Boundless Bio Inc
For the period ended Sep 30, 2024. Filed Nov 7, 2024.
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Sep 30, 2024 · Filed Nov 7, 2024
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Notes to Condensed Financial Statements
Organization and Basis of Presentation
Description of Business
Boundless Bio, Inc. (the Company) is a clinical-stage precision oncology company dedicated to unlocking a new paradigm in cancer therapeutics to address the significant unmet need in patients with oncogene amplified tumors by targeting extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA). The Company is focused on designing and developing small molecule drugs called ecDNA directed therapeutic candidates (ecDTx). The Company was incorporated in the state of Delaware on April 10, 2018 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Initial Public Offering
On April 2, 2024, the Company completed its initial public offering (IPO), pursuant to which it sold 6,250,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $16.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $87.7 million, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions, and other offering expenses. Immediately prior to the closing of the IPO, the Company’s outstanding convertible preferred stock automatically converted into 14,740,840 shares of common stock. Following the closing of the IPO, no shares of convertible preferred stock were authorized or outstanding.
In connection with the closing of its IPO, on April 2, 2024, the Company’s certificate of incorporation was amended and restated to authorize 700,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 70,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value of $0.0001 per share.
Reverse Stock Split
On March 19, 2024, the Company effected aone-for-19.5 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding shares of common stock. Accordingly, all share and per share amounts for all periods presented in the accompanying financial statements and notes thereto have been adjusted retroactively, where applicable, to reflect this reverse stock split and adjustment of the conversion ratios for each series of the Company’s convertible preferred stock. The par value and the number of authorized shares of the convertible preferred stock and common stock were not adjusted in connection with the reverse stock split.
Liquidity
Since the Company commenced operations in 2018, it has devoted substantially all of its efforts and resources to organizing and staffing the Company, business planning, raising capital, building its proprietary Spyglass platform, discovering its ecDTx, developing its ecDNA diagnostic candidate, establishing its intellectual property portfolio, conducting research, preclinical studies, and clinical trials, establishing arrangements with third parties for the manufacture of its ecDTx and related raw materials, and providing other general and administrative support for these operations.
Since inception, the Company has incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from its operations and expects that it will continue to do so into the foreseeable future as it continues its development of, seeks regulatory approval for, and potentially commercializes any of its ecDTx and seeks to discover and develop additional ecDTx, utilizes third parties to manufacture its ecDTx and related raw materials, seeks to develop its ecDNA diagnostic candidate, hires additional personnel, and expands and protects its intellectual property. If the Company obtains regulatory approval for any of its ecDTx, it expects to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product sales, marketing, manufacturing, and distribution. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $185.0 million and cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $167.1 million. The Company believes that its existing cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments will be sufficient to fund its operations for at least 12 months from the issuance date of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) and the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for interim reporting. As permitted under those rules, certain footnotes or other financial information that are normally required by U.S. GAAP can be condensed or omitted. The financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars. Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to U.S. GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) and Accounting Standards Updates (ASU) promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Unaudited Condensed Interim Financial Information
The condensed balance sheet as of September 30, 2024, the condensed statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the condensed statements of convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity / (deficit) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, and the condensed statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 are unaudited. These unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the Company's annual financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim period presented. The financial data and the other financial information contained in these notes to the condensed financial statements related to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 are also unaudited. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2024 or for any other future annual or interim period.
The condensed balance sheet as of December 31, 2023 included herein was derived from the audited financial statements as of that date. These unaudited condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements included in the Company’s prospectus (the Prospectus) dated March 27, 2024 related to its IPO filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with the SEC on March 28, 2024.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in the Company’s financial statements and accompanying notes. Although these estimates are based on the Company’s knowledge of current events and actions it may undertake in the future, actual results may materially differ from these estimates and assumptions.
On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates, primarily related to stock-based compensation, the fair value of its investments and common stock, and accrued research and development costs. These estimates are based on historical data and experience, as well as various other factors that management believes to be 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. The Company’s estimates relating to the valuation of stock options require the selection of appropriate valuation methodologies and models, and significant judgment in evaluating ranges of assumptions and financial inputs.
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include cash in readily available checking and money market accounts.
The balance reflected in these financial statements as restricted cash represents a deposit account pledged as collateral to secure a standby letter of credit required as a security deposit on one of the Company’s leased facilities. The Company has classified the restricted cash as a noncurrent asset on its balance sheets as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to the concentration of credit risk, consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, and investments. The Company maintains deposits in federally insured financial institutions which exceeded federally insured limits by $3.4 million as of September 30, 2024. Management believes that the Company is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial position of the depository institutions in which those deposits are held. The Company’s investment policy includes guidelines for the quality of the related institutions and financial instruments and defines allowable investments that the Company may invest in, which the Company believes minimizes its exposure to concentration of credit risk.
Fair Value Measurements
Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under U.S. GAAP. Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:
Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2—Quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or inputs which are observable, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.
Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques.
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments are carried at fair value, determined according to the fair value hierarchy described above. The carrying values of the Company’s prepaid expenses, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. None of the Company’s non-financial assets or liabilities are recorded at fair value on a non-recurring basis.
Deferred Offering Costs and Common Stock Issuance Costs
The Company capitalizes certain legal, professional, accounting, and other third-party fees that are directly associated with in-process equity financings as deferred offering costs until such financings are consummated. After consummation of the equity financing, these costs are recorded in stockholders’ equity (deficit) as a reduction of proceeds generated as a result of the offering. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there were $0 and $2.2 million of deferred offering costs, respectively. At the closing of the IPO, the amounts recorded in deferred offering costs were reclassified to additional paid-in capital within stockholders' equity.
Segments
Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision-maker in making decisions regarding resource allocation and assessing performance. The Company views its operations and manages its business asone operating segment.
Convertible Preferred Stock
The Company’s convertible preferred stock is classified as temporary equity in the accompanying balance sheet as of December 31, 2023 and excluded from stockholders’ equity / (deficit) as the potential redemption of such stock was outside the Company’s control and would have required the redemption of the then-outstanding convertible preferred stock. The convertible preferred stock was not redeemable except for in the event of a liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Company. Costs incurred in connection with the issuance of convertible preferred stock were recorded as a reduction of gross proceeds from issuance. The Company did not accrete the carrying values of the convertible preferred stock to the redemption values since the occurrence of these events was not considered probable as of December 31, 2023. Immediately prior to the closing of the IPO on April 2, 2024, the Company’s outstanding convertible preferred stock automatically converted into 14,740,840 shares of common stock. Following the closing of the IPO, no shares of convertible preferred stock were authorized or outstanding.
Net Loss Per Share
Basic net loss per common share attributable to common stockholders is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, without consideration of potentially dilutive securities. Diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock and potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the period. The Company’s potentially dilutive securities, which include its options to purchase common stock, common stock subject to repurchase related to unvested restricted stock and options early exercised, and, for periods through April 2, 2024, convertible preferred stock, have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share as the effect would reduce the net loss per share. Therefore, the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding used to calculate both basic and diluted net loss per share is the same.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
Asof September 30, 2024, several new accounting pronouncements had been issued by the FASB with future adoption dates. All applicable accounting pronouncements will be adopted by the Company by the date required. Management is reviewing the impact of adoptionof all pending accounting pronouncements but is not yet in a position to determine their impact on the Company’s financial statements and the notes thereto.
Fair Value Measurements
The following tables summarize the Company’s financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis and their respective input levels based on the fair value hierarchy described in Note 2 above (in thousands):
| Fair Value Measurements Using | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of September 30, 2024 | Amount | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| Assets | ||||
| Money market funds (1) | $28,991 | $28,991 | $— | $— |
| U.S. government obligations (2) | 125,980 | — | 125,980 | — |
| Corporate debt securities (2) | 8,399 | — | 8,399 | — |
| Total fair value of assets | $163,370 | $28,991 | $134,379 | $— |
(1)
Included in cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheets.
(2)
Included in short-term investments on the balance sheets.
| Fair Value Measurements Using | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of December 31, 2023 | Amount | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| Assets | ||||
| Money market funds (1) | $21,737 | $21,737 | $— | $— |
| U.S. government obligations (2) | 92,143 | — | 92,143 | — |
| Corporate debt securities (2) | 4,903 | — | 4,903 | — |
| Total fair value of assets | $118,783 | $21,737 | $97,046 | $— |
(1)
Included in cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheets.
(2)
Included in short-term investments on the balance sheets.
The Company’s money market funds are classified as Level 1 because they are valued using quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets. The Company’s investments consist of available-for-sale securities and are classified as Level 2 because their value is based on valuations using significant inputs derived from or corroborated by observable market data.
There wereno transfers of assets between fair value levels for any period presented.
Investments
The following tables summarize investments accounted for as available-for-sale securities (in thousands):
| AcquisitionCost · UnrealizedGain · UnrealizedLoss · Estimated Fair Value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Money market funds | $28,991 | $— | $— | $28,991 | |
| U.S. government obligations | 125,751 | 229 | — | 125,980 | |
| Corporate debt securities | 8,392 | 7 | — | 8,399 | |
| Total cash equivalents and investments | $163,134 | $236 | $— | $163,370 | |
| Classified as: | |||||
| Cash equivalents | $36,449 | ||||
| Short-term investments | 126,921 | ||||
| Total cash equivalents and investments | $163,370 | ||||
| AcquisitionCost · UnrealizedGain · UnrealizedLoss · Estimated Fair Value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Money market funds | $21,737 | $— | $— | $21,737 | |
| U.S. government obligations | 92,106 | 58 | (21) | 92,143 | |
| Corporate debt securities | 4,900 | 5 | (2) | 4,903 | |
| Total cash equivalents and investments | $118,743 | $63 | $(23) | $118,783 | |
| Classified as: | |||||
| Cash equivalents | $21,737 | ||||
| Short-term investments | 97,046 | ||||
| Total cash equivalents and investments | $118,783 | ||||
On September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the remaining contractual maturities of all the Company’s available-for-sale investments were less than 12 months. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company has not established an allowance for credit losses for any of its available-for-sale securities.
As of September 30, 2024, there wereno available-for-sale securities in gross unrealized loss positions. As of December 31, 2023, there were 24 available-for-sale securities, with an estimated fair value of $40.3 million in gross unrealized loss positions. Based on its review of these investments as of December 31, 2023, the Company believed that the unrealized losses as of December 31, 2023 reflected the impact of the rising interest rate environment and were not other-than-temporary in nature.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment, net consisted of the following (in thousands):
| September 30, | December 31, | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Lab equipment | $4,346 | $4,264 |
| Computers and software | 853 | 833 |
| Leasehold improvements | 697 | 46 |
| Furniture and fixtures | 1,580 | 157 |
| Total property and equipment | 7,476 | 5,300 |
| Less accumulated depreciation and amortization | 3,517 | 2,727 |
| Property and equipment, net | $3,959 | $2,573 |
Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment was $0.3 million and $0.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, and $0.2 million and $0.7 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively.
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):
| September 30,2024 | December 31,2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts payable | $2,542 | $2,222 |
| Accrued research and development costs | 3,427 | 1,575 |
| Other accrued liabilities | 1,072 | 469 |
| Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $7,041 | $4,266 |
Lease Agreements
2022 Lease
In March 2021, the Company entered into a non-cancelable operating lease for a facility in San Diego, California, which was amended in November 2021 (as amended, the 2022 Lease). The 2022 Lease had an initial term that ended in May 2024, which was amended such that the term now ends on the date occurring 14 days after the lease commencement date for the 2024 Lease (see below). The 2022 Lease provides for the rental of lab and office space, contains rent escalation provisions, and requires the Company to pay a portion of the operating costs related to the underlying multitenant facility. Rental payments under the 2022 Lease commenced in mid-January 2022. Based on information obtained from its landlord, the Company has recorded a right-of-use (ROU) asset and an associated lease obligation for the lab and office space leased under the 2022 Lease. The net ROU asset of $0.1 million and associated lease obligation of $0.1 million are reflected in the Company’s balance sheet as of September 30, 2024 and are estimates that will change should there be a change in the anticipated occupancy date of the property and associated campus underlying the 2024 Lease. The Company’s estimated incremental borrowing rate of approximately 8.0% was used in its present value calculation as the 2022 Lease does not have a stated rate and the implicit rate was not readily determinable.
The Company paid $2.1 million in cash for operating lease liabilities under the 2022 Lease, which is included in the operating activities section of the condensed statements of cash flows, during each of the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2024 and 2023. As of September 30, 2024, future minimum lease payments under the 2022 Lease are expected to total $0.1 million. All future payments under the 2022 Lease are expected to occur in 2024.
2024 Lease
In December 2021, the Company entered into a non-cancelable facility lease for approximately 80,000 square feet of lab and office space in La Jolla, California (the 2024 Lease). The facility to be occupied by the Company under the 2024 Lease will be built to the Company’s specifications; the 2024 Lease includes tenant improvement allowances totaling $22.0 million, repayment of which is included in the future minimum lease payments called for thereunder.
As of September 30, 2024, although construction of the property underlying the 2024 Lease was underway, the commencement date of the 2024 Lease had not yet been determined. The 2024 Lease has a 120-month term from the lease commencement date, with payments under the lease commencing after a six-month rent abatement period and continuing through the conclusion of the term. As of September 30, 2024, the landlord had advised the Company that this property would be available for occupancy in November 2024. For additional information, see Note 13. The 2024 Lease includes base lease payments totaling $71.9 million, as well as additional payment obligations for common area maintenance and property taxes. The Company has the right to extend the term of the 2024 Lease for an additional 60 months.
The Company made an upfront payment under the 2024 Lease of $0.5 million, which is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the balance sheet as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. Additionally, as a security deposit under the 2024 Lease, the Company is required to maintain a standby letter-of-credit in the amount of $0.5 million, which must remain in place until November 2034.
Commitments and Contingencies
Contracts
The Company enters into contracts in the normal course of business with various third parties for preclinical research studies, clinical trials, testing, manufacturing, and other services. These contracts generally provide for termination upon notice and are cancellable without significant penalty or payment and do not contain any minimum purchase commitments.
Indemnification Agreements
In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to vendors, lessors, business partners, and other parties with respect to certain matters including, but not limited to, losses arising out of breach of agreements or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with officers and members of its board of directors that will require the Company, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as officers or directors. The maximum potential future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification arrangements is, in many cases, unlimited. To date, the Company has not incurred any material costs because of these indemnifications. The Company has not accrued any liabilities related to such indemnification arrangements in its financial statements as of September 30, 2024 or December 31, 2023 because it determined the likelihood of incurring a payment obligation pursuant to such arrangements was not probable.
Litigation
Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines, penalties, and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. There are no matters currently outstanding for which any liabilities have been accrued. The Company was not a defendant in any lawsuit for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 or the year ended December 31, 2023.
Convertible Preferred Stock
Series A, B, and C Convertible Preferred Stock
The Company issued its previously outstanding convertible preferred stock in a series of transactions as follows:
In August 2018,7,142,857 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock were issued for cash at a price of $0.70 per share, resulting in aggregate net proceeds of $4.9 million;
In June 2019, an additional 26,046,438 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock were issued for cash at a price of $0.70 per share, resulting in aggregate net proceeds of $18.1 million;
In July 2020, an additional 33,189,295 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock were issued for cash at a price of $0.70 per share, resulting in aggregate net proceeds of $23.2 million;
In April 2021,78,211,116 shares of Series B convertible preferred stock were issued for cash at a price of $1.35 per share, resulting in aggregate net proceeds of $105.3 million;
In April and May 2023,142,857,138 shares of Series C convertible preferred stock were issued for cash at a price of $0.70 per share, resulting in aggregate net proceeds of $99.7 million.
Common Stock Issued for Conversion of Convertible Preferred Stock
Immediately prior to the closing of the IPO on April 2, 2024, the Company’s outstanding convertible preferred stock automatically converted into 14,740,840 shares of common stock, as adjusted for the reverse stock split. Following the closing of the IPO, no shares of convertible preferred stock were authorized or outstanding.
Rights, Preferences, and Privileges of Convertible Preferred Stock
The rights, preferences, and privileges of the previously outstanding convertible preferred stock are detailed in Note 9 of the notes to financial statements included in the Prospectus.
Common Stock
Common Stock Rights
The holder of each outstanding share of common stock is entitled toone vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the holders of common stock. Subject to the rights of the holders of any class of the Company’s capital stock having any preference or priority over common stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends that are declared by the Company’s board of directors out of legally available funds. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, the holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in the net assets remaining after payment of liabilities and the liquidation value of any class of the Company’s capital stock having any preference or priority over the common stock then outstanding, if any. The common stock has no preemptive rights, conversion rights, redemption rights, preference rights, or exchange rights, or sinking fund provisions, and there are no dividends in arrears or default. All shares of common stock have equal distribution, liquidation and voting rights.
Common Stock Reserved for Future Issuance
Common stock reserved for future issuance consisted of the following:
| As of September 30, | As of December 31, | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Conversion of outstanding convertible preferred stock | — | 14,740,840 |
| Common stock options issued and outstanding | 4,240,477 | 2,813,937 |
| Equity awards available for future issuance | 2,227,216 | 861,155 |
| Shares available for purchase under the ESPP | 231,919 | — |
| Total | 6,699,612 | 18,415,932 |
Stock Options and Stock-Based Compensation
Equity Incentive Plan
In March 2024, the Company’s board of directors adopted, and the Company’s stockholders approved, the 2024 Incentive Award Plan (the Plan), which became effective in connection with the IPO and has a term often years. The Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, restricted stock, dividend equivalents, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, and other stock or cash-based awards to the Company's employees, consultants, and directors. Options granted under the Plan are exercisable at various dates as determined upon grant and will expire no more than 10 years from their date of grant. Stock options generally vest over terms of either 36 or 48 months. The exercise price of awards granted under the Plan shall not be less than 100% of the estimated fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. In addition, the Plan includes an “evergreen” provision whereby the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the Plan will be increased annually on the first day of each calendar year during the term of the Plan, beginning in 2025, by an amount equal to the lesser of (i)5% of the shares of common stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year or (ii) such number of shares as determined by the Company’s board of directors or an authorized committee of the board of directors. As of September 30, 2024, a total of 2,832,714 shares of common stock were authorized for issuance under the Plan. On September 30, 2024,2,227,216 of these shares were available for grant under the Plan.
Prior to the adoption of the Plan, the Company had awarded common stock options under the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended, the Predecessor Plan). Under the provisions of the Plan, the shares subject to awards issued under the Predecessor Plan that were outstanding as of March 27, 2024, the effective date of the Plan, and that are subsequently cancelled or forfeited, will become available for issuance under, and will increase the number of shares that may be issued under, the Plan.
Repricing of Outstanding Options
In August 2024, the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors, as administrator of the Plan and the Predecessor Plan, approved an option repricing, which was effective on August 19, 2024 (the Effective Date). The repricing applied to options to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,484,346 shares of the Company’s common stock with an exercise price per share in excess of the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the Effective Date, held by eligible employees of the Company that were granted under the Plan or the Predecessor Plan and were outstanding as of the Effective Date (the Repriced Options). As of the Effective Date, the exercise price of each of the Repriced Options was reduced to $3.56 per share, which was the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Effective Date; provided, however, that if prior to the Premium End Date (as defined below), a Repriced Option is exercised or an employee’s employment or service with the Company terminates for any reason other than due to a Qualifying Termination (as defined below), the exercise price per share that applied to the Repriced Option immediately prior to the Effective Date will apply in lieu of the reduced exercise price. The “Premium End Date” means the earliest of: (1) August 19, 2026, (2) the date immediately prior to the closing of a Change in Control (as defined in the Plan), or (3) the date of the employee’s Qualifying Termination. A “Qualifying Termination” means (a) the involuntary termination of the employee’s employment by the Company due to a reduction in force (and other than for Cause (as defined in the Plan)), subject to the employee’s execution of an effective general release of claims in favor of the Company, (b) the employee’s death, or (c) termination of the employee’s employment by the Company following the employee’s Disability (as defined in the Plan). Except for the reduction in the exercise prices of the Repriced Options as described above, the Repriced Options retain their existing terms, including their respective original vesting schedules.
The repricing resulted in a total incremental non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $857,000, which was calculated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, of which $157,000 is associated with vested Repriced Options and will be recognized on a straight-line basis through the Premium End Date. The remaining $700,000 ofthe incremental non-cash stock-based compensation expense is associated with unvested Repriced Options and will be recognized as follows: (i) if the Premium End Date occurs later than the end of the remaining vesting period of the Repriced Option, the incremental cost will be amortized on a straight-line basis through the Premium End Date, or (ii) if the Premium End Date occurs earlier than the end of the remaining vesting period of the Repriced Option, the incremental cost will be amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining vesting period.
During both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recognized incremental stock-based compensation expense totaling $34,000 associated with the repricing, which is included in general and administrative expense and research and development expense on the condensed statement of operations and comprehensive loss.
Stock Options
Stock option activity under the Plan and certain other related information is as follows:
| Number | Weighted-AverageExercisePrice | Weighted-Average RemainingTerm (years) | Aggregate-IntrinsicValue (in 000’s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance as of December 31, 2023 | 2,813,937 | $4.10 | 7.8 | $562 |
| Granted | 4,973,990 | $7.71 | ||
| Exercised | (15,211) | $3.90 | ||
| Forfeited and expired | (3,532,239) | $6.42 | ||
| Balance as of September 30, 2024 | 4,240,477 | $6.42 | 8.4 | $75 |
| Vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2024 | 4,240,477 | $6.42 | 8.4 | $75 |
| Exercisable as of September 30, 2024 | 1,653,773 | $4.90 | 7.4 | $75 |
Aggregate intrinsic value in the above table is the difference between the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock as of either September 30, 2024 or December 31, 2023, and the exercise price of stock options that had exercise prices below that value. For the Repriced Options, the calculation of the weighted-average prices and intrinsic value information in the table above is based on the exercise price per share that applied immediately prior to the Effective Date of the repricing pending satisfaction of the requisite service requirement.
The options exercised during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 had an intrinsic value at exercise of approximately $0 and $32,000, respectively. The options exercised during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 had an intrinsic value at exercise of approximately $4,000 and $15,000, respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
Stock-based compensation expense was as follows (in thousands):
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | |
| Research and development expenses | $801 | $378 | $2,214 | $1,045 |
| General and administrative expenses | 1,244 | 505 | 3,294 | 1,380 |
| Total stock-based compensation | $2,045 | $883 | $5,508 | $2,425 |
As of September 30, 2024, unrecognized compensation cost related to outstanding time-based options was $20.1 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.7 years.
Excluding any effect of the option repricing, the weighted-average assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of the stock options granted during the periods indicated in the table were as follows:
| Three Months Ended September 30, | Nine Months Ended September 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | |
| Expected option life (in years) | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Assumed volatility | 90.8% | 95.7% | 90.9% | 92.2% |
| Assumed risk-free interest rate | 3.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Expected dividend yield | — | — | — | — |
Excluding any effect due to the option repricing, the weighted-average grant date per share fair value of options granted during the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was $7.25 and $3.23, respectively. The weighted-average grant date per share fair value of options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was $7.20 and $5.80, respectively.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In March 2024, the Company’s board of directors adopted, and the Company’s stockholders approved, the Company’s 2024 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the ESPP), which became effective in connection with the IPO. The ESPP permits participants to contribute up to a specified percentage of their eligible compensation during a series of offering periods of 24 months, each comprised of foursix-month purchase periods, to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock. The purchase price of the shares will be 85% of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the first day of trading of the applicable offering period or on the applicable purchase date, whichever is lower. A total of 231,919 shares of common stock were initially reserved for issuance under the ESPP. In addition, the ESPP includes an “evergreen” provision whereby the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the ESPP will be increased annually on the first day of each calendar year during the term of the ESPP, beginning in 2025, by an amount equal to the lesser of (i)1% of the shares of common stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year or (ii) such number of shares as determined by the Company’s board of directors or an authorized committee of the board of directors. The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense related to the ESPP of $0.1 million and $0.3 million during the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2024, respectively, and $0 during each of the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023. As of September 30, 2024, the unrecognized compensation cost related to the ESPP was $0.7 million and is expected to be recognized as expense over approximately 1.29 years. As of September 30, 2024, $0.2 million has been withheld on behalf of employees for future purchases under the ESPP and is included in accrued compensation on the condensed balance sheets. The Company didnot issue or sell any shares under the ESPP during either of the three or nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.
Net Loss Per Common Share
The following table summarizes the calculation of basic and diluted net loss per common share attributable to common stockholders (in thousands, except per share data):
| Three Months EndedSeptember 30, | Nine Months EndedSeptember 30, | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | |
| Net loss | $(16,509) | $(13,173) | $(48,915) | $(37,290) |
| Weighted-average shares of common stock used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted | 22,254 | 1,230 | 15,204 | 1,207 |
| Net loss per share, basic and diluted | $(0.74) | $(10.71) | $(3.22) | $(30.89) |
The Company excluded the following potential shares of its common stock, presented based on amounts outstanding at each period end, from the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the periods indicated because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:
| September 30, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Conversion of outstanding convertible preferred stock | — | 14,740,840 |
| Options to purchase common stock | 4,240,477 | 2,688,005 |
| Options early exercised subject to future vesting | 72 | 2,005 |
| Total | 4,240,549 | 17,430,850 |
Subsequent Events
In November 2024, the 2024 Lease commenced and the Company recorded an ROU asset of $45.8 million and a related lease liability of $45.3 million. For additional information, see Note 7 above.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.