Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts and disclosures reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Use of Estimates Management uses significant judgment when making estimates related to common stock valuation and related stock-based compensation expense, accrued expenses related to clinical trials and deferred tax valuation allowances. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ from those estimates under different assumptions or conditions, and those differences could be material to the financial position and results of operations. Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk principally consist of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. These financial instruments are held in accounts at a single financial institution that management believes possesses high credit quality. Amounts on deposit with this financial institution have and will continue to exceed federally-insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses on its cash deposits. Additionally, the Company’s investment policy limits its investments to certain types of securities issued by the United States government and its agencies. The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to that of other early-stage biopharmaceutical companies, including, but not limited to, the need to obtain adequate additional funding, possible failure of current or future clinical trials, its reliance on third-parties to conduct its clinical trials, the need to obtain regulatory and marketing approvals for its product candidates, competitive developments, the need to successfully commercialize and gain market acceptance of the Company’s product candidates, its right to develop and commercialize its product candidates pursuant to the terms and conditions of the licenses granted to the Company, protection of proprietary technology, the ability to make milestone, royalty or other payments due under licensing agreements, and the need to secure and maintain adequate manufacturing arrangements with third-parties. If the Company does not successfully commercialize or partner its product candidates, it will be unable to generate product revenue or achieve profitability. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the Company’s balance sheets and which, in aggregate, represent the amounts reported in the statements of cash flows (in thousands): December 31, 2019 2018 2017 Cash and cash equivalents $ 38,367 $ 33,660 $ 85,207 Restricted cash 2,275 802 — Total $ 40,642 $ 34,462 $ 85,207 Restricted cash at December 31, 2019 represents $2.3 million of security deposits for the lease of the Company’s facilities in Redwood City, California and San Carlos, California. Both security deposits are in the form of letters of credit secured by restricted cash. Restricted cash amounts are included within other long-term assets on the Company’s balance sheets. Marketable Securities The Company invests in marketable securities, primarily securities issued by the United States government and its agencies. The Company’s marketable securities are considered available-for-sale and are classified as current assets even when the stated maturities of the underlying securities exceed one year from the date of the current balance sheet being reported. This classification reflects management’s ability and intent to utilize proceeds from the sale of such investments to fund ongoing operations. Unrealized gains and losses are excluded from earnings and are reported as a component of accumulated comprehensive income (loss). The cost of securities sold is determined using the specific-identification method. Interest earned and adjustments for the amortization of premiums and discounts on investments are included in interest income, net, on the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Realized gains and losses and declines in fair value judged to be other than temporary, if any, on investments in marketable securities are included in other expense, net, on the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Fair Value Measurements The Company accounts for fair value of its financial instruments in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic No. 820, Fair Value Measurements The Company measures fair value based on a three-level hierarchy of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable. Unobservable inputs reflect the Company’s own assumptions about current market conditions. The three-level hierarchy of inputs is as follows: Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 – Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; 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 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of assets or liabilities. To the extent that the valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The carrying amounts reflected in the Company’s balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses and other current assets, other long-term assets, accounts payable, and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate fair value, due to their short-term nature. The Company’s investments in marketable securities are measured at fair value in accordance with the levels above. Property and Equipment, Net Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The useful lives of property and equipment are as follows: Laboratory equipment – 3 to 5 years Leasehold improvements – Shorter of remaining lease term or estimated life of the assets Upon retirement or sale, the cost of disposed assets and their related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet. Any resulting gains or losses on dispositions of property and equipment are included as a component of other income (expense), net, within the Company’s statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Repair and maintenance costs that do not significantly add value to the property and equipment, or prolong its life, are charged to operating expense as incurred. Leases Effective January 1, 2019, the Company accounts for its leases in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842, “Leases” (“ASC 842”). Prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with the Company’s historic accounting under previous lease guidance. Additionally, the Company elected a number of optional practical expedients made available under the ASC 842 transition guidance. Such elections include (i) carrying forward the Company’s historical lease classifications, (ii) foregoing a re-evaluation of historical contracts to identify embedded leases, (iii) foregoing a re-assessment of initial direct costs related to leases that existed prior to adoption, (iv) combining lease and non-lease components, and (v) recognizing lease expense for all contracts with an initial term of 12 months or less within the statements of operations and comprehensive loss on a straight-line basis over the requisite lease term. The Company accounts for its leases by recording right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the Balance Sheet. Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset over the lease term and include any lease payments made prior to the lease commencement date and exclude lease incentives. Lease liabilities represent the present value of the total lease payments over the lease term, calculated using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate. In determining the Company’s incremental borrowing rate, consideration is given to the term of the lease and the Company’s credit risk. The Company’s recognizes options to extend or terminate a lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise any such options. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term. Accrued Contract Research and Development Expense Costs associated with research and development services performed on behalf of the Company by third-party CROs and CDMOs comprise a significant component of total research and development expense included on the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Services performed by these CROs and CDMOs include various research and development activities supporting the Company’s preclinical studies, clinical trials and drug manufacturing activities, which are governed by executed service agreements. Underlying amounts included in these service agreements with CROs and CDMOs are expensed as incurred. The Company accrues for expenses related to services performed by Accrued contract research and development expense requires certain estimates by management surrounding the extent of unbilled services received and the extent and duration of remaining services still to be performed. Management’s estimates are based on the evaluation of data obtained from multiple internal and external sources including, but not limited to, clinical site activity logs, subject visit reports, and project management timelines. Results from these evaluations are reviewed by internal personnel from the Company’s clinical and technical operations departments. Research and Development Expense Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs include, among others, consulting fees, salaries, benefits, travel, stock-based compensation, laboratory supplies and other non-capital equipment utilized for in-house research, allocations of facilities and overhead costs, amounts owed under in-licensing agreements, and amounts paid to CROs and CDMOs that conduct research and development activities on the Company’s behalf. Goods or services incurred for research and development activities that have not yet been invoiced are recorded as liabilities within accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the Company’s balance sheets. Amounts recorded for unbilled services often represent estimates, which are typically based on contracted amounts for the proportion of work performed and determined through analysis with internal personnel and external service providers as to the progress or stage of completion of the associated services. Non-refundable a dvance payments for goods or services to be rendered as part of future research and development activities are capitalized on the Company’s balance sheets. Classification between current and long-term assets is based on an evaluation of when the goods will be delivered and/or services will be performed, with such amounts subsequently amortized to expense once realized. Segments Operating segments are defined as components of an entity about which separate discrete information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company’s chief operating decision maker, its Chief Executive Officer, views its operations and manages its business in one operating segment operating exclusively in the United States. Patent Costs The Company expenses patent application and related legal costs as incurred and classifies such costs as general and administrative expenses in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss Stock-Based Compensation The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation For purposes of determining the estimated fair value of stock options granted to employees and nonemployees, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the input of certain assumptions that involve judgment, for which changes can materially affect the resulting estimates of fair value. The assumptions used to determine the fair value of stock options granted were as follows: Expected volatility – As there is insufficient trading history for the Company’s common stock, the Company has based its computation of expected volatility on the historical volatility of a representative group of public companies with similar characteristics to the Company, including stage of product development and life science industry focus. The historical volatility is calculated based on a period of time commensurate with the expected term assumption. Expected term – The Company determines the expected term in accordance with the “simplified method” described by SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107, , as it does not have sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate the expected term. Risk-free interest rate – The Company bases the risk-free interest rate on United States Treasury securities with terms consistent to the expected term of the stock option being valued. Expected dividends – The expected dividend yield is assumed to be zero as the Company has never paid dividends and has no current plans to pay any dividends on its common stock. The fair value of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) is determined using the quoted market price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The Company uses historical data to estimate pre-vesting forfeitures and records stock-based compensation expense only for those awards expected to vest. To the extent that actual forfeitures differ from estimates, the difference is recorded as a cumulative adjustment in the period the estimate are revised. The Company expenses the fair value of its stock-based compensation awards to employees and nonemployees on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period. Income Taxes In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”) was signed into law. The Tax Act, among other changes, lowered the Company’s federal tax rate from 34% to 21%. Based on provisions of the Tax Act, the Company remeasured its deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2017 to reflect the lower statutory tax rate, however, since the Company established a full valuation allowance to offset its deferred tax assets, there was no impact to the effective tax rate. The deferred tax remeasurement was provisional and represented our reasonable estimate within the meaning of Staff Accounting Board 118, which provided a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the Tax Act’s enactment date for companies to complete the accounting under ASC 740. As of December 31, 2018, the Company has completed its analysis of the income tax effects of the Tax Act. The results of this analysis have been reflected in the Company’s financial statements and related footnotes. Comprehensive Loss Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in stockholders’ equity (deficit) during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. The difference between net loss and comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 are a result of unrealized gains and losses on the Company’s investments in marketable securities included in current assets on the balance sheets. Net Loss per Share The Company calculates basic net loss per share by dividing the net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding during the period. The Company calculates diluted net loss per share after giving consideration to all potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the period using the treasury-stock and if-converted methods, except where the effect of including such securities would be anti-dilutive. Because the Company has reported net losses since inception, the effect from potentially dilutive securities would have been anti-dilutive and therefore has been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share. Basic and diluted net loss per share was calculated as follows (in thousands, except per share data): Year Ended December 31, 2019 2018 2017 Numerator: Net loss $ (85,372 ) $ (43,538 ) $ (23,552 ) Denominator: Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding, basic and diluted 45,191 19,833 1,620 Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (1.89 ) $ (2.20 ) $ (14.54 ) The following table sets forth the potentially dilutive securities that have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share due to their anti-dilutive effect for the periods indicated (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2019 2018 2017 Series A convertible preferred stock — — 20,866 Series B convertible preferred stock — — 10,105 Options to purchase common stock 7,148 7,811 4,884 Unvested restricted stock units 542 — — Warrants to purchase common stock — — 48 Unvested restricted common stock — 47 104 Shares issuable under employee stock purchase plans 31 29 — Total 7,721 7,887 36,007 Foreign Currency Transactions The Company is party to multiple contract manufacturing and clinical research agreements for which services to be performed are denominated in foreign currencies other than the United States Dollar. The Company records gains and losses attributable to fluctuations in foreign currencies as a component of other income (expense), net, on the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842 which became effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. ASC 842 requires an entity to recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability for all leases with terms of more than 12 months. The recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses will depend on the lease’s classification as a finance or operating lease. ASC 842 also requires certain quantitative and qualitative disclosures about leasing arrangements. The Company adopted ASC 842 using a modified retrospective approach effective January 1, 2019, recording a right-of-use asset of $6.1 million and a long-term lease liability of $8.2 million. Adoption of ASC 842 did not result in a cumulative effect adjustment to accumulated deficit. See Note 6 for further disclosure. On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-07, Compensation-Stock Compensation Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses |