Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Note 2. 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 of America (GAAP). 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, liabilities, and the 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 made in the accompanying financial statements include, but are not limited to, the fair value of common stock, the valuation of equity-based awards, the useful lives of property and equipment, the fair value of the convertible preferred stock tranche liability, accrued expenses related to research and development activities and the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, the current economic environment, and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from those estimates or assumptions. Fair Value Measurements Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability, or an exit price, in the principal or most advantageous market for that asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Fair value measurement establishes a three-level fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs, where available, and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The three-level hierarchy of inputs is as follows: Level 1 —Observable inputs such as unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the measurement date; Level 2 —Inputs (other than quoted prices included within Level 1) that are directly observable for the asset or liability or indirectly observable for similar assets or liabilities; and 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. To the extent that the valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate their fair value due to their short-term nature. Concentrations of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of risk consist principally of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. The Company maintains bank deposits in federally insured financial institutions, and these deposits may exceed federally insured limits . The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of default by the financial institutions holding its cash and cash equivalents and the issuers of its investments in marketable securities to the extent recorded in the balance sheets. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash and cash equivalents. Risks and Uncertainties The Company is subject to certain risks similar to that of other early-stage biopharmaceutical companies, including, but not limited to, the ability to obtain future financing, possible failure of future clinical trials, the need to obtain regulatory approvals for its product candidates, the need to successfully commercialize and gain market acceptance of the Company’s product candidates, competitive developments, protection of the proprietary technology, the ability to make milestone, royalty or other payments due under licensing agreements, and the Company’s ability to attract and retain employees necessary to support its growth. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and may continue to disrupt the Company’s business and delay its programs and timelines. The Company does not yet know the full extent of potential delays to its preclinical trials, which could prevent or delay the Company from initiating clinical trials and obtaining approval for its product candidates. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact the Company’s future operating results and financial condition is uncertain. Segment Information and Geographical Information The Company has one operating segment and one reportable segment, which is the business of developing treatments that address heart failure. The Company’s chief operating decision maker, its Chief Executive Officer, reviews financial information on an aggregate basis for the purpose of allocating resources and evaluating financial performance. All of the Company’s assets are located in the United States. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less on the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents primarily consist of money market funds that are stated at fair value. Restricted Cash The Company had restricted cash of $ 0.5 million for both years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. The restricted cash represents security deposits for the Company’s operating leases in South San Francisco, California. The security deposits are in the form of a letter of credit secured by restricted cash. Marketable Securities The Company invests in marketable securities, primarily securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies, commercial paper and corporate bonds. All marketable securities have been classified as available-for-sale and are carried at estimated fair value as determined based upon quoted market prices or pricing models for similar securities. Management determines the appropriate classification of its marketable debt securities at the time of purchase and reevaluates such designation at each balance sheet date. Unrealized gains and losses are excluded from earnings and are reported as a component of other comprehensive loss. Realized gains and losses and declines in fair value judged to be other than temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in other income (expense), net. There are no material realized gains or losses on marketable securities for all periods presented. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific-identification method. Interest earned on marketable securities is included in interest income. Property and Equipment, Net Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, generally three to five years . Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the assets’ expected lives or the remaining lease term. Costs for capital assets not yet placed into service are capitalized as construction in progress and are not depreciated until the asset is placed in service. Upon retirement or sale, the cost of disposed assets and their related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheets. Any resulting gains or losses on dispositions of property and equipment are included as a component of other income (expense), net, within the Company’s statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Repair and maintenance costs, which are not considered improvements and do not extend the useful life of property and equipment, are expensed as incurred. Impairment for Long-Lived Assets Long-lived assets, including construction in progress, are reviewed for impairment annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to the estimated undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Fair value is determined through various valuation techniques including discounted cash flow models, quoted market values and third-party independent appraisals, as considered necessary. Impairment of long-lived assets were not material for any of the periods presented. Convertible Preferred Stock Tranche Liability The obligation to issue additional shares of the Company’s Series B convertible preferred stock at a fixed price on future dates was determined to be a freestanding financial instrument that was accounted for as a liability. On issuance, the Company recorded the convertible preferred stock tranche liability on the balance sheet at its estimated fair value. The liability is subject to remeasurement at each balance sheet date, with changes in fair value recognized as a gain or loss on remeasurement as a component of other income (expense), net in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss until settlement or extinguishment. The convertible preferred stock tranche liability was settled upon the second and third closings of the Company’s Series B convertible preferred stock in March and August 2020, respectively. Leases The Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 842, Leases (ASC 842) on January 1, 2021, as discussed below in the section titled “Recently Adopted Accounting Standards”. Under ASC 842, the Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. 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. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term at the commencement date of the lease. ROU assets also include any initial direct costs incurred and any lease payments made at or before the lease commencement date, less any lease incentive received. The Company uses the rate implicit in the lease in determining the present value of lease payments and, if that rate is not readily determinable, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the date of lease commencement. The incremental borrowing rate reflects the rate of interest that a lessee would have to pay to borrow, on a collateralized basis over a similar term, an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment. The Company’s lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company’s non-lease components are primarily related to property taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance, which vary based on future outcomes, and are recognized as rent expense when incurred. Asset Retirement Obligation The Company records asset retirement obligations (AROs) for the estimated cost of removing constructed leasehold improvement assets and restoring the leased premises back to their original condition, at the time when the contractual obligations are incurred. AROs represent the present value of the expected costs for the related restoration activities. The ARO assets and liabilities are recorded in property, plant and equipment and other long-term liabilities, respectively, in the Company’s balance sheets. The Company records accretion expense, which represents the increase in the asset retirement obligations, over the remaining or operational life of the associated leasehold improvements. Accretion expense is recorded as operating expense in the statements of operations using an accretion rate based on the credit adjusted risk-free interest rate. Changes resulting from revisions to the timing or amount of the original estimate of cash flows are recognized as an increase or a decrease in the asset retirement cost, or income when the asset retirement cost is depleted. Research and Development Expenses Research and development (R&D) costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include, among others, consulting fees, salaries, benefits, travel, stock-based compensation, laboratory supplies and other non-capital equipment utilized for in-house research, allocated facilities and overhead costs, amounts owed under licensing agreements, amounts paid to contract research organizations (CRO) that conduct research and development activities on the Company’s behalf and costs related to compliance with regulatory requirements. Goods or services incurred for research and development activities that have not yet been invoiced are recorded as liabilities within accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the Company’s balance sheets. Amounts recorded for unbilled services often represent estimates, which are typically based on contracted amounts for the proportion of work performed and determined through analysis with internal personnel and external service providers as to the progress or stage of completion of the associated services. The Company makes judgments and estimates in determining the accrued and other current liabilities balance. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from the estimate, the Company adjusts accrued expenses or prepaid expenses accordingly, which impact research and development expenses. The Company has not experienced any material differences between accrued costs and actual costs incurred. Changes in these estimates that result in material changes to the Company’s accrued costs could materially affect the Company’s results of operations. The Company has and may continue to acquire the rights to licensed technology that represents in-process research and development to use and develop in the commercialization of new product candidates. The upfront payments made to acquire licenses, product or rights, or payments made related to future milestone payments are recognized as research and development expenses provided that there is no alternative future use of the rights in other research and development projects, up to the point of regulatory approval. Milestone payments are expensed when the specific milestone has been achieved. Non-refundable advance payments for goods or services to be rendered as part of future research and development activities are capitalized on the Company’s balance sheets until the goods or services are received. Classification between prepaid expenses and other current assets and other non-current assets is based on an evaluation of when the goods will be delivered and/or services will be performed, with such amounts subsequently amortized to expense once incurred. Stock-Based Compensation The Company measures and records expense related to all equity awards granted to employees and non-employees in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss based on their grant date fair values, including stock options and restricted stock awards. For stock-based awards that vest subject to the satisfaction of a service requirement, the expense is recognized using the straight-line method over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period. Forfeitures are recognized as they occur. The fair value of restricted stock awards is determined on the date of grant based on the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock on that date. For purposes of determining the estimated fair value of options granted to employees and nonemployees, the Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The assumptions used to determine the fair value of options granted were as follows. Each of these inputs is subjective and generally requires significant judgement. Fair Value of Common Stock — Prior to the Company's IPO, there was no public market for its common stock. As such, the estimated fair value of its common stock and underlying stock options was determined at each grant date by the Company's board of directors, with input from management, based on the information known to the Company on the grant date and upon a review of any recent events and their potential impact on the estimated per share fair value of its common stock. As part of these fair value determinations, the Company's board of directors obtained and considered valuation reports prepared by a third-party valuation firm in accordance with the guidance outlined in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' Accounting & Valuation Guide, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation . For grants subsequent to the Company's IPO, the grant date fair value of common stock was determined by using the closing price per share of common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Expected Term — The Company determines the expected term, which represents the period that stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding, in accordance with the simplified method due to its limited operating history, which is presumed to be the mid-point between the contractual term and the vesting period. Expected Volatility — As there is limited trading history for the Company’s common stock, the Company determines its computation of expected volatility on the historical volatility of a representative group of public companies with similar characteristics to the Company, including stage of product development and life science industry focus. The historical volatility is calculated based on a period of time commensurate with the expected term assumption. Risk-Free Interest Rate — The Company bases the risk-free interest rate on U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected term assumption. Expected Dividend — The expected dividend yield is assumed to be zero as the Company has never paid and has no plans to pay any dividends on its common stock. Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is recorded for deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In evaluating the ability to recover its deferred income tax assets, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including its operating results, ongoing tax planning and forecasts of future taxable income on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. In the event the Company determines that it would be able to realize its deferred income tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, it would make an adjustment to the valuation allowance that would reduce the provision for income taxes. Conversely, in the event that all or part of the net deferred tax assets are determined not to be realizable in the future, an adjustment to the valuation allowance would be charged to earnings in the period when such determination is made. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company has recorded a full valuation allowance on its net deferred tax assets. Tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions are recognized when it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained during an audit. Interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits are included within the provision for income tax. Net Loss Per Share Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding for the period, without consideration for potential dilutive shares of common stock. As the Company is in a loss position for the periods presented, diluted net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share, since the effects of potentially dilutive securities are antidilutive. Shares related to early exercised stock options and restricted stock that are subject to repurchase are excluded from the basic and diluted net loss per share calculation until the Company’s repurchase right lapses. Emerging Growth Company Status The Company is an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (JOBS Act). Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies. The Company has elected to use this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that it (a) is no longer an emerging growth company or (b) affirmatively and irrevocably opts out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, these financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards On January 1, 2021 , the Company adopted ASC 842 using the modified retrospective transition method and elected the practical expedients to not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, carry forward its historical lease classification and not reassess initial direct costs for existing leases. The Company elected to not separate non-lease components from the associated lease components and to not recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for leases with a term of twelve months or less. Upon adoption of ASC 842, the Company recorded an operating right-of-use asset of $ 4.6 million, operating lease liabilities of $ 9.1 million and derecognized deferred rent and other lease liabilities of $ 4.5 million. Results for the year ended December 31, 2021, are presented under ASC 842. Prior period amounts before January 1, 2021, have not been adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with the Company’s historical accounting under previous lease guidance, ASC 840: Leases (Topic 840). Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (ASU 2016-13), which replaces the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected credit loss model. This standard will require companies to recognize an allowance for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities rather than the current approach of recording a reduction to the carrying value of the asset. As an emerging growth company, ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2023. The Company is evaluating the impact of this standard on its financial statements. 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. This standard eliminates certain exceptions to the approach for intra period tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. As an emerging growth company, ASU 2019-12 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2022. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have any impact on its financial statements. In November 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-10, Government Assistance (Topic 832): Disclosures by Business Entities about Government Assistance (ASU 2021-10), which requires business entities to make annual disclosures about transactions with a government they account for by analogizing to a grant or contribution accounting model. The required annual disclosures include the nature of the transaction, the entity’s related accounting policy, the financial statement line items affected and the amounts reflected in the current period financial statements, and any significant terms and conditions. ASU 2021-10 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2022. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its financial statements. |