UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2020

OR

For the transition period from ______________ to ______________

Commission File Number: 001-38560

 

Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (513) 985-1920

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.     Yes  ☒    No  ☐  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☒

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

 

As of May 6, 2020, the registrant had 40,588,004 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, outstanding.

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

 

 

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PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

AERPIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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AERPIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

 

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

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AERPIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

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AERPIO PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(UNAUDITED)

1. Nature of Organization and Operations

 

Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing compounds that activate Tie2 to treat ocular diseases and diabetic complications. The Company was incorporated as Zeta Acquisition Corp. II (“Zeta”) in the State of Delaware on November 16, 2007.  Zeta was a “shell company” (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended).   

The Company’s pipeline includes the following programs:  

Glaucoma: Based on the preclinical proof of concept and the results of the Phase 1b trial showing a reduction in intraocular pressure (“IOP”) in patients with ocular hypertension  (“OHT”) and open angle glaucoma (“OAG”), the Company is preparing to further advance the glaucoma program into a Phase 2 clinical trial and expects to initiate the trial in the third quarter of 2020 with results expected in the first quarter of 2021, subject to potential delays in subject enrollment and study completion due to the ongoing global outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (“COVID-19”).      

Diabetic Kidney Disease: In two consecutive trials, TIME-2 and TIME-2b, subcutaneous AKB-9778 showed reduction in Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio (“UACR”), a measure of progression of diabetic kidney disease. The Company believes that systemic treatment with AKB-9778 could have the potential to change the treatment paradigm for diabetics in the future and potentially address a major societal problem by lowering the cost of care associated generally with diabetes.

ARP-1536: ARP-1536, the humanized monoclonal antibody directed at the same target as subcutaneous AKB-9778, is in preclinical development. The Company is evaluating development options for ARP-1536, including subcutaneous injection for the treatment of diabetic vascular complications, e.g., diabetic nephropathy and intravitreal injection as an adjunctive therapy for diabetic macular edema.  

The Company is also developing a bispecific antibody that binds both VEGF and VE-PTP which is designed to inhibit VEGF activation and activate Tie2. The Company believes this bispecific antibody has the potential to be an improved treatment for wet aged-related macular degeneration (“AMD”) and diabetic macular edema via intravitreal injection.

In June 2018, the Company licensed AKB-4924, a selective stabilizer of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (“HIF-1 alpha”) to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gossamer Bio, Inc., GB004, Inc. (collectively “Gossamer”), which is being developed for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (“IBD”). HIF-1 alpha is involved in mucosal wound healing and the reduction of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Gossamer has completed the Phase 1 multiple ascending dose (“MAD”) clinical study and is currently running a Phase 1b clinical study in ulcerative colitis patients. Gossamer is expected to have results of the Phase 1b study in ulcerative colitis patients in the first half of 2020. Gossamer is responsible for all remaining development and commercial activities for GB004.

The Company’s operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing the Company, business planning, raising capital, acquiring and developing its technology, identifying potential product candidates and undertaking preclinical and clinical studies. The Company’s revenue has been primarily limited to license revenue from Gossamer.  Future revenue is dependent on the terms of the license agreement with Gossamer as further described in Note 11.   The Company’s product candidates are subject to long development cycles and there is no assurance the Company will be able to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for, or market its product candidates.

The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to other life science companies in the current stage of its life cycle including, but not limited to, the need to obtain adequate additional funding, possible failure of preclinical testing or clinical trials, the need to obtain marketing approval for its product candidates, competitors developing new technological innovations, the need to successfully commercialize and gain market acceptance of any of the Company’s products that are approved, and protection of proprietary technology. If the Company does not successfully commercialize any of its products or mitigate any of these other risks, it will be unable to generate revenue or achieve profitability.

The Company incurred losses from operations and had a negative cash flows from operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 (and since inception). The Company’s current operating plan indicates that it will continue to incur losses from operations and generate negative cash flows from operating activities given ongoing expenditures related to the completion of its ongoing clinical trials and the Company’s lack of product revenue generating activities.  However, the Company believes it has the ability to control its current operating plan and that existing cash and cash equivalents of approximately $34.6 million at March 31, 2020 will be sufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operating plan through at least the second quarter of 2021.  

There can be no assurance, however, that the current operating plan will be achieved in the time frame anticipated by the Company, or that its cash resources will fund the Company’s operating plan for the period anticipated by the Company or that additional funding will be available on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all. The Company will need to raise additional funds in order to further advance its clinical research programs, commence additional clinical trials, and operate its business and meet its obligations as they come due. The Company is pursuing financing alternatives, which include permanent equity financing, business development

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arrangements, and licensing arrangements. However, financing may not be available to the Company in the necessary time frame, in amounts that the Company requires, on terms that are acceptable to the Company, or at all. If the Company raises additional funds through collaboration, licensing or other similar arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish valuable rights to its potential products or proprietary technologies or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to the Company. If the Company is unable to raise the necessary funds when needed or reduce spending on currently planned activities, it may not be able to continue the development of its product candidates or the Company could be required to delay, scale back, or eliminate some or all of its development programs and other operations and will materially harm its business, financial position and results of operations.  

COVID-19 has resulted in significant governmental measures being implemented to control the spread of the virus and while the Company cannot predict their scope and severity, these developments and measures could materially and adversely affect its business, including its planned Phase 2 clinical trial for the glaucoma program, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, in response to the spread of COVID-19, the Company has closed its executive offices with its employees continuing their work outside of the offices. The Company is closely monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all aspects of its business and is taking steps to minimize the impact on its business. However, the extent to which COVID-19 impacts the Company’s business, results of operations or financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the duration of the outbreak, new information that may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 or the effectiveness of actions taken to contain the pandemic or treat its impact, among others. Furthermore, if the Company or any of the third parties with whom it engages, however, were to experience shutdowns or other business disruptions, the Company’s ability to conduct its business in the manner and on the timelines presently planned could be materially or negatively affected, which could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, results of operation and financial condition.

 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations and include all of the information and disclosures required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP" or "GAAP") for interim financial reporting, and, in the opinion of management include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations, financial position, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each period presented. Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative U.S. GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). All adjustments are of a normal and recurring in nature. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of the Company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results of operations for a full year. The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements are stated in U.S. Dollars.

Segment Information

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company views its operations and manages its business in one operating segment, which is the business of developing and commercializing proprietary therapeutics. All the assets and operations of the Company’s sole operating segment are located in the United States.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates. Management considers many factors in selecting appropriate financial accounting policies and controls, and in developing the estimates and assumptions that are used in the preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements. Management must apply significant judgment in this process. In addition, other factors may affect estimates, including: expected business and operational changes, sensitivity and volatility associated with the assumptions used in developing estimates, and whether historical trends are expected to be representative of future trends. The estimation process often may yield a range of potentially reasonable estimates of the ultimate future outcomes, and management must select an amount that falls within that range of reasonable estimates. Estimates are used in the following areas, among others: prepaid and accrued research and development expense, stock-based compensation expense, revenue recognition and income taxes.

 

The Company’s results can also be affected by economic conditions, global health concerns, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and political, legislative, regulatory and legal actions. Economic conditions, such as recessionary trends, inflation, interest and monetary exchange rates, government fiscal policies, and changes in the prices of research studies, can have a significant effect on operations. While the Company maintains reserves for anticipated liabilities and carries various levels of insurance, the Company could be affected by civil, criminal, regulatory or administrative actions, claims or proceedings.

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Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of all cash on hand and $100,000 invested in short-term certificates of deposits with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company’s cash equivalents are primarily in money market funds.  The Company maintains balances with its banks in excess of federally insured limits.

Revenue Recognition

At the inception of an arrangement, the Company evaluates if a counterparty to a contract is a customer, if the arrangement is within the scope of revenue from contracts with customers guidance and the term of the contract. The Company recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services in a contract for an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. For contracts with customers, the Company applies the following five-step model in order to determine this amount: (i) identification of the promised goods or services in the contract; (ii) determination of whether the promised goods or services are performance obligations, including whether they are distinct in the context of the contract; (iii) measurement of the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations; and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies each performance obligation.  The Company only applies 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 or services it transfers to the customer. As part of the accounting for contracts with customers, the Company must develop assumptions that require judgment to determine the standalone selling price of each performance obligation identified in the contract. The Company then allocates the total transaction price to each performance obligation based on the estimated standalone selling prices of each performance obligation. The Company recognizes the amount of the transaction price as revenue that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when the performance obligation is satisfied or as it is satisfied.

The Company enters into collaboration arrangements, under which it licenses certain rights to its intellectual property to third parties. The terms of these agreements may include payment to the Company of one or more of the following: nonrefundable upfront license fees; development, sale and commercial milestone payments and royalties on net sales of licensed products. Each of these types of payments are classified as license revenue except for revenue from royalties on net sales of licensed products, which are classified as royalty revenue.

For each collaboration agreement that results in revenues, the Company identifies all material promised goods and services, which may include a license to intellectual property, research and development activities and/or transition activities. Promised goods or services are considered to be separate performance obligations if they are distinct. In order to determine the transaction price to be allocated to each performance obligation, in addition to any upfront payment, the Company estimates the amount of variable consideration at the outset of the contract either utilizing the expected value or most likely amount method, depending on the facts and circumstances relative to the contract. The Company constrains (reduces) the estimates of variable consideration such that it is probable that a significant reversal of previously recognized revenue will not occur throughout the life of the contract. When determining if variable consideration should be constrained, management considers whether there are factors outside the Company’s control that could result in a significant reversal of revenue. In making these assessments, the Company considers the likelihood and magnitude of a potential reversal of revenue. These estimates are re-assessed each reporting period as required.

Once the estimated transaction price is established, amounts are allocated to the performance obligations that have been identified. The transaction price is generally allocated to each separate performance obligation on a relative standalone selling price basis. The Company must develop assumptions that require judgment to determine the standalone selling price (SSP) in order to account for these agreements. To determine the standalone selling price the Company’s assumptions may include (i) assumptions regarding the probability of obtaining marketing approval for the drug candidate; (ii) estimates regarding the timing of and the expected costs to develop and commercialize the drug candidate; (iii) estimates of future cash flows from potential product sales with respect to the drug candidate; and (iv) appropriate discount and tax rates. Standalone selling prices used to perform the initial allocation are not updated after contract inception. The Company does not include a financing component to its estimated transaction price at contract inception unless it estimates that certain performance obligations will not be satisfied within one year.

Upfront License Fees: If a license to the Company’s intellectual property is determined to be distinct from the other performance obligations identified in the arrangement, the Company recognizes revenues from nonrefundable, upfront license fees based on the relative value prescribed to the license compared to the total value of the arrangement. The revenue is recognized when the license is transferred to the collaborator and the collaborator is able to use and benefit from the license. For licenses that are not distinct from other obligations identified in the arrangement, the Company utilizes judgment to assess the nature of the combined performance obligation to determine whether the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time. If the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time, the Company applies an appropriate method of measuring progress for purposes of recognizing revenue from nonrefundable, upfront license fees. The Company evaluates the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjusts the measure of performance and related revenue recognition.

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Development Milestone Payments: Depending on facts and circumstances, the Company may conclude it is appropriate to include the milestone in the estimated transaction price using the most likely amount method or it is appropriate to fully constrain the milestone. A milestone payment is included in the transaction price in the reporting period the Company concludes that it is probable that recording revenue in the period will not result in a significant reversal in amounts recognized in future periods. The Company may record revenues from certain milestones in a reporting period before the milestone is achieved if the Company concludes that achievement of the milestone is probable and that recognition of revenue related to the milestone will not result in a significant reversal in amounts recognized in future periods. The Company records a corresponding contract asset when this conclusion is reached. Milestone payments that have not been included in the transaction price to date are fully constrained. These milestones remain fully constrained until the Company concludes that achievement of the milestone is probable and recognition of revenue related to the milestone will not result in a significant reversal in amounts recognized in future periods. The Company re-evaluates the probability of achievement of such development milestones and any related constraint each reporting period. The Company adjusts its estimate of the overall transaction price, including the amount of collaborative revenue that it has recorded, if necessary.  

Sales-based Milestone and Royalty Payments: The Company’s collaborators may be required to pay the Company sales-based milestone payments or royalties on future sales of commercial products.  The Company recognizes revenues related to sales-based milestone and royalty payments upon the later to occur of (i) achievement of the collaborator’s underlying sales or (ii) satisfaction of any performance obligation(s) related to these sales, in each case assuming the license to the Company’s intellectual property is deemed to be the predominant item to which the sales-based milestones and/or royalties relate. 

Grant Income

Grant income is recognized as earned based on contract work performed.

Research and Development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expense consists of (i) employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits, travel and stock-based compensation expense, (ii) external research and development expenses incurred under arrangements with third parties, such as contract research organizations and consultants, (iii) the cost of acquiring, developing and manufacturing clinical study materials, and (iv) costs associated with clinical, preclinical and regulatory activities.

The Company enters into consulting, research and other agreements with commercial firms, researchers, universities and others for the provision of goods and services. Under such agreements, the Company may pay for services on a monthly, quarterly, project, or other basis. Such arrangements are generally cancellable upon reasonable notice and payment of costs incurred. Costs are considered incurred based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks under each contract using information and data provided to the Company by its clinical sites and vendors. These costs consist of direct and indirect costs associated with specific projects, as well as fees paid to various entities that perform certain research on behalf of the Company.

Patents

Costs incurred in connection with the application for and issuances of patents are expensed as incurred.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are recorded in accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”), which provides for deferred taxes using an asset and liability approach. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the condensed consolidated financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the condensed consolidated financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities and for loss and credit carryforwards using enacted tax rates anticipated to be in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are provided, if, based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740. When uncertain tax positions exist, the Company recognizes the tax benefit of tax positions to the extent that the benefit will more likely than not be realized. The determination as to whether the tax benefit will more likely than not be realized is based upon the technical merits of the tax position, as well as consideration of the available facts and circumstances. As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company does not have any uncertain tax positions. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions, if any exist, in income tax expense.

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Net and Comprehensive Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

The Company’s basic net and comprehensive loss per share attributable to common stockholders is calculated by dividing the net and comprehensive loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. The diluted net and comprehensive loss per share attributable to common stockholders is computed by adjusting the weighted average shares outstanding for the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents outstanding for the period, determined using the treasury stock method.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation awards in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”).  ASC 718 requires all stock-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss based on their fair values. All the Company’s stock-based awards are subject only to service-based vesting conditions. The Company estimates the fair value of its stock-based awards using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which requires the input of assumptions, including (a) the expected stock price volatility, (b) the calculation of expected term of the award, (c) the risk-free interest rate, and (d) expected dividends.

Due to the historical lack of public market for trading of the Company’s common stock and a lack of company-specific historical and implied volatility data, the Company has based its estimate of expected volatility on the historical volatility of a group of similar companies that are publicly traded. The computation of expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of a representative group of companies with similar characteristics to the Company, including stage of product development and life science industry focus. The Company believes the group selected has sufficient similar economic and industry characteristics and includes companies that are most representative of the Company.

The Company uses the simplified method as prescribed by the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107, Share-Based Payment, to calculate the expected term, as it does not have sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate the expected term for options granted to employees, and utilizes the contractual term for options granted to non-employees. The expected term is applied to the stock option grant group as a whole, as the Company does not expect substantially different exercise or post-vesting termination behavior among its employee population. The risk-free interest rate is based on a treasury instrument whose term is consistent with the expected life of the stock options.

Compensation expense related to awards to employees is calculated on a straight-line basis by recognizing the grant date fair value over the associated service period of the award, which is generally the vesting term.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued expenses. The Company values cash equivalents using quoted market prices. The fair value of accounts payable and accrued expenses approximates its carrying value because of its short-term nature.

The Company is required to disclose information on all assets and liabilities reported at fair value that enables an assessment of the inputs used in determining the reported fair values. ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), establishes a hierarchy of inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the observable inputs be used when available.

Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability and are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The fair value hierarchy applies only to the valuation inputs used in determining the reported fair value of the investments and is not a measure of the investment credit quality. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

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To the extent that a 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. There were no transfers within the fair value hierarchy during the three months ended March 31, 2020 or 2019. The assets of the Company measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, are summarized below:  

 

 

Concentrations of Credit Risk and Off-Balance Sheet Risk

Cash and cash equivalents are the only financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company maintains its cash and cash equivalents with high-quality, accredited financial institutions and, accordingly, such funds are subject to minimal credit risk. The Company has no significant off-balance sheet concentrations of credit risk, such as foreign currency exchange contracts, option contracts or other hedging arrangements.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, if any. Comprehensive loss equaled net loss for all periods presented.

Furniture and Equipment

Furniture and equipment is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Furniture and equipment is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, generally three to seven years. Such costs are periodically reviewed for recoverability when impairment indicators are present. Such indicators include, among other factors: operating losses, unused capacity, market value declines, and technological obsolescence. Recorded values of asset groups of furniture and equipment that are not expected to be recovered through undiscounted future net cash flows are written down to current fair value, which generally is determined from estimated discounted future net cash flows (assets held for use) or net realizable value (assets held for sale).

Leases

At the inception of an arrangement the Company determines whether the arrangement is or contains a lease based on the circumstances present. All leases with a term greater than one year are recognized on the condensed consolidated balance sheet as right-of-use assets, lease liabilities and, if applicable, long-term lease liabilities. The Company has elected not to recognize on the condensed consolidated balance sheet leases with terms of one-year or less if entered into. Lease liabilities and their corresponding right-of-use assets are recorded based on the present value of lease payments over the expected lease term. The interest rate implicit in lease contracts is typically not readily determinable. As such, the Company utilizes the appropriate incremental borrowing rate, which is the rate incurred to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment. Certain adjustments to the right-of-use asset may be required for items such as initial direct costs paid or incentives received.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies and adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company believes the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations upon adoption.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2018-07”). ASU 2018-07 improves financial reporting for share-based payments issued to nonemployees under ASC 718 by expanding the scope of the employee share-based payments guidance to include share-based payments issued to nonemployees. The amendments in ASU 2018-07 are effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. The Company adopted ASU 2018-07 as of January 1, 2019 and recorded a one-time cumulative adjustment of $5,717 upon adoption.

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No other new accounting pronouncement recently issued or newly effective had or is expected to have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

3. Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

Accounts payable and accrued expenses are as follows:

 

 

 

4. Common Stock

As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had 300,000,000 shares of authorized common stock with par value of $0.0001 per share. 

The common stock has the following characteristics:  

Voting

The holders of common stock are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held at all meetings of stockholders and written actions in lieu of meetings.

Dividends

The holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if and when declared by the board of directors of the Company (the “Board of Directors”). Since the Company’s inception, no dividends have been declared or paid to the holders of common stock.

Liquidation

In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up of the Company, the holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in the Company’s assets.  

Warrants to Purchase Common Stock

At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had warrants outstanding for the purchase of 600,000 and 917,562 shares, respectively, of the Company’s common stock. In October 2019, the Company issued warrants for the purchase of 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.486 per share in connection with the hiring of a strategic advisor consultant for a six-month period. These warrants vested in equal monthly installments over a six-month period beginning October 14, 2019 and expire on October 24, 2024. At the date of grant the fair value of these awards was determined using a Black-Scholes Merton pricing model. Included at December 31,2019 are warrants for the purchase of 317,562 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $5.00 per share that were issued in connection with the 2017 Offering and have a three-year term. The 317,562 warrants expired on March 15, 2020 and none were exercised or settled as the fair value of the Company’s common stock was below the exercise price.

The number of shares and the exercise price shall be adjusted for standard anti-dilution events such as stock splits, combinations, reorganizations, or issue shares as part of a stock dividend. Upon a change of control, the warrant holder will have the right to receive securities, cash or other properties it would have been entitled to receive had the warrant been exercised. The warrants are equity classified instruments and do not contain contingent exercise provisions, or other features, that would preclude the Company from concluding that the warrants are indexed solely to the Company’s common stock.  

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5. Preferred Stock

As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, in authorized capital. No preferred stock was issued and outstanding at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

6. Stock-Based Compensation

In March 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted, and the stockholders approved, the 2017 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”), that became effective in April 2017. The 2017 Plan provides for the issuance of incentive awards up to 4,600,000 shares of common stock to officers, employees, consultants and directors, less the number of shares subject to issued and outstanding awards under the 2011 Plan that were assumed in the Merger. The 2017 Plan also provides that the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder will be increased annually on the first day of each year beginning in 2018 by four percent (4%) of the shares of our common stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding year or such smaller increase as determined by our Board of Directors. In March 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a 4% increase adding 1,623,520 shares to the 2017 Plan, which was effective as of January 1, 2020.

Stock Options

The options granted generally vest over 48 months. Under the 2017 Plan, options vest in installments of 25% at the one-year anniversary and thereafter in 36 equal monthly installments beginning on the 1^st of the month after the one-year anniversary date, subject to the employee’s continuous service with the Company. In May 2019, the Company issued a special retention grant of options to purchase an aggregate of 2,419,050 shares of common stock which vest in installments of 50% at June 30, 2020 and 50% at June 30, 2021, subject to the employee’s continuous service with the Company. The options generally expire ten years after the date of grant. The fair value of the options at the date of grant is recognized as an expense over the requisite service period. During the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, option awards to purchase an aggregate of 702,000 and 1,820,828 shares of common stock were granted, respectively.      

As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, 3,556,670 and 1,983,093 shares were reserved for issuance under the 2017 Plan, respectively.

The following table summarizes the stock option activity during the three months ended March 31, 2020:

 

 

Aggregate intrinsic value represents the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock at in excess of the weighted average exercise price multiplied by the number of options outstanding or exercisable.  

As of March 31, 2020, there was $2,201,201 of unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.28 years.

Compensation Expense Summary

The Company recognized the following compensation cost related to employee and non-employee stock-based compensation activity for the periods presented:

 

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The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the estimated fair value for stock-based awards. Option pricing and models require the input of various assumptions, including the option’s expected life, expected dividend yield, price volatility and risk-free interest rate of the underlying stock. Accordingly, the weighted-average fair value of the options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $0.31 per share. The calculation was based on the following assumptions.

 

 

7. Income Taxes

The Company did not record a current or deferred income tax expense or benefit for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, due to the Company’s net and comprehensive losses and increases in its deferred tax asset valuation allowance.

8. Net and Comprehensive Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

The following table sets forth the computation of the Company’s basic and diluted net and comprehensive loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the periods presented:  

 

 

Holders of non-vested stock-based compensation awards do not have voting rights.

The following weighted average common stock equivalents were excluded from the calculation of basic and diluted net and comprehensive loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the periods presented because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:

 

 

9. Leases

At March 31, 2020, the Company is a party to one property lease in Cincinnati, Ohio under an arrangement which provides the right to use the underlying asset and require lease payments for the lease term. During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company terminated its leases in Lexington, Massachusetts and Dexter, Michigan; no penalties were incurred related to these terminations. The Cincinnati, Ohio lease agreement obligates the Company to pay real estate taxes, insurance and certain maintenance costs (hereinafter referred to as non-lease components). The Company’s lease arrangement contains a renewal provision of 5 years, exercisable at the Company's option. The Company’s lease agreement does not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

 

The Company determines if an arrangement is an operating lease at inception. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheet. All other leases are recorded on the balance sheet with a corresponding operating lease asset, net, representing the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term and the operating lease liabilities representing the obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease.

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Operating lease assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term and include options to extend or terminate the lease when they are reasonably certain to be exercised. The present value of lease payments is determined primarily using the incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at lease commencement date. Lease agreements with lease and non-lease components are generally accounted for as a single lease component. The Company’s operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term and are recorded in general and administrative expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.  

The following table presents the lease cost and information related to the right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities: 

As of March 31, 2020, future payments related to operating leases activities are presented in the table below:

 

 

 

10.  Employee Stock Purchase Plan

In March 2017, the Board of Directors adopted and the stockholders approved the Employee Stock Purchase Plan that became effective in April 2017.  On June 20, 2018, the Company’s shareholders approved the Amended and Restated 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Pursuant to the terms of the ESPP, the Company will reserve for issuance 300,000 shares of the Company's common stock in the aggregate, plus, on January 1, 2019 and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2028, the number of shares of the Company's common stock reserved and available for issuance under the ESPP will be cumulatively increased by the least of (i) one percent of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock issued and outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31; (ii) 350,000 shares; or (iii) such lesser number of shares of the Company’s common stock as determined by the Board of Directors, in each case subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the ESPP. In March 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an increase of 350,000 shares to the ESPP, which increase was effective as of January 1, 2020. No shares under the ESPP are outstanding at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.  

11.  License Agreement

 

On June 24, 2018, the Company entered into a license agreement (the “Gossamer License Agreement”) with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gossamer Bio, Inc., GB004, Inc., (collectively, “Gossamer”), under which the Company granted Gossamer an exclusive, sublicensable license to develop and commercialize AKB-4924 and other structurally related products worldwide, with initial development expected in the indications of induction and maintenance in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease (collectively “initial indications”). Prior to the execution of the Gossamer License Agreement, AKB-4924 was a pipeline program for the Company that completed a Phase 1a clinical trial in healthy volunteers.

Gossamer is responsible for the development and commercialization of the licensed products, and a joint development committee has been formed to oversee the development and manufacturing activities related to the licensed products. Under the terms of the Gossamer License Agreement, Gossamer is obligated to use its commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize licensed products in the United States, two major European countries and Japan for at least one of the initial indications. The

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Gossamer License Agreement includes an exclusivity provision that prohibits the Company from developing, manufacturing or commercializing, and prohibits Gossamer from clinically developing or commercializing certain HIF stabilizing compounds other than as permitted in the Gossamer License Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the Gossamer License Agreement, Gossamer made an upfront payment to the Company of $20.0 million on June 28, 2018.  

The Company is also eligible to receive development, commercial and sales milestone payments, with such payments contingent on the achievement of specified milestones with respect to the first licensed product for each of the first two initial indications. The Company is also eligible to receive tiered royalties on sales of licensed products at percentages ranging from a high-single-digit to mid-teens, subject to certain customary reductions. In addition, under certain circumstances, in lieu of receiving the foregoing milestone payments and royalties, the Company may elect to receive a specified percentage of payments received by Gossamer and its stockholders (with some exclusions) in connection with Gossamer’s grant of a sublicense or other rights to the licensed products or if Gossamer undergoes a change of control and the value of the transaction exceeds a certain value (provided that Gossamer can prevent the Company from exercising this option if the parent company of Gossamer is the entity undergoing the change of control). Conversely, the Company could be required to accept such a specified percentage of those payments if Gossamer agrees to pay the Company a certain minimum upon Gossamer and its stockholders being paid. Such amount may be reduced if the subject transaction includes pharmaceutical candidates or products or other named asset categories in addition to the licensed products.

The Gossamer License Agreement expires on a licensed-product-by-licensed-product and country-by-country basis on the later of fifteen years from the date of first commercial sale or when there is no longer a valid patent claim covering such licensed product in such country. Either party may terminate the Gossamer License Agreement for an uncured material breach by the other party or upon the bankruptcy or insolvency of the other party. Gossamer may terminate the Gossamer License Agreement in the event Gossamer determines there is a potential safety or efficacy issue with the licensed products. The Company may terminate the Gossamer License Agreement if Gossamer institutes certain actions related to the licensed patents. Under certain termination circumstances, the Company would have worldwide rights to the terminated program.  

As of March 31, 2020 and 2019, all development milestones, sales-based milestones and royalty payments within the Gossamer License Agreement are constrained to the point where no transaction price has been allocated to the future milestones or royalty payments.  

12.  Restructuring

In April 2019, the Company executed a realignment plan to reduce operating costs and better align its workforce with the needs of its ongoing business and in October 2019, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer departed from their positions. As a result, the Company recorded employee severance expense of $1.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2019.        

Total cash payments against the severance liability was approximately $0.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2020.  The remaining liability as of March 31, 2020 was approximately $0.5 million and is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. These amounts are expected to be substantially paid in cash by October 31, 2020.

 

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains express or implied forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) that are based on our management’s belief and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements relate to future events or our future operational or financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q include, but are not limited to, statements about:

In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could materially affect results. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance. You should read this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the documents that we reference in Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and have filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q represent our views as of the date of this Report. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this Report.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion of the financial condition and results of operations of Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. should be read in conjunction with the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as of and for the period ended March 31, 2020 and our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2019 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions. You should read the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, as updated by the risk factors contained this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our other filings with the SEC, for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

Operating Overview

Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing compounds that activate Tie2 to treat ocular diseases and diabetic complications.

In March 2019, we announced top line results from our Phase 2b (“TIME-2b”) clinical trial of AKB-9778 for the treatment of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.  Although the results did not meet the study’s primary endpoint, the TIME-2b study further supported the reduction of intraocular pressure (“IOP”) seen with subcutaneous AKB-9778 in the previous TIME-2 study. Importantly, IOP is the only identifiable modifiable risk factor for prevention of vision loss in patients with open angle glaucoma (“OAG”) and ocular hypertension (“OHT”). Moreover, recently published mouse and human genetic data implicate the Angpt/Tie2 pathway in maintenance of Schlemm’s canal, a critical component of the conventional outflow tract. The conventional outflow tract is the main conduit for the fluid drainage from the front of the eye and the principle regulator of IOP. Based on these findings, we developed a topical ocular formulation of AKB-9778 and observed in preclinical studies activation of Tie2 in Schlemm’s canal, IOP  reduction via enhanced outflow facility and favorable tolerability.

In June 2019, we initiated a double-masked, multiple-ascending dose Phase 1b clinical trial for OAG  We enrolled four cohorts of 12 subjects each and subjects received increasing daily doses of a topical ocular formulation of AKB-9778 or placebo for seven days. The primary endpoint of the trial was ocular safety and tolerability, with IOP lowering as the key pharmacodynamic endpoint. In October 2019, we announced interim results from our Phase 1b clinical trial. The unmasked interim analysis, limited to the first three cohorts, showed the topical ocular administration of AKB-9778 was well tolerated. Compared to placebo, there was a dose dependent increase in minimal to mild conjunctival hyperemia with AKB-9778, which was transient and generally considered non-adverse, and a time and dose dependent reduction in IOP that, in the highest once daily (“QD”) dose cohort peaked at 4 hours post-dose and was sustained through eight hours on day 7, returning to baseline levels at 24 hours post-dose. Based on these data, a cohort of 43 patients with OHT/OAG (hypertensive eyes) was added to the ongoing study to assess safety and pilot efficacy in the target patient population. 

In January 2020, we announced the results of the fifth cohort of subjects noting subjects in cohort five randomized to the active arm exhibited statistically significant decreases in IOP at all post-AKB-9778 administration time points on both days 1 and 7 compared with day -1 baseline values when they were being treated with prostaglandin alone. When the change is placebo-corrected, AKB-9778 plus prostaglandin versus prostaglandin alone produced a statistically significant decrease in IOP on Day 7 at 0, 4 and 8 hours post dose as compared to placebo. We believe these results suggest a persistent IOP-lowering activity from adding AKB-9778 to standard-of-care prostaglandin therapy. Topical ocular administration of AKB-9778 was well tolerated over seven days in cohort five. There were no reports of conjunctival hemorrhage or pain on instillation during the seven days of dosing and no systemic/non-ocular AEs were observed.

Based on the preclinical proof of concept and the results of the Phase 1b trial showing a reduction in IOP in patients with OHT and OAG, we are preparing to further advance the glaucoma program into a Phase 2 clinical trial which we expect to initiate in the third quarter of 2020 with results expected in the first quarter of 2021, subject to potential delays in subject enrollment and study completion due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Diabetic Kidney Disease

In two consecutive trials, TIME-2 and TIME-2b, subcutaneous AKB-9778 showed reduction in Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio (“UACR”), a measure of progression of diabetic kidney disease.  In a post-hoc analysis of the earlier TIME-2 clinical trial, there was a 21% reduction (geometric mean) in UACR from baseline in the AKB-9778 treatment arms, but an overall increase in UACR in the placebo arm.  The prospective UACR analyses from the recently completed TIME-2b trial largely replicated the results from the previous trial and reinforced the potential beneficial effects of Tie2 activation in diabetic kidney disease. We believe that systemic treatment with AKB-9778 could have the potential to change the treatment paradigm for diabetics in the future and potentially address a major societal problem by lowering the cost of care associated generally with diabetes.

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ARP-1536

ARP-1536, our humanized monoclonal antibody directed at the same target as subcutaneous AKB-9778, is in preclinical development. We are evaluating development options for ARP-1536, including subcutaneous injection for the treatment of diabetic vascular complications, e.g., diabetic nephropathy and intravitreal injection as an adjunctive therapy for diabetic macular edema.  We are also developing a bispecific antibody that binds both VEGF and VE-PTP which is designed to inhibit VEGF activation and activate Tie2.  We believe this bispecific antibody has the potential to be an improved treatment for wet AMD and diabetic macular edema via intravitreal injection.

Gossamer License Agreement

In June 2018, we licensed AKB-4924, a selective stabilizer of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (“HIF-1 alpha”) to Gossamer Bio, Inc. (“Gossamer”) AKB-4924, (now called GB004), is being developed for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (“IBD”). HIF-1 alpha is involved in mucosal wound healing and the reduction of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Gossamer has completed the Phase 1 multiple ascending dose (“MAD”) clinical study and is currently running a Phase 1b clinical study in ulcerative colitis patients.  Gossamer has progressed GB004 during 2019 by completing the Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers and initiating a Phase 1b study in ulcerative colitis patients of 28-day duration.  Gossamer has announced that it expects to report topline results from the Phase 1b study in the second quarter of 2020.  Gossamer is responsible for all remaining development and commercial activities for GB004.

In April 2019, we adopted a realignment plan to reduce operating costs and better align our workforce with the needs of our ongoing business and in October 2019, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial and Business Officer departed from their positions. As a result, we recorded severance expense of $1.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2019 for employee related costs, including severance benefits and payment of healthcare insurance premiums. Additionally, we recorded a one-time stock-based compensation cumulative reversal of $1.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2019 for the forfeitures of outstanding equity awards. The total remaining liability under these severance-related actions was $0.5 million as of March 31, 2020 and we anticipate that such employee related costs will be paid by the end of the fourth quarter of 2020.

Our primary source of liquidity to date has been through public and private sales of our common stock, redeemable convertible preferred stock, convertible debt and the proceeds from the License Agreement entered into with Gossamer (“Gossamer License Agreement”). We will need to raise additional funds to further advance our clinical research programs, commence additional clinical trials and commercialize our products, if approved. While we continue to pursue financing alternatives, which may include equity financing, business development arrangements, licensing arrangements and business combination transactions, financing may not be available to us in the necessary time frame, in the amounts that we need, on terms that are acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise the necessary funds when needed or reduce spending on currently planned activities, we may not be able to continue the development of our product candidates or we could be required to delay, scale back or eliminate some or all of our development programs and other operations and will materially harm our business and consolidated financial position.

We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as a result of our ongoing activities. We are subject to a number of risks similar to other life science companies in the current stage of our life cycle, including, but not limited to, the need to obtain adequate additional funding, possible failure of preclinical testing or clinical trials, competitors developing new technological innovations, and protection of proprietary technology. If we do not successfully mitigate any of these risks, we will be unable to generate revenue or achieve profitability.

Except for the Gossamer License Agreement that we entered into with Gossamer in June 2018, our operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing our Company, business planning, raising capital, acquiring and developing our technology, identifying potential product candidates and undertaking preclinical and clinical studies. There can be no assurance of future revenues either from future payments related to the Gossamer License Agreement, transition services or from our product candidates. Our product candidates are subject to long development cycles, and there is no assurance we will be able to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for, or market our product candidates. As of March 31, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $146.2 million and anticipate incurring additional losses for the next several years.

The Company’s inability to obtain required funding in the near future could have a material adverse effect on its operations and strategic development plan for future growth. If the Company cannot successfully raise additional capital and implement its strategic development plan, its liquidity, financial condition and business prospects will be materially and adversely affected, and the Company may have to cease operations.  Based on the Company’s current cash reserves of $34.6 million at March 31, 2020 and financial condition as of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we believe our existing cash and cash equivalent will be sufficient to fund currently planned operations through at least the second quarter of 2021.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, as a global pandemic, which continues to spread throughout the United States and around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic is evolving, and to date has led to the implementation of various responses, including government-imposed quarantines, stay at home orders, travel restrictions, mandated business closures and other public health safety measures. In addition, in response to the spread of COVID-19,

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we have closed our executive offices with our employees continuing their work outside of our offices. We are closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on all aspects of our business, including how it may impact our planned Phase 2 clinical trial for our glaucoma program, expected timelines and costs on an ongoing basis. We do not yet know the full extent of potential delays or the impact on our business, our planned clinical trial, our research programs, healthcare systems or the global economy and we cannot presently predict the scope and severity of any potential business shutdowns or disruptions. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the duration of the outbreak, new information that may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19 or the effectiveness of actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. If we or any of the third parties with whom we engage, however, were to experience shutdowns or other business disruptions, our ability to conduct our business in the manner and on the timelines presently planned could be materially or negatively affected, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operation and financial condition.              

Basis of Presentation

The following discussion highlights the Company’s results of operations and the principal factors that have affected our financial condition as well as our liquidity and capital resources for the periods described and provides information that management believes is relevant for an assessment and understanding of the condensed consolidated balance sheets and the condensed consolidated statements of operation and comprehensive loss presented herein. The following discussion and analysis are based on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which we have prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP” or “GAAP”). You should read the discussion and analysis together with such condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto.

Components of Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

Operating Expenses

Research and Development  

Research and development expenses are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses consist primarily of (i) employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits, travel, and stock-based compensation expense, (ii) external research and development expenses incurred under arrangements with third parties, such as contract research organizations (“CRO’s”) and consultants, (iii) the cost of acquiring, developing, and manufacturing clinical study materials, and (iv) costs associated with preclinical, clinical and regulatory activities.

Costs for certain development activities are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using information and data provided to us by our vendors and clinical sites.  

As we continue to invest in basic research and clinical development of our product candidates, we expect research and development expenses to increase in absolute dollars.

General and Administrative   

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and related costs for our finance, human resources and other administrative personnel, including stock-based compensation, employee benefits and travel. In addition, general and administrative expenses include third-party consulting, legal, patent, audit, accounting services and facilities costs. We expect to continue to incur general and administrative expenses due to additional legal, accounting, insurance, investor relations and other costs associated with being a public company, as well as other costs associated with growing our business.

Interest Income

Interest income consists primarily of interest income received on cash and cash equivalents.  

Grant Income

Grant income is recognized as earned based on contract work performed.

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Results of Operations

The following table presents the results of operations for the periods presented:

 

 

Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 and 2019  

 Operating Expenses

 

 

Research and Development

Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2020 decreased approximately $3.8 million or 67.3%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2019. This was the result of decreased spending on AKB-9778, offset by spending related to the Glaucoma Phase 1b clinical trial, which commenced during the second quarter of 2019.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2020, decreased approximately $1.0 million, or 29.8%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2019. This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in employee related expenses of $0.3 million, legal expenses of $0.2 million, stock-based compensation of $0.3 million and general office expenses of $0.2 million.

Other Income

 

 

Grant Income

Grant income is recognized as earned based on contract work performed. Grant income amounts can vary greatly from period to period depending on the funding and needs of the party for whom we perform the requested services.

Interest Income

Interest income in the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, reflects interest earned on short term money market instruments. The net proceeds from our underwritten public offering in June 2018 and upfront payment received in conjunction with the execution of the Gossamer License Agreement in June 2018, less cash used in operations, were available for investment. The decrease in interest income was due to lower cash balances at March 31, 2020, compared to the prior year.     

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Since inception, we have incurred significant net and comprehensive losses and negative cash flows from operations. For the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, we had net and comprehensive loss of $3.9 million and $8.5 million, respectively. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we had an accumulated deficit of $146.2 million and $142.2 million, respectively.

At March 31, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $34.6 million. To date, we have financed our operations principally through private and public offerings of our equity securities, private placements of our redeemable convertible preferred stock, common stock, issuances of secured convertible promissory notes and proceeds from the Gossamer License Agreement.  Based on our current plans, we expect that our existing cash and cash equivalents, will enable us to conduct our planned operations through at least the second quarter of 2021.

In February 2018, we filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the SEC which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 11, 2018 (the “Form S-3”). The shelf registration statement allows us to sell from time-to-time up to $150.0 million of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, or units comprised of any combination of these securities, for our own account in one or more offerings. The shelf registration statement is intended to provide us flexibility to conduct registered sales of our securities, subject to market conditions and our future capital needs. The terms of any offering under the shelf registration statement will be established at the time of such offering and will be described in a prospectus supplement filed with the SEC prior to the completion of any such offering.

Additionally, on February 21, 2018, and pursuant to the Form S-3, we entered into a Controlled Equity Offering Sales Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (“Cantor”), pursuant to which we may issue and sell, from time to time, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $75.0 million through Cantor as our sales agent. Cantor may sell our common stock by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act, including sales made directly on or through the Nasdaq Capital Market or any other existing trade market for our common stock, in negotiated transactions at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at prices related to prevailing market prices, or any other method permitted by law. The shares of our common stock to be sold under the Sales Agreement will be sold and issued pursuant to the Form S-3 and the related prospectus and one or more prospectus supplements. We will pay Cantor 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from each sale of shares of common stock under the Sales Agreement.

As of March 31, 2020, no shares of common stock had been sold under this Sales Agreement.

In October 2019, we announced the engagement of Evercore, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Duane Nash, M.D., J.D., M.B.A. to explore a range of strategic alternatives focused on maximizing stockholder value from our clinical assets and cash resources. Such alternatives may include the potential for an acquisition, company sale, merger, business combination, asset sale, in-license, out-license or other strategic transaction. The Company continues to explore strategic alternatives; however, there can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in any transaction or other alternative.

We could potentially use our available financial resources sooner than we currently expect, and we may incur additional indebtedness to meet future operation liquidity. We continuously evaluate our needs for additional capital and consider opportunities on an ongoing basis, including capital from many different sources including equity capital, strategic alliances, business development debt, collaborations and business combinations. Adequate additional funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. Market volatility resulting from COVID-19 pandemic or other factors could also adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed. In addition, although we anticipate being able to obtain additional financing through non-dilutive means, we may be unable to do so. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed could have significant negative consequences for our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods presented:

 

 

Operating Activities

We have historically experienced negative cash outflows as we developed AKB-9778, ARP-1536 and AKB-4924. Our net cash used in operating activities primarily results from our net loss adjusted for non-cash expenses, changes in working capital components, amounts due to contract research organizations to conduct our clinical programs and employee-related expenditures for research and development and general and administrative activities. Our cash flows from operating activities will continue to be affected by spending to advance and support our product candidates in the clinic and other operating and general administrative activities.

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For the three months ended March 31, 2020, operating activities used $3.9 million in cash as result of $0.4 million of decrease in working capital and a net loss of approximately $3.9 million, offset by $0.4 million in non-cash expenses related to stock-based compensation and depreciation expense. For the three months ended March 31, 2019, operating activities used $9.1 million in cash as a result of $1.2 million of decrease in working capital and a net loss of $8.5 million, offset by $0.6 million in non-cash expenses that consisted of stock-based compensation expense and depreciation expense.   

Investing Activities

Cash used in investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was related to capital expenditures to support operations.  There were no investing cash flows in 2020.

Financing Activities

There were no financing cash flows during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments  

There have been no material changes outside the ordinary course of business during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q from the contractual obligations and commitments as of December 31, 2019 as described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined by applicable SEC regulations.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and related disclosures. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our estimates are based on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Our actual results could differ from these estimates.

We believe that the assumptions and estimates have the greatest potential impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. Therefore, we consider these to be our critical accounting policies and estimates.

For further information on all our significant accounting policies, see the notes to our condensed consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020.

JOBS Act Accounting Election

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (“JOBS Act”). Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Thus, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended transition period and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

We are a smaller reporting company, as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information required by this Item.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures.

Management’s Evaluation of our Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Under the supervision of and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2020, the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as set forth in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, means controls and other

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procedures of a company that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the rules and forms promulgated by the SEC. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met. Additionally, in designing disclosure controls and procedures, our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible disclosure controls and procedures. The design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

Based on this evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of March 31, 2020.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

During the quarter ended March 31, 2020, there have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15(d)-15(f) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

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PART II—OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

As of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we are not currently involved in any material legal proceedings. However, from time to time, we could be subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business activities. Regardless of the outcome, legal proceedings can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.  

Item 1A. Risk Factors

The following risk factors and other information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in other documents that we file with the SEC should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below are not intended to be exhaustive and are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we presently deem less significant may also impair our business operations. Please see page 17 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for a discussion of some of the forward-looking statements that are qualified by these risk factors.  If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital

We have incurred significant losses since inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future and may never achieve or maintain profitability.

We have incurred net and comprehensive losses each year since our inception, with the exception of the three months ended September 30, 2018 as a result of the upfront Gossamer payment discussed above. For the three months ended March 31, 2020, we incurred net and comprehensive loss of $3.9 million, compared to net and comprehensive loss of $8.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019.  As of March 31, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $146.2 million. To date, we have not commercialized any products or generated any revenues from the sale of products, and we do not expect to generate any product revenues in the foreseeable future. We do not know whether or when we will generate revenue or become profitable.

We have devoted most of our financial resources to research and development, including our clinical and preclinical development activities. The amount of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of our future expenditures, and our financial position will depend, in part, on our ability to obtain funding through equity or debt financings, strategic collaborations or grants. In June 2019 we initiated a Phase 1b clinical trial for our lead product candidate, AKB-9778, for a topical drop formulation to treat open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Our other product candidates, including ARP-1536, are in preclinical development. As a result, we expect that it will be several years, if ever, before we have a product candidate ready for commercialization. Even if we obtain regulatory approval to market AKB-9778 or any of our other product candidates, our future revenues will depend upon the size of any markets in which AKB-9778 or any of our other product candidates has received approval, our ability to achieve sufficient market acceptance, reimbursement from third-party payors and other factors.

We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. We anticipate that our expenses will likely increase significantly if and as we:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with pharmaceutical product development, we are unable to accurately predict the timing or amount of increased expenses or when, if at all, we will be able to achieve profitability. If we are required by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) or other regulatory authorities to perform studies in addition to those currently expected, or if there are any delays in completing our clinical trials or the development of any of our product candidates, our expenses could increase.

The net and comprehensive losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year, such that a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be a good indication of our future performance. In any particular quarter or quarters, our operating results could be below the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline.

To become and remain profitable, we must succeed in developing and commercializing our product candidates, which must generate significant revenue. This will require us to be successful in a range of challenging activities, including completing preclinical testing and clinical trials of our product candidates, discovering additional product candidates, obtaining regulatory approval for these product candidates and manufacturing, marketing and selling any products for which we may obtain regulatory approval. We are only in the preliminary stages of most of these activities. We may never succeed in these activities and, even if we do, may never generate revenues that are significant enough to achieve profitability.

Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable could depress the value of our Company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our research and development efforts, diversify our product offerings or even continue our operations. A decline in the value of our Company could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

We will require substantial additional financing. A failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or commercialization efforts.

As of March 31, 2020, our cash and cash equivalents were $34.6 million. We believe that we will continue to expend substantial resources for the foreseeable future developing AKB-9778 for the indications that we are pursuing, such as OAG and ocular hypertension. Additionally, we expect to expend substantial resources to further develop ARP-1536. We may also expend substantial resources to develop any other product candidates that we may develop or acquire. These expenditures will include costs associated with research and development, potentially obtaining regulatory approvals and having our products manufactured, as well as marketing and selling products approved for sale, if any. In addition, other unanticipated costs may arise. Because the outcome of our current and anticipated clinical trials is highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of our product candidates.

Our future capital requirements depend on many factors, including:

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Based on our current operating plan, and absent any future financings or strategic partnerships, we believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund our projected operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through at least the second quarter of 2021. However, our operating plan may change as a result of many factors currently unknown to us, and we may need additional funds sooner than planned. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. Additional funds may not be available when we need them on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. Market volatility resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors could also adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed. If adequate funds are not available to us on a timely basis, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate preclinical studies, clinical trials or other development activities for AKB-9778, ARP-1536 or any other product candidates that we develop or acquire, or delay, limit, reduce or terminate our establishment of sales and marketing capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to commercialize our product candidates.

Our corporate restructuring and the associated headcount reduction may not result in anticipated savings, could result in total costs and expenses that are greater than expected and could disrupt our business.

In April 2019, we adopted a realignment plan to reduce operating costs and better align our workforce with the needs of our ongoing business. The realignment plan reduced our workforce by 11 employees, representing approximately 41% of our workforce. We may not realize, in full or in part, the anticipated benefits, savings and improvements in our cost structure from our restructuring efforts due to unforeseen difficulties, delays or unexpected costs. If we are unable to realize the expected operational efficiencies and cost savings from the restructuring, our operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected. Furthermore, our restructuring plan may be disruptive to our operations. For example, our headcount reductions could yield unanticipated consequences, such as increased difficulties in implementing our business strategy, including retention of our remaining employees.  

We cannot assure you that our exploration of strategic alternatives will result in a transaction or that any such transaction would be successful, and the process of exploring strategic alternatives or its conclusion could adversely impact our business and our stock price.  

In October 2019, we announced the engagement of Evercore, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Duane Nash, M.D., J.D., M.B.A. to assist us in identifying and evaluating a range of potential strategic alternatives, including an acquisition, company sale, merger, business combination, asset sale, in-license, out-license or other strategic transaction. This strategic alternative process is ongoing. There can be no assurances that the strategic alternatives process will result in the announcement or consummation of any strategic transaction, or that any resulting plans or transactions will yield additional value for shareholders. Any potential transaction would be dependent on a number of factors that may be beyond our control, including, among other things, market conditions, industry trends, the interest of third parties in a potential transaction with us and the availability of financing to potential buyers on reasonable terms.

The process of exploring strategic alternatives could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. We could incur substantial expenses associated with identifying and evaluating potential strategic alternatives, including those related to equity compensation, severance pay and legal, accounting and financial advisory fees. In addition, the process may be time consuming and disruptive to our business operations, could divert the attention of management and the Board of Directors from our business, could negatively impact our ability to attract, retain and motivate key employees, and could expose us to potential litigation in connection with this process or any resulting transaction. Further, speculation regarding any developments related to the review of strategic alternatives and perceived uncertainties related to the future of the Company could cause our stock price to fluctuate significantly.

Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to product candidates on unfavorable terms to us.

Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenues, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings and license, development and commercialization agreements with collaborators. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences and anti-dilution protections that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take certain actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through strategic collaborations with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our product ca