| | |
Kazia Therapeutics Limited Notes to the financial statements 31 December 2021 Note 1. Significant accounting policies (continued) | |  |
Going concern
During the half year ended 31 December 2021 the consolidated entity experienced net cash outflows from operating activities of $11,391,410 (December 2020: $12,269,305) and incurred a loss after tax of $13,022,408 (December 2020: $6,363,560).
As at 31 December 2021 the consolidated entity had cash in hand and at bank, including cash on deposit, of $15,188,957.
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates continuity of normal activities and realisation of assets and settlement of liabilities in the normal course of business. As is often the case with drug development companies, the ability of the consolidated entity to continue its development activities as a going concern is dependent upon it deriving sufficient cash from investors, from licensing and partnering activities, and from other sources of revenue such as grant funding.
The directors have considered the cash flow forecasts and the funding requirements of the business and continue to explore grant funding, licensing opportunities and equity investment opportunities in the Company. In particular, the directors have considered the impact of COVID-19 on the operations of the Company, and make the following observations:
1) Kazia’s key clinical trials have not been materially impacted by COVID-19 to date. The GBM AGILE study, the pivotal study for paxalisib in glioblastoma, is on track with recruitment running to plan, and no disruption to this schedule is foreseen. To date, the study has screened over one thousand patients. The Phase II study of paxalisib in glioblastoma has concluded, and the remaining data analyses are unlikely to be disrupted by COVID. The Phase I trial for the consolidated entity’s new asset, EVT801, opened before period end and recruitment is on track. Further details of this asset are included later in this report.
2) In general, clinical research in advanced cancer is relatively insulated from pandemic disruption due to the ongoing and time-critical need for patient care in specialised facilities which cannot easily be repurposed;
3) The Company is not reliant on ongoing revenue from customers, and so changes in customer behaviour over the next several years due to public health restrictions and reduced economic activity have little to no impact on its finances;
4) The Company was able to secure funding of approximately $9 million at the height of the initial wave of COVID-19 in April 2020, and additional funds of approximately $25 million during the 2021 financial year; and
5) As a consequence, the directors do not foresee any other impacts of COVID-19 on the Company’s ability to pursue its objectives, and in particular on its ability to raise additional funding if required.
While the Company’s current cash balance is not sufficient to fund the operations for a period of 12 months from the date of this report, the directors have prepared the financial statements on a going concern basis as they are confident of the Company’s ability to raise additional funding, via licensing and partnering activities, obtaining of grant funding or raising additional capital from investors. Should the above assumptions not prove to be appropriate, there is material uncertainty whether the consolidated entity will continue as a going concern and therefore whether it will realise its assets and extinguish its liabilities in the normal course of business and at the amounts stated in these financial statements.
Note 2. Critical accounting judgements, estimates and assumptions
When preparing the half-year financial statements, management undertakes a number of judgements, estimates and assumptions about recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. The actual results may differ from the judgements, estimates and assumptions made by management and will seldom equal the estimated results.
The judgments, estimates and assumptions applied in the half-year financial statements, including key sources of estimation uncertainty were the same as those applied in the Group’s last annual financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2021.
11