Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies | 2 . Basis of Presentation Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported expenses during the reporting period. Management evaluates its estimates, including but not limited to the fair value of investments, stock options, income taxes, clinical trial accruals and stock-based compensation. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Principles The consolidated financial statements include the operations of Annexon, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary and include the results of operations and cash flows of these entities. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Segments The Company’s chief operating decision maker is its Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer reviews financial information on an aggregate basis for the purposes of evaluating financial performance and allocating the Company’s resources. Accordingly, the Company has determined that it operates in one segment. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash The considers Restricted cash as of December 31, 2021 relates to the letters of credit established for the Company’s office leases. The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same amounts shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows: December 31, 2021 2020 Cash $ 734 $ 597 Cash equivalents 74,109 267,968 Cash and cash equivalents 74,843 268,565 Restricted cash 1,166 — Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 76,009 $ 268,565 Short-Term Investments Short-term investments have been classified as available-for-sale and are carried at estimated fair value as determined based upon quoted market prices or pricing models for similar securities. The Company determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt securities at the time of purchase. Available-for-sale securities with original maturities beyond three months at the date of purchase are classified as current based on their availability for use in current operations. The Company evaluates, on a quarterly basis, its available-for-sale debt securities for potential impairment. For available-for-sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company assesses whether such declines are due to credit loss based on factors such as changes to the rating of the security by a ratings agency, market conditions and supportable forecasts of economic and market conditions, among others. If credit loss exists, the Company assess es whether it has plans to sell the security or it is more likely than not it will be required to sell any available-for-sale debt security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either condition is met, the security’s amortized cost basis is written down to fair value and is recognized through interest and other income (expense) , net. If neither condition is met, declines as a result of credit losses, if any, are recognized as an allowance for credit loss, limited to the amount of unrealized loss, through interest and other income (expense) , net. Any portion of the unrealized loss that is not a result of a credit loss, is recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) . Realized gains and losses, if any, on available-for-sale debt securities are included in interest and other income (expense) , net. The cost of investments sold is based on the specific-identification method. Interest on available-for-sale debt Property and Equipment, Net Property and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets. Depreciation begins at the time the asset is placed in service. Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred. Upon sale or retirement of assets, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet and the resulting gain or loss is reflected in operations in the period realized. The useful Laboratory equipment 5 years Office and computer equipment 3 years Leasehold improvements Shorter of remaining lease term or estimated useful life Impairment of Long-Lived Assets The Company evaluates its long-lived assets, including property and equipment, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of these assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of these assets is measured by comparison of the carrying amount of each asset to the future undiscounted cash flows the asset is expected to generate over its remaining life. When indications of impairment are present and the estimated undiscounted future cash flows from the use of these assets is less than the assets’ carrying value, the related assets will be written down to fair value. There were no impairments of the Company’s long-lived assets for the periods presented. Leases The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Upon adoption of Accounting Standards Codification 842, Leases As a practical expedient, the Company elected, for all facility leases, not to separate non-lease components from lease components and instead to account for each separate lease component and its associated non-lease components as a single lease component. The Company elected to exclude from its balance sheets recognition of leases having a term of 12 months or less (short-term leases). Income Taxes Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carry forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred taxes to the amounts expected to be realized. The examination Commitments and Contingencies Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines, and penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Legal costs incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred. Foreign Currencies The Dollar Gains Research and Development Expense Research and development expenses consist primarily of direct and indirect costs incurred for the development of the Company’s product candidates. Direct expenses include (i) preclinical and clinical outside service costs associated with discovery, preclinical and clinical testing of the Company’s product candidates; (ii) professional services agreements with third-party contract organizations, investigative clinical trial sites and consultants that conduct research and development activities on the Company’s behalf; (iii) contract manufacturing costs to produce clinical trial materials; and (iv) laboratory supplies and materials. Indirect expenses include (A) compensation and personnel-related expenses (including stock-based compensation), (B) allocated expenses for facilities and depreciation; and (C) other indirect costs. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Payments made to third parties are under agreements that are generally cancelable by the Company. Advance payments for research and development activities are deferred as prepaid expenses. The prepaid amounts are expensed as the related services are performed. The Company estimates preclinical studies and clinical trial expenses based on the services performed pursuant to contracts with research institutions and clinical research organizations that conduct and manage preclinical studies and clinical trials on the Company’s behalf. The Company also estimates manufacturing costs based on services performed pursuant to contracts with contract manufacturing organizations that develop and manufacture product on the Company’s behalf. In accruing service fees, the Company estimates the period over which services will be performed and the level of effort to be expended in each period. These estimates are based on the Company’s communications with the third-party service providers and on information available at each balance sheet date. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies significantly from the estimate, the Company will adjust Stock-Based Compensation The Company accounts for stock-based compensation arrangements with employees and non-employee directors and consultants using a fair value method which requires the recognition of compensation expense for costs related to all stock-based payments, including stock options and restricted stock units, or RSUs. The fair value method requires the Company to estimate the fair value of stock options to employees and non-employees on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The fair value of RSU awards are based on the fair value of the underlying common stock as of the grant date. The Company grants certain employees performance-based stock options. For awards that include performance conditions, no compensation cost is recognized until the performance goals are probable of being met, at which time the cumulative compensation expense from the service inception date would be recognized. Stock-based compensation costs are based on the fair value of the underlying option calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and recognized as expense on a straight-line basis (for all but performance-based awards for which the accelerated method is used) over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period. Determining the appropriate fair value model and related assumptions requires judgment, including estimating expected term, expected stock price volatility, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. The Company accounts for forfeitures Accounting for Non-Recurring Grant Income Non-recurring grant income is recognized when the research and development activities have been undertaken and the Company has completed its assessment of whether such activities meet the relevant qualifying criteria. Grants received from government and other agencies in advance of the specific research and development costs to which they relate are deferred and recognized in the consolidated statement of operations in the period they are earned and when the related research and development costs are incurred. Non-recurring grant income recognized in interest and other income (expense), net was $135,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021. No non-recurring grant income was recognized during 2020. Net Loss Per Share Attributable Basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is calculated by dividing the net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period, without consideration for potential dilutive shares of common stock. As the Company was in a loss position for all periods presented, basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is the same as diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders because the effects of potentially dilutive securities are antidilutive. Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments. The Company’s cash and Management Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update, or Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (Topic 350) The standard requires implementation costs incurred by customers in cloud computing arrangements to be deferred over the noncancelable term of the cloud computing arrangements plus any optional renewal periods (1) that are reasonably certain to be exercised by the customer or (2) for which exercise of the renewal option is controlled by the cloud service provider. The effective date of this pronouncement is for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and early adoption is permitted. The standard can be adopted either using the prospective or retrospective transition approach. The Company adopted ASU No. 2018-15 on January 1, 2021 and the adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), , Leases In the second quarter of 2021, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02 The adoption of Topic 842 as of January 1, 2021 resulted in the recognition of ROU assets of $0.5 million, corresponding lease liabilities of $0.6 million, the derecognition of Commitments and Contingencies T As part of the Topic 842 adoption, the Company elected certain practical expedients outlined in the guidance. The Company has chosen to apply the package of practical expedients for existing leases, which provides relief from reassessing: (i) whether a contract is or contains a lease, (ii) lease classification, and (iii) whether initial direct costs can be capitalized. The Company did not elect the hindsight practical expedient to reassess the lease term for existing leases. The Company elected the short-term lease exemption, under which any lease less than 12 months is excluded from recognition on the balance sheet. Additionally, the Company elected the non-separation of lease and non-lease components. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instrument s —Credit Losses . This ASU does not change the core principle of the guidance in ASU 2016-13, instead these amendments are intended to clarify and improve operability of certain topics included within the credit losses guidance. The FASB also subsequently issued ASU No. 2019-04, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), and Financial Instruments (Topic 825), which did not change the core principle of the guidance in ASU 2016-13 but clarified that expected recoveries of amounts previously written off and expected to be written off should be included in the valuation account and should not exceed amounts previously written off and expected to be written off. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-3, Codification Improvements to Financial Instruments which makes narrow-scope improvements to various financial instruments topics, including the new credit losses standard and clarifies the following areas ( i ) the contractual term of a net investment in a lease should be the contractual term used to measure expected credit losses; (ii) when an entity regains control of financial assets sold, an allowance for credit losses should be recorded. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2019 for public business entities, excluding smaller reporting companies. The Company adopted this guidance on a modified-retrospective basis effective January 1, 2021 and noted no material impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Recently The Company has reviewed the FASB issued ASU accounting pronouncements and interpretations thereof that have effectiveness dates during the periods reported and in future periods. The Company has carefully considered the new pronouncements that alter previous generally accepted accounting principles and do not believe that any new or modified principles will have a material impact on the Company’s reported financial position or operations in the near term. The applicability of any standard is subject to the formal review of the Company’s financial management. |