Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 2. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). The accompanying financial statements include all known adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results as required by GAAP. These adjustments consist primarily of normal recurring accruals and estimates that impact the carrying value of assets and liabilities. Operating results for the year ended December 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of future results, particularly in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on domestic and global economies. To limit the spread of COVID-19, governments have taken various actions including the issuance of stay-at-home orders and physical distancing guidelines. Accordingly, businesses have adjusted, reduced or suspended operating activities. Beginning the week of March 16, 2020, the majority of the Company’s workforce began working from home. Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the effects of the stay-at-home orders and work-from-home policies, have impacted productivity, have resulted in increased operational expenses, certain adjustments to the operations of the Company’s clinical trials, the temporary suspension of enrollment of new patients at certain of the Company’s clinical trial sites, and delays in certain supply chain activities and collecting and analyzing data from patients in the Company’s clinical trials, and may further disrupt the business and delay the development programs and regulatory timelines, the magnitude of which will depend, in part, on the length and severity of the restrictions and other limitations on the Company’s ability to conduct business in the ordinary course. As a result, research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses may vary significantly if there is an increased impact from COVID-19 on the costs and timing associated with the conduct of the clinical trials and other related business activities. In the third quarter of 2020, the Company began reporting deferred offering costs within other assets on its balance sheets. To conform to current presentation, the Company included $1.3 million of deferred financing costs at December 31, 2019 in other assets. This reclassification had no effect on the Company’s total assets, net loss or stockholders’ equity (deficit) as previously reported. Use of Estimates The preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in the Company’s financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates and assumptions are based on current facts, historical experience and various other factors 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 and the recording of expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates. Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk, consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. The Company maintains deposits in federally insured financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of default by the financial institutions holding its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments that are recorded on its balance sheets. The Company mitigates its risk by investing in high-grade instruments and limiting the concentration in any one issuer, which limits its exposure. Fair Value of Financial Instruments The accounting guidance defines fair value, establishes a consistent framework for measuring fair value, and expands disclosure for each major asset and liability category measured at fair value on either a recurring or nonrecurring basis. Fair value is defined as an exit price representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. The carrying amounts of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, prepaid expenses, accounts payable and accrued liabilities are reasonable estimates of their fair value because of the short nature of these items. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of 90 days or less at the time of purchase that are readily convertible into cash as cash equivalents. These investments may include money market funds, securities issued by U.S. Government agencies, corporate debt securities and commercial paper. Investments All investments have been classified as “available-for-sale” and are carried at fair value as determined The Company reviews its Property and Equipment Property and equipment, which consist of lab equipment, leasehold improvements, computer hardware and software, and furniture and fixtures, are stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which are generally three to seven years. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the lease term or the estimate useful life of the asset. Impairment of Property and Equipment The Company accounts for the impairment of long-lived assets by reviewing these assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. If circumstances require a long-lived asset or asset group to be tested for possible impairment, the Company first compares undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by that asset or asset group to its carrying value. If the carrying value of the long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable on an undiscounted-cash-flow basis, an impairment is recognized to the extent that the carrying value exceeds its fair value. The Company did not recognize impairment losses for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018. Deferred Rent Deferred rent consists of the difference between cash payments and the recognition of rent expense on a straight-line basis for the office facilities over the terms of the leases. The Company’s leased office facilities provide for fixed increases in minimum annual rent payments. The total amount of rent payments due over the lease term are being charged to rent expense ratably over the life of the leases. Research and Development Expenses and Accrued Research and Development Expenses The Company is required to estimate its expenses resulting from its obligations under contracts with vendors, consultants, contract research organizations (CRO), and contract manufacturing organizations (CMO) in connection with conducting research and development activities. The financial terms of these contracts 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. Research and development costs are expensed in the period in which they are incurred. External costs consist primarily of payments to outside consultants, third-party CROs, CMOs, clinical trial sites and central laboratories in connection with the Company’s discovery and preclinical activities, process development, clinical manufacturing and clinical development activities. External expenses are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using information provided to the Company by its service providers or its estimate of the level of service that has been performed at each reporting date. The Company allocates external costs by program, clinical or preclinical. Internal costs consist primary of employee-related costs, laboratory supplies, facilities, depreciation and costs related to compliance with regulatory requirements. The Company does not allocate internal costs by program because these costs are deployed across multiple programs and, as such, are not separately classified. The Company makes estimates of accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date based on facts and circumstances known at that time. The Company periodically confirms the accuracy of its estimates with the service providers and makes adjustments if necessary. The significant estimates in its accrued research and development expenses include the costs incurred for services performed by vendors in connection with research and development activities for which the Company has not yet been invoiced. 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 financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined on the basis of the differences between the 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 recorded amount, management would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes. As of December 31, 20 20 and 2019, the Company maintained valuation allowances against its deferred tax assets as the Company concluded it had not met the “more likely than not” to be realized threshold. Changes in the valuation allowance when they are recognized in the provision for income taxes would result in a change in the estimated annual effective tax rate. Stock-Based Compensation Stock-based compensation expense represents the cost of the grant date fair value of employee, officer, director and non-employee stock option grants, estimated in accordance with the applicable accounting guidance, recognized on a ratable straight-line basis over the vesting period. The vesting period generally approximates the expected service period of the awards. The Company recognizes forfeitures as they occur. The fair value of stock options is estimated using a Black-Scholes Merton valuation model on the date of grant. This method requires certain assumptions be used as inputs, such as the fair value of the underlying common stock, a risk-free interest rate, expected volatility of the Company’s common stock, expected term of the option before exercise and expected dividend yield. Options granted have a maximum contractual term of ten years. License Fees Acquisitions of technology licenses are charged to acquired in-process research and development expense or capitalized based upon the asset achieving technological feasibility in accordance with management’s assessment regarding the ultimate recoverability of the amounts paid and the potential for alternative future use. Deferred Offering Costs The Company capitalizes costs that are directly associated with equity financings until such financings are consummated at which time such costs are recorded against the gross proceeds of the offering. Should an in-process equity financing be abandoned, the deferred offering costs will be expensed immediately as a charge to operating expenses in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Comprehensive Loss 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 gains and losses. The unrealized losses on available for sale investments represent the only component of other comprehensive loss that is excluded from the reported net loss. Net Loss Per Share Basic net loss per common share is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, without consideration of potentially dilutive securities. Diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares and potentially dilutive securities outstanding for the period. As the Company has reported a net loss for all periods presented, diluted net loss per common share is the same as basic net loss per common share for those periods. The following table sets forth the computation of the basic and diluted net loss per share (in thousands, except share and per share amounts). Years Ended December 31, 2020 2019 2018 Numerator Net loss $ (73,703 ) $ (26,883 ) $ (21,363 ) Denominator Weighted average shares outstanding used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted 21,942,476 1,899,348 1,734,115 Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (3.36 ) $ (14.15 ) $ (12.32 ) The following outstanding shares of potentially dilutive securities were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the periods presented because including them would have been anti-dilutive: December 31, 2020 2019 2018 Options to purchase common stock 3,996,174 2,683,441 1,854,886 Convertible preferred stock — 19,278,606 13,789,770 Total 3,996,174 21,962,047 15,644,656 Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) under its accounting standard codifications (ASC) or other standard setting bodies and adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date, unless otherwise discussed below. In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No 2019-12 , Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes , as part of its simplification initiative to reduce the cost and complexity in accounting for income taxes. The amendments in ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. ASU 2019-12 also amends other aspects of the guidance to help simplify and promote consistent application of GAAP. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. For emerging growth companies (EGCs), the standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. The Company early adopted the new standard in 2020 and the adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s current financial position, results of operations or financial statement disclosures. New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses ( Topic 326 ) (ASC 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments , which introduced the expected credit losses methodology for the |