Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)]

Common Stock

v3.25.1
Common Stock
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025
Equity [Abstract]  
Common Stock

9. Common Stock

Common Stock

Pursuant to the Company’s Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed in October 2019, the Company is authorized to issue 143,590,481 shares of voting common stock and 6,409,519 shares of non-voting common stock. Holders of voting common stock shall have the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors of the Company and on all other matters requiring

stockholder action. Each share of the Company’s non-voting common stock may be converted at any time into one share of common stock at the option of its holder by providing 61 days written notice to the Company, subject to certain limitations, as described in the amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In May 2024, 1,444,295 shares of non-voting common stock was converted to voting common stock and no shares of non-voting common stock remain outstanding as of March 31, 2025.

At-the-Market Offering

On March 31, 2025, the Company converted the S-3ASR to an S-3 (File No. 333-278126) by post-effective amendments. This S-3 was declared effective on March 31, 2025. The Company has a Sales Agreement with TD Securities (USA) LLC (as successor to Cowen and Company, LLC) (TD Cowen) to provide for the offering, issuance and sale of up to an aggregate amount of $200.0 million of common stock from time to time in “at-the-market” offerings (2024 ATM Program) pursuant to its S-3, and subject to the limitations thereof. In December 2024, the Company sold 1,225,000 shares pursuant to the 2024 ATM Program for net proceeds of $5,129, after deducting commissions of $105.

The Company previously had a Sales Agreement with TD Cowen to provide for the offering, issuance and sale of up to an aggregate amount of $100.0 million of common stock from time to time in “at-the-market” offerings (2023 ATM Program) pursuant to its shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-270599), which was declared effective April 26, 2023. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold 4,760,899 shares pursuant to the 2023 ATM Program for net proceeds of $91,740, after deducting commissions of $2,352. In the first quarter of 2024, the Company sold 258,070 additional shares, completing the 2023 ATM Program for net proceeds of $5,746, after deducting commissions of $147.

2018 Stock Option and Grant Plan

In September 2018, the Company adopted the 2018 Stock Option and Grant Plan (the 2018 Plan), which provided for the Company to sell or issue common stock, or other stock-based awards, to employees, members of the board of directors and consultants of the Company. The Company generally granted stock-based awards with service conditions only (service-based awards), although there was one grant with performance conditions. As of December 31, 2020, there were no unvested options with performance conditions. Stock options granted under the 2018 Plan generally vest over three to four years. A total of 1,959,411 options were granted under the 2018 Plan prior to the Company’s IPO in October 2019. No further grants may be made under the 2018 Plan subsequent to the IPO.

2019 Stock Option and Incentive Plan

The 2019 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (2019 Plan) was approved by the Company’s board of directors on October 14, 2019, and became effective on October 23, 2019. The 2019 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units, restricted stock awards, unrestricted stock awards, cash-based awards and dividend equivalent rights to the Company’s officers, employees, directors and consultants. The number of shares initially reserved for issuance under the 2019 Plan was 2,342,288, which will be increased each January 1 thereafter by 4% of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31 or such lesser number of shares determined by the Company’s board of directors or compensation committee of the board of directors. On June 1, 2023, at the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company, the stockholders of the Company approved Amendment No. 1 to the 2019 Plan, increasing the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2019 Plan by 3,000,000 shares. On January 1, 2025, the total number of shares under the 2019 Plan was increased by 2,029,724; shares pursuant to the 2019 Plan Evergreen Provision. As of March 31, 2025, there were 573,972 shares remaining available for issuance under the 2019 Plan.

A summary of stock option activity is presented below:

 

 

Number of
Shares

 

 

Weighted
Average
Exercise Price

 

 

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term (years)

 

 

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value

 

Outstanding as of January 1, 2025

 

 

11,231,148

 

 

$

10.63

 

 

 

7.4

 

 

$

989

 

Granted

 

 

2,869,050

 

 

 

1.70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forfeited/Cancelled

 

 

(33,993

)

 

 

15.18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding as of March 31, 2025

 

 

14,066,205

 

 

$

8.80

 

 

 

7.7

 

 

$

270

 

Options Exercisable at March 31, 2025

 

 

6,448,912

 

 

$

9.06

 

 

 

6.1

 

 

$

267

 

 

The aggregate intrinsic value of options is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the options and the fair value of the Company’s common stock. The weighted average grant-date fair value of stock options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 was $1.45 and $19.72, respectively.

The fair value of each award is estimated using Black-Scholes based on the following assumptions:

 

 

 

Three months ended March 31,

 

 

2025

 

2024

Risk-free interest rate

 

3.98%—4.46%

 

3.78%—4.28%

Expected term

 

6.1 years

 

6.1 years

Expected volatility

 

112%

 

106%

Expected dividend yield

 

0%

 

0%

 

Black-Scholes requires the use of subjective assumptions which determine the fair value of stock-based awards. These assumptions include:

Expected term—The expected term represents the period that stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding. The expected term for option grants is determined using the simplified method, which is the midpoint between the vesting period and the contractual term of the option.

Expected volatility—Expected volatility is estimated using the Company's stock price since its IPO in October 2019 and comparable publicly traded biotechnology companies for any period prior to the IPO needed to equal the expected term of the stock-based awards. The comparable companies were chosen based on their similar size, stage in the life cycle or area of specialty. The Company will continue to apply this process until historical information regarding the volatility of its own stock price becomes available to equal the expected term of stock-based awards.

Risk-free interest rate—The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected term of a stock-based award.

Expected dividend—The Company has never paid dividends on its common stock and has no plans to pay dividends on its common stock. Therefore, the Company used an expected dividend yield of zero.

Stock-based Compensation

The Company has recorded stock-based compensation in the accompanying statements of operations as follows:

 

 

 

Three months ended
March 31,

 

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Research and development

 

$

2,666

 

 

$

1,960

 

General and administrative

 

 

2,495

 

 

 

1,831

 

Total

 

$

5,161

 

 

$

3,791

 

 

As of March 31, 2025, there was $49,872 of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested option awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.7 years.

2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (2019 ESPP) was approved by the Company’s board of directors on October 14, 2019, and became effective on October 23, 2019. A total of 234,229 shares of common stock were initially reserved for issuance under the 2019 ESPP, and such number of shares will be increased each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2029 by the least of (i) 234,229 shares of common stock, (ii) 1% of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31 or (iii) such lesser number of shares determined by the 2019 ESPP’s administrator. There was no increase to the total number of shares available under the 2019 ESPP on January 1, 2024, 2023 or 2022, respectively. As of March 31, 2025, there were 314,259 shares remaining available for issuance under the 2019 ESPP.

Employee contributions are made through payroll deductions of up to 15% of eligible compensation over the offering period. A participant may not accrue rights to purchase more than $25 worth of the Company’s common stock for each calendar year in which such right is outstanding. At the end of each offering period, shares of the Company’s common stock may be purchased at 85% of the lesser of the Company’s common stock on (i) the first trading day of the relevant offering period and (ii) the last trading day of the relevant offering period. Each offering period will be six months in duration and will commence on each December 1 and June 1.