 30, 2020. The increase in general and administrative expenses is largely due to higher professional fees ($1.2
million higher during the six months ended June 30, 2021), higher stock-based compensation ($0.2 million higher during the six months
ended June 30, 2021) and higher payroll expense ($0.2 million higher during the six months ended June 30, 2021).
Research and Development
Research and development expenses
were approximately $7.0 million during the six months ended June 30, 2021, compared to approximately $1.7 million during the six
months ended June 30, 2020. The increase in research and development expenses during the six months ending June 30, 2021 compared
to the six months ending June 30, 2020 is largely due to additional amounts incurred related to manufacturing additional drugs ($1.2 million
increase), incurring additional costs in connection with the Company’s COVID-19 clinical trial ($1.9 million increase), and incurring
higher compensation expense, including stock-based compensation ($0.4 million increase).
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Other Income (Expense)
The Company’s other
expense is higher in 2021 due to the Company incurring interest expense from a loan the Company obtained in June 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity is the ability of
a company to generate funds to support its current and future operations, satisfy its obligations and otherwise operate on an ongoing
basis.
We incurred a net loss of
$11,211,000 and $4,178,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Net cash used in operating activities was $10,801,000
and $2,853,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Since inception, we have funded our operations primarily
with proceeds from the sales of our common stock. As of June 30, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $39.5 million.
We anticipate that operating losses and net cash used in operating activities will increase over the next few years as we advance our
products under development.
Our primary uses of capital
are, and we expect will continue to be, third-party clinical and preclinical research and development services, compensation and related
expenses, professional fees, patent and other regulatory expenses and general overhead costs. We believe our use of CROs provides us with
flexibility in managing our spending.
The Company incurs the majority
of its research and development expenses in Australia and the United Kingdom. Fluctuations in the rate of exchange between the United
States dollar and the pound sterling as well as the Australian dollar could adversely affect our financial results, including our
expenses as well as assets and liabilities. We currently do not hedge foreign currencies but will continue to assess whether that strategy
is appropriate. As of June 30, 2021, the cash balance held by our foreign subsidiaries with currencies other than the United States dollar
was approximately $0.2 million. We do not have any material financial exposure to one customer or one country that would significantly
hinder our liquidity.
As a publicly traded company,
we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules adopted
by the SEC and The Nasdaq Stock Market, require public companies to implement specified corporate governance practices that were inapplicable
to us as a private company. We expect these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will
make some activities more time-consuming and costly.
As of June 30, 2021, the Company
had an accumulated deficit of $44,586,000 and working capital of $41,060,000. Losses have principally occurred as a result of stock-based
compensation expense as well as the substantial resources required for research and development of the Company’s products which
included the general and administrative expenses associated with its organization and product development, as well as the lack of sources
of revenues until such time as the Company’s products are commercialized. As of June 30, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalents
of approximately $39.5 million. We believe our cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next
12 months following the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q based on the balance of cash available as of June 30, 2021.
Registered Direct Offering
During July 2021, the Company
completed a registered direct offering whereby the Company sold 1,818,182 shares of its common stock to investors for net proceeds of
$36.9 million.
24
ATM Sales Agreements
During the six months ended
June 30, 2020, we issued and sold 150,682 shares of common stock at an average price of $5.44 per share under the 2020 ATM program. The
aggregate net proceeds were approximately $0.7 million after BTIG’s commission and other offering expenses.
During the six months ended
June 30, 2021, we issued and sold 1,439,480 shares of common stock at an average price of $20.17 per share under the 2020 ATM program.
The aggregate net proceeds were approximately $28.4 million after BTIG’s commission and other offering expenses. As of June 30,
2021, sales of our common stock pursuant to the 2020 ATM have been completed.
During March 2021, the Company
entered into the 2021 ATM program with BTIG, as sales agent, to establish an ATM offering program of up to $45 million of common stock.
The Company had no sales of common stock during the six months ended June 30, 2021 under the 2021 ATM program. During July 2021, the Company
sold 713,192 shares at an average price per share of $21.73 for net proceeds of approximately $15.0 million under the 2021 ATM program.
Term Loan
On June 10, 2021, we entered
into a Loan and Security Agreement with SVB and an affiliate of SVB, providing for a $15.0 million term loan. The Term Loan also provides
for us to request an additional $5.0 million term loan from the Lenders, which may be granted or denied at the sole discretion of the
Lenders. The Term Loan provides for an annual interest rate equal to the greater of (i) the prime rate then in effect as reported in The
Wall Street Journal plus 4.50% and (ii) 7.75% and also includes a final payment fee equal to 6.5% of the original principal
amount borrowed payable on the earlier of the repayment of the loan in full and the maturity date. The Company used the proceeds of the
term loan to fund the cash consideration for the Option Cancellation Agreement with Xencor.
The Lincoln Park Transaction
On May 15, 2019, the Company
and Lincoln Park entered into a purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company had the right
to sell to Lincoln Park up to $20.0 million in shares of the Company’s common stock, subject to certain limitations and conditions
set forth in the Purchase Agreement. During the six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company issued 196,000 shares of the Company’s
common stock to Lincoln Park for gross proceeds of $1,003,000. During April 2021, the Company terminated the Purchase Agreement.
Grants
During the six months ended
June 30, 2020, the Company was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (“ALS”) to fund
a study of the efficacy of XPro1595 to reverse ALS in vitro and to fund a study of the efficacy of XPro1595 to protect against ALS model
phenotypes in vivo. During the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020, the Company received $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively,
of cash proceeds pursuant to this grant which the Company recorded within deferred liabilities. The Company records costs incurred related
to the ALS study as a reduction of deferred liabilities. As of June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company recorded $0.2 million
and $0.1 million, respectively, as deferred liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets related to the ALS grant.
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Cash Flows
The following table summarizes
our cash flows for the periods indicated:
Six Months Ended
June 30,
(in thousands)
2021
2020
Net cash and cash equivalents (used in) provided by:
Operating activities
$ (10,801 )
$ (2,853 )
Investing activities
(15,000 )
-
Financing activities
43,415
655
Change in cash and cash equivalents
17,614
(2,198 )
Impact on cash from foreign currency translation
(61 )
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Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
21,967
6,996
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
$ 39,520
$ 4,816
Operating Activities
Our cash used in operating
activities was primarily driven by our net loss.
Operating activities used
approximately $10.8 million of cash during the six months ended June 30, 2021, resulting from our loss of $11.2 million and changes in
our net operating assets and liabilities of $1.3 million, partially offset by non-cash stock-based compensation of $1.7 million. The change
in our net operating assets and liabilities was mainly due to an increase in prepaid expenses of approximately $1.2 million, and an increase
in research and development tax credit receivable of $1.4 million, partially offset by an increase in deferred liabilities of approximately
$0.4 million.
Operating activities used
approximately $2.9 million of cash for the six months ended June 30, 2020, primarily resulting from our net loss of approximately $4.2
million, a net cash outflow of approximately $0.1 million for changes in our net operating assets and liabilities, and non-cash stock-based
compensation charges of approximately $1.4 million. The change in our net operating assets and liabilities was primarily driven by an
increase in research and development tax credit receivable of approximately $0.5 million, and an increase in prepaid expenses of approximately
$0.2 million, partially offset by an increase in deferred liabilities of approximately $0.4 million and an increase in accounts payable
and accrued liabilities of $0.2 million.
Investing Activities
Investing activities used
$15.0 million of cash for the six months ended June 30, 2021 compared to $0 for the six months ended June 30, 2020. During the six months
ended June 30, 2021, the Company paid Xencor $15.0 million to settle an option to acquire 10% of the Company’s common stock on a
fully diluted basis which was issued to acquire the Company’s acquired in-process research and development intangible asset.
Financing Activities
During the six months ended
June 30, 2021, the Company sold 1,439,480 shares of its common stock under its 2020 ATM program for net proceeds of approximately $28.4
million. The Company also obtained $15.0 million in cash proceeds from the issuance of debt.
During the six months ended
June 30, 2020, the Company purchased 220,000 shares from an investor for approximately $1.0 million. In addition, the Company sold 196,000
shares of its common stock to Lincoln Park for cash proceeds of approximately $1.0 million. During the six months ended June 30, 2020,
the Company issued and sold 150,682 shares of common stock at an average price of $5.44 per share under the ATM program for net cash proceeds
of approximately $0.7 million.
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Critical Accounting Policies
Our discussion and analysis
of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our unaudited consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements
requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses. Actual results may differ
from these estimates. Our critical accounting policies and estimates are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2020 and there have been no material changes during the six months ended June 30, 2021.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures
About Market Risk
Pursuant to Item 305(e) of
Regulation S-K (§ 229.305(e)), the Company is not required to provide the information required by this Item as it is a “smaller
reporting company,” as defined by Rule 229.10(f)(1).
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