The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of
operations should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated
financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q and our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Business Overview
We are a biopharmaceutical company that has been dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapeutics to treat patients suffering from serious diseases.
In
Financial Overview
Since our inception in 2016, our operations have focused on organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, establishing our intellectual property portfolio and performing research and development of tovinontrine. To date, we have funded our operations primarily through the sale of common stock and the sale of convertible preferred stock.
On
On
We have incurred significant operating losses since inception. Our losses from
operations were
We are not currently developing any product candidates and we do not have any products approved for sale. If we decide to pursue any future product development efforts, we will not generate revenue from product sales unless and until we successfully complete clinical development and obtain regulatory approval for any future product candidate. In addition, if we obtain regulatory approval for any product candidate and to the extent that we engage in commercialization activities on our own, we expect we will
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incur significant expenses related to developing our commercialization capability to support product sales, marketing, manufacturing, and distribution activities.
If we decide to pursue any future product development efforts, we will need substantial additional funding to support our continuing operations and develop a growth strategy. Until such time as we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. We may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into other arrangements when needed on acceptable terms, or at all. Our failure to raise capital or enter into such agreements as, and when, needed, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We will need to generate significant revenue to achieve profitability, and we may never do so.
As of
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
In
Although we have not experienced any significant adverse impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in disruptions to our prior clinical trial operations. In addition, our employees are currently working remotely.
Our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in future periods. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our business will depend on future developments, which remain uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information that may emerge concerning the continued severity of COVID-19 and variants of COVID-19 and the actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it may have an adverse effect on our results of future operations, financial position and liquidity, and on our ability to access capital. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience adverse impacts to our business as a result of an economic recession or depression that may occur in the future.
Lundbeck License Agreement
In
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Financial Operations Overview Revenue
We have not generated any revenue since our inception and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the near future, if at all. If we decide to pursue any future product development efforts and such efforts are successful and result in marketing approval, or if we enter into collaboration or license agreements with third parties, we may generate revenue in the future from a combination of product sales or payments from such collaboration or license agreements.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development. Research and development expenses consist primarily of
costs incurred in connection with the preclinical and clinical development and
manufacture of our products. We expect our research and development expenses to
decrease significantly beginning in the third quarter of 2022 as a result of our
• costs related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; • personnel-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation expenses, for individuals involved in research and development activities; • external research and development expenses incurred under agreements with contract research organizations, or CROs, investigative sites, and consultants that conducted our preclinical studies and clinical trials and other scientific development services; • costs incurred under agreements with contract manufacturing organizations, or CMOs, who developed and manufactured material for our preclinical studies and clinical trials; • costs related to compliance with regulatory requirements; • milestone fees incurred in connection with our current license agreement with Lundbeck; and • facilities and other allocated expenses, which include direct and allocated expenses for rent, insurance and other operating costs.
We expense research and development costs as incurred. We recognize external development costs based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using information provided to us by our vendors and our clinical investigative sites. Payments for these activities are based on the terms of the individual agreements, which may differ from the pattern of costs incurred, and are reflected in our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as prepaid expenses or accrued research and development expenses. Nonrefundable advance payments for goods or services to be received in the future for use in research and development activities are deferred and capitalized, even when there is no alternative future use for the research and development. The capitalized amounts are expensed as the related goods are delivered or the services are performed.
A significant portion of our research and development costs have been external costs, which we track after a clinical product candidate has been identified. Our internal research and development costs are primarily personnel-related costs and other indirect costs. Our research and development expenses to-date have been incurred in connection with our development of tovinontrine in SCD and ?-thalassemia. We did not track our internal research and development expenses on a program-by-program basis as our personnel were deployed across multiple projects under development.
The following table summarizes our research and development expenses for the
three and six months ended
Three Months Ended Six Months Ended June 30, June 30, 2022 2021 2022 2021 (in thousands) IMR-687$ 5,044 $ 8,279 $ 13,351 $ 13,116 Personnel expenses (including stock-based compensation) 2,051 1,560 4,498 3,620 Other expenses 314 235 729 453
Total research and development expenses
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If we decide to pursue any future product development efforts, the successful development of any product candidates is highly uncertain. Therefore, we cannot reasonably estimate or know the nature, timing and estimated costs of the efforts that would be necessary to complete the potential development and commercialization of any future product candidates. We are also unable to predict when, if ever, material net cash inflows will commence from the sale of potential future product candidates, if approved. This is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing product candidates, including the uncertainty of:
• the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and our response to it; • the timing and progress of preclinical and clinical development activities; • the number and scope of preclinical and clinical programs we decide to pursue; • our ability to maintain research and development programs or to establish new ones; • establishing an appropriate safety profile with investigational new drug application, or IND, enabling studies; • successful patient enrollment in, and the initiation of, clinical trials; • the successful completion of clinical trials with safety, tolerability and efficacy profiles that are satisfactory to theU.S. Food and Drug Administration , or FDA, or any comparable foreign regulatory authority; • the timing, receipt and terms of any regulatory approvals from applicable regulatory authorities; • our ability to establish new licensing or collaboration arrangements; • the performance of our future collaborators, if any; • establishing commercial manufacturing capabilities or making arrangements with third-party manufacturers; • obtaining, maintaining, defending and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights; • launching commercial sales of our product candidates, if approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others; and • maintaining a continued acceptable safety profile of the product candidates following approval.
Any changes in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the potential development of any future product candidates could mean a significant change in the costs and timing associated with the development of these product candidates. If we decide to pursue any future product development efforts, we may never obtain regulatory approval for any product candidates. Drug commercialization takes several years and millions of dollars in development costs and the potential success of such programs is difficult to predict and are often not successful.
General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel-related expenses, including salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation expenses for personnel in executive, finance, accounting, human resources, legal and other administrative functions. Other significant general and administrative expenses include the cost of director and officer insurance premiums, legal fees relating to patent, intellectual property and corporate matters, and fees paid for accounting, consulting and other professional services.
We anticipate that our general and administrative expenses will decrease
beginning in the third quarter of 2022 following our
Total Other Income, Net
Total other income, net primarily consisted of interest earned on our cash, cash equivalents and investments.
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Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months
ended
Three Months Ended June 30, Change 2022 2021 $ (in thousands) Operating expenses: Research and development$ 7,409 $ 10,074 $ (2,665 ) General and administrative 4,112 3,095 1,017 Total operating expenses 11,521 13,169 (1,648 ) Loss from operations (11,521 ) (13,169 ) 1,648 Total other income, net 72 8 64 Net loss$ (11,449 ) $ (13,161 ) $ 1,712
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses decreased by approximately
• a$3.2 million decrease in costs related to the development and manufacturing of clinical materials, clinical research and oversight of our clinical trials and investigative fees for tovinontrine following discontinuation of clinical development; and • a$0.5 million increase in personnel related increase in personnel-related costs, including approximately$1.6 million in costs related to ourApril 2022 workforce reduction partially offset by a decrease of$0.4 million in stock-based compensation expense;
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses increased by approximately
• a$0.4 million increase in personnel-related costs, including approximately$0.3 million in costs related to ourApril 2022 workforce reduction; • a$0.4 million increase in depreciation expense due to a revision of the useful lives of our leasehold improvements and furniture related to our lease termination, which becomes effective onAugust 7, 2022 ; and • a$0.2 million increase in consulting and professional fees, including legal, business development, accounting and audit fees
Total Other Income, Net
Total other income, net for the three months ended
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Comparison of the Six Months Ended
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the six months
ended
Six Months Ended June 30, Change 2022 2021 $ (in thousands) Operating expenses: Research and development$ 18,578 $ 17,189 $ 1,389 General and administrative 7,604 6,260 1,344 Total operating expenses 26,182 23,449 2,733 Loss from operations (26,182 ) (23,449 ) (2,733 ) Total other income, net 94 31 63 Net loss$ (26,088 ) $ (23,418 ) $ (2,670 )
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses increased by approximately
• a$0.2 million increase in costs related to the development and manufacturing of clinical materials, clinical research and oversight of our clinical trials and investigative fees for tovinontrine; • a$0.9 million increase in personnel-related costs, including approximately$1.6 million in costs related to ourApril 2022 workforce reduction partially offset by a decrease of$0.4 million in stock-based compensation expense; and • a$0.3 million increase in other research and development operational costs, including professional services, supplies, and travel.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses increased by approximately
• a$0.7 million increase in personnel-related costs, including approximately$0.3 million in costs related to ourApril 2022 workforce reduction; • a$0.4 million increase in depreciation expense due to a revision of the useful lives of our leasehold improvements and furniture related to our lease termination, which becomes effective onAugust 7, 2022 ; and • a$0.2 million increase in consulting and professional fees, including legal, business development, accounting and audit fees.
Total Other Income, Net
Total other income, net for the six months ended
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
Since our inception, we have incurred significant losses in each period and on
an aggregate basis. We have not yet commercialized or generated revenue from
sales of any product candidate. Through
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On
On
As of
While we do not currently expect that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a material adverse impact on our short-term or long-term liquidity, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global financial markets may reduce our ability to access capital, which could negatively impact our short-term and long-term liquidity. See "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic."
Cash Flows
The following table provides information regarding our cash flows for the six
months ended
Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 2021 (in thousands) Net cash used in operating activities$ (29,487 ) $ (23,385 ) Net cash provided by investing activities 11,611 21,691 Net cash provided by financing activities - 2,120 Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash$ (17,876 ) $ 426
Net cash used in operating activities for the six months ended
Net cash used in operating activities for the six months ended
Net Cash Provided by Investing Activities
Net cash provided by investing activities for the six months ended
Net cash provided by investing activities for the six months ended
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
We did not incur any financing cash outflow or inflow activities for the six
months ended
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Net cash provided by financing activities for the six months ended
Funding Requirements
We expect our operating expenses to decrease significantly beginning in the
third quarter of 2022 following our
Based on our current operating plan, we expect our existing cash, cash equivalents and investments will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least twelve months from the date of filing this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. However, we have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong and we could exhaust our capital resources sooner than we expect.
If we decide to pursue any future product development efforts, our future funding requirements will depend on, and could increase significantly as a result of, many factors, including:
• whether we realize the anticipated cost savings in connection with our April
2022 workforce reduction;
• our ability to consummate a strategic transaction and the nature and type of
such transaction;
• our ability to bring any product candidates through preclinical and clinical
development, and the timing and scope of these research and development
activities;
• the costs of obtaining clinical and commercial supplies of any product
candidates we may seek to develop;
• our ability to successfully commercialize any product candidates we may
develop;
• the manufacturing, selling and marketing costs associated with any product
candidates we may develop, including the cost and timing of establishing our
sales and marketing capabilities;
• the amount and timing of sales and other revenues from any product
candidates we may develop, including the sales price and the availability of
adequate third-party reimbursement;
• the time and cost necessary to respond to technological and market
developments;
• the extent to which we may acquire or in-license other product candidates
and technologies;
• our ability to attract, hire and retain qualified personnel;
• the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and our response to it;
• the costs of maintaining, expanding and protecting our intellectual property
portfolio; and
• the costs associated with operating as a public company and maintaining
compliance with exchange listing and
A change in the outcome of any of these or other variables with respect to the development of any product candidate we may develop in the future could significantly change the costs and timing associated with the development of that product candidate. Further, our need for additional funds is heavily dependent on the outcome of our ongoing assessment of strategic options and our ability to consummate a strategic transaction.
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial revenues, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of cash-on-hand, equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. We currently have no credit facility or committed sources of capital. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interests of our existing stockholders may be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that could adversely affect the rights of such stockholders. Additional debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends, that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business.
If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research program or product candidates, or grant licenses on
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terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate any product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Contractual Obligations
In the normal course of business, we enter into agreements that contain contractual obligations, of which the most significant to date include our licensing agreement with Lundbeck.
Our license agreement with Lundbeck, as well as certain other agreements, requires us to pay third parties upon achievement of certain development, regulatory or commercial milestones. Amounts related to contingent payments are not considered contractual obligations as they are contingent on the successful achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones that may not be achieved. We have not included payments contingent upon the achievement of certain development, regulatory or commercial milestones on our consolidated balance sheets. For further information regarding certain of our license agreement with Lundbeck and amounts that could become payable in the future under that agreement, please see Note 6 to our condensed consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
In addition, we are party to certain agreements with contract research organizations for clinical trials and clinical supply manufacturing and with vendors for preclinical research studies and other services and products for operating purposes. Such contracts are generally cancellable by us for convenience with a specified amount of notice. We may be subject to certain termination fees or wind-down costs upon termination of these agreements. The exact amount of such costs are generally not fixed or estimable.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
This management's discussion and analysis is based on our unaudited condensed
consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position and results of operations is disclosed in Note 2 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an "emerging growth company," or EGC, under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an EGC can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Thus, an EGC can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of delayed adoption of new or revised accounting standards and, therefore, we will be subject to the same requirements to adopt new or revised accounting standards as private entities.
As an EGC, we may take advantage of certain exemptions and reduced reporting requirements under the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions, as an EGC:
• we may present only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations within registration statements; 23
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• we may avail ourselves of the exemption from providing an auditor's attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; • we may avail ourselves of the exemption from complying with any requirement that may be adopted by thePublic Company Accounting Oversight Board , or PCAOB, regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor's report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements, known as the auditor discussion and analysis; • we may provide reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements; and • we may not require nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation or stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments.
We will remain an EGC until the earliest of (i)
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