5. Convertible Notes

In May 2018, the Company issued convertible notes (the Notes) with aggregate proceeds to the Company in an initial closing of $12,535, including $5,000 issued to Penn. The Notes carried a stated interest rate of 7.5% per annum. All unpaid principal, together with the then accrued interest, for the Notes was due and payable at the earlier of May 4, 2021 or upon an event of default. The terms of the Notes provided for an additional milestone-based closing of $12,567 upon the achievement of certain Company-specific events. The Notes contained a number of provisions addressing automatic and optional conversion, events of default and prepayment provisions.

The Notes were amended in September 2018 to adjust the terms of the automatic and optional conversion provisions. In October 2018, the Notes were amended again to reduce the qualified financing threshold, make a qualified financing a milestone event, revise the structure of a milestone-based closing and reallocate milestone closing purchase rights to new purchasers and the existing noteholders. On the same day, immediately following the amendment of the Notes, the Company completed a qualified financing, issuing 3,146,551 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock (Series A Preferred) for gross proceeds of $12,744 (Note 7). At this time, the Company issued 4,553,452 shares of Series A-1 convertible preferred stock (Series A-1 Preferred) in connection with the milestone-based closing resulting in $12,567 of proceeds ($2.76 per share) and the Notes together with interest accrued thereon ($409) were converted into 2,819,267 shares of Series A-1 Preferred and 1,873,777 shares of Series A-2 convertible preferred stock (Series A-2 Preferred), reflecting a conversion price per share of $2.76.

On issuance, the Company elected to account for the Notes at fair value with any changes in fair value being recognized through the statements of operations until the Notes settled. In this connection, the Company’s policy is to report a single non-operating income/(expense) line item to record fair value adjustments on convertible notes and does not report interest expense as a separate line item in the statements of operations. On issuance, total debt issuance costs of $53 were expensed and recognized as general and administrative expense in the accompanying statements of operations.

On issuance, the fair value of the Notes was determined to be equal to $12,535, which is the principal amount of the Notes. The fair value of the Notes upon settlement in October 2018 was determined based on the fair value of the Series A-1 Preferred and Series A-2 Preferred issued, which was determined to be $3.39 per share of Series A-1 Preferred and Series A-2 Preferred, using an option pricing method (OPM) framework and utilized the backsolve method for inferring and allocating the equity value predicated on the capital raise that transpired just prior to the valuation date. This method was selected as the Company concluded that the contemporaneous financing transaction was an arm’s-length transaction. Application of the OPM back-solve method involves making assumptions for the expected time to liquidity, volatility and risk-free rate and then solving for the value of equity such that value for the most recent financing equals the amount paid. The OPM allocation of total equity value was determined with reference to a recent financing transaction and the Company assumed a 71% volatility rate, a 1.3-year estimated term and a probability weighted average discount for lack of marketability of 35%. The fair value of the Notes as of September 30, 2018 was determined to be the same as that on settlement in October 2018 based on management’s determination of no material changes to the assumptions underlying the determination of the fair value of the Notes.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recognized $6,244 in the accompanying statement of operations as other expense—fair value adjustments on the convertible notes.