Unicycive Therapeutics, Inc. 10-Q

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Forward Looking Statements This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2023, contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These forward-looking statements contain information about our expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding our product development and commercialization efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects, and other similar matters. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions about future events, which are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. These statements may be identified by words such as “expects,” “plans,” “projects,” “will,” “may,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “should,” “intends,” “estimates,” and other words of similar meaning. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, including those matters discussed below. Readers are urged to read the risk factors set forth in the Company’s recent filings with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These filings are available at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). Other unknown or unpredictable factors that could also adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations may arise from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking statements discussed in this report may not prove to be accurate. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which only reflect the views of the Company’s management as of the date of this report. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results or expectations, except as required by law. The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes to those statements included elsewhere in this quarterly report and in our previously filed Form 10-K. In addition to historical financial information, the following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results and timing of selected events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this quarterly report. See “Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” All amounts in this report are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise noted. Overview We are a biotechnology company dedicated to developing treatments for kidney disease that have the potential to offer medical benefits. Our development programs are focused on the development of two novel therapies: Oxylanthanum Carbonate, for treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease, and UNI 494, for treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the gradual loss of kidney function that can get worse over time leading to lasting damage. Our initial focus is developing drugs and getting them approved in the US, and then look to partner with the other global biopharmaceutical companies in the rest of the world. According to estimates by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2019, 37 million (approximately 15%) adults in the United States have CKD and, of these, approximately 2 million patients with CKD stage 3-5, and around 400 thousand patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have hyperphosphatemia. In the European Union (EU), around 20 million (approximately 8%) adults have CKD, more than 1 million CKD stage 3-5 patients, and approximately 180 thousand patients with ESRD have hyperphosphatemia. The number of patients with ESRD is increasing steadily and is projected to reach between 971,000 and 1,259,000 in 2030. - 26 - AKI is a sudden episode of kidney failure or kidney damage (within the first 90 days of injury). After 90 days, the patient is considered to have progressed into CKD. AKI affects over 2 million US patients and costs the healthcare system over $9 billion per year. AKI kills more than 300,000 patients per year in the US and is caused by multiple etiologies. Our business model is to license technologies and drugs and pursue development, regulatory approval, and commercialization of those products in global markets. Many biotechnology companies utilize similar strategies of in-licensing and then developing and commercializing drugs. We believe, however, that our management team’s broad network, expertise in the biopharmaceutical industry, and successful track record gives us an advantage in identifying and bringing these assets into the Company at an attractive price with limited upfront cost. Since our formation we have devoted substantially all of our resources to developing our product candidates. We have incurred significant operating losses to date. Our net losses were $12.7 million and $22.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and 2023, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $56.7 million. We expect that our operating expenses will increase significantly as we advance our product candidates through pre-clinical and clinical development, seek regulatory approval, and prepare for and, if approved, proceed to commercialization; acquire, discover, validate and develop additional product candidates; obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property portfolio; and hire additional personnel. We have funded our operations primarily from the sale and issuance of common stock, convertible promissory notes and from a loan, including cash and deferred salary from our Chief Executive Officer and principal stockholder. Our ability to generate product revenue will depend on the successful development, regulatory approval and eventual commercialization of our current product candidates and future product candidates. Until such time as we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through private or public equity or debt financings, collaborative or other arrangements with corporate sources, or through other sources of financing. Adequate funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we fail to raise capital or enter into agreements to raise capital as and when needed, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development and commercialization of our current product candidates and future product candidates. Recent Developments On March 3, 2023, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with certain accredited investors (the “Investors”), pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell, in a private placement (the “Offering”), 30,190 shares of Series A-1 Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series A-1 Preferred Stock”), which offering could result in up to $130 million in gross proceeds and initial upfront funding of $30 million. Pursuant to the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations of the Series A Convertible Voting Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”), each share of Series A-1 Preferred Stock is, subject to the Stockholder Approval (as defined below), convertible into a unit (“Unit”) consisting of (i) shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) and, if applicable, shares of Series A-2 Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Series A-2 Preferred Stock”), in lieu of Common Stock, (ii) a tranche A warrant to acquire shares of Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Tranche A Warrant”), (iii) a tranche B warrant to acquire shares of Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Tranche B Warrant”), and (iv) a tranche C warrant to acquire shares of Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Tranche C Warrant”, together with the Tranche A Warrant and the Tranche B Warrant, the “Warrants”). The shares of Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock and Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants collectively are referred to herein as the “Preferred Warrant Shares”. The Tranche A warrants for an aggregate exercise price of approximately $25 million are exercisable until 21 days following our announcement of receipt of FDA approval for Oxylanthanum Carbonate, the Tranche B warrants for an aggregate exercise price of approximately $25 million are exercisable until 21 days following our announcement of receipt of Transitional Drug Add-On Payment Adjustment (“TDAPA”) approval for Oxylanthanum Carbonate, and the Tranche C Warrant for an aggregate exercise price of approximately $50 million are exercisable until 21 days following four quarters of commercial sales of Oxylanthanum Carbonate following receipt of TDAPA approval. - 27 - Subject to the terms and limitations contained in the Certificate of Designation, the Series A-1 Preferred Stock issued in the Offering will not become convertible until our stockholders approve the issuance of the Units upon conversion of the Series A-1 Preferred Stock and the issuance of all Common Stock upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock (as defined below), among other items (the “Stockholder Approval”). On June 26, 2023, the Company held its annual shareholder meeting, and as a result, shareholder approval for the issuance of common shares upon the conversion of the Series A-1 Preferred Stock was obtained. On the tenth (10th) Trading Day (as defined in the Certificate of Designation) following the announcement of the Stockholder Approval, each share of Series A-1 Preferred Stock automatically converted into a Unit. Subject to the limitations set forth in the Certificate of Designation, at the option of the holder, shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock, Series A-3 Convertible Preferred Stock, Series A-4 Convertible Preferred Stock or Series A-5 Convertible Preferred Stock shall be convertible into Common Stock. In addition, in connection with the Offering, we agreed to modify our dividend policy to state that we intend to pay dividends to all stockholders, including holders of Series A Preferred Stock on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis, on a quarterly basis in an amount of which the aggregate of all quarterly dividends shall equal at least seventy-five percent (75%) of our annual net cash flow from operations following approval of Oxylanthanum Carbonate by the FDA, if obtained, and the commencement of commercial sales. The COVID-19 Pandemic and its Impacts on Our Business In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a global pandemic. This pandemic could result in difficulty securing clinical trial site locations, CROs, and/or trial monitors and other critical vendors and consultants supporting our trial. These situations, or others associated with COVID-19, could cause delays in our clinical trial plans and could increase expected costs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. At the current time, we are unable to quantify the potential effects of this pandemic on our future financial statements. Components of Results of Operations Revenues We recognize revenue from product sales or services rendered when control of the promised goods is transferred to a counterparty in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. To achieve this core principle, we apply the following five steps: identify the contract with the client, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenues when or as we satisfy a performance obligation. We may earn licensing revenue in the future if we negotiate business development arrangements with third parties. Research and Development Expenses Substantially all our research and development expenses consist of expenses incurred in connection with the development of our product candidates. These expenses include fees paid to third parties to conduct certain research and development activities on our behalf, consulting costs, costs for laboratory supplies, product acquisition and license costs, certain payroll and personnel-related expenses, including salaries and bonuses, employee benefit costs and stock-based compensation expenses for our research and product development employees and allocated overheads, including information technology costs and utilities and expenses for the issuance of shares pursuant to the anti-dilution clause in the purchase of in process research and development technology (“IPR&D”). We expense both internal and external research and development expenses as they are incurred. - 28 - We do not allocate our costs by product candidate, as a significant amount of research and development expenses include internal costs, such as payroll and other personnel expenses, laboratory supplies and allocated overhead, and external costs, such as fees paid to third parties to conduct research and development activities on our behalf, are not tracked by product candidate. We expect our research and development expenses to increase substantially for at least the next few years, as we seek to initiate additional clinical trials for our product candidates, complete our clinical programs, pursue regulatory approval of our product candidates, and prepare for the possible commercialization of such product candidates. Predicting the timing or cost to complete our clinical programs or validation of our commercial manufacturing and supply processes is difficult and delays may occur because of many factors, including factors outside of our control. For example, if the FDA or other regulatory authorities were to require us to conduct clinical trials beyond those that we currently anticipate, we could be required to expend significant additional financial resources and time on the completion of clinical development. Furthermore, we are unable to predict when or if our product candidates will receive regulatory approval with any certainty. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses consist principally of payroll and personnel expenses, including salaries and bonuses, benefits and stock-based compensation expenses, professional fees for legal, consulting, accounting and tax services, including information technology costs and utilities, and other general operating expenses not otherwise classified as research and development expenses. We anticipate that our general and administrative expenses will increase as a result of increased personnel costs, expanded infrastructure and higher consulting, legal and accounting services costs associated with complying with the applicable stock exchange and the SEC requirements, investor relations costs and director and officer insurance premiums associated with being a public company. Other Expenses Other expenses consist of the change in fair value of our warrant liability, interest income and interest expense. Results of Operations Comparison of the Three Months Ended September 30, 2022, and 2023 The following table summarizes our results of operations for the periods indicated (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, 2022 2023 Change % Change (unaudited) (unaudited) Licensing revenues: $ 951 $ - $ (951 ) (100 )% Operating expenses: Research and development 4,803 3,372 (1,431 ) (30 )% General and administrative 1,702 2,566 864 51 % Total operating expenses 6,505 5,938 (567 ) (9 )% Loss from operations (5,554 ) (5,938 ) (384 ) 7 % Other income (expenses): Interest income - 227 227 100 % Interest expense (3 ) (18 ) (15 ) 500 % Change in fair value of warrant liability - 1,396 1,396 100 % Total other income (expenses) (3 ) 1,605 1,608 53,600 % Net loss $ (5,557 ) $ (4,333 ) $ 1,224 (22 )% - 29 - Licensing Revenues Licensing revenues of $1.0 million were recorded for the three months ended September 30, 2022, due to a licensing agreement entered into with Lee’s Pharmaceutical (HK) Limited in July 2022. We received an upfront payment of $1.0 million. There was no comparable revenue earned in the current period. We may earn additional licensing revenue in the future if we negotiate business development arrangements with third parties. Research and Development Expenses Research and development expenses decreased by approximately $1.4 million, or 30%, from approximately $4.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022, to approximately $3.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. A decrease in drug development costs of approximately $1.9 million was due to completion of significant preclinical development work in the prior period. The decrease in development costs was partially offset by increases in labor costs of $156,000 and non-cash stock compensation costs of $348,000. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses increased by $864,000, or 51%, from approximately $1.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022, to approximately $2.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, primarily due to an increase of $392,000 in consulting and professional services costs. Insurance expenses for directors and officers decreased $107,000. Stock compensation costs increased $316,000 from the prior period. Labor, travel, rent, and other costs increased $263,000. Other Income (Expenses) Other income (expenses) changed by $1.6 million, or 53,600%, from $3,000 in the three months ended September 30, 2022, to $1.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023, due primarily to the change in fair value of our warrant liability. In addition, we earned interest income of $227,000 on our cash balance during the three months ended September 30, 2023. Comparison of the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022, and 2023 The following table summarizes our results of operations for the periods indicated (in thousands): Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 2023 Change % Change (unaudited) (unaudited) Licensing revenues: $ 951 $ 675 $ (276 ) (29 )% Operating expenses: Research and development 8,596 8,669 73 1 % General and administrative 5,082 6,467 1,385 27 % Total operating expenses 13,678 15,136 1,458 11 % Loss from operations (12,727 ) (14,461 ) (1,734 ) 14 % Other income (expenses): Interest income - 475 475 100 % Interest expense (3 ) (63 ) (60 ) 2,000 % Change in fair value of warrant liability - (8,697 ) (8,697 ) 100 % Total other income (expenses) (3 ) (8,285 ) (8,282 ) 276,067 % Net loss $ (12,730 ) $ (22,746 ) $ (10,016 ) 79 % Licensing Revenues Licensing revenues decreased approximately $0.3 million, or 29%, from the nine months ended September 30, 2022, due to a smaller upfront payment of approximately $0.7 million associated with a licensing agreement entered into with Lotus International Pte Ltd. in February 2023. We entered into a licensing agreement with Lee’s Pharmaceutical (HK) Limited in July 2022 and received an upfront payment of $1.0 million. - 30 - Research and Development Expenses Research and development expenses increased by approximately $73,000, or 1%, from approximately $8.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, to approximately $8.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily due to a $439,000 million increase in labor costs. Non-cash stock compensation increased $312,000. The increases were partially offset by a decrease in drug development costs of $678,000. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses increased by $1.4 million, or 27%, from approximately $5.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, to approximately $6.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 primarily due to an increase of $1.3 million in consulting and professional services costs. Labor costs increased $236,000, and travel, rent, and other costs increased $261,000. The increases were partially offset by a decrease in insurance expenses for directors and officers of $436,000. Other Income (Expenses) Other income (expenses) changed by $8.3 million, or 276,067%, from $3,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2022, to $8.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 due primarily to the change in fair value of our warrant liability. We earned interest income of $475,000 on our cash balance during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 that was partially offset by a $60,000 increase in interest expense. Liquidity and Capital Resources Sources of Liquidity Since our formation through December 31, 2020, we have funded our operations with the sale of common stock, convertible notes and from a loan from our Chief Executive Officer and principal stockholder. During 2021 we raised $1.1 million through the issuance of convertible notes to investors. In connection with our initial public offering (“IPO”), on July 13, 2021, we began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “UNCY”, and on July 15, 2021 we received approximately $22.3 million in net proceeds after deducting the underwriting discounts, commissions and offering expenses. We have used the net proceeds from the IPO to complete pre-clinical and clinical studies, submit regulatory filings to the FDA, and for general and corporate purposes, including hiring additional management and conducting market research and other commercial planning. Future revenue streams may consist of collaboration or licensing revenue as well as product sales. We have generated approximately $0.7 million in licensing revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. On March 3, 2023, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain healthcare-focused institutional investors that may provide up to $130.0 million in gross proceeds through a private placement and that includes initial upfront funding of $30.0 million. Proceeds from the offering will be used to support our NDA submission with the FDA for approval of Oxylanthanum Carbonate for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in the U.S. and, if approved, for the commercial launch of Oxylanthanum Carbonate in the U.S. Future Funding Requirements We have incurred net losses since our inception. For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, we had a net loss of $22.7 million, and we expect to incur substantial additional losses in future periods. As of September 30, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $56.7 million. We expect to continue incurring losses in the future and will be required to raise additional capital in the future to complete our clinical trials, pursue product development initiatives and penetrate markets for the sale of our products. We believe that we will continue to have access to capital resources through possible equity offerings, debt financing, corporate collaborations or other means. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional financing on terms acceptable to us, on a timely basis or at all. If we are unable to secure additional capital, we may be required to curtail any clinical trials and development of new or existing products and take additional measures to reduce expenses in order to conserve our cash in amounts sufficient to sustain operations and meet our obligations. The financial impact associated with the clinical trial we will be required to run based on recent FDA feedback is uncertain, and we expect to obtain clarifying feedback from the FDA regarding the scope of the trial in the Fall of 2023. Based on the Company’s currently anticipated level of expenditures, the Company believes that it will need funding by the second half of 2024 to continue operations, satisfy its obligations and fund the future expenditures that will be required to conduct the clinical and regulatory work to develop its product candidates. - 31 - The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. There is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for one year after the date that these financial statements are available to be issued. The financial statements do not reflect any adjustments relating to the recoverability and reclassification of assets and liabilities that might be necessary from the outcome of this uncertainty. We anticipate that we will need to raise substantial additional capital, the requirements for which will depend on many factors, including: ● the scope, timing, rate of progress and costs of our drug discovery efforts, pre-clinical development activities, laboratory testing and clinical trials for our current product candidates and future product candidates; ● the number and scope of clinical programs we decide to pursue; ● the cost, timing and outcome of preparing for and undergoing regulatory review of our current product candidates and future product candidates; ● the scope and costs of development and commercial manufacturing activities; ● the cost and timing associated with commercializing our current product candidates and future product candidates, if they receive marketing approval; ● the extent to which we acquire or in-license other product candidates and technologies; ● the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending intellectual property-related claims; ● our ability to establish and maintain collaborations on favorable terms, if at all; ● our efforts to enhance operational systems and our ability to attract, hire and retain qualified personnel, including personnel to support the development of our current product candidates and future product candidates and, ultimately, the sale of our products, following FDA approval; ● the impact, if any, of the coronavirus pandemic on our business operations; ● our ability to access capital; ● our implementation of operational, financial and management systems; and ● the costs associated with being a public company. A change in the outcome of any of these or other variables with respect to the development of any of our current product candidates or future product candidates could significantly change the costs and timing associated with the development of that product candidate. Furthermore, our operating plans may change in the future, and we will continue to require additional capital to meet operational needs and capital requirements associated with such operating plans. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience dilution. Any future debt financing into which we enter may impose upon us additional covenants that restrict our operations, including limitations on our ability to incur liens or additional debt, pay dividends, repurchase our common stock, make certain investments or engage in certain merger, consolidation or asset sale transactions. Any debt financing or additional equity that we raise may contain terms that are not favorable to us or our stockholders. - 32 - Adequate funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed could have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategies. If we are unable to raise additional funds when needed, we may be required to delay, reduce, or terminate some or all of our development programs and clinical trials or we may also be required to sell or license to others’ rights to our product candidates in certain territories or indications that we would prefer to develop and commercialize ourselves. If we are required to enter into collaborations and other arrangements to supplement our funds, we may have to give up certain rights that limit our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates or may have other terms that are not favorable to us or our stockholders, which could materially affect our business and financial condition. Related Party Payable We entered into a Service Agreement with Globavir Biosciences, Inc. (“Globavir”), a related party (the “Service Agreement”). Globavir provides administrative and consulting services and shared office space and other costs in connection with the Company’s drug development programs. The initial amended term of the Service Agreement expired on December 31, 2020, and the agreement automatically renews for successive one-month periods after the initial termination date. Pursuant to the Service Agreement, the Company paid Globavir $50,000 per month through December 31, 2019, and $10,000 per month commencing on January 1, 2020. During the fourth quarter of 2021, after initially determining that future services under the Service Agreement were no longer required, the Company wrote off the $28,000 remaining prepaid balance due from Globavir as of December 31, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2022, after determining that although a shared office space is no longer utilized, consulting services continued to be provided, the Company amended the Service Agreement to reflect the consulting services at a reduced service fee of $6,000 per month and a termination date of June 30, 2022. The Company has not entered into any additional agreements with Globavir during the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Summary of Cash Flows The following table sets forth the primary sources and uses of cash for each of the periods presented below (in thousands): Nine Months Ended September 30, 2022 2023 (unaudited) (unaudited) Net cash (used in) provided by: Operating activities $ (9,567 ) $ (13,844 ) Investing activities (2 ) (12 ) Financing activities - 27,746 Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents $ (9,569 ) $ 13,890 Cash Flows from Operating Activities Net cash used in operating activities was $13.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. Cash used in operating activities was primarily due to the use of funds for development costs associated with our drug candidates, labor costs, consulting services, and other corporate expenditures for investor relations, compliance, and legal services. The increase in cash used compared to the same period in the prior year is due primarily to increased professional services and labor costs in 2023. We expect to continue to incur substantial costs related to our drug candidates. Net cash used in operating activities was $9.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Cash used in operating activities was primarily due to the use of funds for development costs associated with our drug candidates, labor costs, consulting services, and other corporate expenditures for investor relations, compliance, and legal services. - 33 - Cash Flows from Investing Activities Net cash used in investing activities was $12,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, and was due to the purchase of furniture and fixtures for our corporate office. Net cash used in investing activities was $2,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and was due to the purchase of furniture and fixtures for our corporate office. Cash Flows from Financing Activities Net cash provided by financing activities was $27.7 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2023, due primarily to the private placement financing agreement we signed on March 3, 2023. There were no cash flows provided by financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2022. Critical Accounting Policies, Significant Judgments and Use of Estimates Our financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires us 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 financial statements and the reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We consider our critical accounting policies and estimates to be related to revenue, research and development, stock-based compensation, and warrant liabilities. The fair value of warrants contingently issued as part of our March 2023 private placement financing represents a material addition to our critical accounting policies and estimates. There have been no other material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates during the nine months ended September 30, 2023, from those used for the year ended December 31, 2022. The below policies represent our critical accounting policies. Revenue Recognition We apply ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, for our revenue recognition guidance. This includes the development of new policies based on the five-step model provided in the revenue standard, ongoing contract review requirements, and gathering of information provided for disclosures. We recognize revenue from product sales or services rendered when control of the promised goods is transferred to a counterparty in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. To achieve this core principle, we apply the following five steps: identify the contract with the client, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenues when or as we satisfy a performance obligation. Warrant Liabilities In conjunction with the issuance of Series A-1 Preferred Stock (see Note 10), we established a warrant liability as of March 3, 2023, representing the fair value of warrants that may be issued, subject to shareholder approval, upon conversion of the Series A-1 Preferred Stock. We account for these warrants as liabilities (in accordance with ASC 480) on the balance sheets as a result of certain redemption clauses that are not within the control of the Company. The warrant liabilities are initially measured at fair value, resulting in an implied discount on the related preferred stock financing arrangement (recognized as a partial offset to the carrying value of the Series A-1 Preferred Stock), and are remeasured at fair value each reporting period. Changes in the fair value of the warrant liabilities are recognized in earnings during each period. The warrant liabilities are measured using Level 3 fair value inputs. See Note 11 for a description of warrant liabilities and the related valuations. - 34 - Research and Development We expense costs when incurred related to the research and development associated with the design, development and testing of product candidates, as well as acquisition of product candidates or compounds. Research and development expenses include fees paid to third parties to conduct certain research and development activities on our behalf, consulting costs, costs for laboratory supplies, product acquisition and license costs, certain payroll and personnel-related expenses, including salaries and bonuses, employee benefit costs and stock-based compensation expenses for our research and product development employees and allocated overheads, including information technology costs and utilities and expenses for issuance of shares pursuant to anti-dilution clause in the purchase of IPR&D technology. We expense both internal and external research and development expenses as they are incurred. Stock-Based Compensation We account for stock-based compensation for all share-based payments made to employees and non-employees by estimating the fair value on the date of grant and recognizing compensation expense over the requisite service period on a straight-line basis. We recognize forfeitures related to stock-based compensation as they occur. We estimate the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes model requires the input of subjective assumptions, including expected common stock volatility, expected dividend yield, expected term, and the risk-free interest rate. JOBS Act Accounting Election On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was enacted. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have chosen to take advantage of the extended transition periods available to emerging growth companies under the JOBS Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies provided under the JOBS Act. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to those of companies that comply with public company effective dates for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, as an “emerging growth company,” we intend to rely on certain of these exemptions, including, without limitation, (i) providing an auditor’s attestation report on our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and (ii) complying with the requirement adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) regarding the communication of critical audit matters in the auditor’s report on financial statements. We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.235 billion or more; (ii) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of our initial public offering; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC. Recent Accounting Pronouncements See the section titled “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies—Recent Accounting Pronouncements” in Note 2 to our financial statements included elsewhere in this quarterly report for additional information. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined under SEC rules. - 35 - ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide the information required by this item.