Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2. Summary of significant accounting policies Basis of presentation The Company has prepared the accompanying financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. These estimates include the Company’s common stock valuation, stock compensation, warrant valuation and deferred tax asset valuation allowance. Cash and cash equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2019 and 2018 consist of amounts on deposit in banks, including checking accounts, money market accounts and certificates of deposit. Cash deposits are all in financial institutions in the United States. As part of the lease for the new office space, the Company obtained a standby letter of credit in the amount of $0.5 million related to the security deposit. This letter of credit is secured by money market funds at the financial institution. Therefore, these funds are classified as restricted cash on the balance sheet. The letter of credit will be reduced ratably on each anniversary of the commencement of the lease until the end of the lease term. Concentration of credit risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents. Deposits with financial institutions are insured, up to certain limits, by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). The Company’s cash deposits often exceed the FDIC insurance limit; however, all deposits are maintained with high credit quality institutions and the Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. The financial condition of financial institutions is periodically reassessed, and the Company believes the risk of any loss is minimal. The Company believes the risk of any loss on cash due to credit risk is minimal. Property and equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is generally calculated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives: Computer equipment 5 years Laboratory equipment 5 years Furniture and fixtures 7 years Leasehold improvements 7 years Costs associated with maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Property and equipment held under leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the related asset. Impairment of long-lived assets The Company evaluates its long-lived assets for indicators of possible impairment by comparison of the carrying amounts to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by such assets when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Should an impairment exist, the impairment loss would be measured based on the excess carrying value of the asset over the asset’s fair value based on discounted estimates of future cash flows. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s management evaluated its long-lived assets and determined no impairment charge was needed. Warrant liability Warrants to purchase the Company’s redeemable convertible preferred stock were classified as liabilities and recorded at their estimated fair value. In each reporting period, any change in fair value of the warrants has been recorded as expense in the case of an increase in fair value and income in the case of a decrease in fair value. Research and development Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred to further the Company’s research and development activities and include salaries and related employee benefits, manufacturing of pharmaceutical active ingredients and drug products, costs associated with clinical trials, nonclinical activities, regulatory activities, research-related overhead expenses and fees paid to expert consultants, external service providers and contract research organizations which conduct certain research and development activities on behalf of the Company. Costs incurred in the research and development of products are charged to research and development expense as incurred. Each reporting period, management estimated and accrued research and development expenses, including external clinical study costs associated with clinical trial activities. The process of estimating and accruing expenses involved reviewing contracts and purchase orders, identifying services that have been provided on the Company’s 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 costs. Costs for clinical trial activities were estimated based on an evaluation of vendors’ progress towards completion of specific tasks, using data such as patient enrollment, clinical site activations or information provided by vendors regarding their actual costs incurred. Payments for these activities are based on the terms of individual contracts and payment timing may differ significantly from the period in which the services were performed. The Company determines accrual estimates through reports from and discussions with applicable personnel and outside service providers as to the progress or state of completion of trials, or the services completed. The estimates of accrued external clinical study costs as of each balance sheet date are based on the facts and circumstances known at the time. Fair value of financial instruments The Company provides disclosure of financial assets and financial liabilities that are carried at fair value based on the price that would be received upon sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair value measurements may be classified based on the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair valuation of these assets and liabilities using the following three levels: Level 1 Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date. Level 2 Inputs include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means. Level 3 Unobservable inputs that reflect the Company’s estimates of the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The Company develops these inputs based on the best information available, including its own data. The carrying amounts of cash, cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate fair value because of their short-term nature. At December 31, 2019 and 2018 these financial instruments and respective fair values have been classified as follows (in thousands): Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) Significant other unobservable inputs (Level 3) Balance at December 31, 2019 Assets Money market funds $ 252,563 $ — $ — $ 252,563 Certificates of Deposit 15,873 — — 15,873 Total assets at fair value: $ 268,436 $ — $ — $ 268,436 Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1) Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) Significant other unobservable inputs (Level 3) Balance at December 31, 2018 Assets Money market funds $ 352,934 $ — $ — $ 352,934 Certificates of Deposit 15,501 — — 15,501 Total assets at fair value: $ 368,435 $ — $ — $ 368,435 Patent costs Costs associated with the submission of patent applications are expensed as incurred given the uncertainty of the future economic benefits of the patents. Patent-related legal expenses included in general and administrative costs were approximately $2,114 thousand, $1,352 thousand, and $997 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Income taxes Income taxes are accounted for using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, operating loss carryforwards, and tax credit carryforwards. 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. In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 740, Accounting for Income Taxes Stock-based compensation The primary type of stock-based payments utilized by the Company are stock options. The Company accounts for stock-based employee compensation arrangements by measuring the cost of employee services received in exchange for all equity awards granted based on the fair value of the award on the grant date. The fair value of each employee stock option is estimated on the date of grant using an options pricing model. The Company currently uses the Black-Scholes valuation model to estimate the fair value of its share-based payments. The model requires management to make a number of assumptions including expected volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. The Company accounts for stock-based non-employee compensation arrangements by recording the expense of such services based on the fair value of the equity instrument as estimated using the Black-Scholes pricing model. The fair value of the equity instrument is charged to operating expense over the term of the service agreement. In accordance with the implementation of ASU No. 2018-07 on January 1, 2019, the fair value of non-employee stock options is no longer be re-measured each reporting period. Segment information The Company manages its operations as a single segment for the purposes of assessing performance and making operating decisions. All of the Company’s assets are held in the United States. Comprehensive loss Comprehensive loss includes net loss as well as other changes in stockholders’ equity (deficit) that result from transactions and economic events other than those with stockholders. There was no difference between net loss and comprehensive loss for each of the periods presented in the accompanying financial statements. Redeemable convertible preferred stock The Company classifies its redeemable convertible preferred stock, for which the Company does not control the redemption, outside of permanent equity. The Company records redeemable convertible preferred stock at fair value upon issuance, net of any offering costs, and the carrying value is adjusted to the redemption value at the end of each reporting period. These adjustments are effected through charges against additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit. Leases We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating lease assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating leases are included in operating lease assets, other current liabilities, and operating lease liabilities on our balance sheet at December 31, 2019. Operating lease assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date to determine the present value of future payments. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with our historic accounting under previous lease guidance, Topic 840. See “Adoption of New Accounting Standards – Impact of Adoption of Topic 842” below, for more information about the impact of the adoption of Topic 842. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adoption of New Accounting Standards In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”). This guidance revises the accounting related to leases by requiring lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-of-use asset for all leases. In January 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02 using the modified retrospective transition method with an effective date as of the beginning of our fiscal year, January 1, 2019. Prior period amounts have not been adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historical reporting under previous lease guidance, ASC Topic 840. As part of the adoption, we have elected to account for separate lease and associated non-lease components as a single lease component for our real estate leases. In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting Impact of Adoption of Topic 842 With the adoption of Topic 842 on January 1, 2019, the Company recognized operating lease assets and operating lease liabilities of $1.5 million and $1.6 million, respectively, with the difference due to the de-recognition of current and non-current deferred rent. There was no impact to the opening accumulated deficit as of January 1, 2019. The impact of the adoption of Topic 842 on the accompanying balance sheet as of January 1, 2019 was as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2018 Adjustments Due to the Adoption of Topic 842 January 1, 2019 Operating lease assets $ — $ 1,533 $ 1,533 Accrued expenses 8,985 (9 ) 8,976 Operating lease liabilities: Other current liabilities — 352 352 Non-current operating lease liabilities — 1,278 1,278 Other non-current liabilities 88 (88 ) — Stockholders' equity 358,820 — 358,820 Recently Issued Accounting Standards In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract . |