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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2024
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Foreign Currency Transactions The Company is incorporated in the United States of America and has operations in Switzerland, Spain and Australia. The Company’s functional currency is U.S dollars (USD). The functional currencies of the Company’s foreign operations are the local currencies (Swiss Franc in Switzerland, Euro in Spain and Australian Dollar in Australia). Assets and liabilities reported in the consolidated balance sheets are translated into USD (the currency in which these financial statements are presented) at the exchange rates applicable at the balance sheet dates and for the consolidated statement of operations at the average exchange rates for the periods presented. Items representing the share capital and additional paid-in capital are presented at the historical exchange rates. Adjustments resulting from the translation of the financial statements of the Company’s foreign operations into U.S. dollars are excluded from the determination of net income and are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss), a separate component of shareholders’ equity. The Company has not utilized any foreign currency hedging strategies to mitigate the effect of its foreign currency exposure. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, accumulated currency translation adjustment recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) amounted to a gain of $177,696 and $408,487, respectively. Use of Estimates The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, judgments and assumptions including those related to going concern assessment, recognition of accrued expenses, defined benefit pension liability, share-based compensation, and recognition of research grants. These estimates and assumptions are based on current facts, historical experience and various other factors believed to be reasonable by management under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the recording of expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially and adversely from these estimates. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period in which they become known. To the extent that material differences arise between the estimates and actual results, the Company’s future results of operations will be affected. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company classifies cash on hand and held at banks, and all highly liquid investments in money market, certificates of deposit, time deposit, and other short-term liquid securities with original maturities of less than 90 days, as cash and cash equivalents. Marketable Securities The Company classifies marketable securities as held-to-maturity or available-for-sale at the time these instruments are purchased, based on the requirements of ASC 320. Marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale since the Company does not have the positive intent and the capacity to hold the marketable securities until the maturity date. Available-for-sale marketable securities are carried out at fair value with the “unrealized gains/loss” excluded from the computation of the earnings of the period and accounted for in other comprehensive loss. The accretion of discounts (or amortization of premiums) is accounted for in the Company’s statements of operations as financial income (or expense). Marketable securities are classified in the Company’s balance sheet based on their maturities and the Company’s reasonable expectations with regard to those securities. Marketable securities with a maturity date within 12 months from reporting date are classified as “current assets”. Marketable securities with a maturity date over 12 months from reporting date are classified as “non-current assets”. Concentrations of Credit Risk The Company has no significant off-balance sheet risk, such as foreign exchange contracts, option contracts, or other foreign hedging arrangements. Financial instruments that may expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents which are deposited in accredited financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company deposits its cash and cash equivalents 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. Deferred Issuance Costs The Company capitalizes certain legal, professional accounting and other third-party fees that are directly associated with in-process equity financings as deferred issuance costs until such equity transactions are consummated. Subsequently, these costs are recorded as a reduction of the proceeds generated as a result of the offering. Should the planned equity financing be abandoned, the deferred issuance costs will be expensed immediately as a charge to operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost, including any accessory and direct costs that are necessary to make the assets fit for use, and adjusted by the corresponding accumulated depreciation. The depreciation expenses are recorded using the straight-line method in the consolidated statements of operations and have been calculated by taking into consideration the use, purpose and financial-technical duration of the assets, on the basis of their estimated useful economic lives. The Company believes the above criteria to be represented by the following depreciation rates: ​
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- Equipment & Furniture | 12.5%
- Electronic office equipment: | 20%
- Leasehold Improvements: | based on the terms of the lease
- Laboratory equipment: | 15%
​ Ordinary maintenance costs are entirely attributed to the consolidated statements of operations in the year in which they are incurred. Extraordinary maintenance costs, the purpose of which is to extend the useful economic life of the asset, to technologically upgrade it and/or to increase its productivity or safety for the purposes of the economic productivity of the Company, are attributed to the asset to which they refer and depreciated on the basis of its estimated useful economic lives. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed using the straight-line method based upon the terms of the applicable lease or estimated useful life of the improvements, whichever is lower. Capitalized Software Development Costs The Company capitalizes the costs of software obtained for internal use in accordance with ASC 350-40, Internal-Use Software. Capitalized software development costs consist of costs incurred during the development stage and include purchased software licenses, implementation costs, consulting costs, and payroll-related costs for projects that qualify for capitalization. All other costs, primarily related to maintenance and minor software fixes, are expensed as incurred. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, internal-use software amount to $169 thousand and $193 thousand, respectively, and refer to the external and internal costs incurred in the development of the Company’s enterprise resource planning system. The Company amortizes the capitalized software development costs on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the software, which is generally six years, beginning when the asset is substantially ready for use. The amortization of capitalized software development costs is reflected in general and administrative expenses. Amortization expense for the periods ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 was $12 thousand and $11 thousand, respectively. Impairment of Long-lived Assets In accordance with ASC Topic 360-10-20, “Property, Plant and Equipment,” the Company performs an impairment test whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of long-lived assets with finite lives may be impaired. Impairment is measured by comparing the carrying value of the long-lived assets to the estimated undiscounted pre-tax cash flows expected to result from the use of such assets and their ultimate disposition. In circumstances where impairment is determined to exist, the Company will write down the asset to its fair value based on the present value of estimated cash flows. No impairments have been identified by management as of and for any periods presented. Patents Patent-related costs refer to legal fees incurred in connection with filing and prosecuting patent applications and are expensed as incurred due to uncertainty about the recovery of the expenditure. Amounts incurred are classified as general and administrative expenses. Leases The Company determines if an arrangement contains a lease at inception based on whether or not the Company has the right to control the asset during the contract period and other facts and circumstances, as per ASC 842. Operating lease right of use (“ROU”) assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease, both of which are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at the commencement date. Leases with a term of 12 months or less at inception are expensed on a straight-line basis over the lease term in the consolidated statement of operations. The Company determines the lease term by assuming the exercise of renewal options that are reasonably certain. Accounts Payable Accounts payable are reported at their nominal amounts due to their short-term maturities. Trade accounts payable are recorded net of trade discounts; cash discounts are recorded at the time of payment. Payables for Social Security Charges Social security charges are reported in compliance with rules and laws applicable in the countries where the Company’s employees work. Charges are accrued in accordance with the policies stipulated and in connection with salaries due for the period. Accrued Expenses As part of the process of preparing the Company’s consolidated financial statements, the Company is required to estimate its accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date. This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with the Company personnel to identify services that have been performed on its behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when the Company has not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of the actual cost. The Company makes estimates of its accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date based on facts and circumstances known at the time of the preparation of its consolidated financial statements. There may be instances in which payments made to the Company’s vendors exceed the level of services provided, and result in a prepayment reported under other current assets, which is subsequently expensed in the consolidated statement of operations when the related activity has been performed. To date, there have been no material differences between the Company’s estimates of accrued expenses reported at each balance sheet date and the amounts actually incurred. Pension Obligations The Company operates defined benefit pension plan and defined contribution pension plans in accordance with local regulations and practices in the countries in which the Company operates. These plans are funded by regular contributions made by the Company and its employees. For the defined benefit pension plan, the liability recognized in the consolidated balance sheets is the present value of the defined benefit obligation at the balance sheet date less the fair value of plan assets. The overfunded or underfunded status of the defined benefit plan is calculated as the difference between plan assets and the projected benefit obligations. Estimates are used in determining the assumptions incorporated in the calculation of the pension obligations, which is supported by input from independent actuaries. Actuarial gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are recognized in the consolidated statements of equity under accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and are charged or credited to income over the employees’ expected average remaining service period using the corridor amortization method. The measurement date used for the Company’s employees defined benefit plan is December 31. For defined contribution pension plans, the Company pays contributions to publicly or privately administered pension insurance plans on a mandatory, contractual or voluntary basis. The Company has no further payment obligations once the contributions have been paid. The contributions are recognized as employee benefit expense when they are due. Stock-based Compensation and Warrants The Company issues stock-based compensation with service-based, performance-based and market-based vesting conditions. The Company applies the fair value method of measuring equity-based compensation and warrants, which requires an entity to measure the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award. The Company recognizes the corresponding expense in the statement of operations over the period the participants are required to render service. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur. The fair value of each stock option award is estimated as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company determines the volatility and the expected term of exercise for awards granted based on the actual volatility of its share price traded at Nasdaq and the best estimate of the timing of the exercise by the beneficiaries as of grant date. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. The Company has not paid, and does not anticipate paying, cash dividends on its common stock; therefore, the expected dividend yield is assumed to be nil. The Company recognizes expenses related to Restricted Stock Units (or RSUs) based on their fair market value, determined as the closing price on Nasdaq of the Company’s common stock as of the grant date, on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. For Restricted Stock Units with performance-based vesting conditions (or PRSUs), the fair value at grant date is calculated based on management’s assessment of the likelihood of concurrence of the underlying performance. The Black-Scholes option pricing model is also used for the warrants issued, using consistent inputs and methodology to quantify such inputs, as described above in relation to equity-based compensation. The assumptions used in calculating the fair value of share-based awards and warrants represent management’s best estimates and involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management’s judgment. Revenue Recognition The Company derives limited revenue from its collaboration and licensing agreements. The Company recognizes revenue related to these agreements in accordance with ASC 606, “Revenues from Contracts with Customers” and ASC 808, “Collaborative Arrangements”. The terms of these arrangements typically include payment from third-party customers of one or more of the following: non-refundable initiation fee, reimbursement of development costs, future development and regulatory milestone payments and royalties on net sales of the licensed product. In determining the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized as we fulfill our obligations, the Company applies the five-step model of ASC606: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) it satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods and services it transfers to the customer. If a contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606 at inception, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within such contract, determines which of those goods and services are performance obligations, and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied. Costs and revenues associated with collaborative arrangements are reported in the consolidated statements of operations on a gross basis when the counterpart is identified as being a customer, when the performance obligations incurred and rendered to fulfil the agreements are deemed to be in the ordinary course of the Company’s business, or when there is an expectation that the collaborative arrangement will result in a future constant flow of revenues in the form of sales of products, royalties or licenses. Research Grants Under the terms of the research and development grants awarded, the Company is entitled to receive reimbursement of its allowable direct expenses and payroll costs. Contributions from research and development activities under the grants are recorded based on management’s best estimate of the periods in which the related expenditures are incurred and activities performed and are classified in the consolidated statement of operations as a reduction to research and development expenses. The reduction of research and development expenses related to research grants was $0.2 million and nil for the three months ended March 31, 2024, and 2023, respectively. Research and Development Expenses The Company expenses all costs incurred in performing research and development activities. Research and development expenses include salaries and other related costs, materials and supplies, preclinical expenses, manufacturing expenses, contract services and other third-party expenses. General and Administrative Expenses General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, benefits and other related costs, for personnel and consultants in the Company’s executive, administrative and finance functions. General and administrative expenses also include professional fees for legal, finance, accounting, intellectual property, auditing, tax and consulting services, travel expenses and facility-related expenses, which include allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and other operating costs not otherwise included in research and development expenses. Income taxes The Company accounts for income taxes under the liability method. Under this method deferred income tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial statements carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and the related tax basis using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the associated deferred taxes are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is recorded if it is “more likely than not” that a portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. As of each reporting date, the Company considers existing evidence, both positive and negative, that could impact its view with regard to future realization of deferred tax assets. In consideration of the start-up status of the Company, a full valuation allowance has been established to offset the deferred tax assets, as the related realization is currently uncertain. In the future, should management conclude that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets are partially or fully realizable, the valuation allowance will be reduced to the extent of such expected realization, and the corresponding amount will be recognized as income tax benefit in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. Fair value measurement The Company defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company applies the following fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels based on their observability in the market and degree of judgment involved:
| ● | Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
| ● | Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, 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 3 – Inputs that are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimates of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.
In determining fair value, the Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible and consider counterparty credit risk in their assessment of fair value. Comprehensive income/(loss) Comprehensive income/(loss) is composed of net income/(loss) and certain changes in stockholder’s equity that are excluded from the net income/(loss), primarily foreign currency translation adjustments, defined benefit obligation adjustments and unrealized income/(loss) on available for sale securities. Net Loss per Share Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the reported net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period and shares issuable for little or no cash consideration upon resolution of any applicable contingency. The Company gives consideration to all potentially dilutive impacts, except where the effect of including such securities would be antidilutive. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, common stock equivalents consisted of stock options, RSUs, PRSUs and warrants. Because the Company has reported net losses since inception, these potential impacts would be anti-dilutive, and therefore common stock equivalents have been excluded from the computation, resulting in basic and diluted net loss per share being the same for all periods presented. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies that the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. There were no new accounting pronouncements effective in 2024 with a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

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