Collaborations and License Agreements | 7. Collaborations and License Agreements Research Collaboration and License Agreement with Giiant On September 1, 2023, the Company entered into the Giiant License Agreement whereby the Company received an exclusive, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense in multiple tiers) to develop, manufacture, and commercialize substantially all of the assets of Giiant, including: (i) the PALI-2108 compound, and (ii) the PALI-1908 compound and the associated intellectual property around each of the foregoing (the “Giiant Licensed Assets”). The Giiant License Agreement has a perpetual term. Pursuant to the Giiant License Agreement, the Company and Giiant established a joint development committee (“JDC”), consisting of one Giiant appointee and two Company appointees. The JDC is responsible for: (i) overseeing the day-to-day development of the Giiant Licensed Assets through Proof of Concept (as defined below), and (ii) the creation and implementation of the development plan and development budget for the Giiant Licensed Assets (the “Giiant Development Plan”) and any amendments or updates thereto. Prior to receiving regulatory approval to commence a Phase 1 clinical trial (as such term is defined in the Giiant License Agreement) (the “Proof of Concept”), each of the Company and Giiant was responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by such party for the joint development of the Giiant Licensed Assets, except as set forth in the Giiant Development Plan. Prior to reaching the Proof of Concept, the Company reimbursed or advanced Giiant up to an amount in the low seven-digit range for costs and expenses incurred by them. Upon reaching the Proof of Concept, which occurred in October of 2024 the Company became solely responsible for all costs and expenses incurred for the development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialization of the Giiant Licensed Assets. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 , the Company has recognized expenses related to the joint development plan with Giiant in the amount of approximately $ 0.9 million and $ 4.3 million, respectively, which are included in research and development expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. For both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the expenses recognized by the Company related to the joint development plan were insignificant. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company accrued joint development expenses of approximately $ 0.7 million and $ 0.1 million, respectively, in Accrued liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Pursuant to the Giiant License Agreement, as amended (see below) the Company will (i) make certain payments between the low six-digit range and low seven-digit range upon the achievement of the development milestones (as set forth in the Giiant License Agreement), in either cash or shares of the Company’s common stock, at the Company’s election (“Giiant Milestone Payments”), and (ii) pay ongoing royalty payments of a mid-single-digit percentage of the adjusted gross proceeds, as defined in the Giiant License Agreement, upon the sales or sublicenses of any products developed from the Giiant Licensed Assets to third parties (“Giiant Royalty Payments”) (collectively, the Giiant Milestone Payments and the Giiant Royalty Payments are referred to as the “Giiant License Payments”). The Giiant License Payments are subject to a maximum payment cap in the very low eight-digit range, which will be increased or decreased on a dollar-for-dollar basis based on a formula related to the aggregate of development costs incurred by the parties (“Payment Cap”). The Company has determined that the contingent consideration associated with the royalty payments should be recognized as a liability when they are probable and estimable, in accordance with ASC 450, Contingencies . The Company has made no Giiant License Payments since the commencement of the Giiant License Agreement. On August 2, 2024, the Company and Giiant entered into an amendment to the Giiant License Agreement (the "Giiant License Agreement Amendment"). Pursuant to the Giiant License Agreement Amendment, the Company agreed to increase the amount it would reimburse or advance to Giiant prior to Proof of Concept under the Giiant Development Plan by an amount in the mid six-digit range. After taking into account such increase, the amount that Company will reimburse or advance Giiant for costs and expenses incurred by them will remain in the low seven-digit range. As consideration for the increase, Giiant agreed to (i) a reduction in the Giiant Milestone Payments that would be due to them upon the achievement certain development milestones, and (ii) a decrease to the Payment Cap applied to future Giiant License Payments, as set forth in the original Giiant License Agreement. The amount of the reduction in the Giiant Milestone Payment as a result of the Giiant License Agreement Amendment is in the high six-digit range and the decrease in the Payment Cap is in the mid-six digit range. There were no other changes to the terms of the original Giiant License Agreement as a result of the Giiant License Agreement Amendment that would have a material impact on the Company's results of operations, financial position or future cash flows. The Company may unilaterally terminate the Giiant License Agreement for: (i) convenience, or (ii) a material breach by Giiant, that is not cured within the applicable notice period. Giiant may unilaterally terminate the Giiant License Agreement only for a material breach by Company that is not cured within ninety days of written notice provided however that upon the Payment Cap being achieved, that right will terminate and the Giiant License Agreement will become perpetual. Co-Development and Distribution Agreement with Newsoara LBS entered into a co-development and distribution agreement with Newsoara, a joint venture established with Biolead Medical Technology Limited, as amended, (the “Newsoara Co-Development Agreement”). Pursuant to the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement (and subsequent assignment agreement), LBS granted or licensed Newsoara an exclusive right under certain patents to develop, use, sell, offer to sell, import, and otherwise commercialize licensed products (the “Newsoara Licensed Products”) for any and all indications in the People’s Republic of China, including the regions of Hong Kong and Macao, but excluding Taiwan (the “Territory”). The Newsoara Licensed Products only include the drug asset referred to as LB1148. The right includes the right to grant sublicenses to third parties, subject to LBS’ written consent, provided that both parties agreed that Newsoara would be permitted to use a certain partner for development purposes. The Newsoara Co-Development Agreement obligates Newsoara to initially use LBS as the exclusive supplier for all Newsoara’s requirements for Newsoara Licensed Products in the Territory. During the term of the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement, Newsoara may request to manufacture the Newsoara Licensed Products in the Territory, subject to satisfying certain conditions to LBS' reasonable satisfaction. LBS is obligated to approve Newsoara manufacturing rights without undue refusal or delay. Where the Company performs any research and development or manufacturing activities under the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement, the Company records the expense reimbursement from Newsoara as a reduction to research and development expense. In consideration of the rights granted to Newsoara under the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement, Newsoara paid LBS a one-time upfront fee of $ 1.0 million. In addition, Newsoara is obligated to make (i) payments of up to $ 6.75 million in the aggregate upon achievement of certain regulatory and commercial milestones, (ii) payments in the low six-digit range per licensed product upon achievement of a regulatory milestone, and (iii) tiered royalty payments ranging from the mid-single-digit to low-double-digit percentage range on annual net sales of Licensed Products, subject to adjustment to the royalty percentage in certain events, including a change of control, the expiration of certain patents rights, and royalties paid by Newsoara third parties. To date, Newsoara has met all of its payment obligations under the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023 , the Company recognized license revenue of $ 0.3 million earned upon Newsoara's achievement of a development milestone under the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement during the first quarter of 2023. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and the three months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recognized no license revenue from Newsoara under the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement. The Newsoara Co-Development Agreement will expire upon the expiration date of the last valid claim of any licensed patent covering the Newsoara Licensed Products in the Territory. In addition, the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement can be terminated (i) by either party for the other party’s material breach that remains uncured for a specified time period after written notice or for events related to the other party’s insolvency, (ii) by LBS if Newsoara challenges or attempts to interfere with any licensed patent rights and, (iii) by Newsoara for any reason upon specified prior written notice. License Agreements with the Regents of the University of California The Company has entered into three license agreements, as amended, with the Regents of the University of California (“Regents”) for exclusive commercial rights to certain patents, technology and know-how. Concurrent with the Company's decision to terminate the development of LB1148, on October 20, 2023 the Company terminated two of its license agreements with Regents. As of September 30, 2024, the only license agreement remaining with Regents is that entered into with LBS in August 2015, as amended in December 2019 and September 2022 (the “2015 UC License”). The 2015 UC License was retained for the sole purpose of maintaining the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement under which the Company may receive future milestone or royalty payments through the term of the license. Accordingly, pursuant to the 2015 UC License, the Company is obligated to pay a percentage of non-royalty licensing revenue it receives from Newsoara under the Newsoara Co-Development Agreement to Regents ranging from 30 percent to 35 percent of one-third of the upfront payment and milestone payments received from Newsoara. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 , there were zero and approximately $ 25,000 in sublicense fees recognized, respectively, and approximately $ 21,000 in license maintenance fees due to Regents recognized. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 , the Company recognized no sublicense f ees and license maintenance fees of approximately $ 16,000 due to Regents. Both the sublicense fees and the license maintenance fees are recognized in research and development expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. The 2015 UC License will expire upon the expiration date of the longest-lived patent right licensed under the 2015 UC License. The Regents may terminate the 2015 UC License if: (i) a material breach by us is not cured within 60 days, (ii) the Company files a claim asserting the Regents licensed patent rights are invalid or unenforceable, or (iii) the Company files for bankruptcy. The Company also has the right to terminate the 2015 UC License at any time upon at least 90 days’ written notice. Contingent Value Right Immediately prior to the closing of the Merger, Seneca issued each share of its common stock held by Seneca stockholders of record, one contingent value right (“CVR”). The CVR entitled the holder (the “CVR Holder”) to receive, pro rata with the other CVR Holders, 80 % of the net proceeds, if any and subject to certain minimum distribution limitations (“CVR Payment Amount”), received from the sale or licensing of the intellectual property owned, licensed or controlled by Seneca immediately prior to the closing of the Merger (the “Legacy Technology”); provided however that the CVR Holders are only entitled to receive such CVR Payment Amount if the sale or licensing of such Legacy Technology occurred on or before October 27, 2022 (“Legacy Monetization”). Pursuant to the terms of the CVR agreement (“CVR Agreement”), CVR Holders are only entitled to receive CVR Payment Amounts received within 48-months following the closing of the Merger. The CVR Agreement also provides that no distributions will be made to the CVR Holders in the event such distribution is less than $ 0.3 million. NSI-189 – Exclusive License and Subsequent Exercise of Purchase Option Prior to the Merger, Seneca exclusively licensed certain patents and technologies, including a sublicense covering a synthetic intermediate, of the Company's NSI-189 assets (“189 License”), along with a purchase option through December 16, 2023 (“Purchase Option”). On October 22, 2021, Alto Neuroscience ("Alto") agreed to terms of an early exercise of the Purchase Option under the 189 License and entered into an asset transfer agreement ("ATA"). Alto is a U.S. based public, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a mission to redefine psychiatry by leveraging neurobiology to develop personalized and highly effective treatment options. Pursuant to the terms of the CVR Agreement, no distribution was required to be made to the CVR Holders as the CVR Payment Amount after deducting costs and expenses required to maintain the 189 License was less than $ 0.3 million. In accordance with the terms of the CVR Agreement, the net proceeds from the sale of the NSI-189 assets, less any applicable transaction costs and expenses, were deposited into the CVR escrow to be used to pay costs and expenses associated with the monetization of the Company's other Legacy Technologies. In addition, Alto will be required to pay the Company up to an aggregate of $ 4.5 million upon the achievement of certain development and regulatory approval milestones for NSI-189 (or a product containing or otherwise derived from NSI-189), which is now known as ALTO-100. If Alto sells or grants to a third party a license to the patents and other rights specific to ALTO-100 prior to the achievement of a specified clinical development milestone, Alto will be required to pay to the Company a low-double digit percentage of any consideration received by Alto from such license or sale, provided that the maximum aggregate consideration Alto will be required to pay to the Company under the ATA, including the upfront payment and all potential milestones and transaction-related payments, will not exceed $ 5.0 million. On October 22, 2024, Alto announced that its Phase 2b study of ALTO-100 in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) did not meet its primary endpoint. Notwithstanding, ALTO-100 is being evaluated as an adjunctive treatment in a Phase 2b study in bipolar depression. Upon the enrollment of a patient in a Phase 3 clinical trial of ALTO-100, if it occurs, a milestone payment of $ 1.5 million will be due from Alto under the ATA. If this occurs within 48 -months of the closing of the Merger, the CVR Holders will be entitled to a CVR Payment Amount, with the remaining 20 % of the net proceeds deposited into the CVR escrow. If the milestone is met after 48 -months of the closing of the Merger, all the net proceeds will be paid to the Company. There can be no assurance that CVR holders will receive CVR Payment Amounts from the sale of the NSI-189 assets. NSI-532.IGF-1 On October 27, 2022, the Company entered an agreement to license NSI-532.IGF-1 to the Regents of the University of Michigan ("University of Michigan") for maintaining NSI-532.IGF-1 cell lines, continued development, maintaining patent protection, and seeking licensees. The Company received no upfront fees for the license. NSI-532.IGF-1 is a pre-clinical cell therapy being investigated as a potential therapy for prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The University of Michigan shall bear 100 % of the costs for patent filing, prosecution, maintenance, and enforcement of the patent rights. The Company will receive 50 % of net revenues received by the University of Michigan from the licensing of patent rights through the last-to-expire patent in patent rights, unless otherwise earlier terminated, less all reasonable and actual out-of-pocket costs incurred in the litigation of patent rights. There can be no assurance that NSI-532.IGF-1 will ever be successfully monetized or that CVR holders will receive CVR Payment Amounts from the sale of the NSI-532.IGF-1 assets. |