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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”).

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Reclassification

Certain prior year footnote amounts have been updated for consistency with the current year presentation. Such reclassification has no effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Foreign Currencies

Certain transactions during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Gains and losses from foreign currency transactions were not material for all periods presented and are reflected in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss as a component of other expenses, net. The Company’s subsidiary in Lithuania uses the Euro as its functional currency for financial reporting. The re-measurement from Euros to U.S. dollars results in translation gain and loss adjustments, which are reflected as a component of comprehensive loss as foreign currency translation adjustments.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions made in the accompanying consolidated financial statements include but are not limited to the fair value of stock options and certain accrued expenses. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair Value Measurements

Financial assets and liabilities are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis in the balance sheets. The carrying values of Company’s financial assets and liabilities, including cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, prepaid and other current assets, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate to their fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the reporting date. Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value. Hierarchical levels are directly related to the amount of subjectivity with the inputs to the valuation of these assets or liabilities as follows:

Level 1—Observable inputs such as unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date;

Level 2—Inputs (other than quoted prices included in Level 1) are either directly or indirectly observable inputs for similar assets or liabilities. These include quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active;

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.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. Bank deposits are held by accredited financial institutions and these deposits may at times be in excess of insured limits. The Company limits its credit risk associated with cash and cash equivalents by placing them with financial institutions that it believes are of high quality. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash or cash equivalents.

Other Risks and Uncertainties

The Company’s future results of operations involve a number of other risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results and cause actual results to vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, the Company’s early stages of clinical drug development; the Company’s ability to advance product candidates into, and successfully complete, clinical trials on the timelines it projects; the Company’s ability to adequately demonstrate sufficient safety and efficacy of its product candidates; the Company’s ability to enroll patients in its ongoing and future clinical trials; the Company’s ability to successfully manufacture and supply its product candidates for clinical trials; the Company’s ability to obtain additional capital to finance its operations; uncertainties related to the projections of the size of patient populations suffering from the diseases the Company is targeting; the Company’s ability to obtain, maintain, and protect its intellectual property rights; developments relating to the Company’s competitors and its industry, including competing product candidates and therapies; general economic and market conditions; and other risks and uncertainties.

The Company’s product candidates will require approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and comparable foreign regulatory agencies prior to commercial sales in their respective jurisdictions. There can be no assurance that any product candidates will receive the necessary approvals. If the Company was denied approval, approval was delayed or the Company was unable to maintain approval for any product candidate, it could have a materially adverse impact on the Company.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and may continue to disrupt the Company’s business and delay its preclinical and clinical programs and timelines. The Company does not yet know the full extent of potential delays to clinical trials, which could prevent or delay the Company from obtaining approval for BIO89-100. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact the Company’s future operating results and financial condition is uncertain.

Segment Reporting

The Company has one operating segment. The Company’s chief operating decision maker, its Chief Executive Officer, manages the Company’s operations on a consolidated basis for the purposes of allocating resources and evaluating financial performance.

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with original maturities of three months or less from the purchase date to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist primarily of amounts invested in money market funds and commercial paper that are stated at fair value.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash consists of a money market account that serves as collateral for the Company’s operating lease agreement for its facility in Israel.

Investments

Investments have been classified as available-for-sale and are carried at estimated fair value as determined based upon quoted market prices or pricing models for similar securities. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt securities at the time of purchase. Generally, investments with original maturities beyond three months at the date of purchase are classified as short-term because it is management’s intent to use the investments to fund current operations or to make them available for current operations.

Unrealized gains and losses are excluded from earnings and are reported as a component of comprehensive loss. The Company periodically evaluates whether declines in fair values of its available-for-sale securities below their book value are other-than-temporary. This evaluation consists of several qualitative and quantitative factors regarding the severity and duration of the unrealized loss as well as the Company’s ability and intent to hold the available-for-sale security until a forecasted recovery occurs. Additionally, the Company assesses whether it has plans to sell the security or it is more likely than not it will be required to sell any available-for-sale securities before recovery of its amortized cost basis. Realized gains and losses and declines in fair value judged to be other than temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in other expenses, net. The cost of investments sold is based on the specific-identification method. There are no material realized gains or losses on investments for the periods presented. Interest on available-for-sale securities is included in other expenses, net and is not material for all periods presented.

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, generally ranging from three to seven years. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the assets’ estimated useful life or the remaining term of the lease. Upon retirement or sale of the assets, the cost and related accumulated depreciation and amortization are removed from the consolidated balance sheets and the resulting gains or losses are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Maintenance and repair costs are expensed as incurred.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company periodically evaluates its long-lived assets, including property and equipment, for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets or group of assets may not be fully recoverable. If indicators of impairment exist and the undiscounted future cash flows that the assets are expected to generate are less than the carrying value of the assets, the Company reduces the carrying amount of the assets through an impairment charge, to their estimated fair values based on a discounted cash flow approach or, when available and appropriate, to comparable market values. There were no such indicators for the periods presented.

Accrued Research and Development Expenses

The Company estimates preclinical and clinical study and research expenses based on the services performed, pursuant to contracts with research institutions that conduct and manage preclinical and clinical studies and research services on its behalf. The Company records the costs of research and development activities based upon the estimated amount of services provided but not yet invoiced and includes these costs in accrued expenses in the consolidated balance sheets. These costs are a component of the Company’s research and development expenses.

The Company accrues for these costs based on factors such as estimates of the work completed and in accordance with agreements established with its third-party service providers under the service agreements. The Company makes judgments and estimates in determining the accrued expenses balance. As actual costs become known, the Company adjusts its accrued expenses. The Company has not experienced any material differences between accrued costs and actual costs incurred. However, the status and timing of actual services performed may vary from the Company’s estimates, resulting in adjustments to expense in future periods. Changes in these estimates that result in material changes to the Company’s accrued expenses could materially affect the Company’s results of operations. Contingent milestone payments, if any, are expensed when the milestone results are probable and estimable, which is generally upon achievement of the milestone.

Leases

The Company leases its office facilities under non-cancelable operating lease agreements and recognizes related rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

Convertible Preferred Stock Liability

The freestanding instruments related to the commitment by the Series A convertible preferred stockholders to purchase and by the Company to sell its Series A convertible preferred stock in subsequent closings, contingent upon the achievement of certain developmental milestones and approval by the board of directors, at a fixed price per stock, were considered a liability (or an asset), measured at fair value as the shares underlying the rights contained liquidation preferences upon certain “deemed liquidation events” that were not solely within the Company’s control and which were considered in-substance contingent redemption features. The instruments were subject to revaluation at each balance sheet date until settlement or extinguishment, with revaluations recognized as either a component of other expenses, net in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, or additional paid-in capital in the consolidated balance sheets. Upon the completion of the Company’s IPO, the remaining shares of convertible preferred stock that were previously issuable under subsequent closings were no longer issuable. Accordingly, the preferred stock liability was extinguished and because the transaction occurred between related parties, the resulting $25.6 million was accounted for as a capital contribution by the preferred stockholders.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for the development of the Company’s lead product candidate, BIO89-100. Research and development expenses consist primarily of external costs related to acquiring and licensing patents and intellectual properties, preclinical and clinical development and related supplies, and personnel costs. Personnel costs consist of salaries, employee benefits and share-based compensation for individuals involved in research and development efforts. Payments associated with licensing agreements to acquire licenses to develop, use, manufacture and commercialize products that have not reached technological feasibility and do not have alternate commercial use are expensed as incurred.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company measures its share-based payment awards made to employees, directors, and non-employee service providers based on estimated fair values and recognizes compensation over the requisite service period.

The Company estimates the fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company recognizes compensation for the value of share-based payment awards, which have graded vesting, using the straight-line method over the requisite service period of each award. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur.

The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires a number of assumptions, of which the most significant are expected volatility, expected option term (the time from the grant date until the options are exercised or expire), risk-free rate, and expected divided rate. These assumptions include:

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Expected volatility—Since the Company has limited trading history for its common stock due to its short trading history, the expected volatility is estimated based on the volatility of comparable publicly traded biotechnology companies during the equivalent period of the calculated expected term of the options granted. The comparable companies were chosen based on their similar size, stage in the life cycle or area of specialty.

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Expected term—The expected term of options granted to employees and directors is determined using the “simplified” method. Under this approach, the expected term is presumed to be the midpoint between the weighted-average vesting term and the contractual term of the option. The simplified method makes the assumption that the employee will exercise share options evenly over the period when the share options are vested and ending on the date when the share options would expire. The expected option term for options granted to non-employees is estimated on a grant-by-grant basis.

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Risk-free interest rate—The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds in effect on the grant date for periods with an equivalent expected term as the option.

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Expected dividend—The Company has never paid dividends and has no foreseeable plans to pay dividends on its shares of common stock. Therefore, an expected dividend of zero is used.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the consolidated financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates applied to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be realized. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized as income or loss in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are included within the provision of income tax.

Basic and Diluted Net Loss per Share

Basic loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of common stock outstanding together with the number of additional common stock that would have been outstanding if all potentially dilutive common stock had been issued. Since the Company is in a loss position for the periods presented, basic net loss per share is the same as diluted net loss per share since the effects of potentially dilutive securities are antidilutive.

Comprehensive Loss

The Company’s comprehensive loss is comprised of changes in unrealized gains or losses on available-for-sale securities and foreign currency translation adjustments.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-13, Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which amends ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. This ASU modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by removing, modifying, or adding certain disclosures. The Company adopted this standard effective from January 1, 2020, with the removed and modified disclosures adopted on a retrospective basis and the new disclosures adopted on a prospective basis. The standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02—Leases (“ASU 2016-02”), requiring the recognition of lease assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. The standard: (a) clarifies the definition of a lease; (b) requires a dual approach to lease classification similar to current lease classifications; and (c) causes lessees to recognize leases on the balance sheet as a lease liability with a corresponding right-of-use asset for leases with a lease-term of more than twelve months. The standard is effective for public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for nonpublic entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. As an emerging growth company, ASU 2016-02 is effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2022 and interim periods within the year ending December 31, 2023. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.