UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

 

Commission File Number: 001-38410

BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

(475) 238‑6837

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

N/A

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

 

 

 

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 ☒

 

 

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding at May 4, 2020 was 20,211,296. 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important 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 the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors,” and Part I, Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Given these uncertainties, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also contains estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, our business, and the markets for certain diseases, including data regarding the estimated size of those markets, and the incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties and actual events or circumstances may differ materially from events and circumstances reflected in this information. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business, market and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data and similar sources. 

As used in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company” or “BTI” refer to BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. and its subsidiaries, and “BioXcel” or “Parent” refer to BioXcel Corporation, the Company’s parent.  All brand names or trademarks appearing in this report are the property of their respective owners.

PART 1. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

BALANCE SHEETS

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

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

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)

 

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

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY 

(amounts in thousands, except shares)

(unaudited)

 

 

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

 

 

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(amounts in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

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

BIOXCEL THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)

Note 1. Organization and Principal Activities

BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing artificial intelligence to identify improved therapies in neuroscience and immuno-oncology. BTI's drug re-innovation approach leverages existing approved drugs and/or clinically validated product candidates together with big data and proprietary machine learning algorithms to identify new therapeutic indices. BTI's two most advanced clinical development programs are BXCL501, a sublingual thin film formulation designed for acute treatment of agitation resulting from neuropsychiatric disorders, and BXCL701, an orally administered systemic innate immunity activator designed for treatment of a rare form of prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and advanced solid cancers in combination with other immuno-oncology agents. The Company’s primary activities have been clinical and pre-clinical research and development for BXCL501 and BXCL701.

As used in these financial statements, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires, the terms the “Company” or “BTI” refer to BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc., and “BioXcel” or “Parent” refer to BioXcel Corporation, the Company’s parent. 

The Company is a majority-owned subsidiary of BioXcel Corporation, also referred to as BioXcel or Parent, and was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on March 29, 2017. The Company’s principal office is in New Haven, Connecticut.

The unaudited financial information for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 is presented on the same basis as the financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. The Company does not have any components of other comprehensive income (loss) recorded within its financial statements, and, therefore, does not separately present a statement of comprehensive income (loss) in its financial statements.

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial information to conform to the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the reported results of operations.

Note 2. Basis of Presentation

The Company’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”).    

Note 3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Use of Estimates

The Company’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of financial statements requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses in its financial statements and the accompanying notes. The most significant estimates in the financial statements relate to the fair value of equity awards and valuation allowance related to the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities.

The preparation of our financial statements requires us to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that may affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, equity and expenses. We base our estimates on historical experience and

on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities and equity and the amount of expenses.

During the quarter ended March 31, 2020, the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, was declared a pandemic and spread to multiple regions across the globe, including the United States and Europe. The outbreak and government measures taken in response have also had a significant impact, both direct and indirect, on businesses and commerce, as worker shortages have occurred; supply chains have been disrupted; facilities and production have been suspended; and demand for certain goods and services, such as medical services and supplies, has spiked, while demand for other goods and services, such as travel, has fallen. The full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will directly or indirectly impact our business, results of operations and financial condition, including expenses, reserves and allowances, clinical trials, research and development costs and employee-related amounts, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain, including as a result of new information that may emerge concerning COVID-19 and the actions taken to contain or treat COVID-19, as well as the economic impact on local, regional, national and international customers and markets.

We have evaluated the impact of COVID-19 within our financial statements and given the daily evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak and the global responses to curb its spread, we are not able to estimate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on our results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.  The financial statements do not reflect any adjustments as a result of the pandemic but there may be changes to the current estimates in future periods.

Unaudited Interim Financial Information

The accompanying unaudited financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP. The accompanying year-end balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The unaudited interim financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited annual financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2020,  the results of its operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 and its cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020, any other interim periods or any future year or period.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of March 31, 2020, cash equivalents were comprised of money market funds. Cash and cash equivalents held at financial institutions may at times exceed federally insured amounts. We believe we mitigate such risk by investing in or through major financial institutions.

Offering Costs

The Company capitalizes certain legal, professional accounting and other third-party fees that are directly associated with in-process equity financings as deferred offering costs until the equity financing was consummated. After consummation of an equity financing, these costs were recorded in stockholders’ equity as a reduction of proceeds generated as a result of the offering.

Effective September 22, 2019, the Company terminated its At-The-Market (“ATM”) program. All costs associated with this program have been amortized and charged to Additional paid-in-capital.

Property and Equipment

Equipment consists of computers and related equipment that are stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over estimated useful life of 5 years. Furniture is being depreciated using the straight-line method over approximately 7 years. Leasehold improvements are being amortized over the shorter of the life of the lease or the asset.

The Company follows the guidance provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC Topic 360‑10, Property, Plant, and Equipment. Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated. Impairment charges are recognized at the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or the fair value less costs to sell.

Since its inception, the Company has not recognized any impairment or disposition of long lived assets.

Leases

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, other current liabilities, and operating lease liabilities in our balance sheet.

ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As our lease did not provide an implicit rate, we used an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. We use the implicit rate when readily determinable. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Renewal options were not included in our calculation of the related asset and liability. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company adopted ASU 2016‑02 Lease Accounting Topic 842 in January 2019 and recorded a ROU asset and related liability in the amount of $1,308 on commencement of a new office lease.  

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation,” which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense based on estimated fair market values for all share-based awards made to employees and directors, including stock options. The Company’s stock-based compensation plan was adopted and became effective in August 2017.

Both BioXcel and the Company’s stock option awards are valued at fair value on the date of grant and that fair value is recognized over the requisite service period. The estimated fair value of stock option awards was determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model on the date of grant. Significant judgment and estimates were used to estimate the fair value of these awards, as they were not publicly traded. Stock awards granted by the Company subsequent to the IPO are valued using market prices at the date of grant.

ASC 718 requires companies to estimate the fair value of share-based awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model was used as its method of determining fair value. This model is affected by the Company’s stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of subjective variables. These subjective variables include, but are not limited to, the expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, and actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors. The value of the award is recognized as an expense in the statement of operations over the requisite service period. The periodic expense is then determined based on the valuation of the options. The Company has elected to account for forfeitures as they occur, by reversing compensation cost when the award is forfeited.

The Company adopted FASB ASU 2018-07, Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting as of January 1, 2019 which allows non-employee options to be expensed using the adoption date fair value.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development expenses include wages, benefits, facilities, supplies, external services, clinical study and manufacturing costs and other expenses that are directly related to the Company’s research and development activities. At the end of the reporting period, the Company compares payments made to third party service providers to the estimated progress toward completion of the research or development objectives. Such estimates are subject to change as additional information becomes available. Depending on the timing of payments to the service providers and the progress that the Company estimates has been made as a result of the service provided, the Company may record net prepaid or accrued expense relating to these costs. The Company expenses research and development costs as incurred.

Expenses Accrued Under Contractual Arrangements with Clinical Research Organizations

As part of the process of preparing our financial statements, we are required to estimate our accrued expenses. This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with our applicable personnel to identify services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of actual cost. The majority of our service providers invoice us monthly in arrears for services performed. We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in our financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to us at that time. We periodically confirm the accuracy of our estimates with the service providers and make adjustments if necessary.

We base our expenses related to clinical trials on our estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to contracts with multiple research institutions and contract research organizations that conduct and manage clinical trials on our behalf. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation, vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. Payments under some of these contracts depend on factors such as the successful enrollment of patients and the completion of clinical trial milestones. In accruing expenses, we estimate the time period over which services will be performed and the level of effort to be expended in each period, which is based on an established protocol specific to each clinical trial. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from our estimate, we adjust the accrual accordingly. Although we do not expect our estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, our understanding of the status and timing of services performed relative to the actual status and timing of services performed may vary and may result in us reporting amounts that are too high or too low in any particular period.

Patent Costs

Costs related to filing and pursuing patent applications are recorded as general and administrative expense and expensed as incurred since recoverability of such expenditures is uncertain.

Fair Value Measurements

ASC 820 “Fair Value Measurements” defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under ASC 820 are described below:

In determining fair value, the Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible, as well as considering counterparty credit risk in its assessment of fair value.

The carrying amounts of cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments.

Net Loss per Share

The Company computes basic net loss per share by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period and excludes the effects of any potentially dilutive securities. Diluted earnings per share, if presented, would include the dilution that would occur upon the exercise or conversion of all potentially dilutive securities into common stock using the “treasury stock” and/or “if converted” methods as applicable. The potential dilutive securities included outstanding options (for both employees and non-employees) for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. Such securities have not been included in the loss per share calculation since their impact would be anti-dilutive. There were 3,089,310 and 2,757,275 shares of options that were excluded from the calculation of the loss per share for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740) which amends the existing guidance relating to the accounting for income taxes. This ASU is intended to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles of accounting for income taxes and to improve the consistent application of GAAP for other areas of accounting for income taxes by clarifying and amending existing guidance. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this new guidance will have a material impact on the Company’s Financial Statements.

Note 4. Transactions with BioXcel

The Company has entered into the Amended and Restated Asset Contribution Agreement, pursuant to which BioXcel agreed to contribute BioXcel’s rights, title and interest in BXCL501, BXCL701, BXCL502 and BXCL702, and all of the assets and liabilities associated in consideration for (i) 9,480,000 shares of our common stock, (ii) $1,000 upon completion of an initial public offering, (iii) $500 upon the later of the 12 month anniversary of an initial public offering and the first dosing of a patient in the bridging bioavailability/ bioequivalence study for the BXCL501 program, (iv) $500 upon the later of the 12 month anniversary of an initial public offering and the first dosing of a patient in the Phase 2 proof of concept open label monotherapy or combination trial with Keytruda for the BXCL701 program and (v) a one-time payment of $5,000 within 60 days after the achievement of $50,000 in cumulative net sales of any product or combination of products resulting from the development and commercialization of any one of the Candidates or a product derived therefrom. With the completion of the Company’s IPO in March 2018, $1,000 was charged to Research and Development costs in connection with (ii) above and was paid on April 5, 2018. The Company paid $500 to BioXcel in connection with (iii) above in April 2019. In July 2019, the Company completed the first dosing of a patient in the combination trial of BXCL701 with Keytruda, and as a result the Company paid $500 to BioXcel in connection with (iv) above in July 2019.

The Company entered into a Separation and Shared Services Agreement with BioXcel that took effect on June 30, 2017, as amended and restated on November 7, 2017 and March 6, 2020, or the Services Agreement, pursuant to which BioXcel will allow us to continue to use the office space, equipment, services and leased employees based on the agreed upon terms and conditions for a payment of defined monthly and/or hourly fees. The office space and equipment portion of the Services Agreement ended effectively on April 30, 2018 when the Company moved to new office space to accommodate additional personnel that had been hired. Services provided by BioXcel through its subsidiaries in India and the United States will continue indefinitely, as agreed upon by the parties. These services are primarily for drug discovery and for chemical, manufacturing and controls cost. Service charges recorded under this agreement were $397 and $293 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Under the Services Agreement, the Company has an option, exercisable until December 31, 2020, to enter into a collaborative services agreement with BioXcel pursuant to which BioXcel shall perform product identification and related services for us utilizing EvolverAI. The parties are obligated to negotiate the collaborative services agreement in good faith and to incorporate reasonable market-based terms, including consideration for BioXcel reflecting a low, single-digit royalty on net sales and reasonable development and commercialization milestone payments, provided that (i) development milestones shall not exceed $10 million in the aggregate and not be payable prior to proof of concept in humans and (ii) commercialization milestones shall be based on reaching annual net sales levels, be limited to 3% of the applicable net sales level, and not exceed $30 million in the aggregate. BioXcel shall continue to make such product identification and related services available to us for at least five years from June 30, 2017. The parties are currently discussing extending the product identification and related services that BioXcel would provide under the collaborative services agreement, however, as of the date hereof, we have not reached a definitive agreement. 

The Company paid $9,024 for the purchase and subsequent cancellation of 300,000 shares owned by BioXcel, which is more fully discussed below under Note 8 to these financial statements.

Note 5. Property & Equipment

Property and Equipment, net consisted of the following

 

 

Note 6. Commitments and Contingencies

Master Service Agreements

The Company has entered into a Master Services Agreement (“MSA”) with a Contract Research Organization (“CRO”), dated November 1, 2018 for strategic planning, expert consultation, clinical trial services, statistical programming and analysis, data processing, data management, regulatory, clerical, project management, medical device services, and other research and development services as set forth in specific work orders. This agreement is for a period of five (5) years. 

Excluding the CRO’s property, all improvements, inventions, processes, techniques, work product, know-how, data and information generated, conceived, reduced to practice or derived under the MSA by the CRO or its personnel and subcontractors, shall be and remain the exclusive property of the Company, and any inventions that may evolve from the foregoing shall belong to the Company.

The Company entered into a series of cancellable work orders to support its clinical trial activities, related to the first of the Company’s BXCL701 clinical trials. This clinical trial is expected to cost approximately $10,000 and is anticipated to take place over the next two years.  To date, the Company has incurred $2,534 in costs for the work surrounding this trial.

In the first quarter of 2019 the Company entered into a second series of cancellable work orders to support a second clinical trial related the Company’s BXCL 701 product candidate.  This clinical trial is expected to aggregate approximate approximately $8,000 and it is anticipated to take place over the next three years.  Approximately one half of this cost is to be reimbursed by a partner.  The Company has incurred $1,237 of costs in connection with this trial.

In addition, an MSA was signed with a second CRO during the first quarter of 2019 to include strategic planning, expert consultation, regulatory activities, data interpretation, New Drug Application (“NDA”) services, and research and development services, including clinical, data management, statistical and medical writing activities. This MSA supports BXCL501. The cost of these clinical trials are expected to aggregate approximately $14,700, and these trials are anticipated to take place during 2020. As of March 31, 2020, the Company has incurred $7,034 of costs in connection with these trials.

Contingencies

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19, a novel strain of coronavirus, a global pandemic. This outbreak has caused and is continuing to cause major disruptions to businesses and financial markets worldwide. This may affect the Company’s operations and those of third parties on which the Company relies, including causing disruptions in the supply of the Company’s product candidates and the conduct of current and planned preclinical and clinical studies. The Company may need to limit its operations and may experience limitations in employee resources. There are risks that the COVID-19 pandemic may be more difficult to contain if it reaches a larger population or broader geography, in which case the risks described herein could increase significantly. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the Company’s results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus and the actions to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact, among others.

Additionally, while the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult to assess or predict, the impact of the coronavirus on the global financial markets may reduce the Company’s ability to access capital, which could negatively impact the Company’s short-term and long-term liquidity, and the Company’s ability to complete its preclinical and clinical studies on a timely basis, or at all. The ultimate impact of COVID-19 is highly uncertain and subject to change. The Company does not yet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on its business, financing, preclinical and clinical trial activities or the global economy as a whole. However, these effects could have a material, adverse impact on the Company’s liquidity, capital resources, operations and business and those of the third parties on which the Company relies.

Note 7. Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

Accrued expenses consist of the following:

 

 

Other current liabilities as of March 31, 2020 includes $192 for the current portion of Operating lease liabilities and $1,740 for the financing of insurance premiums.

 

Note 8. Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)

Authorized Capital

The Company is authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 preferred shares with a par value of $0.001 per share. No preferred shares are issued and outstanding.

The Company is authorized to issue up to 50,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.001 per share. The Company had 20,182,382 and 18,087,382 shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

Description of Common Stock

Each share of common stock has the right to one vote. The holders of common stock are entitled to dividends when funds are legally available and when declared by the board of directors.

Common Stock Issuances

On May 20, 2019, the Company entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement (the “Sale Agreement”) with Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), having an initial offering price no greater than $20.0 million (the “Shares”), from time to time, through an “at the market offering” program under which Jefferies will act as sales agent. The Company sold 66,193 shares under the Sale Agreement for gross proceeds of $737, issuance costs of $350 or net proceeds of $387. The Sale Agreement was terminated by the Company on September 22, 2019

On September 26, 2019, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement with several underwriters in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company in a public offering of 2,303,030 shares of the Company’s common stock at a public offering price of $8.25 per share, less underwriting discounts and commissions, pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-230674) and a related prospectus supplement filed with the SEC (the “September 2019 Offering”). The September 2019 Offering closed on September 30, 2019.

The Company received proceeds of approximately $17,423, net of issuance costs of $1,577 from the September 2019 Offering. The Company intends to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which may include development and commercialization of their product candidates, research and development, general and administrative expenses, license or technology acquisitions, and working capital and capital expenditures.

In February 2020, the Company sold in a registered offering 2,300,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $32.00 per share for gross proceeds of $73,600 less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company received proceeds of approximately $68,811, net of issuance costs of $4,789 from the February 2020 offering. The Company used $9,024 of the proceeds to purchase and cancel 300,000 shares of common stock from BioXcel.

Note 9. Stock-Based Compensation

Stock Options

The Company’s 2017 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2017 Stock Plan”) became effective in August 2017 and will expire in August 2027. Under the 2017 Stock Plan, the Company may grant incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, restricted stock awards and other stock-based awards.

As of March 31, 2020, there were 3,294,956 shares of the Company’s common stock authorized for issuance under the 2017 Stock Plan. Options granted under the 2017 Stock Plan have a term of ten years with vesting terms determined by the board of directors, which is generally four years.

The fair value of options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2020 was estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions.

 

Prior to the Company’s IPO, it did not have a history of market prices of its common stock and, as such, volatility was estimated using historical volatilities of similar public companies. The expected term of the employee awards is estimated based on the simplified method, which calculates the expected term based upon the midpoint of the term of the award and the vesting period. The Company uses the simplified method because it does not have sufficient option exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate the expected term. The expected term of non-employee awards represents the awards contractual term. The expected dividend yield is 0% as the Company has no history of paying dividends nor does management expect to pay dividends over the contractual terms of these options. The risk-free interest rates are based on the United States Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant, with maturities approximating the expected term of the stock options.

The following table summarizes information about stock option activity under the 2017 Stock Plan for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (in thousands, except share and per share data):

 

There were 231,941 shares available for grant as of March 31, 2020.

The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense under the 2017 Stock Plan of $768  and $659 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The total grant-date fair value of options was $1,195 for the three months ended March 31, 2020.

Unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested awards as of March 31, 2020 was $3,198 and will be recognized over the remaining vesting periods of the underlying awards. The weighted-average period over which such compensation is expected to be recognized is 1.2 years.

BioXcel Charges

BioXcel has granted stock options to its employees under its own Equity Incentive Plan (“BioXcel Plan”). Stock-based compensation expense from the BioXcel Plan is allocated to the Company over the period over which those stock option awards vest and are based on the percentage of time spent on Company activities compared to BioXcel activities, which is the same basis used for allocation of salary costs. The BioXcel stock option awards are valued at fair value on the date of grant and that fair value is recognized over the requisite service period. The estimated fair value of these

BioXcel stock option awards was determined using the Black Scholes option pricing model on the date of grant. Significant judgment and estimates were used to estimate the fair value of these awards, as they are not publicly traded.

Share based compensation expense (income), net of forfeitures, recognized by the Company in its statements of operations related to BioXcel equity awards totaled approximately $8 and $23 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Total share based compensation charges were approximately $776 and $682 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The Company charged $466 and 310 to research and development and general and administrative expense for the three months ended March 31, 2020, respectively. The Company charged $453 and 229 to research and development and general and administrative expense for the three months ended March 31, 2019, respectively.

Note 10. Income Taxes

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. A valuation allowance is provided for the amount of deferred tax assets that, based on available evidence, are not expected to be realized.

As a result of the Company’s cumulative losses, management has concluded that a full valuation allowance against the Company’s net deferred tax assets is appropriate. No income tax liabilities existed as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 due to the Company’s continuing operating losses. 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) enacted on March 27, 2020 temporarily modifies the federal income tax rules on net operating losses incurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Under the CARES Act, a taxpayer that incurs in 2020 or has incurred during 2019 or 2018 an NOL is permitted to carryback such NOL to the prior five years to offset prior year income to claim a tax refund of previously paid federal income taxes.  As a result of the Company’s losses since inception it would not benefit from this provision.   The Act retroactively suspends the 80% income limitation on use of NOL carryovers for taxable years beginning before January 1, 2021, and allows 100% of any such taxable income to be offset by the amount of such NOL carryforward.  This 80% income limitation is reinstated for tax years beginning after December 31, 2020. 

Note 11. Leases

The Company entered into an agreement to lease approximately 11,040 square feet of space on the 12th floor of the building located at 555 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven, Connecticut that commenced February 22, 2019, or the Commencement Date. The premises were occupied in March 2019.

The term of the 12th floor lease continues from the Commencement Date through the last day of the calendar month immediately following the seventh anniversary of the Commencement Date.

The Company’s improvement costs were approximately $642 and are being amortized over the life of the lease.

Maturities of the operating lease liability are as follows:

 

The current portion of the Company’s operating lease liability of $192 as of March 31, 2020 is included in other current liabilities on the balance sheet.

The Company recorded lease expense of $54 and $22 related to its operating lease right-of-use asset for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The Company has an option to renew the lease for one additional five-year term at 95% of the then-prevailing market rates but not less than the rental rate at the end of the initial lease term. 

 

Note 12. Subsequent Event

 

The Company received funds under the Paycheck Protection Program of the CARES Act in April 2020 in the amount of $537. The application for these funds requires the Company to, in good faith, certify that the current economic uncertainty made the loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Company. This certification further requires the Company to take into account our current business activity and our ability to access other sources of liquidity sufficient to support ongoing operations in a manner that is not significantly detrimental to the business. The receipt of these funds, and the forgiveness of the loan attendant to these funds, is dependent on the Company having initially qualified for the loan and qualifying for the forgiveness of such loan based on our future adherence to the forgiveness criteria and maintenance of certain employment levels. On April 23, 2020, the Small Business Administration issued a new FAQ #31, which provided guidance on what it means to certify that: “current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.” Following review of this new FAQ #31 the Company decided to withdraw from the Paycheck Protection Program and has repaid the loan in full together with all accrued interest.

 

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the audited financial statements and related notes contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, such as information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and expectations related to the clinical development of our product candidates, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, including those factors set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of this Quarterly Report, our actual results could differ materially from the results described in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.

All dollar amounts in this discussion and analysis are to the nearest thousand unless otherwise noted.

Overview

We are a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing novel artificial intelligence-based approaches to identify the next wave of medicines across neuroscience and immuno-oncology. Our drug re-innovation approach leverages existing approved drugs and/or clinically validated product candidates together with big data and proprietary machine learning algorithms to identify new therapeutic indices.

We believe that this differentiated approach has the potential to reduce the cost and time of drug development in diseases with substantial unmet medical need. Our two most advanced clinical development programs are BXCL501, a proprietary sublingual thin film formulation of the adrenergic receptor agonist dexmedetomidine, or Dex, for acute treatment of agitation resulting from neuropsychiatric disorders, and BXCL701, an orally available systemic innate-immune activator for treatment of an aggressive form of prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer.

During the quarter ended March 31, 2020, the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, was declared a pandemic and spread to multiple regions across the globe, including the United States and Europe. The outbreak and government measures taken in response have also had a significant impact, both direct and indirect, on businesses and commerce, as worker shortages have occurred; supply chains have been disrupted; facilities and production have been suspended; and demand for certain goods and services, such as medical services and supplies, has spiked, while demand for other goods and services, such as travel, has fallen.

During the first quarter of 2020 we took steps in line with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State of Connecticut to protect the health and safety of our employees and the community. In particular, we implemented a work-from-home policy for all employees and have restricted on-site activities to certain chemical, manufacturing and control (“CMC”) and clinical trial activities.  We continue to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to best mitigate risk and continue the operations of our business.

We are working closely with our clinical sites to monitor the potential impact of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. We remain committed to our clinical programs and development plans. As of now we have not experienced any significant delays to our ongoing or planned clinical trials; however, this could rapidly change.

During the first quarter of 2020, we continued to advance the development of our two lead clinical programs, BXCL501 and BXCL701.

As of May 1, 2020, our patent portfolio included 5 Patent Cooperation Treaty applications, 5 U.S. utility applications, 19 U.S. provisional applications, 37 non-U.S. applications, 3 granted non-US patents, and one U.S. design patent.

BXCL501 Neuroscience Program

We continue to enroll patients in our two Phase 3 SERENITY trials and remain on-track to report topline data from both studies in mid-2020. On March 19, 2020 we announced that more than one-third of the SERENITY I & II patients have been dosed, including over 100 bipolar patients. To-date all schizophrenia and bipolar patients enrolled have successfully self-administered the BXCL501 treatment, guided by a healthcare provider, and the trials are progressing according to schedule.  

In January 2020, we announced that the first patient was enrolled in the TRANQUILITY study, a Phase 1b/2 trial of BXCL501 for the acute treatment of agitation associated with geriatric dementia, expanding potential therapeutic use of BXCL501 beyond current neuropsychiatric disorders. We are currently in the process of assessing information for dose escalation from the TRANQUILITY trial and expect to report topline results in mid-2020.

In February 2020 we announced that we received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an Investigational New Drug application for a Phase 1b/2 trial for the treatment of opioid withdrawal symptoms, a potential fourth indication for BXCL501. We anticipate this trial will begin enrolling patients shortly.

A Phase 2 study designed to measure biomarkers associated with agitation in patients with schizophrenia and their response to treatment with BXCL501 was initiated by researchers at Yale University in February 2020. The trial is designed to identify biomarkers, such as skin conductance response, heart rate variability, and blood pressure, that can potentially be used as an initial signal for treatment and expand the BXCL501 development program to evaluate new chronic disease indications. This trial has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and we now expect to release data from this study in the second half of 2020. 

We continue to investigate the development of using wearable digital device technology such as the Apple Watch, with the goal of enhancing the prevention and treatment of agitation including, if approved, the administration of BXCL501 prior to the onset of agitation related to dementia. We are conducting a feasibility study to measure nervous and motor system activity relevant to both agitation and the mechanism of action of BXCL501.

We are continuing to evaluate development plans for BXCL501 as a potential treatment for acute agitation in hyperactive delirium and for chronic agitation, as well as developing a single-use intramuscular injection for severe agitation.

Treatment of agitation remains a significant global healthcare challenge in patients with drug and alcohol withdrawal and post-traumatic stress disorder, as the currently available treatment options are suboptimal, invasive, difficult to administer and often pose safety issues.    

BXCL701 Immuno-Oncology Program

The Company currently has three planned clinical trials for BXCL701.

On April 28, 2020, we announced the initiation of the Phase 2 efficacy portion of the Phase 1b/2 trial of BXCL701 in combination with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®) for treatment emergent Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer (tNEPC). The Phase 1b safety assessment of BXCL701 indicated that a split dose totaling 0.6 mg per day is the recommended dose when used in combination with KEYTRUDA®, a PD-1 inhibitor. The 0.6mg total daily dose has shown on-target side effects consistent with cytokine activation. Splitting the daily dose can be associated with an improved safety profile and will be used in the efficacy portion of the clinical program

The BXCL701 phase of the triple combination study of BXCL701, bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214, Nektar Therapeutics, Inc.) and BAVENCIO® (avelumab, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and Pfizer) in pancreatic cancer is expected to be initiated following Nektar and Pfizer’s Phase 1B safety trial of a double combination of bempegaldesleukin and avelumab and the outcome of that trial. 

We advanced the clinical evaluation of BXCL701 into multiple advanced solid tumors where checkpoint inhibitors are indicated. The MD Anderson-led Phase 2 open-label basket trial is designed to evaluate the response rate of orally administered BXCL701, combined with KEYTRUDA® in patients with advanced solid cancers. The study will evaluate both patients who are naïve to checkpoint therapy and those who are refractory to checkpoint therapy. MD Anderson initiated this trial on March 19, 2020.

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). All amounts are presented in thousands.

Components of Our Results of Operations

Revenues

We have not recognized any revenue since inception.

Operating Costs and Expenses

Research and Development

Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for the research and development of our clinical and pre-clinical product candidates, which includes payments to BioXcel, our Parent.

•employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation expense and travel expenses for employees engaged in research and development functions;

•expenses incurred under agreements with contract research organizations, or CROs, and sites that conduct our non-clinical studies and clinical trials;

•costs of outside consultants engaged in research and development activities, including their fees, stock-based compensation and travel expenses;

•the cost of acquiring, developing and manufacturing pre-clinical and clinical trial materials and lab supplies; and

•depreciation and other expenses.

We expense research and development costs to operations as incurred.

Our research and development costs by program for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:

 

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, including salaries, benefits, stock-based compensation and travel expenses for our executive, finance, corporate development and other administrative functions.

General and administrative expenses also include legal expenses to pursue patent protection of our intellectual property, professional fees for audit and tax and insurance charges.

We expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase as we expand our clinical programs. We also expect increased administrative costs resulting from our clinical trials and the potential commercialization of our product candidates. We believe that these increases will likely include increased costs for director and officer liability insurance, hiring additional personnel to support future market research and future product commercialization efforts and increased fees for outside consultants, attorneys and accountants. We may also incur increased costs to comply with corporate governance, internal controls, investor relations and disclosures and similar requirements applicable to public companies.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position and results of operations is set forth in Note 3 to the financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q.

Summary of Results of Operations

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

 

Revenues

We have not recognized any revenues since inception.

Research and Development Expense

Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2020 were $12,371, compared to $5,674 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The increase of $6,697 is attributable to the costs described in the table below:

 

Salaries, bonus & related costs increased due to increases in headcount and related benefits, payroll taxes and recruiting fees offset in part by reduced travel costs as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Non-cash stock-based compensation approximated the prior year period.

The increase in professional research & project related costs, clinical trials expense and CMC costs reflect the acceleration of research and development activities primarily related to our BXCL501 and BXCL 701 product candidates.

Drug acquisition costs in 2019 were related to certain payments triggered pursuant to our asset contribution agreement with our Parent, or the Contribution Agreement, as discussed in Note 4 to the financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

All other expenses increased as a result of higher occupancy costs, product liability insurance and shared service charges.

General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2020 were $2,625 compared to $1,745 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The increase of $880 is attributable to the costs described in the table below:

 

Salaries, bonus & related costs decreased due to reduced travel costs as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions offset by increases in salaries and related benefits.

Non-cash stock-based compensation increased primarily due to additional grants provided to officers and directors of the Company and increased headcount.

Professional fees increased due to expanding operations and operating as a public company. Higher legal, patent, investor relations, licensing and information technology costs were incurred during the three months ended March 31, 2020 than the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Insurance costs increased due to an increase in Director and Officer liability insurance.

All other costs decreased due to reduced attendance at conferences and trade shows as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions and lower furniture rental charges.

Inflation

Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor and clinical trial costs. We do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our results of operations during the periods presented.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of March 31, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents of $80,079, working capital of $71,333 and stockholders’ equity of $72,586. Net cash used in operating activities was $12,157 and $5,670 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019.  We incurred losses of approximately $14,911 and $7,204 for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. We have not yet generated any revenues and we have not yet achieved profitability. We expect that our research and development and general and administrative expenses will continue to increase and, as a result, we will need to generate significant product revenues to achieve profitability. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2020, and a review of projected project timing, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least one year from the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Management intends to obtain financing through sales of the Company’s equity securities, entering into strategic partnership arrangements and/or short-term borrowings from banks, stockholders or other related parties, if needed. There are no assurances that we will be successful in obtaining an adequate level of financing as and when needed to finance our operations on terms acceptable to us or at all, particularly in light of the economic downturn and ongoing uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. If we are unable to secure adequate additional funding as and when needed, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development and commercialization of one or more product candidates. In addition, the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our liquidity and future funding requirements is uncertain as of the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as the pandemic continues to evolve globally. See “Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic” above and “Risk Factors—The outbreak of COVID-19, or other pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease may materially and adversely impact our business, including our preclinical studies and clinical trials.” in Part II, Item 1A. of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for a further discussion of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business.

Sources of Liquidity

We have focused our efforts on raising capital and building the products in our pipeline. Since our inception, all of our operations have been financed by our Parent, BioXcel, from the sales of our common stock in private placements and public offerings and under an Open Market Sale Agreement. We have not yet established an ongoing source of revenue sufficient to cover our operating costs and will need to do so in future periods.

In January and February 2018, the Company issued 283,452 shares of common stock with an issuance price of $6.88 per share for gross and net proceeds of $1,950.

In March 2018, we completed our IPO and we issued and sold 5,454,545 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $11.00 per share. Gross proceeds totaled $60,000, and net proceeds totaled $54,102.

In May 2019, we entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement, or the Sale Agreement, with Jefferies LLC, or Jefferies, pursuant to which we could offer and sell shares of our common stock having an initial offering price no greater than $20,000, from time to time, through an “at the market offering” program under which Jefferies would act as

sales agent. From May 2019 to September 2019, we sold a total of 66,193 shares for gross proceeds of $737 and net proceeds of $387. We terminated the Sale Agreement on September 22, 2019.

In September 2019, we sold in a registered offering 2,303,030 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $8.25 per share, less underwriting discounts and commissions for which we received gross and net proceeds of approximately $19,000 and $17,423, respectively.

In February 2020, we sold in a registered offering 2,300,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $32.00 per share for gross proceeds of $73,600 less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Company received proceeds of approximately $68,811, net of issuance costs of $4,789 from the February 2020 offering. The Company used $9,024 of the proceeds to purchase and cancel 300,000 shares of common stock from BioXcel.

The Company received funds under the Paycheck Protection Program of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) in April 2020 in the amount of $537. On April 23, 2020 the Small Business Administration issued a new FAQ #31, which provided guidance on what it means to certify that: “current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the Applicant.” Following review of this new FAQ #31 the Company decided to withdraw from the Paycheck Protection Program and has repaid the loan in full together with all accrued interest.  

Cash Flows

 

Operating Activities

For the three months ended March 31, 2020, net cash used in operating activities was $12,157 which consisted of a net loss of $14,911 partially offset by $776 in stock-based compensation and $47 of depreciation and amortization. Increases in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other of $3,769 were offset in part by increases in prepaid expenses (primarily for insurance premiums) and other assets of $1,838.

For the three months ended March 31, 2019, net cash used in operating activities was $5,670, which consisted of a net loss of $7,204 partially offset by $682 in stock-based compensation and $37 of depreciation. Increases in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other of $1,607 were offset in part by increases in prepaid expenses of $1,292. A payment to BioXcel of $500 was made pursuant to the Contribution Agreement.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities was $16 for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to $600 for the three months ended March 31, 2019. All of the net cash used in investing activities for three months ended March 31, 2020 related to expenditures for property and equipment. The majority of our expenditures for the three months ended March 31, 2019 were related to construction costs and purchases of furniture for the occupancy of our office site.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $59,826 for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Our February 2020 Offering provided funds of $68,811, net of $4,579 of closing costs.  Approximately $9,024 from this offering was used for the purchase and cancellation of 300,000 shares owned by BioXcel. Exercises of options provided funds of $39.

Net cash provided by financing activities was nominal for the three months ended March 31, 2019.

Operating Capital and Capital Expenditure Requirements

We expect to continue to incur significant and increasing operating losses at least for the next several years as we expand our clinical trials of BXCL501 and BXCL701, seek marketing approval for our product candidates and pursue development of our other product candidates. We do not expect to generate revenue unless and until we successfully complete development and obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, depending on the timing of our planned clinical trials and our expenditures on other research and development activities.

We have based our projections of operating capital requirements on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect and we may use all of our available capital resources sooner than we expect. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, we are unable to estimate the exact amount of our operating capital requirements. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially as we:

•continue our clinical development of BXCL501 and BXCL701;

•conduct additional research and development with our product candidates;

•seek to identify, acquire, develop and commercialize additional product candidates;

•integrate acquired technologies into a comprehensive regulatory and product development strategy;

•maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;

•hire scientific, clinical, quality control and administrative personnel;

•add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our drug development efforts;

•seek regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

•ultimately establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure and scale up external manufacturing capabilities to commercialize any product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval; and

•continue to operate as a public company.

 

We expect that we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in order to complete our clinical trials. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of common stock, convertible securities or other equity securities, the ownership interests of our existing stockholders may be materially diluted and the terms of these securities could include liquidation or other preferences that could adversely affect the rights of our existing stockholders. In addition, debt financing, if available, would result in increased fixed payment obligations and may involve agreements that include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends, that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we could be forced to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of BXCL501, BXCL701 or other product candidates, seek collaborators at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable or on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available, and relinquish or license, potentially on unfavorable terms, our rights to BXCL501, BXCL701 or other product candidates that we otherwise would seek to develop or commercialize ourselves.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of March 31, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined under SEC rules.

Critical Accounting Policies

        Our critical accounting policies and estimates are described in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies " in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. We have reviewed and determined that those critical accounting policies and estimates remain our critical accounting policies and estimates as of and for the three ended March 31, 2020. No changes were made to our critical accounting policies during the period presented. 

 

JOBS Act

 

On April 5, 2012, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, was enacted. 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 of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies.

 

We have chosen to opt out of the extended transition periods available to emerging growth companies under the JOBS Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that our decision to opt out of the extended transition periods for complying with new or revised accounting standards is irrevocable.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position and results of operations is set forth in Note 3 to the financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report.

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Our balance sheet as of March 31, 2020 includes cash and cash equivalents of $80,079. We do not participate in any foreign currency hedging activities and we do not have any other derivative financial instruments. We did not recognize any significant exchange rate losses during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

We do not believe that our cash and cash equivalents have significant risk of default or illiquidity. While we believe our cash and cash equivalents does not contain excessive risk, we cannot provide absolute assurance that in the future our investments will not be subject to adverse changes in market value. In addition, we maintain significant amounts of cash at one or more financial institutions that are in excess of federally insured limits.

The market risk inherent in our financial instruments and in our financial position has historically been the potential loss arising from adverse changes in interest rates. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $80,079 and $32,426, respectively. As of March 31, 2020, we held our cash primarily in money market accounts and accordingly, the value of these accounts is subject to fluctuation in interest rates.

We do not engage in any hedging activities against changes in interest rates. We do not have any foreign currency or other derivative financial instruments.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer (our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, respectively), evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2020. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined 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 procedures of a company that are 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 recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“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. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2020, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the three months ended March 31, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II — OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may be subject to litigation and claims arising in the ordinary course of business. We are not currently a party to any material legal proceedings, and we are not aware of any pending or threatened legal proceeding against us that we believe could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, cash flows or financial condition.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as general economic and business risks and the other information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q. The occurrence of any of the events or circumstances described below or other adverse events could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline. Additional risks or uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also harm our business.

Risks Related to Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital

We have a limited operating history and have never generated any product revenues, which may make it difficult to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.

We were incorporated in March 2017 and our operations to date have been largely focused on staffing our company, raising capital and advancing the development of, our product candidates, including conducting clinical and preclinical studies. We have not yet demonstrated an ability to successfully obtain marketing approvals, manufacture products on a commercial scale, or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful commercialization. Consequently, predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history or a history of successfully developing and commercializing products.

We expect our financial condition and operating results to continue to fluctuate from quarter to quarter and year to year due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. We will need to eventually transition from a company with a research and development focus to a company capable of undertaking commercial activities. We may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications and delays, and may not be successful in such a transition.

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

Since our inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net loss was $14.9 million and $7.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 respectively. As of March 31, 2020, we had stockholders’ equity of $72.6 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future. None of our product candidates have been approved for marketing in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction, and may never receive such approval. It could be several years, if ever, before we have a commercialized product that generates significant revenues. As a result, we are uncertain when or if we will achieve profitability and, if so, whether we will be able to sustain it. The net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially as we:

To become and remain profitable, we must develop and eventually commercialize one or more product candidates with significant market potential. This will require us to be successful in a range of challenging activities, including completing clinical trials of our product candidates, developing commercial scale manufacturing processes, obtaining marketing approval, manufacturing, marketing and selling any current and future product candidates for which we may obtain marketing approval, and satisfying any post-marketing requirements. We may never succeed in any or all of these activities and, even if we do, we may never generate sufficient revenue to achieve profitability.

Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development, we are unable to accurately predict the timing or amount of expenses or when, or if, we will obtain marketing approval to commercialize any of our product candidates. If we are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, or other regulatory authorities such as the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, to perform studies and trials in addition to those currently expected, or if there are any delays in the development, or in the completion of any planned or future preclinical studies or clinical trials of our current or future product candidates, our expenses could increase and profitability could be further delayed.

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 would decrease the value of our company and could impair our ability to raise capital, maintain our research and development efforts, expand our business or continue our operations. A decline in the value of our company also could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

Our recurring losses from operations raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern.

We currently operate with limited resources. We have incurred significant losses since our inception and have never generated revenue or profit, and it is possible we will never generate revenue or profit.  For information about our liquidity and capital resources, see Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources.”  There can be no assurances that additional financing will be available to us on satisfactory terms, or at all.

Securing additional financing may divert our management from our day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize any of our product candidates. In addition, we cannot guarantee that future financing will be available in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we are unable to obtain funding, we would be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our research and development programs, which would adversely affect our business prospects. In addition, if we are unable to raise capital, we will also need to implement cost reductions, and any failure to effectively do so will harm our business, results of operations and future prospects. The perception that we may not be able to continue as a going concern may cause others to choose not to deal with us due to concerns about our ability to meet our contractual obligations. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, investors could lose all or part of their investment in our Company.

We will need substantial additional funding, and if we are unable to raise capital when needed, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs or commercialization efforts.

We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if and as we continue to develop and conduct clinical trials with respect to BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates; seek to identify and develop additional product candidates; acquire or in-license other product candidates or technologies; seek regulatory and marketing approvals for our product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials, if any; establish sales, marketing,

distribution and other commercial infrastructure in the future to commercialize various products for which we may obtain marketing approval, if any; require the manufacture of larger quantities of product candidates for clinical development and, potentially, commercialization; maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; hire and retain additional personnel, such as clinical, quality control and scientific personnel; add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product development and help us comply with our obligations as a public company; and add equipment and physical infrastructure to support our research and development programs.

We expect that our current cash and cash equivalents will be used primarily to fund our ongoing research and development efforts over at least the next 12 months from the date of this report. We will be required to expend significant funds in order to advance the development of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates. In addition, while we may seek one or more collaborators for future development of our current product candidate or any future product candidates that we may develop for one or more indications, we may not be able to enter into a collaboration for any of our product candidates for such indications on suitable terms, on a timely basis or at all. In any event, the net proceeds of our prior equity offerings and our existing cash will not be sufficient to fund all of the efforts that we plan to undertake or to fund the completion of development of our product candidates or our other preclinical programs. Accordingly, we will be required to obtain further funding through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements or other sources. Further financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Additionally, market volatility resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or other factors could also adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy.

Our estimate as to how long we expect our existing cash to be able to continue to fund our operations is based on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Further, changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond our control, could cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. Our future funding requirements, both short-term and long-term, will depend on many factors, including:

Risks Related to the Discovery and Development of Product Candidates

We have limited experience in drug discovery and drug development, and we have never had a drug approved.

Prior to the acquisition of our product candidates, we were not involved in and had no control over their preclinical and clinical development. In addition, we are relying upon the parties we have acquired our product candidates from to

have conducted such research and development in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards, having accurately reported the results of all clinical trials conducted prior to our acquisition of the applicable product candidate, and having correctly collected and interpreted the data from these studies and trials. To the extent any of these has not occurred, our expected development time and costs may be increased, which could adversely affect our prospects for marketing approval of, and receiving any future revenue from, these product candidates.

In the near term, we are dependent on the success of BXCL501 and BXCL701. If we are unable to complete the clinical development of, obtain marketing approval for or successfully commercialize BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates, either alone or with a collaborator, or if we experience significant delays in doing so, our business could be substantially harmed.

We currently do not have any products that have received regulatory approval and may never be able to develop marketable product candidates. We are investing a significant portion of our efforts and financial resources in the development of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates. Our prospects are substantially dependent on our ability, or that of any future collaborator, to develop, obtain marketing approval for and successfully commercialize product candidates in one or more disease indications.

The success of BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates will depend on several factors, including the following:

Many of these factors are beyond our control, including the results of clinical trials, the time required for the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authorities to review any regulatory submissions we may make, potential threats to our intellectual property rights and the manufacturing, marketing and sales efforts of any future collaborator. If we are unable to develop, receive marketing approval for and successfully commercialize BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates, on our own or with any future collaborator, or experience delays as a result of any of these factors or otherwise, our business could be substantially harmed.

Interim “top-line” and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.

From time to time, we may publicly disclose top-line or preliminary data from our clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change following a more comprehensive review of the data related to the particular study or trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the top-line or preliminary results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Top-line or preliminary data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the top-line or preliminary data we previously published. As a result, top-line and preliminary data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available.

From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our preclinical studies and clinical trials. Interim data from clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available. Adverse differences between interim data and final data could significantly harm our business prospects. Further, disclosure of interim data by us or by our competitors could result in volatility in the price of our common stock.

Further, others, including regulatory agencies, may not accept or agree with our assumptions, estimates, calculations, conclusions or analyses or may interpret or weigh the importance of data differently, which could impact the value of the particular program, the approvability or commercialization of the particular product candidate or product and our company in general. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular study or clinical trial is based on what is typically extensive information, and you or others may not agree with what we determine is material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure.

If the interim, top-line or preliminary data that we report differ from actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to obtain approval for, and commercialize, our product candidates may be harmed, which could harm our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition.

The regulatory approval processes of the FDA and comparable foreign authorities are lengthy, time consuming, expensive and inherently unpredictable, and if we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, our business will be substantially harmed.

The time required to obtain approval by the FDA and comparable foreign authorities is unpredictable but typically takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of the regulatory authorities. The results of preclinical studies and early clinical trials of our product candidates may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials. Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through preclinical studies and initial clinical trials. It is not uncommon for companies in the biopharmaceutical industry to suffer significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to nonclinical findings made while clinical studies were underway and safety or efficacy observations made in clinical studies, including previously unreported adverse events. Our future clinical trial results may not be successful, and notwithstanding any potential promising results in earlier studies, we cannot be certain that we will not face similar setbacks. The historical failure rate for product candidates in our industry is high. In addition, approval policies, regulations, or the type and amount of clinical data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development and may vary among jurisdictions. We have not obtained regulatory approval for any product candidate and it is possible that none of our existing product candidates or any product candidates we may seek to develop in the future will ever obtain regulatory approval.

Our product candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:

We have limited experience in completing clinical trials of any of our product candidates. Consequently, we may not have the necessary capabilities, including adequate staffing, to successfully manage the execution and completion of any clinical trials we initiate in a way that leads to our obtaining marketing approval for our product candidates in a timely manner, or at all. This lengthy approval process as well as the unpredictability of future clinical trial results may result in our failing to obtain regulatory approval to market our product candidates, which would significantly harm our business, results of operations and prospects.

In addition, even if we were to obtain approval, regulatory authorities may approve any of our product candidates for fewer or more limited indications than we request, may not approve the price we intend to charge for our products, may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials, may approve a product candidate with a label that does not include the labeling claims necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of that product candidate or may restrict its distribution. Any of the foregoing scenarios could materially harm the commercial prospects for our product candidates.

We have not previously submitted an NDA to the FDA or similar drug approval filings to comparable foreign authorities, for any product candidate, and we cannot be certain that any of our product candidates will be successful in clinical trials or receive regulatory approval. Further, our product candidates may not receive regulatory approval even if they are successful in clinical trials. If we do not receive regulatory approvals for our product candidates, we may not be able to continue our operations. Even if we successfully obtain regulatory approvals to market one or more of our product candidates, our revenues will be dependent, in part, upon the size of the markets in the territories for which we gain regulatory approval and have commercial rights. If the markets for patients that we are targeting for our product candidates are not as significant as we estimate, we may not generate significant revenues from sales of such products, if approved.

We plan to seek regulatory approval to commercialize our product candidates both in the United States, the European Union and in additional foreign countries. While the scope of regulatory approval is similar in other countries, to obtain separate regulatory approval in many other countries we must comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of such countries regarding safety and efficacy and governing, among other things, clinical trials and commercial sales, pricing and distribution of our product candidates, and we cannot predict success in these jurisdictions.

Clinical trials are expensive, time-consuming and difficult to design and implement, and involve an uncertain outcome

Before obtaining marketing approval from the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities for the sale of our product candidates, we must complete preclinical development and extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates. Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. Although we are planning for certain clinical trials relating to BXCL501, BXCL701 and our other product candidates, there can be no assurance that the FDA will accept our proposed trial designs. We may experience delays in our clinical trials and we do not know whether planned clinical trials will begin on time, need to be redesigned, enroll patients on time or be completed on schedule, if at all. Clinical trials can be delayed for a variety of reasons, including delays related to: