| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars and have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and as amended by Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). In June 2020, the Company completed the Merger, as discussed in Note 1. Upon the closing of the Merger, the common and convertible preferred units of Compass Therapeutics LLC were converted into the Company’s common stock. The Company effected a 0.15 -for-one stock conversion ratio for its issued and outstanding convertible preferred units. Common units were converted using the same ratio after factoring in the relevant strike price of each grant. Subsequent to the Merger, there were no common or convertible preferred units outstanding. All of the share and per share information presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for 2020 has been adjusted to reflect the stock split. Upon the closing of the Merger, the Company’s certificate of incorporation was amended and restated to provide for 10 million authorized shares of preferred stock with a par value of $ 0.0001 per share and 300 million authorized shares of common stock with a par value of $ 0.0001 per share. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Compass Therapeutics, Inc., and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Compass Therapeutics LLC, Compass Therapeutics Advisors Inc., Trigr Therapeutics, Inc. and Compass Therapeutics Securities Corporation. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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 amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in these financial statements include, but are not limited to, the accrual of research and development expenses, useful lives of equipment, interest rate and term operating lease ROU and liability, the percentage of completion of contractual arrangements, future cash expenditures for liquidity estimates, the valuation of common stock and estimates associated with stock-based awards. Estimates are periodically reviewed in light of changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Changes in estimates are recorded prospectively in the period that they become known. Segment Information Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate and discrete information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision-maker in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company has one operating segment. The Company’s chief operating decision-maker, its chief executive officer, manages the Company’s operations on a consolidated basis for the purpose of allocating resources. All the Company’s long-lived assets are held in the United States. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments that are readily convertible into cash with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include cash held in banks and amounts held in money market funds. Cash equivalents are stated at cost, which approximates market value. C ash equivalents consisted of money market funds of $ 130.0 million and $ 43.6 million on December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Restricted Cash As of December 31, 2021, the Company did no t have any restricted cash. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had two items that were classified as restricted cash on the balance sheet. The first was cash of $ 0.2 million to collateralize corporate credit cards with a bank. The second was as part of the Company’s prior lease agreement in which the Company was required to maintain a letter of credit of $ 0.1 million for the benefit of the landlord. Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. The Company maintains its cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash with financial institutions that management believes to be of high-credit quality. The Company has not experienced any losses related to its cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets as follows:
Asset Classification Estimated Useful Life
Equipment 5 years
Furniture and fixtures 7 years
Software 5 years
Leasehold improvements Lesser of estimated useful life or lease term Estimated useful lives are periodically assessed to determine if changes are appropriate. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost of these assets and related accumulated depreciation or amortization are eliminated from the consolidated balance sheet and any resulting gains or losses are included in the consolidated statement of operations in the period of disposal. Costs for capital assets not yet placed into service are capitalized as construction-in-progress and depreciated once placed into service. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Long-lived assets consist of property and equipment. Long-lived assets to be held and used are tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. Factors that the Company considers in deciding when to perform an impairment review include significant underperformance of the business in relation to expectations, significant negative industry or economic trends and significant changes or planned changes in the use of the assets. If an impairment review is performed to evaluate a long-lived asset group for recoverability, the Company compares forecasts of undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the long-lived asset group to its carrying value. An impairment loss would be recognized in the consolidated statements of operations when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of an asset group are less than its carrying amount. The impairment loss would be based on the excess of the carrying value of the impaired asset group over its fair value, determined based on discounted cash flows. The Company did no t record any impairment losses on long-lived assets during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. Fair Value Measurements Certain assets and liabilities of the Company are carried at fair value under GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable: • Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. • Level 2 – Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices), such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets and liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. • Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques. 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. An entity may choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value at specified election dates. Subsequent unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair value option has been elected are reported in earnings. The Company’s cash equivalents are carried at fair value according to the fair value hierarchy described above and were determined based on Level 1 measurements (see Note 4). The Company’s restricted cash was carried at fair value according to the fair value hierarchy described above and were determined based on Level 2 measurements (see Note 4). The carrying values of other current assets and accounts payable approximate their fair value due to the short‑term nature of these assets and liabilities. The carrying values of the Company’s loan approximated its fair value as of December 31, 2020 due to its variable interest rate. The fair value of the loan related embedded derivative (see Note 4) was determined based on Level 3 measurements. Research and Development Costs Costs associated with internal research and development and external research and development services, including drug development and preclinical studies, are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include costs for salaries, employee benefits, subcontractors, facility-related expenses, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, third-party license fees, laboratory supplies, and external costs of outside vendors engaged to conduct discovery, preclinical and clinical development activities and clinical trials as well as to manufacture clinical trial materials, and other costs. The Company recognizes external research and development costs based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using information provided to the Company by its service providers. Nonrefundable advance payments for goods or services to be received in the future for use in research and development activities are recorded as prepaid expenses. Such prepaid expenses are recognized as an expense when the goods have been delivered or the related services have been performed, or when it is no longer expected that the goods will be delivered, or the services rendered. Costs associated with licenses of technology acquired as part of collaborative arrangements are expensed as incurred and are generally included in research and development expense in the consolidated statements of operations if it is determined the license has no alternative future use. Accrued Research and Development Expenses The Company has entered into various research and development and other agreements with commercial firms, researchers, universities and others for provisions of goods and services. These agreements are generally cancelable, and the related costs are recorded as research and development expenses as incurred. The Company records accruals for estimated ongoing research and development costs. When evaluating the adequacy of the accrued liabilities, the Company analyzes progress of the studies or clinical trials, including the phase or completion of events, invoices received and contracted costs. Significant judgments and estimates are made in determining the accrued balances at the end of any reporting period. Actual results could differ materially from the Company’s estimates. The Company’s historical accrual estimates have not been materially different from the actual costs. Debt Issuance Costs Debt issuance costs consist of payments made to secure commitments under certain debt financing arrangements. These amounts are recognized as interest expense over the period of the financing arrangement using the effective interest method. The Company’s consolidated financial statements present debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability as a direct reduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. Patent Costs All patent-related costs incurred in connection with filing and prosecuting patent applications are expensed as incurred due to the uncertainty about the recovery of the expenditure. Amounts incurred are classified as general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Stock-Based Compensation The Company recognizes the grant‑date fair value of stock‑based awards issued to employees and nonemployee board members as compensation expense on a straight‑line basis over the service period of the award. The Company uses the Black‑Scholes option pricing model to determine the grant‑date fair value of stock options and adjusts expense for forfeitures in the periods they occur. The fair value of each equity award was determined by the Company on the date of grant and by using the methods and assumptions discussed below. Certain of these inputs are subjective and generally require judgment to determine. Stock price: See below. Expected term : The expected term of the equity award represents the weighted average period the award is expected to be outstanding. The Company uses the simplified method for estimating the expected term as provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The simplified method calculates the expected term as the average time to vesting and the contractual life of the award. Expected volatility – Due to the Company’s limited operating history and lack of Company-specific historical or implied volatility, the expected volatility assumption was determined by examining the historical volatilities of a group of industry peers whose share prices are publicly available. Risk-free interest rate – The risk-free rate assumption is based on U.S. Treasury instruments, the terms of which were consistent with the expected term of the Company’s equity award. Expected dividend – The Company has no t paid and does not intend to pay dividends. Stock Price - Prior to the Merger The Company issued Class A and Class C common units to various employees, directors and consultants. The units constituted “profits interests” for tax purposes and were accounted for as share-based payment arrangements. Upon consummation of the Merger, all outstanding vested units were converted into shares of common stock and all outstanding unvested units were converted into shares of restricted stock that continue to vest over the remaining term of the original award. The estimated fair value was determined by our board of directors as of the date of each stock award, with input from management, considering our most recently available third-party valuation, and our board of directors’ assessment of additional objective and subjective factors that it believed were relevant and which may have changed from the date of the most recent valuation through the date of the grant. These third-party valuations were performed in accordance with the guidance outlined in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Accounting and Valuation Guide, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation . In addition to considering the results of these third-party valuations, our board of directors considered various objective and subjective factors to determine the fair value of our stock awards as of each grant date, including: • the prices at which we sold preferred membership interests and the superior rights and preferences of the preferred membership interests relative to our membership interests at the time of each grant; • the progress of our commercialization efforts; • the progress of our research and development programs, including the status and results of preclinical studies for our product candidates; • our stage of development and our business strategy; • external market conditions affecting the medical device industry and trends within the medical device industry; • our financial position, including cash on hand, and our historical and forecasted performance and operating results; • the lack of an active public market for our common and preferred membership interests; • the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering ("IPO"), reverse merger, or sale of our Company in light of prevailing market conditions; and • the analysis of IPOs and the market performance of similar companies in the biopharmaceutical industry. Stock Price - Subsequent to the Merger Since the second quarter of 2021, when the Company started trading on a public market, the stock price of the Company’s common stock has been used to value equity awards based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock as reported on the date of the grant. A public trading market for the Company’s common stock was not established between the closing of the Merger and the second quarter of 2021. For the valuation of the Company’s common stock for this period, the Company used $ 5.00 per share, which is the share price paid by outside investors in the Company’s Private Placement that closed in June 2020. Net Loss per Share Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during each period. Diluted loss per share includes the effect, if any, from the potential exercise or conversion of securities, such as convertible preferred stock, stock options, restricted stock units, unvested restricted stock awards and common stock warrants that would result in the issuance of incremental shares of common stock. In computing the basic and diluted net loss per share, the weighted average number of shares remains the same for both calculations due to the fact that when a net loss exists, dilutive shares are not included in the calculation as the impact is anti-dilutive. The following potentially dilutive securities outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 have been excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average shares outstanding, as they would be anti-dilutive:
December 31,
2021 2020
(000's)
Restricted stock units 1,200 —
Stock options 3,659 2,159
Nonvested restricted stock 471 896
Total 5,330 3,055 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 temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, operating losses 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 operations in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred income tax assets are reduced, as necessary, by a valuation allowance when management determines it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax benefits will not be realized. The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. Federal jurisdiction and in various states. The Company has tax net operating loss carryforwards that are subject to examination for a number of years beyond the year in which they were generated for tax purposes. Since a portion of these net operating loss carryforwards may be utilized in the future, many of these net operating loss carryforwards will remain subject to examination. Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016 02, Leases , which requires a lessee to record a right of use asset and a corresponding lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. The standard continues to have two types of leases for income statement recognition purposes: operating leases and finance leases. Operating leases result in the recognition of a single lease expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term, similar to the treatment for operating leases under the old standard. Finance leases result in an accelerated expense similar to the accounting for capital leases under the old standard. The new standard also contains amended guidance regarding the identification of embedded leases in service contracts and the identification of lease and non-lease components of an arrangement. The Company adopted the new standard on January 1, 2021 , using a modified retrospective approach and as a result did not adjust prior periods. Adoption of the standard resulted in the recording of $ 5.1 million of operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities, but did not have a material impact on the Company’s net loss or cash flows. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes ("ASU 2019-12"), which is intended to simplify the accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. The new standard will be effective beginning January 1, 2022. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2019-12 to have a material impact on its financial position and results of operations upon adoption. |
