Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2021 |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | |
Basis of presentation | Basis of presentation The consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts of the Gain Therapeutics, Inc., GT Gain Therapeutics SA and its wholly owned branch, Gain Therapeutics Sucursal en España. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. The consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2021, represented by the Consolidated Balance Sheet, the Consolidated Statement of Operations, the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity, the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Loss, the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and the accompanying Notes, have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative United States generally accepted accounting principles as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). The financial statements as of December 31, 2021 reflect, for all periods presented, the retroactive application of the reverse stock split that occurred on March 17, 2021. All amounts in the consolidated financial statements are expressed in United States Dollars (USD/$) and disclosed within these explanatory notes in United States Dollars (USD/$) or Swiss Franc (CHF), which are the functional currencies of the Company and its operating subsidiary, GT Gain Therapeutics SA, respectively. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited annual consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020, and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial position as of December 31, 2021, and the results of its operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, its statements of stockholders’ equity and its statements of cash flows for the years then ended. |
Reverse Stock Split | Reverse Stock Split On March 3, 2021, the Board approved a 1-for- 0.880784 related notes have been retroactively revised to reflect the reverse stock split. Shares of common stock underlying outstanding stock options and other equity instruments were proportionately reduced and the respective exercise prices, if applicable, were proportionately increased in accordance with the terms of the agreements governing such securities. |
Initial Public Offering | Initial Public Offering On March 17, 2021, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 relating to its IPO was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The IPO closed on March 17, 2021 and the Company issued and sold 3,636,364 common shares at a public offering price of $11.00 per share for net proceeds of $34,978 thousand after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $2,950 thousand and other offering expenses of $2,071 thousand. On March 22, 2021, the Company issued and sold 545,454 additional common shares, pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, for net proceeds of $5,580 thousand after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $420 thousand. Thus, the aggregate net proceeds to the Company from the IPO, after deducting underwriting discounts commissions, were $42,630 thousand. After deducting other IPO offering expenses amounting to $2,071 thousand, the net cash proceeds resulting from the IPO were $40,558 thousand, which are reflected in the statement of stockholders’ equity as Issuance of Common Stock in IPO, net of issuance costs. Upon the closing of the IPO, series A convertible preferred stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and series B convertible preferred stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”, and together with the Series A Preferred Stock, are collectively referred to as the “Preferred Stock”) were converted into shares of common stock at ratio of 1-for-1. |
Segment information | Segment information Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate discrete information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision-maker in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company’s chief operating decision-maker, the Chief Executive Officer, oversees the Company’s operations and manages the business as a single operating segment, which is research and development in the pharmaceutical sector with a focus on developing novel therapeutics to treat diseases caused by protein misfolding, such as rare genetic diseases and neurological disorders. Geographically, the research and development activities are mainly performed in Switzerland and Spain. The Company does not consider these geographies to be separate segments. |
Foreign currency translation | Foreign currency translation The Company is incorporated in the United States of America and has operations in Switzerland and Spain. The Company’s functional currency is USD. The functional currencies of the Company’s foreign operations are the local currencies (Swiss Franc in Switzerland and Euro in Spain). Assets and liabilities reported in the consolidated balance sheets are translated into U.S. dollars (the currency in which these financial statements are presented) at the exchange rates applicable at the balance sheet dates and for the consolidated statement of operations at the average exchange rates for the periods presented. Items representing the share capital and additional paid-in capital are presented at the historical exchange rates. Adjustments resulting from the translation of the financial statements of the Company’s foreign operations into U.S. dollars are excluded from the determination of net income and are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss), a separate component of shareholders’ equity. The Company has not utilized any foreign currency hedging strategies to mitigate the effect of its foreign currency exposure. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, accumulated currency translation adjustment recorded in the accumulated other comprehensive loss amounted to $165,156 and $1,323, respectively. |
Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The preparation of our consolidated financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates judgments and, assumptions including those related to recognition of grant funds, accrued expenses, defined benefit pension liability, warrants and stock-based compensation. 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 and adversely from these estimates. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period in which they become known. To the extent that material differences arise between the estimates and actual results, the Company’s future results of operations will be affected. The COVID-19 pandemic did not have a significant impact on the Company’s estimates. |
Cash and Cash Equivalents | Cash and cash equivalents The Company reports cash on hand and held at banks, and all highly liquid investments in money market, certificates of deposit, time deposit, and other short-term liquid securities with original maturities of less than 90 day, as cash and cash equivalents. |
Concentrations of Credit Risk | Concentrations of credit risk The Company has no significant off-balance sheet risk, such as foreign exchange contracts, option contracts, or other foreign hedging arrangements. Financial instruments that may expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents which are deposited in accredited financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company deposits its cash and cash equivalents in financial institutions that it believes have high credit quality and has not experienced any losses on such accounts and does not believe it is exposed to any unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships. |
Deferred Issuance Costs | Deferred Issuance Costs The Company capitalizes certain legal, professional accounting and other third-party fees that are directly associated with in-process equity financings as deferred issuance costs until such financings are consummated. After consummation of the equity financing, these costs are recorded as a reduction of the proceeds generated as a result of the offering. Should the planned equity financing be abandoned, the deferred issuance costs will be expensed immediately as a charge to operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. There were nil and $1,217,988 deferred issuance costs as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. |
Property and equipment | Property and equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost, including any accessory and direct costs that are necessary to make the assets fit for use, and adjusted by the corresponding accumulated depreciation. The depreciation rates recorded in the consolidated financial statements of operations have been calculated by taking into consideration the use, purpose and financial-technical duration of the assets, on the basis of their estimated useful economic lives. The Company believes the above criteria to be represented by the following depreciation rates: - Equipment & Furniture 12.5 % - Electronic office equipment: 20 % - Leasehold Improvements based on the terms of the lease - Laboratory equipment: 15 % Ordinary maintenance costs are entirely attributed to the consolidated statements of operations in the year in which they are incurred. Extraordinary maintenance costs, the purpose of which is to extend the useful economic life of the asset, to technologically upgrade it and/or to increase its productivity or safety for the purposes of the economic productivity of the Company, are attributed to the asset to which they refer and depreciated on the basis of its estimated useful economic lives. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed using the straight-line method based upon the terms of the applicable lease or estimated useful life of the improvements, whichever is lower. |
Capitalized Software Development Costs | Capitalized Software Development Costs The Company capitalizes the costs of software obtained for internal use in accordance with ASC 350-40, Internal-Use Software. Capitalized software development costs consist of costs incurred during the development stage and include purchased software licenses, implementation costs, consulting costs, and payroll-related costs for projects that qualify for capitalization. All other costs, primarily related to maintenance and minor software fixes, are expensed as incurred. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, internal-use software amount to $202,609 and nil, and refer to the external and internal labor costs incurred in the development of the Company ERP, amounting respectively to $168,474 and $34,135. The Company amortizes the capitalized software development costs on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the software, which is generally six years, beginning when the asset is substantially ready for use. The amortization of capitalized software development costs is reflected in general and administrative expenses. |
Impairment of long-lived assets | Impairment of long-lived assets In accordance with ASC Topic 360-10-20, “Property, Plant and Equipment,” the Company performs an impairment test whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of long-lived assets with finite lives may be impaired. Impairment is measured by comparing the carrying value of the long-lived assets to the estimated undiscounted pre-tax cash flows expected to result from the use of such assets and their ultimate disposition. In circumstances where impairment is determined to exist, the Company will write down the asset to its fair value based on the present value of estimated cash flows. No impairments have been identified by management as of and for any periods presented. |
Patents | Patents Patent-related costs, refer to legal fees incurred in connection with filing and prosecuting patent applications and are expensed as incurred due to uncertainty about the recovery of the expenditure. Amounts incurred are classified as general and administrative expenses. |
Leases | Leases Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASC 842, using the additional transition method option provided by ASU 2018-11. Under this transition method, we applied the new accounting guidance as of the date of adoption. Upon adoption, a cumulative effect adjustment was not required. Subsequent to the adoption, the Company determines if an arrangement contains a lease at inception based on whether or not the Company has the right to control the asset during the contract period and other facts and circumstances. The Company is the lessee in a lease contract when it obtains the right to control the asset. Operating lease right of use (“ROU”) 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, both of which are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at the commencement date. Leases with a term of 12 months or less at inception are expensed on a straight-line basis over the lease term in the statement of operations. The Company determines the lease term by assuming the exercise of renewal options that are reasonably certain. In addition, the Company subleases portions of its office premises in Lugano. The Company recognizes sublease income on a straight-line basis over the sublease terms, reported within other income. |
Accounts Payable | Accounts Payable Accounts payable are reported at their nominal amounts due to their short-term maturities. Trade accounts payable are recorded net of trade discounts; cash discounts are recorded at the time of payment. |
Payables for Social Securities | Payables for Social Securities Social Security charges are reported in compliance with rules and laws applicable in the countries where our employees work. Charges are accrued in accordance with the policies stipulated and in connection with salaries due for the period. |
Accrued expenses | Accrued expenses As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date. This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with our personnel to identify services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of the actual cost. We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date based on facts and circumstances known to us at that time at the date of the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. There may be instances in which payments made to our vendors exceed the level of services provided, and result in prepayment reported under other current assets, which are subsequently expenses in the consolidated statement of operations when the related activity has been performed rather than when the payment is made. To date, there have been no material differences between our estimates of accrued expenses reported at each balance sheet date and the amounts actually incurred. |
Pension obligations | Pension obligations We operate defined benefit pension plan and defined contribution pension plans in accordance with local regulations and practices in the countries in which the Company operates. These plans are funded by regular contribution made by the employer and the employees. For defined benefit pension plan, the liability recognized in the consolidated balance sheets is the present value of the defined benefit obligation at the balance sheet date less the fair value of plan assets. The overfunded or underfunded status of the defined benefit plan is calculated as the difference between plan assets and the projected benefit obligations. Estimates are used in determining the assumptions incorporated in the calculation of the pension obligations, which is supported by input from independent actuaries. Actuarial gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are recognized in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” in the consolidated statements of equity and are charged or credited to income over the employees’ expected average remaining working lives. The measurement date used for our employee benefit plan is December 31. For defined contribution pension plans, the Company pays contributions to publicly or privately administered pension insurance plans on a mandatory, contractual or volutanry basis. The Company has no further payment obligations once the contributions have been paid. The contributions are recognized as employee benefit expense when they are due. |
Equity-based Compensation | Equity-based Compensation and Warrants The Company applies the fair value method of measuring equity-based compensation and warrants, which requires an entity to measure the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award. The Company issues equity-based compensation with only service-based vesting conditions and record the expense for these awards using the straight-line method. The Company has not issued any stock-based awards with performance- or market-based vesting conditions.The Company recognizes the related costs in the consolidated statement of operations and as additional paid-in capital in the consolidated statement of shareholders’ equity, in accordance with the vesting period during which the award recipients are required to provide services in exchange for the award. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur. Before being a public company, given the absence of an active market for the Company’s common stock, the Company and the Board of Directors estimated the fair value of the Company’s common stock at the grant date determining the estimated fair value of the Company’s equity instruments based on a number of factors, including prices paid for the Company’s convertible preferred stock sold to outside investors in arm’s-length transactions; the Company’s stage of development; the fact that the grants of stock-based awards involved illiquid securities in a private company. The fair value of each stock option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Given the absence of an active public market for the Company’s common stock prior to March 19, 2021, which was the first day of trading, the Company determined the volatility and the expected term for awards granted based on an analysis of reported data for a peer group of similar biopharmaceuticals companies that issued options with substantially similar terms. After the IPO, we continued to do so, and we expect not to change our methodology until such time as we will have reliable historical data regarding the volatility of our traded stock price and expected term of exercise patterns. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. The Company has not paid, and does not anticipate paying, cash dividends on our common stock; therefore, the expected dividend yield is assumed to be zero. The Black-Scholes option pricing model is also used for warrants issued, using consistent inputs and methodology to quantify such inputs, as described above in relation to equity-based compensation. The assumptions used in calculating the fair value of share-based awards and warrants represent management’s best estimates and involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management’s judgment. |
Revenue Recognition | Revenue Recognition The Company derives revenues from collaboration and licensing agreements. The Company recognize revenue related to these agreements in accordance with ASC 606, Revenues from contracts with customers Collaborative arrangements In determining the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized as we fulfill our obligations, the Company applies the five steps model of ASC606: (i) identify the contract(s) 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 in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation. The Company only apply the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods and services it transfers to the customer. If a contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606 at inception, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within such contract, determines which of those goods and services are performance obligations, and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied. Costs and revenues associated with collaborative arrangements are reported in the consolidated statements of operations on a gross basis when the counterpart is identified as being a customer, when the performance obligations incurred and rendered to fulfil the agreements are deemed to be in the ordinary course of the Company’s business, or when there is an expectation that the collaborative arrangement will result in a future constant flow of revenues in the form of sale of products, royalties or licenses. |
Research grants | Research grants Under the terms of the research and development grants awarded (such as those awarded by the The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) and The Silverstein Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease and from Innosuisse – Swiss Innovation Agency), we are entitled to receive reimbursement of our allowable direct expenses and payroll costs. Contributions from research and development activities under the grants are recorded based on management’s best estimate of the periods in which the related expenditures are incurred and activities performed and are classified in the statement of operations as a reduction to research and development expenses, measuring according to the time periods during which the research and development activities are carried out and related costs sustained. |
Research and development expenses | Research and development expenses The Company expenses all costs incurred in performing research and development activities. Research and development expenses include salaries and other related costs, materials and supplies, preclinical expenses, manufacturing expenses, contract services and other third-party expenses. |
General and administrative expenses | General and administrative expenses General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, benefits and other related costs, for personnel and consultants in the Company’s executive and finance functions. General and administrative expenses also include professional fees for legal, finance, accounting, intellectual property, auditing, tax and consulting services, travel expenses and facility-related expenses, which include allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and other operating costs not otherwise included in research and development expenses. |
Income taxes | Income taxes The Company accounts for income taxes under the liability method. Under this method deferred income tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and the related tax basis using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the associated deferred taxes are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is recorded if it is “more likely than not” that a portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. As of each reporting date, the Company considers existing evidence, both positive and negative, that could impact its view with regards to future realization of deferred tax assets. In consideration of the start-up status of the Company, a full valuation allowance has been established to offset the deferred tax assets, as the related realization is currently uncertain. In the future, should management conclude that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets are partially or fully realizable, the valuation allowance will be reduced to the extent of such expected realization, and the corresponding amount will be recognized as income tax benefit in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations. The Company recognizes tax liabilities from an uncertain tax position if it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the tax position. There are no uncertain tax positions that have been recognized in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. |
Fair value measurements | Fair value measurements The Company defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company applies the following fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels based on their observability in the market and degree of judgment involved: ● Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. ● Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, 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 – Inputs that are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimates of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. In determining fair value, we utilize valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible and consider counterparty credit risk in their assessment of fair value. |
Comprehensive income/(loss) | Comprehensive income/(loss) Comprehensive income/(loss) is composed of net income(loss) and certain changes in stockholder’s equity that are excluded from the net income(loss), primarily foreign currency translation adjustments and defined benefit obligation adjustments. |
Net loss per share | Net loss per share Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the reported net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. The Company gives consideration to all potentially dilutive impacts, except where the effect of including such securities would be antidilutive. As of December 31, 2021, common stock equivalents consisted of stock options and warrants, while as of December 31, 2020, common stock equivalents consisted of the Series A preferred stock, Series B preferred stock, stock options and warrants. Because the Company has reported net losses since inception, these potential impacts would be anti-dilutive, and therefore common stock equivalents have been excluded from the computation, resulting in basic and diluted net loss per share being the same for all periods presented. |
Recently issued accounting pronouncements | Recently issued accounting pronouncements From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies that we adopt as of the specified effective date. We do not believe that the adoption of any recently issued standards have or may have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements or disclosures. |