| Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Use of Estimates The preparation of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements relate to accrued research and development expense, expected refunds from the Australian Taxation Office for eligible research and development activities, revenue recognition and the valuation of equity awards. Management evaluates its estimates on an ongoing basis. Although estimates are based on the Company’s historical experience, knowledge of current events, and actions it may undertake in the future, actual results may ultimately materially differ from these estimates and assumptions. Concentration of Credit Risk and Off-Balance Sheet Ris k Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to significant concentration of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments. The Company maintains deposits in federally insured financial institutions in which the majority of deposits are in excess of federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts, and management believes that the Company is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial position of the depository institutions in which those deposits are held. The Company’s investment policy includes guidelines for the quality of the related institutions and financial instruments and defines allowable investments that the Company may invest in, which the Company believes minimizes the exposure to concentration of credit risk. Comprehensive Loss The Company is required to report all components of comprehensive loss, including net loss, in the condensed consolidated financial statements in the period in which they are recognized. Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, including unrealized gains and losses on investments and foreign currency translation gains and losses. Other comprehensive income, net includes unrealized gains or losses on short-term investments as well as foreign currency translation gains or losses. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include cash in readily available checking and savings accounts, and money market funds. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. At September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were primarily comprised of money market funds. Short-Term Investments Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair value, with the unrealized gains and losses reported in comprehensive loss. The amortized cost of available-for-sale debt securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity. Such amortization and accretion are included in interest income. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in other income or expense. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. Interest and dividends on securities classified as available-for-sale are included in interest income. Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable includes trade accounts receivables from the Ono Asset Purchase Agreement (see Note 8). Reimbursable costs that have not been invoiced as of the balance sheet date are recorded as unbilled accounts receivable. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company had unbilled accounts receivable totaling $ 5.0 million and $ 3.7 million, respectively, classified as accounts receivable on its condensed consolidated balance sheet. The Company makes judgments as to its ability to collect outstanding receivables and provide an allowance for receivables when collection becomes doubtful. Allowance for credit risk for accounts receivable is established based on various factors including credit profiles of the Company’s customers, historical payments and current economic trends. The Company reviews its allowance for accounts receivable by assessing individual accounts receivable over a specific aging and amount. The estimate of expected credit losses is based on information about past events, current economic conditions, and forecasts of future economic conditions that affect the collectability. Accounts receivable is written-off on a case by case basis, net of any amounts that may be collected. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, no credit losses have been recorded by the Company. Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets Prepaid expenses and other current assets consisted of the following (in thousands):
September 30, December 31,
2024 2023
Australian research and development tax incentive $ 921 $ 2,054
Prepaid clinical development 547 1,008
Prepaid insurance 109 532
Other receivables 275 497
Prepaid other 527 422
Other current assets 381 235
Total prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 2,760 $ 4,748 Property and Equipment Property and equipment is stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets (generally three to five years ). Lea ses The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Lease right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. For operating leases with an initial term greater than 12 months, the Company recognizes operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term at the commencement date. Operating lease right-of-use assets are comprised of the lease liability plus any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Lease terms include options to renew or terminate the lease when the Company is reasonably certain that the renewal option will be exercised or when it is reasonably certain that the termination option will not be exercised. For the Company’s operating leases, if the interest rate used to determine the present value of future lease payments is not readily determinable, the Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate for the lease. The Company’s incremental borrowing rate is estimated to approximate the interest rate on a collateralized basis with similar terms and payments, and in similar economic environments. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company has elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Long-lived assets consist primarily of property and equipment. An impairment loss is recorded if and when events and circumstances indicate that assets might be impaired an d the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amount of those assets. While the Company’s current and historical operating losses and negative cash flows are indicators of impairment, management believes that future cash flows to be received support the carrying value of its long-lived assets and, accordingly, has not recognized any impairment losses since inception. Accrued Research and Development Expense The Company is required to estimate its expenses resulting from its obligations under contracts with vendors, consultants and contract research organizations, in connection with conducting research and development activities. The financial terms of these contracts are subject to negotiations, which vary from contract to contract and may result in payment flows that do not match the periods over which materials or services are provided under such contracts. The Company reflects research and development expenses in its condensed consolidated financial statements by matching those expenses with the period in which services and efforts are expended. The Company accounts for these expenses according to the progress of the preclinical or clinical study as measured by the timing of various aspects of the study or related activities. The Company determines accrual estimates through review of the underlying contracts along with preparation of financial models taking into account discussions with research and other key personnel as to the progress of studies, or other services being conducted. During the course of a study, the Company adjusts its rate of expense recognition if actual results differ from its estimates. The Company classifies its estimates for accrued research and development expenses as accrued expenses on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet. Australian Research and Development Tax Incentive Equillium Australia Pty Ltd (Equillium Australia), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Equillium, Inc., is eligible under the Australian Research and Development Tax Incentive Program (the Tax Incentive) to obtain a cash refund from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for eligible research and development expenditures. The cash refund is received by Equillium Australia upon filing of a Tax Incentive claim in connection with Equillium Australia’s annual income tax return. The Tax Incentive is a self-assess program whereby Equillium Australia must assess each year (i) if the entity is eligible, (ii) if the specific research and development activities are eligible and (iii) if the individual research and development expenditures have nexus to such research and development activities. Equillium Australia evaluates its eligibility under the Tax Incentive as of each balance sheet date based on the most current and relevant data available. Equillium Australia is able to continue to claim refunds under the Tax Incentive for as long as it remains eligible and continues to incur eligible research and development expenditures. Although Equillium Australia believes that it has complied with all relevant conditions of eligibility under the program for all periods claimed, the ATO has the right to review Equillium Australia’s qualifying programs and related expenditures for a period of up to four years. Additionally, the period open for review is indefinite if the ATO suspects fraud. If such a review were to occur, the ATO may have different interpretations of certain eligibility requirements. If the ATO disagreed with Equillium Australia’s assessments and any related subsequent appeals, it could require adjustment to and potential repayment of current or previous years’ claims already received. If Equillium Australia was unable to demonstrate a reasonably arguable position taken on such claims, the ATO could also assess penalties and interest on potential adjustment amounts. The Company has not provided any allowance for any such potential adjustments, should they occur in the future. The estimated Tax Incentive refund amounts are recognized as a reduction to research and development expense when there is reasonable assurance that the Tax Incentive refund amounts will be received, the relevant expenditure has been incurred, and the amount can be reliably measured. During the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $ 0.2 million and $ 0.5 million, respectively, as a reduction to research and development expenses related to the Tax Incentive. During the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $ 1.6 million and $ 1.7 million, respectively, as a reduction to research and development expenses related to the Tax Incentive. The Company classifies its estimate for the Tax Incentive as prepaid expenses and other current assets on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company recorded $ 0.9 million and $ 2.1 million within prepaid and other current assets attributed to the Tax Incentive, respectively. Revenue Recognition The Company recognizes revenue in a manner that depicts the transfer of control of a product or a service to a customer and reflects the amount of the consideration the Company is entitled to receive in exchange for such product or service. In doing so, the Company follows a five-step approach: (i) identify the contract with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the customer obtains control of the product or service. The Company considers the terms of a contract and all relevant facts and circumstances when applying the revenue recognition standard. The Company applies the revenue recognition standard, including the use of any practical expedients, consistently to contracts with similar characteristics and in similar circumstances. A customer is a party that has entered into a contract with the Company, where the purpose of the contract is to obtain a product or a service that is an output of the Company’s ordinary activities in exchange for consideration. To be considered a contract, (i) the contract must be approved (in writing, orally, or in accordance with other customary business practices), (ii) each party’s rights regarding the product or the service to be transferred can be identified, (iii) the payment terms for the product or the service to be transferred can be identified, (iv) the contract must have commercial substance (that is, the risk, timing or amount of future cash flows is expected to change as a result of the contract), and (v) it is probable that the Company will collect substantially all of the consideration to which it is entitled to receive in exchange for the transfer of the product or the service. A performance obligation is defined as a promise to transfer a product or a service to a customer. The Company identifies each promise to transfer a product or a service (or a bundle of products or services, or a series of products and services that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer) that is distinct. A product or a service is distinct if both (i) the customer can benefit from the product or the service either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer and (ii) the Company’s promise to transfer the product or the service to the customer is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. Each distinct promise to transfer a product or a service is a unit of accounting for revenue recognition. If a promise to transfer a product or a service is not separately identifiable from other promises in the contract, such promises should be combined into a single performance obligation. The transaction price is the amount of consideration the Company is entitled to receive in exchange for the transfer of control of a product or a service to a customer. To determine the transaction price, the Company considers the existence of any significant financing component, the effects of any variable elements, noncash considerations and consideration payable to the customer. If a significant financing component exists, the transaction price is adjusted for the time value of money. If an element of variability exists, the Company must estimate the consideration it expects to receive and uses that amount as the basis for recognizing revenue as the product or the service is transferred to the customer. There are two methods for determining the amount of variable consideration: (i) the expected value method, which is the sum of probability-weighted amounts in a range of possible consideration amounts, and (ii) the mostly likely amount method, which identifies the single most likely amount in a range of possible consideration amounts. If a contract has multiple performance obligations, the Company allocates the transaction price to each distinct performance obligation in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company is entitled to receive in exchange for satisfying each distinct performance obligation. For each distinct performance obligation, revenue is recognized when (or as) the Company transfers control of the product or the service applicable to such performance obligation. In those instances where the Company first receives consideration in advance of satisfying its performance obligation, the Company classifies such consideration as deferred revenue until (or as) the Company satisfies such performance obligation. In those instances where the Company first satisfies its performance obligation prior to its receipt of consideration, the consideration is recorded as accounts receivable. The Company expenses incremental costs of obtaining and fulfilling a contract as and when incurred if the expected amortization period of the asset that would be recognized is one year or less, or if the amount of the asset is immaterial. Otherwise, such costs are capitalized as contract assets if they are incremental to the contract and amortized to expense proportionate to revenue recognition of the underlying contract. Contract Assets The Company does not have material amounts of contract assets since revenue is recognized as control of goods is transferred or as services are performed. There are a small number of research and development services that may occur over a period of time, but that period of time is generally very short in duration. Any contract assets that may arise are recorded in accounts receivable in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet net of an allowance for credit losses. The Company’s contract assets include trade accounts receivables from the Ono Asset Purchase Agreement (see Note 8). Reimbursable costs that have not been invoiced as of the balance sheet date are recorded as unbilled accounts receivable. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company had unbilled accounts receivable totaling $ 5.0 million and $ 3.7 million, respectively, classified as accounts receivable on its condensed consolidated balance sheet. Contract Liabilities The Company’s contract liabilities consist of advance payments and deferred revenue. The Company classifies advance payments and deferred revenue as current or noncurrent based on the timing of when it expects to recognize revenue. Generally, all contract liabilities are expected to be recognized within one year and are included in deferred revenue in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet. The noncurrent portion of deferred revenue is included and separately disclosed in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet. Acquired In-Process Research and Development Expense The Company has acquired, and may continue to acquire, the rights to develop new product candidates. Payments to acquire a new product candidate, as well as future milestone payments associated with asset acquisitions in which contingent payments are resolved are immediately expensed as acquired in-process research and development provided that the product candidate has not achieved regulatory approval for marketing and, absent obtaining such approval, has no alternative future use. Research and Development Research and development expenses include salaries and related overhead expenses, non-cash stock-based compensation expense, external research and development expenses incurred under arrangements with third parties, costs of services performed by consultants and contract research organizations, regulatory costs including those related to preparing and filing INDs with the FDA, pharmacovigilance costs related to drug safety monitoring and reporting, and external expenses related to CMC, formulation and device development, and supply of drug product. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Patent Costs The Company expenses all costs as incurred in connection with patent applications (including direct application fees, and the legal and consulting expenses related to making such applications) and such costs are included in general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statement of operations. Stock-Based Compensation The Company measures employee and non-employee stock-based awards, including stock options and stock purchase rights, at grant-date fair value and records compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the award. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to value its stock option awards. Estimating the fair value of stock option awards requires management to apply judgment and make estimates of certain assumptions, including the volatility of the Company’s common stock, the expected term of the Company’s stock options, the expected dividend yield and the fair value of the Company’s common stock on the measurement date. As a result, if factors change and management uses different assumptions, stock-based compensation expense could be materially different for future awards. Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of the differences between the condensed consolidated financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets to the extent that the Company believes these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, management considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If management determines that the Company would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, management would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes. Pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (IRC), specifically Sections 382 and 383, the Company’s ability to use tax attribute carryforwards to offset future taxable income is limited if the Company experiences a cumulative change in ownership of more than 50% within a three-year testing period. The Company has not completed an ownership change analysis pursuant to IRC Section 382 subsequent to June 30, 2023 and may also experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in stock ownership. If ownership changes within the meaning of IRC Section 382 are identified as having occurred, the amount of remaining tax attribute carryforwards available to offset future taxable income and income tax expense in future years may be significantly restricted or eliminated, including those acquired through Bioniz. Further, the Company’s deferred tax assets associated with such tax attributes could be significantly reduced or eliminated upon realization of an ownership change within the meaning of IRC Section 382. If eliminated, the related asset would be removed from the deferred tax asset schedule, with a corresponding reduction in the valuation allowance. Additionally, limitations on the utilization of the Company’s tax attribute carryforwards can increase the amount of taxable income and current income tax expense recognized. Due to the existence of the valuation allowance, ownership change limitations that are not significant may not impact the Company’s effective tax rate. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 amended IRC Section 174 to eliminate the immediate expensing of research and experimental (R&E) expenditures for amounts paid or incurred in tax years beginning after December 31, 2021. The rules of IRC Section 174, as amended, require taxpayers to charge their R&E expenditures and software development costs (collectively, R&E expenditures) to a capital account. Capitalized costs are required to be amortized over five or fifteen years for research performed within the United States or foreign jurisdictions, respectively. The Company records uncertain tax positions on the basis of a two-step process whereby (1) management determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more- likely-than-not recognition threshold, management recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within income tax expense. Any accrued interest and penalties are included within the related tax liability. Net Loss per Share Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding for the period. Common stock equivalents are only included when their effect is dilutive. The Company’s potentially dilutive securities include outstanding options under the Company’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan, 2024 Inducement Plan and outstanding warrants to purchase common stock, each of which have been excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share as they would be anti-dilutive to the net loss per share. For all periods presented, there is no difference in the number of shares used to calculate basic and diluted shares outstanding due to the Company’s net loss position. Potentially dilutive securities not included in the calculation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders because to do so would be anti-dilutive are as follows (in common stock equivalent shares):
Nine Months Ended
2024 2023
Common stock options 9,193,927 7,168,303
Common stock warrants 1,366,141 1,366,141
Total 10,560,068 8,534,444 |
