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MEDICINOVA INC

For the period ended Sep 30, 2024. Filed Nov 13, 2024.

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About this filing

A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.

Sep 30, 2024 · Filed Nov 13, 2024

MNOV$1.40-4.8%Stored close · as of Nov 10, 2026

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Item 1. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (unaudited)

ITEM 1. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

September 30,December 31,
20242023
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents$42,280,618$50,999,442
Prepaid expenses and other current assets984,860174,938
Total current assets43,265,47851,174,380
Goodwill9,600,2409,600,240
In-process research and development4,800,0004,800,000
Property and equipment, net30,81345,800
Right-of-use asset403,894575,406
Other non-current assets18,99674,151
Total assets$58,119,421$66,269,977
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable$708,203$1,003,937
Accrued liabilities and other current liabilities1,686,7392,059,238
Operating lease liability201,976215,926
Total current liabilities2,596,9183,279,101
Deferred tax liability201,792201,792
Other non-current liabilities255,150410,660
Total liabilities3,053,8603,891,553
Commitments and contingencies (Note 4)
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023; 49,046,246 and 49,046,246 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively49,04649,046
Additional paid-in capital479,076,908478,149,161
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(123,803)(118,090)
Accumulated deficit(423,936,590)(415,701,693)
Total stockholders’ equity55,065,56162,378,424
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity$58,119,421$66,269,977

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

Three months ended · Nine months ended
September 30,September 30,
2024202320242023
Revenues$—$1,000,000$—$1,000,000
Operating expenses:
Research, development and patents1,859,400794,7065,287,3184,007,117
General and administrative1,449,7281,352,1824,204,2994,403,044
Total operating expenses3,309,1282,146,8889,491,6178,410,161
Operating loss(3,309,128)(1,146,888)(9,491,617)(7,410,161)
Interest income447,847437,9341,280,7081,398,400
Other income (expense), net9,102(14,153)(23,988)(500,670)
Net loss$(2,852,179)$(723,107)$(8,234,897)$(6,512,431)
Basic and diluted net loss per common share$(0.06)$(0.01)$(0.17)$(0.13)
Shares used to compute basic and diluted net loss per common share49,046,24649,046,24649,046,24649,046,246
Net loss$(2,852,179)$(723,107)$(8,234,897)$(6,512,431)
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments7,724(2,712)(5,713)(8,467)
Comprehensive loss$(2,844,455)$(725,819)$(8,240,610)$(6,520,898)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM ENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Common stock · Additionalpaid-in · Accumulatedothercomprehensive · Accumulated · Totalstockholders’
SharesAmountcapitallossdeficitequity
Balance at December 31, 202349,046,246$49,046$478,149,161$(118,090)$(415,701,693)$62,378,424
Share-based compensation——215,430——215,430
Net loss————(2,754,518)(2,754,518)
Foreign currency translation adjustments———(8,892)—(8,892)
Balance at March 31, 202449,046,24649,046478,364,591(126,982)(418,456,211)59,830,444
Share-based compensation——207,455——207,455
Net loss————(2,628,200)(2,628,200)
Foreign currency translation adjustments———(4,545)—(4,545)
Balance at June 30, 202449,046,24649,046478,572,046(131,527)(421,084,411)57,405,154
Share-based compensation——504,862——504,862
Net loss————(2,852,179)(2,852,179)
Foreign currency translation adjustments———7,724—7,724
Balance at September 30, 202449,046,246$49,046$479,076,908$(123,803)$(423,936,590)$55,065,561
Common stock · Additionalpaid-in · Accumulatedothercomprehensive · Accumulated · Totalstockholders’
SharesAmountcapitallossdeficitequity
Balance at December 31, 202249,046,246$49,046$477,438,451$(115,285)$(407,130,177)$70,242,035
Share-based compensation——403,263——403,263
Net loss————(2,917,504)(2,917,504)
Foreign currency translation adjustments———(1,542)—(1,542)
Balance at March 31, 202349,046,24649,046477,841,714(116,827)(410,047,681)67,726,252
Share-based compensation——325,710——325,710
Net loss————(2,871,820)(2,871,820)
Foreign currency translation adjustments———(4,213)—(4,213)
Balance at June 30, 202349,046,24649,046478,167,424(121,040)(412,919,501)65,175,929
Share-based compensation——219,142——219,142
Net loss————(723,107)(723,107)
Foreign currency translation adjustments———(2,712)—(2,712)
Balance at September 30, 202349,046,246$49,046$478,386,566$(123,752)$(413,642,608)$64,669,252

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Nine months ended
September 30,
20242023
Operating activities:
Net loss$(8,234,897)$(6,512,431)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Non-cash stock-based compensation927,747948,115
Depreciation and amortization15,90014,803
Loss on disposal of investments—102,513
(Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment(199)371
Change in carrying amount of right-of-use asset129,179146,205
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable—(1,000,000)
Prepaid expenses and other assets(755,820)(27,478)
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other liabilities(665,592)(457,675)
Operating lease liability(127,550)(146,401)
Net cash used in operating activities(8,711,232)(6,931,978)
Investing activities:
Proceeds from disposal of investments—39,929,015
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment199—
Acquisitions of property and equipment(897)(21,321)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities(698)39,907,694
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents(6,894)26,152
Net change in cash and cash equivalents(8,718,824)33,001,868
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period50,999,44218,505,493
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period$42,280,618$51,507,361
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing activities:
Right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for operating lease liability$42,281$139,001
Change in carrying amount of right-of-use asset due to termination of lease$79,229$—

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

  1. Interim Financial Information

Organization and Business

MediciNova, Inc. (the Company or MediciNova) was incorporated in the state of Delaware in September 2000. The Company’s common stock is listed in both the United States and Japan and trades on the Nasdaq Global Market and the Standard Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases with unmet medical needs with a commercial focus on the United States market. The Company’s current strategy is to focus its development activities on MN-166 (ibudilast) for neurological and other disorders such as progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, degenerative cervical myelopathy, glioblastoma, substance dependence and addiction (e.g., methamphetamine dependence, opioid dependence, and alcohol dependence), prevention of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and Long COVID, and MN-001 (tipelukast) for fibrotic and other diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The Company’s pipeline also includes MN-221 (bedoradrine) for the treatment of acute exacerbation of asthma and MN-029 (denibulin) for solid tumor cancers.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) for interim financial information and with the instructions of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Form 10-Q and Rule 8-03 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary, which are of a normal and recurring nature, for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial position and of the results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries.

These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2023 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. The results of operations for the interim period shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full year. The balance sheet at December 31, 2023 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of MediciNova, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, MediciNova Japan, Inc., MediciNova (Europe) Limited, MediciNova Europe GmbH, MediciNova Canada, Inc. and Avigen Inc. The financial statements of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries are measured using their local currency as the functional currency. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded as a component of other comprehensive income or loss. Intercompany transaction gains or losses at each period end are included as translation adjustments and recorded within other comprehensive income or loss. All intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation.

Segment Reporting

Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision-maker in making decisions regarding resource allocation and assessing performance. The Company operates in a single operating segment – the acquisition and development of small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases with unmet medical needs.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and other highly liquid investments including money market and mutual fund accounts, with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase.

Investments

Investments purchased with an original maturity of greater than three months are classified as investments. Investments are classified as current or non-current based on the nature of the securities as well as their stated maturities.

Research, Development and Patents

Research and development costs are expensed in the period incurred. Research and development costs primarily consist of salaries and related expenses for personnel, facilities and depreciation, research and development supplies, licenses and outside services. Such research and development costs totaled $1.8 million and $0.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $5.0 million and $3.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Costs related to filing and pursuing patent applications are expensed as incurred, as recoverability of such expenditures is uncertain. The Company includes all external costs related to the filing of patents in Research, Development and Patents expenses. Such patent-related expenses totaled $0.1 million and $0.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $0.3 million and $0.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

For transactions with a government where the Company receives government assistance in performing research and development activities and the accounting for a transaction is not specified within the scope of authoritative GAAP, the Company follows Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 832, Government Assistance (Topic 832), applying a grant or contribution model by analogy to Subtopic 958-605, Not-for-Profit Entities-Revenue Recognition.

Clinical Trial Accruals and Prepaid Expenses

Costs for preclinical studies, clinical studies and manufacturing activities are recognized as research and development expenses based on an evaluation of the progress by Company vendors towards completion of specific tasks, using data such as patient enrollment, clinical site activations or information provided to the Company by such vendors regarding their actual costs incurred. Payments for these activities are based on the terms of individual contracts and payment timing may differ significantly from the period in which the services are performed. The Company determines accrual estimates through reports from and discussions with applicable personnel and outside service providers as to the progress or state of completion of studies, or the services completed. The Company’s estimates of accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date are based on the facts and circumstances known at the time. Costs that are paid in advance of performance are deferred as a prepaid expense and amortized over the service period as the services are provided.

Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception and if so, determines whether the lease qualifies as an operating or finance lease. The Company does not recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for leases with a term of 12 months or less and does not separate non-lease components from lease components. Operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and is included in general and administrative expenses. As most of the Company’s operating leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate is the rate that the Company would expect to pay to borrow on a collateralized and fully amortizing basis over a similar term an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2020-06, Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40)(ASU 2020-06). ASU 2020-06 simplifies the accounting for convertible debt instruments by reducing the number of accounting models and the number of embedded features that could be recognized separately from the host contract. Consequently, more convertible debt instruments will be accounted for as a single liability measured at its amortized cost, as long as no other features require bifurcation and recognition as derivatives. ASU 2020-06 also requires use of the if-converted method in the diluted earnings per share calculation for convertible instruments. ASU 2020-06 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within those fiscal years for smaller reporting companies, with early adoption permitted. The new standard was effective for the Company on January 1, 2024. There was no impact on the consolidated financial statements upon adoption of this standard on January 1, 2024.

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures(ASU 2023-07). ASU 2023-07 improves the disclosures about a public entity’s reportable segments and addresses requests from investors for additional, more detailed information about a reportable segment’s expenses. Specifically, it requires that a public entity: 1) disclose, on an annual and interim basis, significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (CODM) and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss, 2) disclose, on an annual and interim basis, an amount for other segment items by reportable segment and a description of its composition. The other segment items category is the difference between segment revenue less the segment expenses disclosed under the significant expense principle and each reported measure of segment profit or loss, 3) provide all annual disclosures about a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets currently required by Topic 280 in interim periods, and 4) disclose the title and position of the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measure(s) of segment profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. The ASU also requires a public entity that has a single reportable segment to provide all the disclosures required by the amendments in this ASU and all existing segment disclosures in Topic 280. Further, the ASU clarifies that if the CODM uses more than one measure of a segment’s profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources, a public entity may report one or more of those additional measures. However, at least one of the reported segment profit or loss measures should be the measure that is most consistent with the measurement principles used in measuring the corresponding amounts in the public entity’s consolidated financial statements. The amendments are effective for all public entities that are required to report segment information for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments should be applied retrospectively to all prior periods presented. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures(ASU 2023-09). ASU 2023-09 enhances the transparency and decision usefulness of income tax disclosures. Specifically, it requires that a public business entity: 1) disclose, on an annual basis, an income tax rate reconciliation in a tabular form, disclosing specific categories and providing additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold, 2) disclose on an annual basis the following information about income taxes paid: i) the amount of income taxes paid (net of refunds received) disaggregated by federal (national), state, and foreign taxes, ii) the amount of income taxes paid (net of refunds received) disaggregated by individual jurisdictions in which income taxes paid (net of refunds received) is equal to or greater than 5 percent of total income taxes paid (net of refunds received), 3) all entities are required to disclose: i) income (or loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense (or benefit) disaggregated between domestic and foreign, and ii) income tax expense (or benefit) from continuing operations disaggregated by federal (national), state, and foreign. For public business entities, the amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. For all other entities, the amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2025. Early adoption is permitted for annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The amendments in this ASU should be applied on a prospective basis. Retrospective application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

  1. Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition Policy

Revenues historically have consisted mainly of research and development services performed under a contract with a customer. The Company evaluates the separate performance obligation(s) under each contract, allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation considering the estimated stand-alone selling prices of the services and recognizes revenue upon the satisfaction of such obligations at a point in time or over time dependent on the satisfaction of one of the following criteria: 1) the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the economic benefits provided by the vendor’s performance; 2) the vendor creates or enhancesan asset controlled by the customer; 3) the vendor’s performance does not create an asset for which the vendor has an alternative use; and 4) the vendor has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date.

  1. Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is 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 that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-tier fair value hierarchy has been established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:

Level 1:Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets;
Level 2:Inputs are quoted prices for similar items in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar items in markets that are not active near the measurement date; and
Level 3:Unobservable inputs due to little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

The carrying amount and approximate fair value of financial instruments as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, were as follows:

September 30, 2024 · December 31, 2023
Carrying AmountFair ValueCarrying AmountFair ValueValuation Inputs
Cash and cash equivalents:
Mutual funds$21,253,475$21,253,475$782,382$782,382Level 1
  1. Commitments and Contingencies

Lease Commitments

The Company has operating leases primarily for real estate in the United States and Japan. The United States lease is for the Company’s headquarters in San Diego and has a term offive years ending January 31, 2027, with annual escalations. In April 2024, the Company provided notice to terminate its previous lease agreement for its Tokyo office, effective October 2024, and in May 2024, the Company entered into a new lease agreement, effective June 2024, for a different office space for its Tokyo location. The new lease has an initial lease term of 12 months ending May 2025 with an option to extend for an additionaltwo months, after which there will be automatictwo-month renewals until the lease is terminated. In measuring the lease liability, the Company determined that it was reasonably certain that it would exercise one renewal option. Accordingly, the Company used a lease term of 14 months in measuring the lease liability. The Company measured the lease liability based on the present value of the future lease payments, including the one extension option that is reasonably certain to exercise, discounted using the estimated incremental borrowing rate of 6.95%, which is the interest rate that the Company would have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term for an amount equal to the lease payments at initial commencement. The real estate operating leases are included in “Right-of-use asset” on the Company's balance sheets and represents the Company’s right to use the underlying assets for the lease term. The Company’s obligation to make lease payments are included in "Operating lease liability" and "Other non-current liabilities" on the Company's balance sheets.

Information related to the Company’s right-of-use assets and related lease liabilities are as follows:

Three months ended · Nine months ended
September 30,September 30,
2024202320242023
Cash paid for operating lease liabilities$70,720$64,024$204,177$189,622
Operating lease costs74,37864,011206,228190,240
September 30,December 31,
20242023
Current operating lease liabilities$201,976$215,926
Non-current operating lease liabilities255,150410,660
Total operating lease liabilities$457,126$626,586
Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years)2.202.81
Weighted-average discount rate9.6%9.3%
Maturities of operating lease liabilities as of September 30, 2024 were as follows:
2024 (remaining three months)$59,923
2025226,646
2026206,483
202717,269
2028—
Thereafter—
Total minimum payments510,321
Less imputed interest(53,195)
Total lease liabilities$457,126

Product Liability

The Company’s business exposes it to liability risks from its potential drug products. A successful product liability claim or series of claims brought against the Company could result in the payment of significant amounts of money and divert management’s attention from running the business. The Company may not be able to maintain insurance on acceptable terms, or the insurance may not provide adequate protection in the case of a product liability claim. To the extent that product liability insurance, if available, does not cover potential claims, the Company would be required to self-insure the risks associated with such claims. The Company believes it carries reasonably adequate insurance for product liability.

License and Research Agreements

The Company has entered into in-licensing agreements with various pharmaceutical companies. Under the terms of these agreements, the Company has received licenses to research, know-how and technology claimed in specified patents or patent applications. Under these license agreements, the Company is generally required to make upfront payments and additional payments upon the achievement of milestones and/or royalties on future sales of products until the later of the expiration of the applicable patent or the applicable last date of market exclusivity after the first commercial sale, on a country-by-country basis.

No milestone payments have been made under these agreements during thenine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023. For products currently in development, future potential milestone payments based on product development of MN-166 (ibudilast) and MN-001 (tipelukast) are $10 million as of September 30, 2024. For all other products, future potential milestone payments related to development milestones and commercialization milestones totaled $16.5 million as of September 30, 2024. There are no minimum royalties required under any of the license agreements. The Company is unable to estimate with certainty the timing on when these milestone payments will occur as these payments are dependent upon the progress of the Company’s product development programs.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, the Company may be subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. The Company is not aware of any such proceedings or claims that it believes will have, individually or in aggregate, a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations.

  1. Stock-based Compensation

Stock Incentive Plans

In June 2013, the Company adopted the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (2013 Plan) under which the Company granted equity-based awards, including stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, and restricted stock units to individuals who were then employees, officers, non-employee directors or consultants of the Company or its subsidiaries. A total of 8,700,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under the 2013 Plan. In addition, “returning shares” that may become available from time to time were added back to the 2013 Plan. “Returning shares” included shares that were subject to outstanding awards granted under the Company's prior 2004 Equity Incentive Plan that expired or terminated prior to exercise or settlement, were forfeited because of the failure to vest, were repurchased, or were withheld to satisfy tax withholding or purchase price obligations in connection with such awards. Although the Company no longer grants equity awards under the 2013 Plan, all outstanding stock awards granted under the 2013 Plan will continue to be subject to the terms and conditions as set forth in the agreements evidencing such stock awards and the terms of the 2013 Plan.

In June 2023, the Company adopted the 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (2023 Plan) under which the Company may grant stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units and other awards to individuals who are then employees, officers, non-employee directors or consultants of the Company or its subsidiaries. The 2023 Plan is the successor to the 2013 Plan. The number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2023 Plan is equal to the sum of (a) shares subject to awards granted under the 2013 Plan that were outstanding upon expiration of the 2013 Plan and are subsequently forfeited, expire or lapse unexercised or unsettled and shares issued pursuant to awards granted under the 2013 Plan that were outstanding upon expiration of the 2013 Plan and are subsequently forfeited to or reacquired by the Company and (b) shares reserved under the 2013 Plan that were not issued or subject to outstanding awards under the 2013 Plan upon expiration of the 2013 Plan. While a maximum of 9,934,567 shares may become available for issuance under the 2023 Plan from the 2013 Plan, since this figure assumes that all awards outstanding under the 2013 Plan upon expiration of the 2013 Plan will be forfeited, the Company expects the actual number of shares added to the 2023 Plan to be less. In general, to the extent that awards under the 2023 Plan are forfeited, cancelled or expire for any reason before being exercised or settled in full, the shares subject to such awards will again become available for issuance under the 2023 Plan. If stock appreciation rights are exercised or restricted stock units are settled, then only the number of shares (if any) actually issued to the participant will reduce the number of shares available under the 2023 Plan. If restricted shares or shares issued upon exercise of options are reacquired by the Company pursuant to a forfeiture provision, repurchase right or for any other reason, then such shares shall again become available for issuance under the 2023 Plan. Shares withheld to pay the exercise price of options or satisfy tax withholding obligations related to an award shall again become available for issuance under the 2023 Plan. Further, to the extent an award is settled in cash rather than shares, the cash settlement shall not reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the 2023 Plan.

As of September 30, 2024,1,574,723 shares remain available for future grants under the 2023 Plan.

Certain of the employee stock options granted contain performance conditions, the vesting of which is based on a determination made by the compensation committee followed by an approval of the board of directors as to the achievement of certain corporate objectives at the end of the performance period. The grant date of such awards is the date on which the board of directors makes its determination. For periods preceding the grant date, the expense related to these awards is measured based on their fair value at each reporting date. The estimated fair value of the performance awards granted and the resulting expense is based upon a certain level of achievement of the corporate objectives and other assumptions in determining fair value. The amount of expense ultimately recognized upon the grant date at completion of the performance period could change from the estimate as a result of various factors, including the level of achievement of the corporate objectives, changes in the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model in determining fair value or fluctuations in the Company’s stock price during the performance period. As of September 30, 2024, there were a total of 809,000 shares underlying performance options that were subject to vesting based on achievement of corporate objectives for 2024.

Stock Options

Options granted under the 2023 Plan and the 2013 Plan have terms often years from the date of grant unless earlier terminated and generally vest over aone orfour year period. The exercise price of all options granted through September 30, 2024 and 2023, was equal to the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant.

A summary of stock option activity and related information as of September 30, 2024 is as follows:

Number ofOption SharesWeighted AverageExercise Price
Outstanding at December 31, 20237,781,749$5.52
Granted1,100,0001.51
Exercised——
Cancelled(521,905)2.51
Outstanding at September 30, 20248,359,844$5.18
Exercisable at September 30, 20247,482,344$5.61

Compensation Expense

Stock-based compensation expense for stock option awards are reflected in total operating expenses for each respective period. The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense for thethree and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively:

Three months ended · Nine months ended
September 30,September 30,
2024202320242023
Research, development and patents$215,741$75,502$375,959$336,657
General and administrative289,121143,640551,788611,458
Total stock-based compensation expense$504,862$219,142$927,747$948,115

The Company uses the Black-Scholes valuation model for determining the estimated fair value for stock-based awards granted to employees and considers management’s current expectations of the achievement of the performance objectives for the year. The following table provides the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes valuation model used to estimate the fair value of options granted during thenine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, and to estimate the fair value of performance-based stock options as of September 30, 2024 and 2023.

20242023
Stock Options
Risk-free interest rate4.21 - 4.41%3.59 - 4.60%
Expected volatility of common stock72.83 - 74.05%75.17 - 77.96%
Dividend yield0.00%0.00%
Expected term (in years)5.30 - 5.774.88 - 5.38

As of September 30, 2024, there was $0.4 million of unamortized compensation cost related to unvested stock option awards which is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted-average vesting period of 0.36 years, on a straight-line basis. Such compensation cost will ultimately be adjusted based upon actual performance compared to the corporate objectives as described above.

The weighted-average fair value of each stock option granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, estimated as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes option valuation model, was $0.99 and $1.60 per option, respectively.

  1. Stockholders’ Equity

At-The-Market Issuance Sales Agreements and Private Placement Transactions

On August 23, 2019, the Company entered into an at the market issuance sales agreement, which was amended on August 26, 2022 (as amended, the ATM Agreement) with B. Riley FBR, Inc. (B. Riley FBR) pursuant to which the Company may sell common stock through B. Riley FBR from time to time up to an aggregate offering price of $75.0 million. Sales of the Company’s common stock through B. Riley FBR, if any, will be made by any method that is deemed to be an “at-the-market” equity offering as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including sales made directly on Nasdaq, on any other existing trading market for the common stock or through a market maker. B. Riley FBR may also sell the common stock in privately negotiated transactions, subject to the Company’s prior approval. The Company agreed to pay B. Riley FBR an aggregate commission rate of up to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of any common stock sold under this agreement. Proceeds from sales of common stock will depend on the number of shares of common stock sold to B. Riley FBR and the per share purchase price of each transaction.

No shares of common stock were sold under the ATM Agreement in thenine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

  1. Net Loss Per Share

The Company computes basic net loss per share using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share is based upon the weighted average number of common shares and potentially dilutive securities (common share equivalents) outstanding during the period. Common share equivalents outstanding, determined using the treasury stock method, are comprised of shares that may be issued under the Company’s stock option agreements. Common share equivalents are excluded from the diluted net loss per share calculation if their effect is anti-dilutive.

Potentially dilutive outstanding stock options excluded from diluted net loss per common share due to their anti-dilutive effect totaled 8,359,844 shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 8,304,749 shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.

  1. Subsequent Events

On November 11, 2024, the Company was notified by Sanofi that the Sanofi/Novartis litigation (as defined below) was settled. As a result of the settlement, if Genzyme Corporation (“Genzyme”) recovers any monetary damages, by way of settlement or otherwise, as a result of the litigation, then the Company is entitled to receive a portion of such monetary damages from Genzyme, pursuant to the terms of that certain assignment agreement between the Company (as successor in interest to Avigen, Inc.), and Genzyme dated December 19, 2005 (the “Genzyme Assignment Agreement”). The amount of monetary damages the Company expects to receive cannot be reasonably estimated.

On March 30, 2022, the Company was notified that Genzyme, a subsidiary of Sanofi, filed its First Amended Complaint, which included a claim for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 9,051,542, on February 23, 2022 in a lawsuit previously filed against Novartis Gene Therapies, Inc., Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation, and Novartis AG in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (collectively, the “Sanofi/Novartis litigation”). This patent, among others was included in the Genzyme Assignment Agreement. In the litigation, the plaintiffs alleged that Novartis infringed certain U.S. patents through the unauthorized manufacture, use, and sale of recombinant adenoassociated virus vectors for their gene therapy drug Zolgensma.

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