Cyclerion Therapeutics Inc

1. Nature of Business

Nature of Operations

Cyclerion Therapeutics, Inc. (“Cyclerion”, the “Company” or “we”) became an independent public company on April 1, 2019 after Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. completed a tax-free spin-off of their sGC business. Cyclerion is focused on building a new pipeline with therapeutics to treat certain neuropsychiatric diseases. Cyclerion has prioritized an individualized therapy for treatment resistant depression (“TRD”) as its foundational product candidate and has entered into a non-binding option to license agreement for the intellectual property associated with this product. With the large unmet medical need in TRD, the clinical development stage of this asset, and the strong commercial opportunity, the Company believes that this product is well suited to be its foundation moving forward for Cyclerion. The Company is currently developing an integrated development and commercial strategy in TRD. Cyclerion has one employee as of March 31, 2025.

At inception, Cyclerion was a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of serious diseases with novel soluble guanylate cyclase (“sGC”) stimulators in both the central nervous system (“CNS”) and the periphery. The Company’s strategy changed and Cyclerion's sGC assets have either been sold, out-licensed or has plans to be out-licensed to a third party. The Company’s prior strategy to conduct research and development on sGC stimulators has been discontinued and Cyclerion does not intend to internally pursue research and development or commercialization with any sGC asset. The Company is leveraging its legacy sGC stimulator assets to generate revenues which, in the near-term will be used to implement its strategic building plan in TRD.

Praliciguat is an orally administered, once-daily systemic sGC stimulator. On June 3, 2021, Cyclerion entered into a license agreement with Akebia Therapeutics Inc. (“Akebia”) relating to the exclusive worldwide license to Akebia of our rights to the development, manufacture, medical affairs and commercialization of pharmaceutical products containing praliciguat and other related products and forms thereof enumerated in such agreement.

On December 13, 2024, Cyclerion announced that Cyclerion and Akebia have re-negotiated a mutually beneficial amendment to their exclusive license agreement for praliciguat, a systemic sGC stimulator. Under this new license amendment, Cyclerion will receive $1.75 million in amendment payments, of which $1.25 million was paid in December 2024 and an additional payment of $0.5 million is due in September 2025. In addition, Akebia is responsible for all intellectual property expenses associated with praliciguat. The Company is eligible to receive additional milestone cash payments of up to approximately $558.5 million in total potential future development, regulatory, and commercialization milestone payments for praliciguat. In exchange for a reduction in certain development milestone payments, Cyclerion is eligible to receive certain higher-tiered sales-based royalties ranging from mid-single-digits to twenty percent. In 2021, Akebia paid a $3.0 million upfront payment to the Company upon signing of the license agreement.

Olinciguat is a Phase 2, orally administered, once-daily, vascular sGC stimulator. On July 22, 2024, the Company entered into an Option to License Agreement (the “Option Agreement”) with a third party (the “Optionee”), pursuant to which the Optionee has an option (the “Option”) to enter into an exclusive license to olinciguat for human therapeutics, subject to certain carveouts. Under the terms of the Option Agreement, the Optionee paid the Company an Option fee of $150,000 in August 2024. The Optionee originally could exercise the Option on or before March 20, 2025, which may be extended for an additional two-month period for an additional fee of $25,000 (the “Option Period”). The Option Period was extended for two months by the Optionee and now expires in May 2025. If the Optionee exercises the Option during the Option Period, the Optionee and the Company shall promptly commence negotiations of the definitive license agreement. The terms of the license agreement will be negotiated in good faith within a period not to exceed 90 days after the date of exercise of the Option. If the parties cannot reach agreement, all rights revert to the Company. In addition, the Optionee has agreed to reimburse the Company for certain patent expenses incurred during the Option period.

Zagociguat is a clinical-stage CNS-penetrant sGC stimulator that has shown rapid improvement in cerebral blood flow, functional brain connectivity, brain response to visual stimulus, cognitive performance, and biomarkers associated mitochondrial function and inflammation in clinical studies. CY3018 is a CNS-targeted sGC stimulator that preferentially localizes to the brain and has a pharmacology profile that suggests its potential for the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases and disorders. On July 28, 2023, the Company sold Zagociguat and CY3018 to Tisento Therapeutics, Inc. (“Tisento”), a newly formed private company focused on their development, in exchange for $8.0 million in cash consideration, $2.4 million as reimbursement for certain operating expenses related to zagociguat and CY3018 for the period between signing and closing of the transaction, and 10% of all of Tisento’s parent’s outstanding equity securities (“Tisento Parent”).

Cyclerion GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary, was incorporated in Zug, Switzerland on May 3, 2019. The functional currency is the Swiss franc. Cyclerion GmbH was liquidated and de-registered in May 2024.

Cyclerion Securities Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary, was incorporated in Massachusetts on November 15, 2019 and was granted securities corporation status in Massachusetts.

On February 4, 2025, the Company filed a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the “Shelf”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in relation to the registration of common stock, preferred stock, warrants and units of any combination thereof for an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $25.0 million. The Registration Statement was declared effective by the SEC in February 2025. No shares of common stock have been issued or sold under the Shelf during the three months ended March 31, 2025.

2025 Equity Private Placement

On March 21, 2025, the Company entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “2025 Equity Private Placement”) for a private placement of 499,998 shares of the Company’s common stock, at a purchase price of $2.75 per share for total gross proceeds of approximately $1.375 million. The closing of the 2025 Equity Private Placement occurred on March 25, 2025. The Company incurred transaction costs of $0.1 million which have been recognized in accrued expenses and other current liabilities as of March 31, 2025. The Shares issued have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and will be issued pursuant to the exemption from registration provided for under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act as a transaction not involving a public offering.

In connection with the 2025 Equity Private Placement, the Company entered into a Registration Rights Agreement with the investors, dated March 21, 2025, pursuant to which the Company agreed to register the resale of the Shares pursuant to a registration statement to be filed with the SEC no later than May 9, 2025.

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements and the related disclosures are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. Additionally, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the Company’s annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted. Accordingly, these interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on March 4, 2025.

In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position and the results of its operations for the interim periods presented. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year or any other subsequent interim period.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Cyclerion GmbH (prior to its deregistration in May 2024), and Cyclerion Securities Corporation. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the preparation of the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

Going Concern

At each reporting period, in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 205-40, Going Concern, the Company evaluates whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. The Company’s evaluation entails analyzing prospective operating budgets and forecasts for expectations of the Company’s cash needs and comparing those needs to the current cash and cash equivalent balances. The Company is required to make certain additional disclosures if it concludes substantial doubt exists and it is not alleviated by the Company’s plans or when its plans alleviate substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

This evaluation initially does not take into consideration the potential mitigating effect of management’s plans that have not been fully implemented as of the date the financial statements are issued. When substantial doubt exists under this methodology, management evaluates whether the mitigating effect of its plans sufficiently alleviates substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The mitigating effect of management’s plans, however, is only considered if both (1) it is probable that the plans will be effectively implemented within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued, and (2) it is probable that the plans, when implemented, will mitigate the relevant conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that these condensed consolidated financial statements are issued. In performing its analysis, management excluded certain elements of its operating plan that cannot be considered probable. Under ASC 205-40, the future receipt of potential funding from future partnerships, license payments, equity or debt issuances, certain cost reduction measures and the achievement of potential milestone payments from Akebia cannot be considered probable at this time because these plans are not entirely within the Company’s control and/or have not been approved by the Board of Directors as of the date of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

The Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2025, will be sufficient to fund operations through the third quarter of 2025, however the Company will need to obtain additional funding to sustain operations as it expects to continue to generate operating losses for the foreseeable future. The Company's expectation to generate negative operating cash flows in the future and the need for additional funding to support its planned operations, raise substantial doubt regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management's plans to alleviate the conditions that raise substantial doubt include reduced spending, and the pursuit of additional capital. Management has concluded the likelihood that its plan to successfully obtain sufficient funding, or adequately reduce expenditures, while reasonably possible, is less than probable. Accordingly, the Company has concluded that substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. The financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might result from the outcome of the uncertainties described above.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The accounting policies of the Company are set forth in Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.

New Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies that are adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date. Except as discussed elsewhere in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, the Company did not adopt any new accounting pronouncements during the three months ended March 31, 2025 that had a material effect on its condensed consolidated financial statements.

No other accounting standards known by the Company to be applicable to it that have been issued by the FASB or other standard-setting bodies and that do not require adoption until a future date are expected to have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

3. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s cash equivalents are generally classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. The following tables present information about the Company’s financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis and indicate the level of the fair value hierarchy used to determine such fair values as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 (in thousands):

During the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, there were no transfers between levels. The fair value of the Company’s cash equivalents, consisting of money market funds, is based on quoted market prices in active markets with no valuation adjustment.

The Company believes the carrying amounts of its accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of these amounts.

4. Other Investment

The Company has determined that the Company’s investment in Tisento Parent is an equity security, whereby such investment does not give the Company a controlling financial interest or significant influence over the investee. Further, the Company assessed the accounting for its investment in Tisento Parent in accordance with ASC 810-10, Consolidation—Overall. After determining that no scope exception applies under the guidance of ASC 810-10-15-12 and ASC 810-10-15-17, the Company concluded that it has a variable interest in Tisento Parent through its investment in Tisento Parent common stock. Tisento Parent does not have sufficient equity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support as Tisento Parent is a startup entity in its early stages of raising funds and will require significant capital to advance its programs to commercial stage. Therefore, the Company concluded that its investment in Tisento Parent is a variable interest entity (“VIE”) in accordance with ASC 810-10-15-14(a) and is subject to potential consolidation under the VIE model. However, all activities that most significantly impact Tisento Parent and its subsidiary’s economic performance are directed by the Tisento Parent board and the board approves decisions by a simple majority. Based on the board composition, the Company determined that no one party has control over the Tisento Parent board and power is not shared because the activities that most significantly affect Tisento Parent and its subsidiary’s economic performance do not require the consent of all of the parties. Rather, all decisions are made by a simple majority vote of the Tisento Parent board. Therefore, because the Company controls no director of Tisento Parent, the Company cannot unilaterally direct any of the activities that most significantly impact Tisento Parent and its subsidiary’s economic performance. Accordingly, the Company does not hold a controlling financial interest in Tisento Parent. Because both criteria (a) and (b) above have to be met for the application of the guidance in ASC 810-10-25-44B and criteria (a) has not been met, the Company concluded that it should not consolidate Tisento under the VIE model.

Accordingly, the Company has accounted for the investment as a financial instrument without a readily determinable fair value. Such investment is recorded using the measurement alternative for investments without readily determinable fair values, whereby the investment is measured at cost less any impairment recorded or adjustments for observable price changes. An impairment loss is recognized in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss equal to the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the investment. As of March 31, 2025, no impairment loss was recognized. The Company considers the cost of the investment to be the maximum exposure to loss as a result of its involvement with the non-affiliated entity.

5. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment, net consisted of the following (in thousands):

During the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company didnot record depreciation and amortization expenses.

6. Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):

7. Commitments and Contingencies

Other Funding Commitments

In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts with clinical research organizations and other third parties for clinical and preclinical research studies and other services and products for operating purposes. These contracts are generally cancellable, with notice, at the Company’s option and do not have any significant cancellation penalties.

Indemnification Obligations

On September 6, 2018, Cyclerion was incorporated in Massachusetts and its officers and directors are indemnified for certain events or occurrences while they are serving in such capacity.

The Company enters into certain agreements with other parties in the ordinary course of business that contain indemnification provisions. These typically include agreements with directors and officers, business partners, contractors, clinical sites and customers. Under these provisions, the Company generally indemnifies and holds harmless the indemnified party for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified party as a result of the Company’s activities. These indemnification provisions generally survive termination of the underlying agreements. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is unlimited. However, to date the Company has not incurred material costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification provisions. As a result, the estimated fair value of these obligations is minimal. Accordingly, the Company did not have any liabilities recorded for these obligations as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.

Separation Benefits

As part of the separation benefit of the former Chief Financial Officer, the Company paid $0.1 million each in May 2024 and August 2024, as the former Chief Financial Officer had not secured full-time employment prior to the six-month anniversary and nine-month anniversary of November 15, 2023, her last day of employment with the Company. The Company hasno further separation benefits obligation to this former employee as of March 31, 2025.

8. Share-based Compensation Plans

In 2019, Cyclerion adopted share-based compensation plans. Specifically, Cyclerion adopted the 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“2019 ESPP”) and the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (“2019 Equity Plan”). Under the 2019 ESPP, eligible employees may use payroll deductions to purchase shares of stock in offerings under the plan, and thereby acquire an interest in the future of the Company. The 2019 Equity Plan provides for stock options, restricted stock awards ("RSAs") and restricted stock units (“RSUs”).

Cyclerion also mirrored two of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Ironwood") existing plans, the Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Incentive Plan (“2005 Equity Plan”) and the Amended and Restated 2010 Employee, Director and Consultant Equity Incentive Plan (“2010 Equity Plan"). These mirror plans were adopted to facilitate the exchange of Ironwood equity awards for Cyclerion equity awards upon the Separation as part of the equity conversion. As a result of the Separation and in accordance with the EMA, employees of both companies retained their existing Ironwood vested options and received a pro-rata share of Cyclerion options, regardless of which company employed them post-Separation. For employees that were ultimately employed by Cyclerion, unvested Ironwood options and RSUs were converted to unvested Cyclerion options and RSUs.

The following table provides share-based compensation reflected in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for thethree months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands):

Stock Options

Stock options granted under the Company’s equity plans generally have a ten-year term and vest over a period of four years, provided the individual continues to serve at the Company through the vesting dates. Options granted under all equity plans are exercisable at a price per share not less than the fair market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant. The estimated fair value of options, including the effect of estimated forfeitures, is recognized over the requisite service period, which is typically the vesting period of each option.

A summary of stock option activity for thethree months ended March 31, 2025, is as follows:

There wereno options exercised during thethree months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. As of March 31, 2025, the unrecognized share-based compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, related to all unvested time-based stock options is $0.3 million and the weighted average period over which that expense is expected to be recognized is 3.56 years.

The Company has granted certain former employees performance-based options to purchase shares of common stock. These options are subject to performance-based milestone vesting. During the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, there wereno shares that vested as a result of performance milestone achievements. No share-based compensation expense related to these performance-based options was recognized during thethree months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Restricted Stock Awards

No RSA was granted during thethree months ended March 31, 2025. The Company granted 65,000 RSAs during thethree months ended March 31, 2024. The fair value of all RSAs is based on the market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. Compensation expense, including the effect of estimated forfeitures, is recognized over the applicable service period.

A summary of RSA activity for thethree months ended March 31, 2025 is as follows:

As of March 31, 2025, the unrecognized share-based compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, related to all unvested RSAs is $0.3 million and the weighted average period over which that expense is expected to be recognized is 2.43 years.

9. Loss per share

Basic and diluted net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period as follows:

The Company excludes shares of common stock related to Preferred Stock, stock options and RSAs from the calculation of diluted net loss per share since the inclusion of such shares would be anti-dilutive. The following table sets forth potential shares that were considered anti-dilutive for thethree months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024:

10. Option/License Agreement

Option Agreement

On July 22, 2024, the Company entered into an Option to License Agreement (the “Option Agreement”) with a third party (the “Optionee”), pursuant to which the optionee has an option (the “Option”), to enter into an exclusive license to olinciguat for human therapeutics, subject to certain carveouts. Under the terms of the Option Agreement, the Optionee paid the Company an Option fee of $150,000 in August 2024. The Optionee originally could exercise the Option on or before March 20, 2025, which may be extended for an additional two-month period for an additional fee of $25,000. The Option Period was extended for two months by the Optionee and now expires in May 2025. If the Optionee exercises the Option during the Option Period, the Parties shall promptly commence negotiations of the definitive license agreement. The terms of the license agreement will be negotiated in good faith within a period not to exceed 90 days after the date of exercise of the Option. If the parties cannot reach agreement, all rights revert to the Company. In addition, the Optionee has agreed to reimburse the Company for certain patent expenses incurred during the Option period. The Company recognized revenue of $0.1 million related to the extension fee payment and expense reimbursement for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

Akebia License Agreement

On June 3, 2021, the Company and Akebia entered into a License Agreement (the “Akebia License Agreement”) relating to the exclusive worldwide license by the Company to Akebia of its rights to the development, manufacture, medical affairs and commercialization of pharmaceutical products containing the pharmaceutical compound known as praliciguat and other related products and forms thereof enumerated in the License Agreement (collectively, the “Products”). Pursuant to the Akebia License Agreement, Akebia will be responsible for all future research, development, regulatory, and commercialization activities for the Products.

Akebia paid a $3.0 million up-front payment to the Company upon signing of the License Agreement. On December 13, 2024, the Company and Akebia entered into Amendment #1 to the License Agreement (the “Amendment”) to the original License Agreement between the parties dated June 3, 2021.

Under the terms of the Amendment, Akebia paid the Company $1.25 million in December 2024 and is obligated to pay an additional $0.5 million on or before September 30, 2025. In addition, Akebia has agreed to assume control of the preparation, filing, prosecution and maintenance of certain Cyclerion patents, and the expenses associated therewith, at an earlier date than as originally agreed between the parties. The parties have agreed to the reduction of certain development milestones and the increase of certain royalty rates on net sales and sublicense income. Pursuant to the terms of the Akebia License Agreement, as amended, Cyclerion is eligible to receive up to $558.5 million in total potential future development, regulatory, and commercialization milestone payments, and Akebia will pay Cyclerion tiered royalties ranging from mid-single digit to twenty percent of net sales. Cyclerion’s obligations to deliver certain drug products have also ceased.

Pursuant to the Akebia License Agreement, the Company determined the Akebia License Agreement represents a service arrangement under the scope of ASC 606. Given the reversion of the rights under the Akebia License Agreement represents a penalty in substance for a termination by Akebia, the contract term would be the stated term of the License Agreement.

The Company determined that the grant of license to its patents and trademarks, know how transfer, the assignment of regulatory submissions and trademarks and additional knowledge transfer assistance obligations represent a single promise and performance obligation to be transferred to Akebia over time due to the nature of the promises in the contract. The provision of development materials on hand was identified as a separate performance obligation. However, it is immaterial in the context of the contract as the development materials are low value and do not have an alternative use to the Company.

The consideration related to sales-based milestone payments, including royalties, will be recognized when the related sales occur as these amounts have been determined to relate predominantly to the license. The Company will re-evaluate the probability of achievement of the milestones and any related constraints each reporting period.

11. Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated all events and transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date through the date the consolidated financial statements were issued and determined that there were no such events requiring recognition or disclosure in the condensed consolidated financial statements.