Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Unaudited Interim Financial Information

The accompanying unaudited interim financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding interim financial reporting. Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification and Accounting Standards Updates (ASU) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). As permitted under these rules, certain footnotes and other financial information that are normally required by GAAP have been condensed or omitted.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited interim financial statements include all normal and recurring adjustments (which consist primarily of accruals and estimates that impact the financial statements) considered necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of September 30, 2020 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020, any other interim periods, or any future year or period. The balance sheet as of December 31, 2019 included herein was derived from the audited financial statements as of that date. The unaudited interim financial statements, presented herein, do not contain the required disclosures under GAAP for annual financial statements. These unaudited financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements, which are included in the Company’s 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2020 (2019 Annual Report).

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 and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of 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 fair value of the Company’s investments, stock-based compensation and the valuation allowance on the Company’s deferred tax assets. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Risk and Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk, consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, which are primarily invested in U.S. treasury-based money market funds, and available-for-sale debt securities, which are invested in investment grade corporate bonds with high credit quality issuers. These investments have maturities between 2020 and 2021. A portion of the Company’s cash is maintained at a federally insured financial institution. The deposits held at this institution are in excess of federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and management believes that the Company is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial position of the depository institution in which those deposits are held.  The cash in this account is swept daily into U.S. treasury-based and U.S. government-based money market funds. The Company has no off‑balance sheet risk, such as foreign exchange contracts, option contracts, or other foreign hedging arrangements.

 


Significant Accounting Policies

Aside from the Investments accounting policy described below, there have been no significant changes to the Company’s accounting policies during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to the significant accounting policies described in Note 2 of the “Notes to the Financial Statements” in the Company’s audited financial statements included in its 2019 Annual Report.

 

Investments

Investments are available-for-sale and are carried at estimated fair value. The Company’s valuations of available-for-sale debt securities are generally derived from independent pricing services based upon quoted prices in active markets for similar securities, with prices adjusted for yield and number of days to maturity, or based on industry models using data inputs, such as interest rates and prices that can be directly observed or corroborated in active markets. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt securities at the time of purchase and at the end of each reporting period. Investments with original maturities beyond three months at the date of purchase and which mature at, or less than, twelve months from the balance sheet date are classified as current.

Unrealized gains and losses are excluded from earnings and are reported as a component of comprehensive income. The Company periodically evaluates whether declines in fair values of its available-for-sale securities below their book value are other-than-temporary. This evaluation consists of several qualitative and quantitative factors including the severity and duration of the unrealized loss as well as the Company’s ability and intent to hold the available-for-sale security until a forecasted recovery occurs. Additionally, the Company assesses whether it has plans to sell the security or if more likely than not it will be required to sell any available-for-sale securities before recovery of its amortized cost basis. 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 interest and other income, net. The cost of investments sold is based on the specific-identification method. Interest income on investments as well as amortization of discount or premium is included in interest income.

Fair Value Measurement

Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis in the balance sheets are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair values. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or an exit price that would be paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The authoritative guidance on fair value measurements establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements as follows:

Level 1—Observable inputs such as unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.

Level 2—Inputs (other than quoted prices included in Level 1) that are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability. These include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.

Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Reclassification

A reclassification of $912 has been made increasing additional paid-in capital and increasing accumulated deficit for the three month period ended September 30, 2019 with respect to the exchange of Convertible Preferred Stock recorded in January 2019. The reclassification had no impact on the Statements of Operations, including Net Loss and Loss Per Share, Total Assets and Total Equity.

Related Party Transactions

The Company engaged a firm controlled by a former executive (until February 2019) of the Company for professional services related to accounting, finance and other administrative functions. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the costs incurred under this arrangement totaled $46 and $268, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, the costs incurred under this arrangement totaled $180 and $445, respectively. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, amounts owed under this arrangement totaled $24 and $36, respectively, and are included in accounts payable in the accompanying balance sheets.

Emerging Growth Company Status

The Company is an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the 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 (i) is no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) 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 Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), with guidance regarding the accounting for and disclosure of leases. The update requires lessees to recognize the liabilities related all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than 12 months on the balance sheet. This update also requires lessees and lessors to disclose key information about their leasing transactions. This guidance is effective for public companies for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018. For all other entities, this standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2021. Early adoption is permitted. The Company expects to adopt Topic 842 for its annual period ending December 31, 2021, but has yet to evaluate the effect that ASU 2016-02 will have on its financial statements or financial statement disclosures.