The Company maintains employment agreements with several key executive employees. The agreements may be terminated at any time by the Company with or without cause upon written notice to the employee, and entitle the employee to wages in lieu of notice for periods not exceeding one calendar year from date of termination without cause or by the employee for good reason. Certain of these agreements also provide for payments to be made under certain conditions related to a change in control of the Company.

In December 2022, the Company's Board of Directors approved retention bonuses for certain employees, subject to continued employment with the Company through the earlier of a change in control of the Company or certain clinical development decisions totaling $265,000. In November 2023, the retention bonuses were amended to increase the aggregate amount of the retention bonus by 50% and in order to assist with tax obligations associated with the vesting of certain Company restricted stock unit awards in December 2023, a total of $86,000 was paid in December 2023. As of December 31, 2023, the unpaid retention bonuses totaled $311,000, none of which was accrued as of December 31, 2023, since there had not been a change in control or clinical development decision.

The Company and Christopher D. Ozeroff, the Secretary, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of ARCA mutually agreed to conclude Mr. Ozeroff’s employment effective March 31, 2023. Pursuant to Mr. Ozeroff's existing employment agreement, as previously amended, ARCA will provide Mr. Ozeroff severance benefits pursuant to the terms of his existing employment agreement with the Company, as previously amended. The severance benefits include severance payments and reimbursement to cover out-of-pocket costs to continue group health insurance benefits under COBRA, whether he elects or is eligible to receive COBRA (provided, that even if he does not elect or is not eligible to receive COBRA, he will receive the equivalent of such out-of-pocket expenses paid by him not to exceed the costs that the benefits would equal under COBRA if he were so eligible). During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded an expense of $159,000 for these severance benefits, none of which remains unpaid.

In 2022, the Company implemented a strategic reduction of the workforce by approximately 67%, or 12 employees. Personnel reductions were primarily focused in research and development and general and administrative functions. The restructuring was a result of the Company’s decision to manage operating costs and expenses. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded total restructuring charges of approximately $755,000, of which $470,000 and $285,000 were recognized in research and

development and general and administrative expenses, respectively, in connection with the restructuring, all in the form of one-time termination benefits, none of which remains unpaid.

On August 29, 2020 the Company entered into a lease agreement for approximately 5,200 square feet of office facilities in Westminster, Colorado which serves as the Company’s primary business office effective October 1, 2020 (October 2020 Lease). The lease term is 42 months beginning October 1, 2020 and includes an option to renew for an additional 36 month term at the then prevailing rental rate. The exercise of the lease renewal option is at the Company’s sole discretion. The amounts recorded assume the Company will exercise its renewal option. In June 2021, the Company entered into a sublease agreement for approximately 3,000 square feet of additional office facilities in the Company’s primary business office (2021 Lease). The sublease term was 29 months and terminated in October 2023. The leases include real estate taxes and insurance, which is not a lease component and is not included in the lease obligation. In addition, common area maintenance charges are based on actual costs incurred and are a non-lease component that is not included in the lease obligation.

Future minimum commitments due under the October 2020 Lease agreement as of December 31, 2023 are as follows (in thousands):


2024	$	93
2025		96
2026		100
2027		25
Total remaining lease payments		314
Less: imputed lease interest		(34	)
Less: Current portion		(76	)
Operating lease liability, net of current portion	$	204

Rent expense, which is included in general and administrative expense, under these leases for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $119,000 and $125,000, respectively.

As of December 31, 2023, the lease liability was $280,000 and the current portion is included in accrued expenses and other liabilities and the non-current portion is in operating lease liability, net of current portion in the accompanying balance sheet. Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities and the operating cash flows from operating leases for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $127,000 and $131,000, respectively. The weighted-average remaining lease term for the operating lease as of December 31, 2023 is 3.2 years. The weighted-average discount rate for the operating lease is 7%.

In July 2021, the Company entered into a patent assignment agreement (the Agreement) with the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany.

Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company received exclusive world-wide patent rights relating to the use of rNAPc2 as a potential treatment for COVID-19, and other indications, based on the research and discoveries from Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfram Ruf, the Scientific Director and Alexander von Humboldt Professor at the Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis (CTH) of the University Medical Center Mainz, and his collaborators. The Company has upfront and potential milestone obligations to the University Medical Center Mainz that could total approximately €1.6 million and royalty obligations in the low single digit range, if rNAPc2 receives regulatory approval and is commercialized. The term of the Agreement extends to the date of expiration of the last to expire of any of the assigned patents.

ARCA has licensed worldwide rights to all preclinical and clinical data through the BEST trial for development of bucindolol. The patents that were the subject of this license are expired. If the license agreement is deemed enforceable, the Company would incur milestone and royalty obligations upon the occurrence of certain events, including if the FDA grants marketing approval for Gencaro, upon regulatory marketing approval in Europe and Japan and based on achievement of specified product sales levels.