9.	Redeemable Convertible Notes

On August 19, 2015, immediately prior to the Merger, the Company issued to Targacept stockholders non-interest bearing redeemable convertible notes (the “Notes”) in the aggregate principal amount of $37.0 million. The Notes do not bear interest. The principal amount of the Notes is convertible, at the option of each noteholder, into cash or into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion rate of $137.85 per share, and are payable in cash, if not previously redeemed or converted, at maturity on February 19, 2018, the 30-month anniversary of the closing of the issuance of the Notes.

In connection with the issuance of the Notes, on August 19, 2015, Targacept entered into an indenture (the “Indenture”) with American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as trustee, and an escrow agreement with American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC and Delaware Trust Company, LLC, as escrow agent, under which $37.0 million, which represented the initial principal amount of the Notes, was deposited in a segregated escrow account for the benefit of the holders of the Notes in order to facilitate the payment of the notes upon redemption or at maturity (the amount of such deposit together with interest accrued and capitalized thereon, the “Escrow Funds”). The Notes are the Company’s secured obligation, and the Indenture does not limit its other indebtedness, secured or unsecured.

Holders of the Notes may submit conversion notices, which are irrevocable, instructing the trustee to convert such Notes into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $137.85 per share. Following each conversion date, the Company will issue the number of whole shares of common stock issuable upon conversion as promptly as practicable (and in any event within 10 business days). The trustee will in turn release to the Company the respective amount of restricted cash to cover the stock issuance.

The conversion to common stock feature of the Notes was determined to be a derivative liability requiring bifurcation and separate accounting. The fair value of such conversion feature at issuance was determined to be $1.5 million. The bifurcation of the derivative liability from the estimated fair value of the Notes of $37.1 million at issuance resulted in a debt discount of $1.4 million. The Company elected to accrete the entire debt discount as interest expense immediately after the Merger. In addition, changes in the fair value of the derivative liability are being recorded within interest and other income in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company remeasures the derivative liability to fair value until the earlier of the conversion, redemption or maturity of the redeemable convertible notes.

As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the fair value of the derivative liability was immaterial. The estimated reporting date fair value-based measurement of the derivative liability was calculated using the Black-Scholes valuation model.

The Company recognized no interest expense for both years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, related to the amortization of the debt discount on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations as the redeemable convertible notes are immediately fully redeemable at the option of the holders and the entire debt discount was accreted immediately after the Merger.

As of December 31, 2017, the Notes had an outstanding balance of $5.1 million, $31.6 million of the Notes were redeemed and $0.3 million of the Notes were converted into common stock. $14.3 million of the Notes were redeemed during the year ended December 31, 2017. There was $0 and $0.1 million gain on extinguishment when the Notes were redeemed during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

On February 19, 2018, the Notes matured and the remaining Notes were repaid in full with cash from the restricted cash indenture. The Company has no outstanding Notes remaining as of February 20, 2018.