Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Nature of Business	Nature of Business Pyxis Oncology, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, was founded in June 2018 and launched its operations in July 2019. The Company is a clinical stage company focused on defeating difficult-to-treat cancers. The Company is efficiently building next-generation therapeutics that hold the potential for mono and combination therapies. The Company's therapeutic candidates are designed to directly kill tumor cells and to address the underlying pathologies created by cancer that enable its uncontrollable proliferation and immune evasion. The Company's antibody-drug conjugates ("ADCs") and immuno-oncology ("IO") programs employ novel and emerging strategies to target a broad range of solid tumors resistant to current standards of care. 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 assessing performance and allocating resources.
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31 and its first three fiscal quarters end on March 31, June 30 and September 30. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and follow the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements as certain footnotes or other financial information that are normally required by U.S. GAAP can be condensed or omitted. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary. The Company has no unconsolidated subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative U.S. GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all normal and recurring adjustments that are considered necessary for the fair statement of results for the interim periods. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of those expected for the year ending December 31, 2023 or for any future period. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 included herein was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2022, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 22, 2023.
Liquidity	Liquidity As of March 31, 2023, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $231.7 million. The Company has incurred losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception, including net losses of $19.2 million and $31.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company has not generated any revenue to date and does not anticipate generating any revenues unless and until it successfully completes development and obtains regulatory approval for its current or any future product candidates. The Company expects that its operating losses and negative cash flows will continue for the foreseeable future as the Company continues to expand its research and development programs and develop its product candidates. The Company currently expects that its existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $149.3 million as of March 31, 2023 will fund its operating expenses and capital requirements at least twelve months from the date these unaudited consolidated financial statements are issued. Additional funding may be necessary to fund future clinical and preclinical activities. The Company plans to continue to fund its losses from operations and capital funding needs through public or private equity, convertible or debt financing or other sources. If the Company is not able to secure adequate additional funding, the Company may be forced to make reductions in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible, or suspend or curtail planned programs. Any of these actions could materially harm the Company’s business, results of operations and future prospects.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, expense, and related disclosures. The Company regularly evaluates estimates and assumptions related to assets, liabilities, stock-based compensation, operating leases, assessment of the useful lives of property and equipment, marketable debt securities, and research and development costs. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ from those estimates and there may be changes to management’s estimates in future periods.
Risks and Uncertainties	Risks and Uncertainties The Company is subject to risks common to early-stage companies in the biopharmaceutical industry including, but not limited to, uncertainties related to commercialization of products, regulatory approvals, dependence on key suppliers for active ingredients and third-party service providers such as contract research and manufacturing organizations, protection of intellectual property rights and the ability to make milestone, royalty or other payments due under any license, collaboration or supply agreements.
Concentration of Credit Risk	Concentration of Credit Risks Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to significant concentration of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments. The Company is exposed to credit risk from its deposits of cash in excess of amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company maintains insured cash sweep accounts where balances are maintained in interest bearing demand accounts. The Company has not realized any losses on these deposits.
Significant Accounting Policies	Significant Accounting Policies Other than the new accounting policy for "Investments", detailed below, there have been no other changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies disclosed in “Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 22, 2023.
Investments	Investments Short-term investments consist of U.S. Treasury securities with original maturities greater than three months. The Company may sell investments at any time for use in current operations even if the investments have not yet reached maturity. As a result, the Company classifies its investments as current assets. All investments have been classified as available-for-sale marketable debt securities. Marketable debt securities are recorded at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity (deficit) and a component of total comprehensive loss in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, until realized. The fair value of these securities is determined based upon quoted market prices or pricing models for similar securities at period end. Premiums paid or discounts received at the time of purchase of marketable securities, are amortized to interest and investment income over the terms of the related securities. Realized gains and losses are included in earnings and are derived using the specific identification method for determining the cost of securities sold. At each reporting date the Company will evaluate available-for-sale marketable debt securities in an unrealized loss position, using the discounted cash flow model, to determine whether the unrealized loss or any potential credit losses should be recognized in net loss. For available-for-sale marketable debt securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company will assess (i) whether it intends to sell, or (ii) it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If the aforementioned criteria is met, such marketable debt security’s amortized cost basis will be written down to its fair value through earnings along with any existing allowance for credit losses. For available-for-sale marketable debt securities that do not meet this criteria, the Company will evaluate whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, the Company considers the severity of the impairment, any changes in interest rates, underlying credit ratings, and forecasted recovery, among other factors. The credit-related portion of unrealized losses, and any subsequent improvements, are recorded as an allowance in interest income. There have been no impairment or credit losses recognized during the periods presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which requires the measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized cost. ASU 2016-13 replaces the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected loss model that requires the use of forward-looking information to calculate credit loss estimates. It also eliminates the concept of other-than-temporary impairment and requires credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities to be recorded through an allowance for credit losses instead of as a reduction in the amortized cost basis of the securities. On January 1, 2023, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13, which did not have a material effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Recent authoritative guidance issued by the FASB (including technical corrections to the ASC), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the SEC did not, or are not expected to, have a material impact on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Pyxis Oncology, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, was founded in June 2018 and launched its operations in July 2019. The Company is a clinical stage company focused on defeating difficult-to-treat cancers. The Company is efficiently building next-generation therapeutics that hold the potential for mono and combination therapies. The Company's therapeutic candidates are designed to directly kill tumor cells and to address the underlying pathologies created by cancer that enable its uncontrollable proliferation and immune evasion. The Company's antibody-drug conjugates ("ADCs") and immuno-oncology ("IO") programs employ novel and emerging strategies to target a broad range of solid tumors resistant to current standards of care.

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 assessing performance and allocating resources.

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31 and its first three fiscal quarters end on March 31, June 30 and September 30. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and follow the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements as certain footnotes or other financial information that are normally required by U.S. GAAP can be condensed or omitted. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary. The Company has no unconsolidated subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative U.S. GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).

In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all normal and recurring adjustments that are considered necessary for the fair statement of results for the interim periods. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of those expected for the year ending December 31, 2023 or for any future period. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 included herein was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2022, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 22, 2023.

Liquidity

As of March 31, 2023, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $231.7 million. The Company has incurred losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception, including net losses of $19.2 million and $31.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The Company has not generated any revenue to date and does not anticipate generating any revenues unless and until it successfully completes development and obtains regulatory approval for its current or any future product candidates. The Company expects that its operating losses and negative cash flows will continue for the foreseeable future as the Company continues to expand its research and development programs and develop its product candidates.

The Company currently expects that its existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $149.3 million as of March 31, 2023 will fund its operating expenses and capital requirements at least twelve months from the date these unaudited consolidated financial statements are issued. Additional funding may be necessary to fund future clinical and preclinical activities.

The Company plans to continue to fund its losses from operations and capital funding needs through public or private equity, convertible or debt financing or other sources. If the Company is not able to secure adequate additional funding, the Company may be forced to make reductions in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible, or suspend or curtail planned programs. Any of these actions could materially harm the Company’s business, results of operations and future prospects.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, expense, and related disclosures. The Company regularly evaluates estimates and assumptions related to assets, liabilities, stock-based compensation, operating leases, assessment of the useful lives of property and equipment, marketable debt securities, and research and development costs. The Company bases its estimates and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ from those estimates and there may be changes to management’s estimates in future periods.

Risks and Uncertainties

The Company is subject to risks common to early-stage companies in the biopharmaceutical industry including, but not limited to, uncertainties related to commercialization of products, regulatory approvals, dependence on key suppliers for active ingredients and third-party service providers such as contract research and manufacturing organizations, protection of intellectual property rights and the ability to make milestone, royalty or other payments due under any license, collaboration or supply agreements.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentration of Credit Risks

Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to significant concentration of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments. The Company is exposed to credit risk from its deposits of cash in excess of amounts insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company maintains insured cash sweep accounts where balances are maintained in interest bearing demand accounts. The Company has not realized any losses on these deposits.

Significant Accounting Policies

Other than the new accounting policy for "Investments", detailed below, there have been no other changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies disclosed in “Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 22, 2023.

Investments

Short-term investments consist of U.S. Treasury securities with original maturities greater than three months. The Company may sell investments at any time for use in current operations even if the investments have not yet reached maturity. As a result, the Company classifies its investments as current assets. All investments have been classified as available-for-sale marketable debt securities. Marketable debt securities are recorded at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity (deficit) and a component of total comprehensive loss in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, until realized. The fair value of these securities is determined based upon quoted market prices or pricing models for similar securities at period end. Premiums paid or discounts received at the time of purchase of marketable securities, are amortized to interest and investment income over the terms of the related securities. Realized gains and losses are included in earnings and are derived using the specific identification method for determining the cost of securities sold.

At each reporting date the Company will evaluate available-for-sale marketable debt securities in an unrealized loss position, using the discounted cash flow model, to determine whether the unrealized loss or any potential credit losses should be recognized in net loss. For available-for-sale marketable debt securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company will assess (i) whether it intends to sell, or (ii) it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If the aforementioned criteria is met, such marketable debt security’s amortized cost basis will be written down to its fair value through earnings along with any existing allowance for credit losses. For available-for-sale marketable debt securities that do not meet this criteria, the Company will evaluate whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, the Company considers the severity of the impairment, any changes in interest rates, underlying credit ratings, and forecasted recovery, among other factors. The credit-related portion of unrealized losses, and any subsequent improvements, are recorded as an allowance in interest income.

There have been no impairment or credit losses recognized during the periods presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which requires the measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized cost. ASU 2016-13 replaces the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected loss model that requires the use of forward-looking information to calculate credit loss estimates. It also eliminates the concept of other-than-temporary impairment and requires credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities to be recorded through an allowance for credit losses instead of as a reduction in the amortized cost basis of the securities. On January 1, 2023, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13, which did not have a material effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recent authoritative guidance issued by the FASB (including technical corrections to the ASC), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the SEC did not, or are not expected to, have a material impact on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.