The following discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the notes to those statements appearing in this Annual Report. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis include, but not limited to those set forth in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in this Annual Report. All forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report are based on information available to us as of the time we file this Annual Report and, except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.
Overview Description of Business
On
After the DuPont Transaction, the Company has been focused on the biopharmaceutical industry, specifically in further improving and applying the proprietary C1 technology into a safe and efficient gene expression platform to help speed up the development, lower production costs and improve the performance of biologic vaccines and drugs at flexible commercial scales. We believe that the C1 technology could be beneficial in the development and manufacturing of human and animal vaccines and drugs, such as virus-like particles (VLPs), protein antigens, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), Bi-Specific antibodies, Fab antibody fragments, Fc-Fusion proteins, as well as other therapeutic enzymes and proteins. The Company is involved in multiple funded research collaborations with animal and human pharmaceutical companies designed to leverage its C1 technology to help develop products such as innovative vaccines and drugs, biosimilars and/or biobetters. The Company is also working on several COVID-19 related vaccine and antibody opportunities.
Impact of COVID-19
The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to adverse impacts on the
To date, some of our employees are still working remotely. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will directly or indirectly impact our business will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain, including as a result of new information that may emerge concerning the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and SARS-CoV-2 variants and the actions taken and the level of success to contain or treat the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants, the economic impact on local, regional, national and international business partners and markets, delays or disruptions in our on-going research projects, and unavailability of the employees of the Company or third-party contract research organizations with whom we conduct business, due to illness or quarantines, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time. Management is actively monitoring this situation and the possible effects on its financial condition, liquidity, operations, vendors, industry, and workforce. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, the Company may continue to experience adverse impacts to its business because of economic recession or depression that has occurred or may occur in the future. Given the daily evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak and the ongoing response to curb its spread (including government travel and meeting restrictions) currently we are not able to accurately estimate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak to our results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.
Critical Accounting Policies, Estimates, and Judgments
The preparation of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with
We define critical accounting policies as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties and which may potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. In applying these critical accounting policies, our management uses its judgment to determine the appropriate assumptions to be used in making certain estimates. These estimates are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. Our critical accounting policies include the following:
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Revenue Recognition
The Company has no pharmaceutical products approved for sale at this point, and all of our revenue to date has been research revenue from third-party collaborations and government grants. The Company is expected to generate future revenue from license agreements and collaborative arrangements, which may include upfront payments for licenses or options to obtain a license, payment for research and development services and milestone payments, in the form of cash or non-cash consideration.
Revenue related to research collaborations and agreements: The Company typically performs research and development services as specified in each respective agreement on a best efforts basis, and recognizes revenue from research funding under collaboration agreements in accordance with the 5-step process outlined in ASC Topic 606 ("Topic 606"): (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. We recognize revenue when we satisfy a performance obligation by transferring control of the service to a customer in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to receive. Since the performance obligation under our collaboration agreements is generally satisfied over time, we elected to use the input method under Topic 606 to measure the progress toward complete satisfaction of a performance obligation.
Under the input method, revenue will be recognized on the basis of the entity's efforts or inputs to the satisfaction of a performance obligation (e.g., resources consumed, labor hours expended, costs incurred, or time elapsed) relative to the total expected inputs to the satisfaction of that performance obligation. The Company believes that the cost-based input method is the best measure of progress to reflect how the Company transfers its performance obligation to a customer. In applying the cost-based input method of revenue recognition, the Company uses actual costs incurred relative to budgeted costs to fulfill the performance obligation. These costs consist primarily of full-time equivalent effort and third-party contract costs. Revenue will be recognized based on actual costs incurred as a percentage of total budgeted costs as the Company completes its performance obligations.
A cost-based input method of revenue recognition requires management to make estimates of costs to complete the Company's performance obligations. In making such estimates, significant judgment is required to evaluate assumptions related to cost estimates. The cumulative effect of revisions to estimated costs to complete the Company's performance obligations will be recorded in the period in which changes are identified and amounts can be reasonably estimated. A significant change in these assumptions and estimates could have a material impact on the timing and amount of revenue recognized in future periods.
Revenue related to grants: The Company may receive grants from governments, agencies, and other private and not-for-profit organizations. These grants and funding are intended to be used to partially or fully fund the Company's research collaborations, including opportunities arising in connection with COVID-19 that the Company is pursuing with certain collaborators. However, most, if not all, of such potential grant revenues, if received, is expected to be earmarked for third parties to advance the research required, including preclinical and clinical trials for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and/or antibodies candidates.
Revenue related to sublicensing agreements: If the sublicense to the Company's intellectual property is determined to be distinct from the other performance obligations identified in the arrangement, the Company recognizes revenue allocated to the license when technology is transferred to the customer and the customer is able to use and benefit from the license.
Milestone payments: At the inception of each arrangement that includes development, commercialization, and regulatory milestone payments, the Company evaluates whether the achievement of the milestones is considered probable and estimates the amount to be included in the transaction price. If the milestone payment is in exchange for a sublicense and is based on the sublicensee's subsequent sale of product, the Company recognizes milestone payment by applying the accounting guidance for royalties. To date, the Company has not recognized any milestone payment revenue resulting from any of its sublicensing arrangements.
Royalties: With respect to licenses deemed to be the predominant item to which the sales-based royalties relate, including milestone payments based on the level of sales, the Company recognizes revenue at the later of (i) when the related sales occur or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied (or partially satisfied). To date, the Company has not recognized any royalty revenue resulting from any of its sublicensing arrangements.
We invoice customers based on our contractual arrangements with each customer, which may not be consistent with the period that revenues are recognized. When there is a timing difference between when we invoice customers and when revenues are recognized, we record either a contract asset (unbilled accounts receivable) or a contract liability (deferred research and development obligations), as appropriate. If upfront fees or considerations related to sublicensing agreement are received prior to the technology transfer, the Company will record the amount received as deferred revenue from licensing agreement.
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We are not required to disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less and (ii) contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed.
The Company adopted a practical expedient to expense sales commissions when incurred because the amortization period would be one year or less.
Provision for Contract Losses
The Company assesses the profitability of our collaboration agreements to provide research services to our contracted business partners and identifies those contracts where current operating results or forecasts indicate probable future losses. If the anticipated contract cost exceeds the anticipated contract revenue, a provision for the entire estimated loss on the contract is recorded and then accreted into the statement of operations over the remaining term of the contract. The provision for contract losses is based on judgment and estimates, including revenues and costs, where applicable, the consideration of our business partners' reimbursement, and when such loss is deemed probable to occur and is reasonable to estimate.
In order to properly record services that have been rendered but not yet billed to the Company, we review open contracts and purchase orders, communicate with our personnel and we estimate the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of the actual cost. The majority of our service providers invoice us monthly or quarterly in arrears for services performed or when contractual milestones are met. We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in our consolidated 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. Examples of accrued research and development expenses include amounts owed to contract research organizations, to service providers in connection with commercialization and development activities.
Stock-Based Compensation
We have granted stock options and restricted stock to employees, directors and
consultants. The fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of
grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes model
considers volatility in the price of our stock, the risk-free interest rate, the
estimated life of the option, the closing market price of our stock and the
exercise price. For purposes of the calculation, we assumed that no dividends
would be paid during the life of the options and restricted stock and applied a
discount to reflect the lack of marketability due to the holding period
restriction of its shares under Rule 144 prior to the Company's
The estimates utilized in the Black-Scholes calculation involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management judgment. These estimates are neither predictive nor indicative of the future performance of our stock. As a result, if other assumptions had been used, our recorded share-based compensation expense could have been materially different from that reported. In addition, because some of the options and restricted stock issued to employees, consultants and other third-parties vest upon the achievement of certain milestones, the total ultimate expense of share-based compensation is uncertain.
In connection with board member and employee terminations, the Company may modify certain terms to outstanding share-based awards. We have recorded charges related to these modifications based on the estimated fair value of the share-based options immediately prior to and immediately after the modification occurs, with any incremental value being charged to expense. We have used the Black-Scholes pricing model in this valuation process, and this requires management to use various assumptions and estimates. Future modifications to share-based compensation transactions may result in significant expenses being recorded in our consolidated financial statements.
Accounting for Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method in accordance with ASC Topic 740, "Income Taxes". Under this method, income tax expense /(benefit) is recognized for: (i) taxes payable or refundable for the current year and (ii) deferred tax consequences of temporary differences resulting from matters that have been recognized in an entity's financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the results of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is provided to reduce the deferred tax assets reported if based on the weight of the available positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not some portion or all the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
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In determining taxable income for the Company's consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process requires the Company to make certain estimates of our actual current tax exposure and assessment of temporary differences between the tax and financial statement recognition of revenue and expense. In evaluating the Company's ability to recover its deferred tax assets, the Company must consider all available positive and negative evidence including its past operating results, the existence of cumulative losses in the most recent years and its forecast of future taxable income. Significant management judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance recorded against our net deferred tax assets.
The Company is required to evaluate the provisions of ASC 740 related to the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in a company's financial statements. ASC 740 prescribes a comprehensive model for how a company should recognize, present, and disclose uncertain positions that the company has taken or expects to take in its tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. Differences between tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return and the net benefit recognized and measured pursuant to the interpretation are referred to as "unrecognized benefits." A liability should be recognized (or amount of net operating loss carry forward or amount of tax refundable is reduced) for unrecognized tax benefits, because it represents a company's potential future obligation to the taxing authority for a tax position that was not recognized as a result of applying the provision of ASC 740.
The Company classifies accrued interest and penalties related to its tax
positions as a component of income tax expense. The Company currently is not
subject to
Non-Marketable Investments
The Company also holds investments in non-marketable equity securities of privately-held companies, which usually do not have a readily determinable fair value. Our policy is to measure these investments at cost less impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. Such observable price changes may include instances where the investee issues equity securities to new investors, thus creating a new indicator of fair value, as an example. On a quarterly basis, we perform a qualitative assessment considering impairment indicators to evaluate whether these investments are impaired and also monitor for any observable price changes. If indicators of impairment exist, we will prepare a quantitative assessment of the fair value of our equity investments, which may include using both the market and income approaches which require judgment and the use of estimates, including discount rates, investee revenues and costs, and available comparable market data of private and public companies, among others. Valuations of such privately-held companies are inherently complex and uncertain due to the lack of liquid market for the company's securities. In addition, such investments are inherently risky in that such companies are typically at an early stage of development, may have no or limited revenues, may not be or may never become profitable, may not be able to secure additional funding or their technologies, services or products may not be successfully developed or introduced into the market.
The Company bases its fair value estimates on assumptions it believes to be reasonable, but which are unpredictable and inherently uncertain. Actual future results may differ from those estimates.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information about recent accounting pronouncements.
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Results of Operations
Year Ended
Revenue, Cost of Revenue, and Provision for Contract Losses
The following table summarizes the Company's revenue, cost of research and development revenue, and provision for contract losses for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019: Year Ended December 31, 2020 2019 Revenue$ 1,601,921 $ 1,681,076
Cost of research and development revenue
$ 187,388 $ -
For the year ended
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and primarily include salary and benefits of research personnel, third-party contract research organization services and supply costs.
Research and development expenses for the year ended
Research and development expenses - related party, for the year ended
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses for the year ended
Foreign Currency Exchange
Foreign currency exchange loss for the year ended
Interest Income
Interest income for the year ended
Investment in Alphazyme
For the year ended
Income Taxes
The Company had net operating loss ("NOL") carryforwards available in 2020 that
will begin to expire in 2038. As of
The Company's revenues generated in
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Net Loss
Net loss for the year ended
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary source of cash has been the cash received from the DuPont
Transaction in
Our ability to achieve profitability depends on a number of factors, including
our scientific results and our ability to continue to obtain funded research and
development collaborations from industry and government programs, as well as
sub-license agreements. We may continue to incur substantial operating losses
even if we begin to generate revenues from research and development and
licensing. Our primary future cash needs are expected to be for general
operating activities, including our business development and research expenses,
as well as additional costs as an
We rely on our existing cash and cash equivalents, investments in debt securities, and operating cash flow to provide the working capital needs for our operations. We believe that we have sufficient cash, cash equivalents and investments to fund our operations for at least the next twelve (12) months. However, in the event our financing needs for the foreseeable future are not able to be met by our existing cash, cash equivalents and investments, we would seek to raise funds through public or private equity offerings, and through other means to meet our funding requirements. Additionally, the Company may decide to fund all or part of a Phase I clinical trial to demonstrate the safety in humans of a protein produced from the C1 expression platform. There is no assurance that external funding will be available at acceptable terms, if at all, and the Company may, therefore, self-fund these vital projects.
On
At
Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended
Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended
Net cash provided by investing activities for the year ended
Net cash provided in financing activities for the year ended
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