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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The significant accounting policies adopted by the Company in the preparation of these consolidated financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all the years presented, unless otherwise stated.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts of Summit Therapeutics Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Foreign Currency Translation

The financial statements of the Company’s subsidiaries with functional currencies other than the United States (U.S.) dollar are translated into U.S. dollars using period-end exchange rates for assets and liabilities, historical exchange rates for stockholders’ equity and weighted average exchange rates for operating results. Translation gains and losses are included in
accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income in shareholders’ equity. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in other expense, net in the results of operations. The Company recorded realized and unrealized foreign currency transaction gains (losses) of $613 and ($4,109) for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which is included in other expense, net in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss.


Other Operating Income

The Company generates income from government contracts that reimburse the Company for certain allowable costs for funded projects. For contracts with government agencies where the funding arrangement is considered central to the Company’s ongoing operations, the Company classifies the recognized funding received as other operating income.
Income from government grants is recognized as the qualifying expenses related to the contracts are incurred, provided that there is reasonable assurance of recoverability. If the government agency approves the project proposed by the Company, the government agency funds the project upon receipt of the support for the costs incurred up to the contract limit. Income recognized upon incurring qualifying expenses in advance of billing is recorded as unbilled receivable, a component of other current assets, in the consolidated balance sheet.
Grant income is not recognized as deductions of research and development costs because the Company acts as the principal in conducting the research and development activities and these contracts are central to its ongoing operations. The funds received through these means are held as deferred income in the consolidated balance sheets and are released to the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss, classified as other operating income, as the underlying expenditure is incurred and to the extent the conditions of the grant are met. The related costs incurred by the Company are included in research and development expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
The Company benefits from two U.K. research and development (“R&D”) tax credit cash rebate regimes: Small and Medium Enterprise (“SME”) Program and the Research and Development Expenditure Credit (“RDEC”) Program. Each reporting period, management evaluates which tax relief programs the Company is expected to be eligible for and records as other operating income the portion of the expense that it expects to qualify under the programs, that it plans to submit a claim for, and it has reasonable assurance that the amount will ultimately be realized. Based on criteria established by HM Revenue and Customs (“HMRC”), management of the Company expects a proportion of expenditures being undertaken in relation to its pipeline research, clinical trials management and manufacturing development activities to be eligible for the research and development tax relief programs for the year ended December 31, 2023. Qualifying expenditures largely comprise of employment costs for research staff, consumables, a proportion of relevant, permitted sub-contract costs and certain internal overhead costs incurred as part of research projects for which the Company does not receive commercial or other funding income. Credits related to the SME and RDEC Programs are recorded as other operating income in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive (loss)/income. Under the SME scheme, the Company receives cash rebate payments of up to 33.3% up to March 31, 2023 and 18.6% from April 1, 2023 of eligible research and development expenditures, and under the RDEC scheme the Company receives cash rebate payments of up to 10.53% up to March 31, 2023 and 15% from April 1, 2023 of eligible research and development expenditure, and these payments are not dependent on the Company’s pre-tax net income levels. The Company has qualified under the more favorable SME regime and expects such elements of expenditures will also continue to be eligible for the SME regime for future periods.

Net Loss Per Share

Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the diluted net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period, including potentially dilutive common shares. The dilutive effect of share options and warrants are determined under the treasury stock method using the average market price for the period. In addition, the assumed proceeds under the treasury stock method include the average unrecognized compensation expense of stock options and warrants that are in-the-money.
Business Combinations

Business combinations are accounted for under the acquisition method. Acquired assets and assumed liabilities are measured at their fair values at the acquisition date. The excess of the consideration transferred over the net fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. The accounting for an acquisition involves a considerable amount of judgement and estimation. Cost, income, market or a combination of approaches may be used to establish the fair value of consideration exchanged, assets acquired, and liabilities assumed, depending on the nature of those items. The valuation approach is determined in accordance with generally accepted valuation methods. Key areas of estimation and judgment may include the selection of valuation approaches, cost of capital, market characteristics, cost structure, impacts of synergies, and estimates of terminal value, among other factors.

While the Company uses estimates and assumptions as part of the purchase price allocation process to estimate the value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. During the measurement period, which maybe up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with a corresponding offset to goodwill, to the extent that adjustments are identified to the preliminary purchase price allocation. Upon conclusion of the measurement period, or final determination of the value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to results of operations. Results of operations related to business combinations are included prospectively beginning with the date of acquisition and transaction costs related to business combinations are recorded within general and administrative expenses.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the fair value of net assets acquired. Goodwill is assigned to reporting units at the time of acquisition or when there is a change in the reporting structure and bases that allocation on which reporting units will benefit from the acquired assets and liabilities. Reporting units are defined as operating segments or one level below an operating segment, referred to as a component. Typically acquisitions related to a single reporting unit do not require the allocation of goodwill to multiple reporting units. If the products obtained in an acquisition are assigned to multiple reporting units, the goodwill is distributed to the respective reporting units as part of the purchase price allocation process.

The Company assesses goodwill for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently when events and circumstances occur indicating that the recorded goodwill may be impaired. The Company regularly monitors current business conditions and other factors including, but not limited to, adverse industry or economic trends and lower projections of profitability that may impact future operating results. The process of evaluating the potential impairment of goodwill requires significant judgment. In performing the Company’s annual goodwill impairment test, the Company is permitted to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the Company’s reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. In performing the qualitative assessment, the Company considers certain events and circumstances specific to the reporting unit and to the entity as a whole, such as macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, overall financial performance and cost factors when evaluating whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The Company is also permitted to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to the quantitative test. If the Company chooses to undertake the qualitative assessment and concludes that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the Company would then proceed to the quantitative impairment test. In the quantitative assessment, the Company compares the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying amount, which includes goodwill. If the fair value exceeds the carrying value, no impairment loss exists. If the fair value is less than the carrying amount, a goodwill impairment loss is measured and recorded.

The Company assesses goodwill for impairment on an annual basis as of December 31 or more frequently when events and circumstances occur indicating that recorded goodwill may be impaired.


Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Cost is comprised of the purchase price plus any incidental costs of acquisition and commissioning.
Depreciation is calculated based on cost, less residual value, in equal annual installments over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The residual value, if significant, is reassessed annually.
Laboratory equipment
2 - 10 years
Furniture and fixtures, office equipment and software
3 - 5 years
Leasehold improvements
Over the shorter of the assets useful life or the remaining lease term
Depreciation is recognized as part of the general and administrative and research and development expense lines shown on the face of the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss depending on the nature of the underlying assets.

Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Upon retirement or sale, the cost of assets disposed of and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is included in loss from operations.

Leases

The Company has operating leases for real estate. The Company does not have any finance leases. Under ASC 842, a contract is or contains a lease when the lessee has the right to control the use of an identified asset. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception of the contract, which is the date on which the terms of the contract are agreed to and the agreement creates enforceable rights and obligations. The lease term used to calculate the lease liability include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised.
At the lease commencement date, the Company measures and recognizes a lease liability and a right-of-use asset in the financial statements. Lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. The right-of use asset is measured by taking the present value of future lease payments, plus any incremental direct costs incurred, less any lease incentives received. As most of the Companys leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses an estimated incremental borrowing rate based on the lease term and the economic environment of the lease at the lease commencement date, which is then utilized to determine the present value of future lease payments. Lease expense for minimum lease payments are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term, with variable lease payments recognized in the periods in which they are incurred.
The Company has existing lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, has elected to account for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component, and has allocated all of the contract consideration to the lease component only.

Leases with an initial lease term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. The Company recognizes lease expense for its short-term leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Acquired In-Process Research and Development

The Company may enter into agreements with collaboration partners for the development and commercialization of its products. These arrangements may include payments contingent on the occurrence of certain events such as development, regulatory or sales-based milestones. The Company considers the unique nature, terms and facts and circumstances of each transaction. The Company considers whether or not the assets acquired have a future alternative use.

The fair value associated with acquired in-process research and development which does not have an alternative future use is expensed and is recorded as research and development expense. Any development or commercial milestone payments are recognized when the achievement of the associated milestone becomes probable and will either be expensed or capitalized depending upon whether or not regulatory approval has been obtained.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred to discover, research and develop product candidates, including personnel expenses, stock-based compensation expense, allocated facility-related and depreciation expenses, third-party license fees and external costs of outside vendors engaged to conduct
preclinical and clinical development activities and clinical trials as well as to manufacture clinical trial materials. Non-refundable prepayments for goods or services that will be used or rendered for future research and development activities are recorded as prepaid expenses. Such amounts are recognized as an expense as the goods are delivered or the related services are performed, or until it is no longer expected that the goods will be delivered, or the services rendered. Milestone and other payments made to third-parties with respect to in-process research and development, in accordance with the Company’s license, acquisition and other similar agreements are expensed when determined to be probable and estimable.

The Company has entered into various research and development contracts with other companies. These agreements are generally cancellable, and related payments are recorded as research and development expenses as incurred. The Company records accruals for estimated ongoing research and development costs or prepaid expenses where the payments made exceeds the estimated costs. When evaluating the adequacy of these balances, the Company analyzes progress of the studies, including the estimated costs to complete each study or activity, the estimation of the current stage of completion and the invoices received, as well as predetermined milestones which are not reflective of the current stage of development for prepaid expenses. Actual results could differ from the Company’s estimates. In all cases, the full cost of each study or activity is expensed by the time the final report or where applicable, product, has been received. The Company’s historical estimates have not been materially different from the actual costs.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for all stock option and restricted stock unit awards based on the estimated fair value of the award on the grant date. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock option awards. Additionally, the Company uses a Monte Carlo simulation model to calculate the estimated fair value on the date of grant related to awards with market-based service conditions. The fair value is recognized as expense, over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award, on a straight-line basis for each separately vesting portion of the award when the only condition to vesting is continued service. If vesting is subject to a market or performance condition, recognition is based on the derived service period of the award. Expense for awards with performance conditions is estimated and adjusted on a quarterly basis based upon the assessment of the probability that the performance condition will be met. Use of the Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires management to apply judgment under highly subjective assumptions. These assumptions include:
Expected term—The expected term of stock options represents the weighted-average period the stock options are expected to be outstanding. The Company uses the simplified method for estimating the expected term as provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The simplified method calculates the expected term as the average of the time-to-vesting and the contractual life of the options.
Expected volatility—The expected volatility is calculated based on historical volatility of the Companys share price.
Risk-free interest rate—The risk-free rate assumption is based on the U.S. Treasury instruments, the terms of which were consistent with the expected term of the Company’s stock options.
Expected dividend—The expected dividend assumption is based on the Company’s history and expectation of dividend payouts. The Company has not paid and does not intend to pay dividends.

The Company estimates expected forfeitures at the time of grant instead of accounting for forfeitures as they occur. Stock option and restricted stock unit awards have been granted at fair value to non-employees in connection with research and consulting services provided to the Company. Equity awards generally vest over terms of 3 or 4 years.

The Company classifies stock-based compensation expense in the consolidated statements of operations in the same manner in which the award recipient’s payroll costs are classified.

Income Taxes
The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach. Tax laws may require items to be included in tax filings at different times than the items are reflected in the financial statements. A current asset or liability is recognized for the estimated taxes receivable or payable for the current year. Deferred taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid. Deferred taxes are initially recognized at enacted tax rates in force at the time of initial recognition and are subsequently adjusted for any enacted changes in tax rates
and tax laws. Subsequent changes to deferred taxes originally recognized in equity are recognized in income. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. The Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets in excess of its deferred tax liabilities, as the deferred tax liability represents future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences. The Company records interest and penalties related to income tax matters as part of income tax expense.

The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes by applying a two-step process to determine the amount of tax benefit to be recognized. First, the tax position must be evaluated to determine the likelihood that it will be sustained upon external examination by the taxing authorities. If the tax position is deemed more-likely-than-not to be sustained, the tax position is then assessed as the amount of benefit to recognize in the consolidated financial statements. The amount of benefits that may be used is the largest amount that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The provision for income taxes includes the effects of any resulting tax reserves, or unrecognized tax benefits, that are considered appropriate, as well as the related net interest and penalties. At December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company had unrecognized tax positions of $1,064 and $0, respectively. Due to the Companys full valuation allowance, the unrecognized tax benefits would not materially impact the Companys effective tax rate when recognized. The Company does not anticipate the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits to significantly increase or decrease in the next 12 months. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as part of its income tax provision. For the years ended December 31, 2023and 2022, the Company had no interest or penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits.


Concentration of Credit Risk and of Significant Supplier

Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of short-term cash deposits and accounts and other receivables. The Company’s cash is comprised of short-term cash deposits at a variety of financial institutions with strong credit ratings in amounts that may exceed federally insured limits and has not experienced any losses on such accounts. Cash balances maintained during the year have been principally held with reputable U.K.-based and U.S.-based banks. The Company does not believe it is exposed to any unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships.

The Company maintains deposits in accredited financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company deposits its cash in financial institutions that it believes have high credit quality and has not experienced any losses on such accounts and does not believe it is exposed to any unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships.

The credit risk with respect to customers and funding bodies is limited as the Company has only a small number of these arrangements.

The Company relies, and expects to continue to rely, on a number of vendors to conduct its clinical trials and preclinical studies, manufacture drug product and supply clinical trial and preclinical study materials for its development programs. These programs could be adversely affected by a significant interruption in these services or the availability of materials.

Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with the provisions of fair value accounting, a fair value measurement assumes that the transaction to sell an asset or transfer a liability occurs in the principal market for the asset or liability or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the asset or liability and defines fair value based on the exit price model.

The fair value measurement guidance establishes a fair value hierarchy, which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The guidance describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date. Active markets are those in which transactions for the asset or liability occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

Level 2
Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Level 2 assets and liabilities include debt securities with quoted prices that are traded less frequently than exchange-traded instruments or securities or derivative contracts that are valued using a pricing model with inputs that are observable in the market or can be derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data.

Level 3
Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques, as well as instruments for which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.

In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the Company categorizes such assets and liabilities based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to the asset.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers only those investments that are highly liquid, readily convertible to cash and that mature within 90 days or less from date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, cash equivalents were comprised of a money market funds and U.S. treasury securities with maturities less than 90 days from the date of purchase.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash of $300,000 as of December 31, 2022, represents amounts which are legally restricted to withdrawal or usage and is presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as restricted cash. On December 15, 2022, the Company transferred $300,000 into an escrow fund reserved for the Companys initial upfront payment to Akeso in connection with the License Agreement, as described further in Note 6. Following the Antitrust Clearance Date, on January 17, 2023, the License Agreement closed and Akeso was issued 10,000,000 shares of Company common stock pursuant to the Common Stock Issuance Agreement and was paid $274,900 in cash as initial upfront payment. The remaining amounts in escrow were returned to the Companys operating cash accounts.

Assumed Contingent Liabilities

As part of the acquisition of Discuva Limited in December 2017, the Company assumed certain contingent liabilities as certain employees, former employees and former directors of Discuva Limited are eligible for payments from Discuva Limited based on specified development and clinical milestones related to proprietary product candidates developed under the Discuva Platform. The timing of these potential payments is uncertain. The fair value of the assumed contingent liability was estimated using the expected value of the payments. The assumed contingent liabilities are subsequently measured at amortized cost using discounted cash flow models which calculate the risk adjusted net present values of estimated potential future cash flows of the payments. The assumed contingent liabilities are remeasured when there is a specific significant event that provides evidence of a significant change in the probability of successful development and clinical milestones being achieved. The models will be updated for changes in the probability of successful development and clinical milestones being achieved and other associated assumptions with the discount factor remaining unchanged within the model. A discount factor of 13% has been used to discount the contingent liabilities back to net present value. This discount factor has been calculated using appropriate measures and rates which could have been obtained in the period that the contingent liabilities were assumed. Accretion of the discount
factor and gains or losses upon remeasurement are recognized as part of operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Warrants

Warrants issued by the Company are recognized and classified as equity when, upon exercise, the Company would issue a fixed amount of its own equity instruments (common stock) in exchange for a fixed amount of cash or another financial asset.

Consideration received, net of incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of such new warrants, is shown in equity. Such warrants are not remeasured at fair value in subsequent reporting periods.

Warrants issued in which external services are received as consideration for equity instruments of the company should be measured at the fair value of the goods or services received. Only if the fair value of the services cannot be measured reliably would the fair value of the equity instruments granted be used. The fair value for the warrants is calculated using the Black-Scholes formula and recorded in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss on a straight-line basis over the period of the consulting services. If the services are terminated prior to the end of the consultancy agreement, the warrants cease vesting and any unvested portion of the warrants will lapse immediately.
The warrants in issue are classified within stockholders’ equity as they are indexed to the Companys own shares of common stock and require settlement in its shares of common stocks with no provision for any cash settlement.