UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
☒ | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2022
or
☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Commission File Number 001-39321
Avidity Biosciences, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | | 46-1336960 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
| | |
10578 Science Center Drive, Suite 125 San Diego, California | | 92121 |
(Address of principal executive offices) | | (Zip Code) |
(858) 401-7900
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
Common Stock, $0.0001 par value | RNA | The Nasdaq Global Market |
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.
Large accelerated filer | ☒ | | Accelerated filer | ☐ |
Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | | Smaller reporting company | ☐ |
| | | Emerging growth company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As of April 21, 2022, the registrant had 49,763,363 shares of common stock outstanding.
Avidity Biosciences, Inc.
FORM 10-Q
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Condensed Financial Statements (unaudited)
Avidity Biosciences, Inc.
Condensed Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except par value)
| | March 31, 2022 | | | December 31, 2021 | |
| | (unaudited) | | | | | |
Assets | | | | | | | | |
Current assets: | | | | | | | | |
Cash and cash equivalents | | $ | 139,262 | | | $ | 320,448 | |
Marketable securities | | | 257,809 | | | | 85,095 | |
Prepaid and other assets | | | 7,729 | | | | 5,598 | |
Total current assets | | | 404,800 | | | | 411,141 | |
Property and equipment, net | | | 5,029 | | | | 4,805 | |
Restricted cash | | | 501 | | | | 251 | |
Right-of-use asset | | | 10,257 | | | | 10,784 | |
Other assets | | | 548 | | | | 599 | |
Total assets | | $ | 421,135 | | | $ | 427,580 | |
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | | | | | | | | |
Current liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | | $ | 18,821 | | | $ | 14,085 | |
Accrued compensation | | | 4,241 | | | | 8,940 | |
Lease liabilities, current portion | | | 2,544 | | | | 1,769 | |
Deferred revenue, current portion | | | 5,314 | | | | 4,864 | |
Total current liabilities | | | 30,920 | | | | 29,658 | |
Lease liabilities, net of current portion | | | 9,347 | | | | 9,960 | |
Deferred revenue, net of current portion | | | 5,160 | | | | 6,532 | |
Total liabilities | | | 45,427 | | | | 46,150 | |
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7) | | | | | | | | |
Stockholders’ equity: | | | | | | | | |
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; authorized shares – 40,000; issued and outstanding shares – 0ne | | | 0 | | | | 0 | |
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; authorized shares – 400,000; issued and outstanding shares – 49,281 and 47,754 at March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively | | | 5 | | | | 5 | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 596,513 | | | | 566,161 | |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | | | (2,026 | ) | | | (187 | ) |
Accumulated deficit | | | (218,784 | ) | | | (184,549 | ) |
Total stockholders’ equity | | | 375,708 | | | | 381,430 | |
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | | $ | 421,135 | | | $ | 427,580 | |
See accompanying notes.
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Avidity Biosciences, Inc.
Condensed Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2022 | | | 2021 | |
Collaboration revenue | | $ | 1,795 | | | $ | 2,704 | |
Operating expenses: | | | | | | | | |
Research and development | | | 27,688 | | | | 20,677 | |
General and administrative | | | 8,567 | | | | 5,884 | |
Total operating expenses | | | 36,255 | | | | 26,561 | |
Loss from operations | | | (34,460 | ) | | | (23,857 | ) |
Other income (expense): | | | | | | | | |
Interest income | | | 250 | | | | 16 | |
Other expense | | | (25 | ) | | | (3 | ) |
Total other income | | | 225 | | | | 13 | |
Net loss | | | (34,235 | ) | | | (23,844 | ) |
Other comprehensive income (loss): | | | | | | | | |
Net unrealized (losses) gains on marketable securities | | | (1,839 | ) | | | 2 | |
Comprehensive loss | | $ | (36,074 | ) | | $ | (23,842 | ) |
Net loss per share, basic and diluted | | $ | (0.71 | ) | | $ | (0.64 | ) |
Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic and diluted | | | 48,246 | | | | 37,521 | |
See accompanying notes.
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Avidity Biosciences, Inc.
Condensed Statements of Stockholders' Equity
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
| | Common Stock | | | Additional Paid-in | | | Accumulated Other Comprehensive | | | Accumulated | | | Total Stockholders’ | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Capital | | | Loss | | | Deficit | | | Equity | |
Balance at December 31, 2021 | | | 47,754 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 566,161 | | | $ | (187 | ) | | $ | (184,549 | ) | | $ | 381,430 | |
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options | | | 7 | | | | — | | | | 10 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 10 | |
Vesting of early exercise options | | | — | | | | — | | | | 1 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 1 | |
Issuance of common stock in public offerings, net of issuance costs of $745 | | | 1,520 | | | | — | | | | 24,103 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 24,103 | |
Stock-based compensation | | | — | | | | — | | | | 6,238 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 6,238 | |
Net loss | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | (34,235 | ) | | | (34,235 | ) |
Other comprehensive loss | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | (1,839 | ) | | | — | | | | (1,839 | ) |
Balance at March 31, 2022 | | | 49,281 | | | $ | 5 | | | $ | 596,513 | | | $ | (2,026 | ) | | $ | (218,784 | ) | | $ | 375,708 | |
| | Common Stock | | | Additional Paid-in | | | Accumulated Other Comprehensive | | | Accumulated | | | Total Stockholders’ | |
| | Shares | | | Amount | | | Capital | | | Loss | | | Deficit | | | Equity | |
Balance at December 31, 2020 | | | 37,569 | | | $ | 4 | | | $ | 372,764 | | | $ | (5 | ) | | $ | (66,540 | ) | | $ | 306,223 | |
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options | | | 31 | | | | — | | | | 24 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 24 | |
Vesting of early exercise options | | | — | | | | — | | | | 10 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 10 | |
Stock-based compensation | | | — | | | | — | | | | 3,701 | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 3,701 | |
Net loss | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | (23,844 | ) | | | (23,844 | ) |
Other comprehensive gain | | | — | | | | — | | | | — | | | | 2 | | | | — | | | | 2 | |
Balance at March 31, 2021 | | | 37,600 | | | $ | 4 | | | $ | 376,499 | | | $ | (3 | ) | | $ | (90,384 | ) | | $ | 286,116 | |
See accompanying notes.
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Avidity Biosciences, Inc.
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2022 | | | 2021 | |
Cash flows from operating activities | | | | | | | | |
Net loss | | $ | (34,235 | ) | | $ | (23,844 | ) |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | | | | | | | | |
Depreciation | | | 314 | | | | 108 | |
Stock-based compensation expense | | | 6,238 | | | | 3,701 | |
Amortization of premiums and discounts on marketable securities, net | | | 164 | | | | 40 | |
Gain on disposal of property and equipment | | | 0 | | | | (16 | ) |
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
Prepaid and other assets | | | (2,080 | ) | | | (491 | ) |
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | | | 4,957 | | | | 2,390 | |
Accrued compensation | | | (4,699 | ) | | | (407 | ) |
Operating lease right-of-use assets and liabilities, net | | | 689 | | | | 150 | |
Deferred revenue | | | (922 | ) | | | (1,312 | ) |
Net cash used in operating activities | | | (29,574 | ) | | | (19,681 | ) |
Cash flows from investing activities | | | | | | | | |
Purchases of marketable securities | | | (174,717 | ) | | | 0 | |
Purchases of property and equipment | | | (758 | ) | | | (525 | ) |
Net cash used in investing activities | | | (175,475 | ) | | | (525 | ) |
Cash flows from financing activities | | | | | | | | |
Proceeds from issuance of common stock in public offerings, gross | | | 24,848 | | | | 0 | |
Payment of issuance costs related to public offerings | | | (745 | ) | | | 0 | |
Proceeds from exercise of stock options | | | 10 | | | | 17 | |
Net cash provided by financing activities | | | 24,113 | | | | 17 | |
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | | (180,936 | ) | | | (20,189 | ) |
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period | | | 320,699 | | | | 321,713 | |
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period | | $ | 139,763 | | | $ | 301,524 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities: | | | | | | | | |
Costs incurred, but not paid, in connection with purchases of property and equipment included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities | | $ | 0 | | | $ | 286 | |
Receivables from stock option exercises included in prepaid and other assets | | $ | 0 | | | $ | 7 | |
See accompanying notes.
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Avidity Biosciences, Inc.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements
1. | Description of Business and Basis of Presentation |
Description of Business
Avidity Biosciences, Inc. (the Company or Avidity) is a biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics called Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs). The Company’s proprietary AOC platform is designed to combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the precision of RNA therapeutics to target the root cause of diseases previously untreatable with such therapeutics.
Liquidity
On June 16, 2020, the Company completed its initial public offering (IPO) in which it sold 16,560,000 shares of common stock at an offering price of $18.00 per share. Proceeds from the IPO, net of underwriting discounts, commissions and offering costs, were $274.1 million. On August 6, 2021, the Company completed a public offering of 9,200,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $18.00 per share. The net proceeds from the offering were $155.1 million, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering costs. On July 2, 2021, the Company entered into a sales agreement (the Sales Agreement) with Cowen and Company, LLC (the Sales Agent), under which the Company may, from time to time, sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million through the Sales Agent. Through March 31, 2022, the Company has sold 2,300,490 shares of its common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement and received net proceeds of $43.7 million, after deducting offering-related transaction costs and commissions. See Note 8 (Stockholders Equity) for more information on the Company’s equity offerings.
To date, the Company has devoted substantially all of its resources to organizing and staffing the company, business planning, raising capital, developing its proprietary AOC platform, identifying potential product candidates, establishing its intellectual property portfolio, conducting research, preclinical and clinical studies, and providing other general and administrative support for these operations. In addition, the Company has a limited operating history, has incurred operating losses since inception and expects that it will continue to incur net losses into the foreseeable future as it continues the development of its product candidates and development programs. As of March 31, 2022, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $218.8 million and cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $397.1 million.
The Company believes that existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund the Company’s operations for at least 12 months from the date of the filing of this Form 10-Q. The Company plans to finance its future cash needs through equity offerings, debt financings or other capital sources, including potential collaborations, licenses and other similar arrangements. If the Company is not able to secure adequate additional funding, it may be forced to make reductions in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible, and/or delay or reduce the scope of its planned development programs. Any of these actions could materially harm the Company’s business, results of operations and future prospects.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited interim condensed financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) related to a quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations. The unaudited interim condensed financial statements reflect all adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of the results for the periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. The operating results presented in these unaudited interim condensed financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future periods. These unaudited interim condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2021 included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 1, 2022.
2. | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies |
Use of Estimates
The Company’s condensed financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP, which requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in the financial statements and accompanying
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notes. The most significant estimates in the Company’s condensed financial statements relate to revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, and accrued research and development costs. Although these estimates are based on the Company’s knowledge of current events and actions it may undertake in the future, actual results may ultimately materially differ from these estimates and assumptions.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include cash in readily available checking and money market accounts. Restricted cash represents cash held as collateral for the letter of credit required under the Company’s facility lease and is reported as a long-term asset in the accompanying condensed balance sheets.
Marketable Securities
The Company’s marketable securities primarily consist of U.S. Government and corporate debt securities. The Company classifies its marketable securities as available-for-sale and records such assets at estimated fair value in the condensed balance sheets, with unrealized gains and losses, if any, reported as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) within the condensed statements of operations and comprehensive loss and as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. The Company classifies marketable securities with remaining maturities greater than one year as current assets because such marketable securities are available to fund the Company’s current operations. Realized gains and losses are calculated on the specific identification method and recorded as interest income. There were 0 realized gains and losses during any of the periods presented.
At each balance sheet date, the Company assesses available-for-sale securities in an unrealized loss position to determine whether the unrealized loss is other-than-temporary. When the Company determines that a decline in the fair value below its cost basis is other-than-temporary, the Company recognizes an impairment loss in the period in which the other-than-temporary decline occurred. There have been 0 other-than-temporary impairments recognized during any of the periods presented.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. The Company maintains deposits in federally insured financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to significant risk on its cash balances due to the financial position of the depository institutions in which those deposits are held. Additionally, the Company has established guidelines regarding approved investments, credit quality, diversification, liquidity and maturities of investments, which are designed to maintain safety and liquidity.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:
| • | Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. |
| • | Level 2—Observable inputs, such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. |
| • | Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques. |
The asset’s or liability’s fair value measurement level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
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None of the Company’s non-financial assets are recorded at fair value on a non-recurring basis. The carrying amounts reflected in the Company’s condensed balance sheets for prepaid and other assets and accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair values due to their short-term nature. The Company recognizes transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy on the date of the event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer. NaN transfers between levels have occurred during the periods presented.
See Note 3 (Fair Value Measurements) for information on assets measured at fair value.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment, including leasehold improvements, are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization are recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which ranges from three to five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the remaining lease term. Repairs and maintenance charges that do not increase the useful life of the assets are charged to operating expenses as incurred.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets consist of property and equipment. An impairment loss is recorded if and when events and circumstances indicate that assets might be impaired and the undiscounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amount of those assets. The Company has not recognized any impairment losses in any of the periods presented in these financial statements.
Segment Information
Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by management in making decisions regarding resource allocation and assessing performance. The Company manages its operations as a single operating segment in the United States for the purposes of assessing performance and making operating decisions.
Revenue Recognition
To date, all the Company’s revenue has been derived from collaboration and research agreements. The terms of these arrangements include the following types of payments to the Company: non-refundable, upfront license fees; development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments; payments for research and development services provided by the Company or for manufacturing supply services the Company provides through its contract manufacturers; and royalties on net sales of licensed products.
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The Company performs the following steps in determining the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized as it fulfills its obligations under each of these agreements: (i) identification of the promised goods or services in the contract; (ii) determination of whether the promised goods or services are performance obligations, including whether they are distinct in the context of the contract; (iii) measurement of the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations; and (v) recognition of revenue when, or as, the Company satisfies each performance obligation.
The Company receives payments from its collaborators based on billing schedules established in each contract. Upfront and other payments may require deferral of revenue recognition to a future period until the Company performs its obligations under its research and collaboration arrangements. Amounts are recorded as accounts receivable when the Company’s right to consideration is unconditional.
See Note 5 (Collaboration, License and Research Agreements) for further information.
Research and Development Costs
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and include salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation associated with research and development personnel, third-party research and development expenses, license fees, laboratory supplies, facilities, overhead costs, and consultants. Nonrefundable advance payments for goods and services that will be used in future research and development activities are capitalized and recorded as expense in the period that the Company receives the goods or when services are performed.
Upfront and milestone payments to acquire contractual rights to licensed technology are recorded when incurred if there is uncertainty in the Company receiving future economic benefit from the acquired contractual rights.
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.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 740, Income Taxes, which provides for deferred taxes using the asset and liability method. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are provided, if based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.
When uncertain tax positions exist, the Company recognizes the tax benefit of tax positions to the extent that the benefit would more likely than not be realized assuming examination by the taxing authority. The determination as to whether the tax benefit will more likely than not be realized is based upon the technical merits of the tax position as well as consideration of the available facts and circumstances.
The Company is subject to taxation in the United States and various state jurisdictions. As of December 31, 2021, the Company’s tax years since conversion to a corporation in 2019 are subject to examination by taxing authorities.
Stock-Based Compensation
Stock-based compensation expense for employee and non-employee stock option grants is recorded at the estimated fair value of the award as of the grant date and is recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period (usually the vesting period) of the stock-based award, and forfeitures are recognized as incurred. Stock-based compensation expense for employee stock purchases under the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the ESPP) is recorded at the estimated fair value of the purchase as of the plan enrollment date and is recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the applicable six-month ESPP offering period. The estimation of fair value for stock-based compensation requires management to make estimates and judgments about, among other things, the estimated life of options and volatility of the Company’s common stock. The judgments directly affect the amount of compensation expense that will be recognized.
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Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, including unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities. Comprehensive gains (losses) have been reflected in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss for all periods presented.
Net Loss Per Share
Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period, adjusted for the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding that are subject to repurchase or forfeiture. The Company has excluded 13,976 and 58,154 weighted-average shares subject to repurchase or forfeiture from the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares and dilutive common stock equivalents outstanding for the period determined using the treasury-stock and if-converted methods. For all periods presented, there is no difference in the number of shares used to calculate basic and diluted shares outstanding as inclusion of the potentially dilutive securities would be anti-dilutive.
Potentially dilutive securities not included in the calculation of diluted net loss per share, because to do so would be anti-dilutive, are as follows (in common stock equivalent shares; in thousands):
| | March 31, | |
| | 2022 | | | 2021 | |
Common stock options issued and outstanding | | | 8,284 | | | | 5,523 | |
Common stock subject to repurchase or forfeiture | | | 13 | | | | 48 | |
ESPP shares pending issuance | | | 23 | | | | 13 | |
Total | | | 8,320 | | | | 5,584 | |
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies that are adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date. The Company believes that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations upon adoption.
3. | Fair Value Measurements |
The Company determines the fair value of its cash equivalents and marketable securities based on one or more valuations from its investment accounting and reporting service provider. The investment service provider values the securities using a hierarchical security pricing model that relies primarily on valuations provided by an industry-recognized valuation service. Such valuations may be based on trade prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1 inputs) or valuation models using inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly (Level 2 inputs), such as quoted prices for similar assets, yield curves, volatility factors, credit spreads, default rates, loss severity, current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments or debt, and broker and dealer quotes, as well as other relevant economic measures.
The following tables summarize the Company’s cash equivalents and marketable securities measured at fair value (in thousands):
| | | | | | Fair Value Measurements Using | |
As of March 31, 2022 | | Total | | | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | | | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | | | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | |
Marketable securities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury securities | | $ | 231,256 | | | $ | 231,256 | | | $ | 0 | | | $ | 0 | |
U.S. Government agency securities | | | 4,949 | | | | 0 | | | | 4,949 | | | | 0 | |
Negotiable certificates of deposit | | | 3,830 | | | | 0 | | | | 3,830 | | | | 0 | |
Corporate debt securities | | | 17,774 | | | | 0 | | | | 17,774 | | | | 0 | |
Total | | $ | 257,809 | | | $ | 231,256 | | | $ | 26,553 | | | $ | 0 | |
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| | | | | | Fair Value Measurements Using | |
As of December 31, 2021 | | Total | | | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | | | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | | | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | |
Marketable securities: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
U.S. Treasury securities | | $ | 65,372 | | | $ | 65,372 | | | $ | 0 | | | $ | 0 | |
Negotiable certificates of deposit | | | 3,873 | | | | 0 | | | | 3,873 | | | | 0 | |
Corporate debt securities | | | 15,850 | | | | 0 | | | | 15,850 | | | | 0 | |
Total | | $ | 85,095 | | | $ | 65,372 | | | $ | 19,723 | | | $ | 0 | |
The Company’s marketable securities, which consist of highly liquid marketable debt securities, are classified as available-for-sale and are stated at fair value. The following tables summarize the Company’s marketable securities (in thousands):
As of March 31, 2022 | | Maturity (in years) | | Amortized Cost | | | Unrealized Gains | | | Unrealized Losses | | | Estimated Fair Value | |
U.S. Treasury securities | | 1 or less | | $ | 185,203 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | (641 | ) | | $ | 184,563 | |
U.S. Government agency securities | | 1 or less | | | 2,500 | | | | 0 | | | | (21 | ) | | | 2,479 | |
Negotiable certificates of deposit | | 1 or less | | | 1,676 | | | | 0 | | | | (8 | ) | | | 1,668 | |
Corporate debt securities | | 1 or less | | | 3,056 | | | | 0 | | | | (35 | ) | | | 3,021 | |
U.S. Treasury securities | | 1 - 2 | | | 47,689 | | | | 0 | | | | (996 | ) | | | 46,693 | |
U.S. Government agency securities | | 1 - 2 | | | 2,500 | | | | 0 | | | | (30 | ) | | | 2,470 | |
Negotiable certificates of deposit | | 1 - 2 | | | 2,197 | | | | 0 | | | | (35 | ) | | | 2,162 | |
Corporate debt securities | | 1 - 2 | | | 15,014 | | | | 0 | | | | (261 | ) | | | 14,753 | |
Total | | | | $ | 259,835 | | | $ | 1 | | | $ | (2,027 | ) | | $ | 257,809 | |
As of December 31, 2021 | | Maturity (in years) | | Amortized Cost | | | Unrealized Gains | | | Unrealized Losses | | | Estimated Fair Value | |
U.S. Treasury securities | | 1 or less | | $ | 2,492 | | | $ | 0 | | | $ | (1 | ) | | $ | 2,491 | |
Negotiable certificates of deposit | | 1 or less | | | 1,190 | | | | 0 | | | | (1 | ) | | | 1,189 | |
U.S. Treasury securities | | 1 - 2 | | | 63,034 | | | | 0 | | | | (153 | ) | | | 62,881 | |
Negotiable certificates of deposit | | 1 - 2 | | | 2,687 | | | | 0 | | | | (3 | ) | | | 2,684 | |
Corporate debt securities | | 1 - 2 | | | 15,879 | | | | 0 | | | | (29 | ) | | | 15,850 | |
Total | | | | $ | 85,282 | | | $ | 0 | | | $ | (187 | ) | | $ | 85,095 | |
5. | Collaboration, License and Research Agreements |
Research Collaboration and License Agreement with Eli Lilly and Company
In April 2019, the Company entered into a Research Collaboration and License Agreement (the Lilly Agreement) with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) for the discovery, development and commercialization of AOC products directed against certain targets in immunology and other select indications on a worldwide basis. Under the Lilly Agreement, the Company granted Lilly an exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing license, with the right to sublicense (subject to certain conditions), under the Company’s technology to research, develop, manufacture and sell products containing AOCs that are directed to up to 6 mRNA targets. The Company retains the right to use its technology to perform its obligations under the Lilly Agreement and for all purposes not granted to Lilly. The Company agreed that it will not, itself or with a third party, research, develop, manufacture or commercialize or otherwise exploit any compound or product directed against targets subject to the Lilly Agreement.
In consideration of the rights granted to Lilly under the Lilly Agreement, the Company received a one-time upfront fee of $20.0 million and is eligible to receive up to $60.0 million in development milestone payments, up to $140.0 million in regulatory milestone payments and up to $205.0 million in commercialization milestone payments per target. In addition, Lilly is obligated to reimburse the Company for research expenses, as defined in and incurred under the Lilly Agreement. Lilly is obligated to pay the Company a tiered royalty ranging from the mid-single to low-double digits on worldwide annual net sales of licensed products, subject to specified and capped reductions for the market entry of biosimilar products, loss of patent coverage of licensed products and for payments owed to third parties for additional rights necessary to
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commercialize licensed products in the territory. Lilly’s royalty obligations and the Lilly Agreement will expire on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis on the later of ten years from the date of the first commercial sale or when there is no longer a valid patent claim covering such licensed product in such country.
The Company has identified multiple promises to deliver goods and services, which include at inception of the agreement: (i) a license to technology and patents, information and know-how; and (ii) collaboration, including research services, technical and regulatory support provided by the Company. At inception and through March 31, 2022, the Company has identified 1 performance obligation for all the deliverables under the Lilly Agreement since the delivered elements are either not capable of being distinct or are not distinct within the context of the contract. Accordingly, the Company will recognize revenue for the fixed or determinable collaboration in an amount proportional to the collaboration expenses incurred and the total estimated collaboration expenses over the five-year period over which it expects to deliver its performance obligations. The Company periodically reviews and updates the estimated collaboration expenses, when appropriate, which adjusts the percentage of revenue that is recognized for the period. In connection with the Lilly Agreement, the Company recognized revenue of $1.7 million and $2.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and had deferred revenue of $10.3 million and $11.1 million as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Collaboration receivables related to the Lilly Agreement were $0.9 million and $0.9 million as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, which are included in prepaid and other assets on the condensed balance sheets.
A reconciliation of the closing balance of deferred revenue related to the Lilly Agreement is as follows (in thousands):
Balance at December 31, 2021 | | $ | 11,108 | |
Revenue recognized | | | (831 | ) |
Balance at March 31, 2022 | | $ | 10,277 | |
Research Agreement with MyoKardia, Inc.
In December 2020, the Company entered into a research collaboration (the MyoKardia Agreement) with MyoKardia, Inc. (MyoKardia), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb, to demonstrate the potential utility of AOCs in cardiac tissue by leveraging MyoKardia’s genetic cardiomyopathy platform including, among other aspects, its novel target discovery engine and proprietary cardiac disease models. In connection with the MyoKardia Agreement, the Company recognized revenue of $0.1 million and $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
| | March 31, 2022 | | | December 31, 2021 | |
Laboratory equipment | | $ | 4,987 | | | $ | 4,775 | |
Computers and software | | | 116 | | | | 116 | |
Office furniture and equipment | | | 1,724 | | | | 1,398 | |
Leasehold improvements | | | 249 | | | | 249 | |
Property and equipment, gross | | | 7,076 | | | | 6,538 | |
Less accumulated depreciation | | | (2,047 | ) | | | (1,733 | ) |
Total property and equipment, net | | $ | 5,029 | | | $ | 4,805 | |
Depreciation expense related to property and equipment was $0.3 million and $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
7. | Commitments and Contingencies |
Lease Agreements
The Company determines if an arrangement is a finance lease, operating lease or short-term lease at inception, or as applicable, and accounts for the arrangement under the relevant accounting literature. During the periods presented, the Company was party to various non-cancellable office and laboratory space operating leases and short-term leases. Currently, the Company is only party to a non-cancellable office and laboratory space operating lease. Under the relevant guidance, the Company recognizes operating lease right-of-use (ROU) assets and liabilities based on the present value of
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the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at the commencement date, using the Company’s assumed incremental borrowing rate, and amortizes the ROU assets and liabilities over the lease term. Lease expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Short-term leases are not subject to recognition of an ROU asset or liability or straight-line lease expense requirements.
As of March 31, 2022, future minimum payments for the Company’s operating lease liabilities are as follows (in thousands):
Year ending December 31, | | | | |
2022 (remaining) | | $ | 1,769 | |
2023 | | | 3,113 | |
2024 | | | 3,207 | |
2025 | | | 3,303 | |
2026 | | | 3,111 | |
Total lease payments | | | 14,503 | |
Less imputed interest | | | (2,612 | ) |
Total operating lease liabilities | | | 11,891 | |
Less lease liabilities, current portion | | | (2,544 | ) |
Lease liabilities, net of current portion | | $ | 9,347 | |
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities was $0 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021.
Rent expense was as follows (in thousands):
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2022 | | | 2021 | |
Operating leases | | $ | 689 | | | $ | 150 | |
Short-term leases | | | 0 | | | | 9 | |
Total rent expense | | $ | 689 | | | $ | 159 | |
Litigation
Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines, penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. There are 0 matters currently outstanding for which any liabilities have been accrued.
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
On June 16, 2020, the Company’s certificate of incorporation was amended and restated to authorize 400,000,000 shares of common stock and 40,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, each with a par value of $0.0001 per share.
Common Stock
On June 16, 2020, the Company completed its IPO in which it sold 16,560,000 shares of common stock at an offering price of $18.00 per share. Proceeds from the IPO, net of underwriting discounts, commissions and offering costs, were $274.1 million.
On July 2, 2021, the Company entered into the Sales Agreement with the Sales Agent, under which the Company may, from time to time, sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million through the Sales Agent. Sales of the Company’s common stock made pursuant to the Sales Agreement are made under the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3, which became automatically effective upon filing on July 2, 2021 (the Shelf Registration Statement). In addition, the Sales Agreement may be terminated by the Company or the Sales Agent at any time upon ten days’ notice to the other party, or by the Sales Agent, with respect to itself, at any time in certain circumstances, including the occurrence of a material adverse change. During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company sold 1,519,941 shares of its common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement and received net proceeds of $24.1
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million, after deducting offering-related transaction costs and commissions. Through March 31, 2022, the Company has sold 2,300,490 shares of its common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement and received net proceeds of $43.7 million, after deducting offering-related transaction costs and commissions.
On August 6, 2021, the Company completed a public offering of 9,200,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $18.00 per share. The net proceeds from the offering were $155.1 million, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering costs. The shares sold in the offering were registered pursuant to the Company’s Shelf Registration Statement.
Equity Incentive Plans
In January 2013, the Company adopted the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2013 Plan). The 2013 Plan provided for the issuance of incentive units to employees and nonemployees of the Company and non‑statutory unit options, restricted unit awards, unit appreciation rights, and unit bonuses to directors, employees and consultants of the Company. Under the 2013 Plan, 2,127,013 units were initially reserved for issuance. Upon the conversion of the Company to a C corporation, the 2013 Plan continued on the same terms and conditions. In 2019, the number of shares reserved under the 2013 Plan was increased to 4,771,615 shares.
In June 2020, the Company’s board of directors adopted, and the Company’s stockholders approved, the 2020 Incentive Award Plan (the 2020 Plan), which became effective in connection with the IPO. Pursuant to the 2020 Plan, the Company ceased granting awards under the 2013 Plan. Under the 2020 Plan, the Company may grant stock options, restricted stock, dividend equivalents, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, and other stock or cash-based awards to individuals who are then employees, officers, non-employee directors or consultants of the Company. A total of 3,900,000 shares of common stock were initially reserved for issuance under the 2020 Plan. In addition, the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under the 2020 Plan will be increased annually on the first day of each fiscal year during the term of the 2020 Plan, beginning with the 2021 fiscal year, by an amount equal to the lesser of (a) 5% of the shares of common stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year or (b) such smaller number of shares as determined by the Company’s board of directors. At March 31, 2022, 2,449,129 shares remain available for issuance under the 2020 Plan.
Stock Options
Options granted from the 2013 Plan and 2020 Plan are exercisable at various dates and will expire no more than ten years from their date of grant. Options generally vest over a four-year period. Prior to the IPO, the exercise price of options was determined by the Company’s board of directors. Following the IPO, the Company grants options with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Company’s stock on the date of the option grant.
Stock option activity for employee and nonemployee awards and related information is as follows (in thousands, except per share data):
| | Number of Options | | | Weighted- Average Exercise Price Per Share | |
Outstanding at December 31, 2021 | | | 5,778 | | | $ | 14.49 | |
Granted | | | 2,655 | | | | 14.95 | |
Exercised | | | (7 | ) | | | 1.48 | |
Forfeited/expired | | | (142 | ) | | | 22.26 | |
Outstanding at March 31, 2022 | | | 8,284 | | | $ | 14.51 | |
The weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 were $10.71 and $16.89 per share, respectively.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In June 2020, the Company adopted the ESPP, which permits participants to contribute up to 15% of their eligible compensation during defined rolling six-month periods to purchase the Company’s common stock. The purchase price of the shares will be 85% of the lower of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the first day of trading of the offering period or on the applicable purchase date. The Company did 0t issue any shares of common stock under the ESPP during the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company had an outstanding liability of
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$0.4 million at March 31, 2022, which is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities on the condensed balance sheet, for employee contributions to the ESPP for shares pending issuance at the end of the offering period. As of March 31, 2022, 638,563 shares of common stock were available for issuance under the ESPP.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
The assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model to determine the fair value of stock option grants and shares purchasable under the ESPP were as follows:
| | Three Months Ended March 31, |
Stock Option Grants | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Risk-free interest rate | | 1.5% - 1.9% | | 0.5% - 1.1% |
Expected volatility | | 85% | | 88% |
Expected term (in years) | | 6.0 - 6.1 | | 5.8 - 6.1 |
Expected dividend yield | | 0% | | 0% |
| | Three Months Ended March 31, |
ESPP | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Risk-free interest rate | | N/A | | N/A |
Expected volatility | | N/A | | N/A |
Expected term (in years) | | N/A | | N/A |
Expected dividend yield | | N/A | | N/A |
For the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company did not commence any new ESPP offerings that required valuation.
The allocation of stock-based compensation expense was as follows (in thousands):
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2022 | | | 2021 | |
Research and development expense | | $ | 3,266 | | | $ | 2,010 | |
General and administrative expense | | | 2,972 | | | | 1,691 | |
Total stock-based compensation expense | | $ | 6,238 | | | $ | 3,701 | |
As of March 31, 2022, the unrecognized compensation cost related to outstanding time-based options was $68.4 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.0 years. As of March 31, 2022, the unrecognized compensation cost related to stock purchase rights under the ESPP was $0.1 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 0.2 years.
The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has caused significant business disruption. The extent of the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s operational and financial performance will depend on certain developments, including the continued spread of COVID-19 and the measures taken by the governmental authorities, and its impact on the Company’s preclinical studies and clinical trials, employees and vendors, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted, particularly as the Company advances its product candidates into and through clinical development. In December 2021, the Company transitioned to a hybrid model with its employees generally working both remotely and onsite, and the Company anticipates it will continue to use this model going forward. To date, the Company has not experienced material disruptions in its business operations. However, a prolonged outbreak could have a material adverse impact on the financial results and business operations of the Company, including the timing and ability of the Company to complete certain clinical trials and other efforts required to advance the development of its product candidates and raise additional capital.
From April 1, 2022 through May 10, 2022, the Company sold 482,220 shares of its common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement and received net proceeds of $9.2 million, after deducting offering-related transaction costs and commissions.
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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our unaudited condensed financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q and with our audited financial statements and notes thereto and management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, both of which are contained in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on March 1, 2022.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This quarterly report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this quarterly report, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategies and plans, research and development plans, the anticipated timing, costs, design and conduct of our ongoing and planned preclinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates, the timing and likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals for our product candidates, the impact of COVID-19 on our business, the timing and likelihood of success, plans and objectives of management for future operations and future results of anticipated product development efforts, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this quarterly report and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.” The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.
Overview
We are a biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics called Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates, or AOCs. Our proprietary AOC platform is designed to combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies, or mAbs, with the precision of RNA therapeutics to target the root cause of diseases previously untreatable with such therapeutics. We are initially focused on muscle diseases to demonstrate the capabilities of our AOCs, and we expect to have three muscle programs in clinical development by the end of 2022. Our lead product candidate, AOC 1001, is designed to treat myotonic dystrophy type 1, or DM1, a rare monogenic muscle disease. AOC 1001 has commenced clinical testing with the ongoing Phase 1/2 MARINA trial, a trial designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of single and multiple ascending doses of AOC 1001 administered intravenously in adults with DM1. The Part A single dose cohort of MARINA is fully enrolled, and dosing is complete. In Part A, there were no serious adverse events observed and any adverse events were mild to moderate. The Part B multidose cohort is now enrolling. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we plan to conduct a preliminary assessment of safety, tolerability and key biomarkers in approximately half of the trial participants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and European Medicines Agency, or EMA, have granted Orphan Designation for AOC 1001. The FDA has also granted Fast Track Designation to AOC 1001 for the treatment of DM1.
Our advancing and expanding pipeline also includes AOC 1044, the lead of three programs for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or DMD, and AOC 1020, designed to treat facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, or FSHD. We anticipate that both AOC 1044 and AOC 1020 will enter the clinic by the end of 2022 following additional preparatory preclinical studies and regulatory clearance. In addition to our muscle franchise, we are also broadening the development of AOCs beyond muscle tissues through both internal discovery efforts and key partnerships that are focused on immune cells, cardiac tissue and other cell types.
Since our inception in 2012, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, developing our proprietary AOC platform, identifying potential product candidates, establishing our intellectual property portfolio, conducting research, preclinical and clinical studies, and providing other general and administrative support for these operations. We have not generated any revenue from product sales. In June 2020, we completed our initial public offering, or IPO, of 16,560,000 shares of our common stock at a price to the public of $18.00 per share, including the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase 2,160,000 additional shares of our common stock. Including the option exercise, our aggregate net proceeds from the offering were $274.1 million, net
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of underwriting discounts, commissions and offering costs. In August 2021, we completed a public offering of 9,200,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $18.00 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of $155.1 million, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering costs. In July 2021, we entered into a sales agreement, or the Sales Agreement, with Cowen and Company, LLC, or the Sales Agent, under which we may, from time to time, sell shares of common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million through the Sales Agent. Through March 31, 2022, we have sold 2,300,490 shares of our common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement and received net proceeds of $43.7 million, after deducting offering-related transaction costs and commissions. Since our inception through March 31, 2022, other significant sources of capital raised to fund our operations were comprised of aggregate gross proceeds of $131.6 million from the sale and issuance of convertible preferred stock/units and convertible notes and $36.1 million from funding under collaboration and research services agreements. As of March 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $397.1 million.
We have incurred operating losses in each year since inception. Our net losses were $118.0 million and $44.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and $34.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. As of March 31, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $218.8 million. We expect our expenses and operating losses will increase substantially as we conduct our ongoing and planned preclinical studies and clinical trials, continue our research and development activities, utilize third parties to manufacture our product candidates and related raw materials, hire additional personnel and protect our intellectual property. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, depending on the timing of our preclinical studies and clinical trials and our expenditures on other research and development activities, as well as the generation of any collaboration and services revenue.
Based upon our current operating plans, we believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least 12 months from the date of the filing of this Form 10-Q. While we may generate revenue under our current and/or future collaboration agreements, we do not expect to generate any revenues from product sales until we successfully complete development and obtain regulatory approval for one or more of our product candidates, which we expect will take a number of years and may never occur. If we obtain regulatory approval for any of our product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. Accordingly, until such time as we can generate significant revenue from sales of our product candidates, if ever, we expect to finance our cash needs through equity offerings, debt financings or other capital sources, including potential collaborations, licenses and other similar arrangements. However, we may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other arrangements when needed, on favorable terms or at all. Our failure to raise capital or enter into such other arrangements when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
COVID-19
The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has caused significant business disruption. The extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our operational and financial performance will depend on certain developments, including the continued spread of COVID-19 and the measures taken by the governmental authorities, and its impact on our preclinical studies and clinical trials, employees and vendors, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted, particularly as we advance our product candidates into and through clinical development. In December 2021, we transitioned to a hybrid model with our employees generally working both remotely and onsite, and we anticipate we will continue to use this model going forward. To date, we have not experienced material disruptions in our business operations. However, a prolonged outbreak could have a material adverse impact on our financial results and business operations, including the timing of and our ability to complete certain clinical trials and other efforts required to advance the development of our product candidates and raise additional capital.
Research Collaboration and License Agreement with Eli Lilly and Company
In April 2019, we entered into a Research Collaboration and License Agreement, or the Lilly Agreement, with Eli Lilly and Company, or Lilly, for the discovery, development and commercialization of AOC products in immunology and other select indications on a worldwide basis. Under the Lilly Agreement, we and Lilly will collaborate on preclinical research and discovery activities for such products, with Lilly being responsible for funding the cost of such activities by both parties. Lilly will also lead the clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialization of all such products, at its sole cost. We granted Lilly an exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing license, with the right to sublicense, under our technology to research, develop, manufacture, and sell products containing AOCs that are directed to up to six mRNA targets. We retain the right to use our technology to perform our obligations under the agreement and for all purposes not granted to Lilly. Lilly paid us an upfront license fee of $20.0 million in 2019, and we are eligible to receive up to $60.0 million in development milestone payments, up to $140.0 million in regulatory milestone payments and up to $205.0 million in commercialization milestone
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payments per target. We are eligible to receive a tiered royalty ranging from the mid-single to low-double digits from Lilly on worldwide annual net sales of licensed products, subject to specified and capped reductions for the market entry of biosimilar products, loss of patent coverage of licensed products and for payments owed to third parties for additional rights necessary to commercialize licensed products in the territory.
Components of Results of Operations
Revenue
Our revenue to date has been derived from payments received under the Lilly Agreement and other license and research agreements. For the foreseeable future, we may generate revenue from reimbursements of services under the Lilly Agreement, as well as a combination of upfront payments and milestone payments under our current and/or future collaboration agreements. We do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products unless and until such time that our product candidates have advanced through clinical development and regulatory approval, if ever. We expect that any revenue we generate, if at all, will fluctuate from quarter-to-quarter as a result of the timing and amount of payments relating to such services and milestones and the extent to which any of our products are approved and successfully commercialized. If we fail to complete preclinical and clinical development of product candidates or obtain regulatory approval for them, our ability to generate future revenues and our results of operations and financial position would be adversely affected.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development
Research and development expenses consist of external and internal costs associated with our research and development activities, including our discovery and research efforts, and the preclinical and clinical development of our product candidates. Our research and development expenses include:
| • | external costs, including expenses incurred under arrangements with third parties, such as contract research organizations, contract manufacturers, consultants and our scientific advisors; and |
| • | internal costs, including; |
| • | employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation; |
| • | the costs of laboratory supplies and acquiring, developing and manufacturing preclinical study materials; and |
| • | facilities, information technology and depreciation, which include direct and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and depreciation of leasehold improvements and equipment. |
Research and development costs, including costs reimbursed under the Lilly Agreement, are expensed as incurred, with reimbursements of such amounts being recognized as revenue. We account for nonrefundable advance payments for goods and services that will be used in future research and development activities as expenses when the service has been performed or when the goods have been received.
At any one time, we are working on multiple programs. Our internal resources, employees and infrastructure are not directly tied to any one research or drug discovery program and are typically deployed across multiple programs. As such, we do not track internal costs on a specific program basis. The following table summarizes our external costs and internal costs for the periods presented (in thousands):
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2022 | | | 2021 | |
External costs | | $ | 14,583 | | | $ | 12,378 | |
Internal costs: | | | | | | | | |
Employee-related expenses | | | 10,182 | | | | 6,473 | |
Facilities, lab supplies and other costs | | | 2,923 | | | | 1,826 | |
Total internal costs | | | 13,105 | | | | 8,299 | |
Total research and development expenses | | $ | 27,688 | | | $ | 20,677 | |
We expect our research and development expenses to increase for the foreseeable future as we continue to conduct our ongoing research and development activities, advance our preclinical research programs toward clinical development,
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including conducting IND-enabling studies, and conduct clinical trials. The process of conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials necessary to obtain regulatory approval is costly and time consuming. We may never succeed in achieving marketing approval for any of our product candidates.
The timelines and costs associated with research and development activities are uncertain, can vary significantly for each product candidate and development program, and are difficult to predict. We anticipate we will make determinations as to which programs to pursue and how much funding to direct to each program on an ongoing basis in response to preclinical and clinical results, regulatory developments, ongoing assessments as to each program’s commercial potential, and our ability to maintain or enter into new collaborations, to the extent we determine the resources or expertise of a collaborator would be beneficial for a given program. We will need to raise substantial additional capital in the future. In addition, we cannot forecast which development programs may be subject to future collaborations, when such arrangements will be secured, if at all, and to what degree such arrangements would affect our development plans and capital requirements.
Our development costs may vary significantly based on factors such as:
| • | the number and scope of clinical, preclinical and IND-enabling studies; |
| • | per patient trial costs; |
| • | the number of trials required for approval; |
| • | the number of sites included in the trials; |
| • | the countries in which the trials are conducted; |
| • | the length of time required to enroll eligible patients; |
| • | the number of patients that participate in the trials; |
| • | the number of doses that patients receive; |
| • | the drop-out or discontinuation rates of patients; |
| • | potential additional safety monitoring requested by regulatory agencies; |
| • | the duration of patient participation in the trials and follow-up; |
| • | the cost and timing of manufacturing our product candidates; |
| • | the phase of development of our product candidates; and |
| • | the efficacy and safety profile of our product candidates. |
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and stock-based compensation, for employees in our executive, finance, accounting, legal, business development and support functions. Other general and administrative expenses include allocated facility, information technology and depreciation related costs not otherwise included in research and development expenses and professional fees for auditing, tax, intellectual property and legal services. Costs related to filing and pursuing patent applications are recognized as general and administrative expenses as incurred since recoverability of such expenditures is uncertain.
We expect our general and administrative expenses will increase for the foreseeable future to support our increased research and development and other corporate activities.
Other Income (Expense)
Interest Income
Interest income consists primarily of interest earned on our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.
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Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2022 and 2021
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the periods presented (in thousands):
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | | | Increase | |
| | 2022 | | | 2021 | | | (decrease) | |
Revenue | | $ | 1,795 | | | $ | 2,704 | | | $ | (909 | ) |
Research and development expenses | | | 27,688 | | | | 20,677 | | | | 7,011 | |
General and administrative expenses | | | 8,567 | | | | 5,884 | | | | 2,683 | |
Other income (expense) | | | 225 | | | | 13 | | | | 212 | |
Revenue
Revenue was $1.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to $2.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. Revenue during both periods was primarily derived from the Lilly Agreement. The decrease was primarily due to timing of reimbursable collaboration-related research and development expenses resulting in the recognition of lower corresponding revenue under the Lilly Agreement.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses were $27.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to $20.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase was primarily driven by the advancement of AOC 1001, AOC 1044 and AOC 1020, as well as costs related to the expansion of our overall research capabilities.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses were $8.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to $5.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021. The increase was primarily due to higher personnel costs and professional fees to support our expanded operations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
In June 2020, we completed our IPO of 16,560,000 shares of our common stock at a price to the public of $18.00 per share, including the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase 2,160,000 additional shares of our common stock. Including the option exercise, our aggregate net proceeds from the offering were $274.1 million, net of underwriting discounts, commissions and offering costs. In August 2021, we completed a public offering of 9,200,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $18.00 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of $155.1 million, after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering costs.
In July 2021, we entered into the Sales Agreement with the Sales Agent, under which we may, from time to time, sell shares of common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million through the Sales Agent. Through March 31, 2022, we have sold 2,300,490 shares of our common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement and received net proceeds of $43.7 million, after deducting offering-related transaction costs and commissions. From April 1, 2022 through May 10, 2022, we sold 482,220 shares of our common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement and received net proceeds of $9.2 million, after deducting offering-related transaction costs and commissions. Since our inception through March 31, 2022, other significant sources of capital raised to fund our operations were comprised of aggregate gross proceeds of $131.6 million from the sale and issuance of convertible preferred stock/units and convertible notes and $36.1 million from funding under collaboration and research services agreements.
Future Capital Requirements
As of March 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $397.1 million. Based upon our current operating plans, we believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least 12 months from the date of the filing of this Form 10-Q. However, our forecast of the period of time through which our financial resources will be adequate to support our operations is a forward-looking statement that involves risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary materially. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could deplete our capital resources sooner than we expect. Additionally, the process of
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conducting preclinical studies and testing product candidates in clinical trials is costly, and the timing of progress and expenses in these studies and trials is uncertain.
Our future capital requirements are difficult to forecast and will depend on many factors, including but not limited to:
| • | the type, number, scope, progress, expansions, results, costs and timing of discovery, preclinical studies and clinical trials of our product candidates that we are pursuing or may choose to pursue in the future; |
| • | the costs and timing of manufacturing for our product candidates and commercial manufacturing if any product candidate is approved; |
| • | the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our product candidates; |
| • | the terms and timing of establishing and maintaining collaborations, licenses and other similar arrangements; |
| • | the costs of obtaining, maintaining and enforcing our patents and other intellectual property rights; |
| • | the costs associated with hiring additional personnel and consultants as our preclinical and clinical activities increase; |
| • | the timing and amount of the milestone or other payments made to us under the Lilly Agreement or any future collaboration agreements; |
| • | the costs and timing of establishing or securing sales and marketing capabilities if any product candidate is approved; |
| • | our ability to achieve sufficient market acceptance, coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors and adequate market share and revenue for any approved products; and |
| • | costs associated with any products or technologies that we may in-license or acquire. |
While we may generate revenue under our current and/or future collaboration agreements, we do not expect to generate any revenues from product sales until we successfully complete development and obtain regulatory approval for one or more of our product candidates, which we expect will take a number of years and may never occur. If we obtain regulatory approval for any of our product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. Accordingly, until such time as we can generate significant revenue from sales of our product candidates, if ever, we expect to finance our cash needs through equity offerings, debt financings or other capital sources, including current and potential future collaborations, licenses and other similar arrangements. However, we may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other arrangements when needed, on favorable terms or at all. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. Our failure to raise capital or enter into such other arrangements when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods presented (in thousands):
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2022 | | | 2021 | |
Net cash provided by (used in): | | | | | | | | |
Operating activities | | $ | (29,574 | ) | | $ | (19,681 | ) |
Investing activities | | | (175,475 | ) | | | (525 | ) |
Financing activities | | | 24,113 | | | | 17 | |
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | $ | (180,936 | ) | | $ | (20,189 | ) |
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $29.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which consisted primarily of cash used to fund our operations related to the development of AOC 1001, AOC 1044 and AOC 1020. Net cash
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used in operating activities was $19.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, which consisted primarily of cash used to fund our operations related to the development of AOC 1001 and our other programs.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $175.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which consisted primarily of cash used to purchase marketable securities and property and equipment. Net cash used in investing activities was $0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, which consisted primarily of cash used to purchase property and equipment.
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was $24.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which consisted primarily of net proceeds from sales of our common stock made pursuant to the Sales Agreement. Net cash provided by financing activities was $17,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, which consisted primarily of proceeds from the exercise of stock options.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our condensed financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. The preparation of these condensed financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate these estimates and judgments. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. These estimates and assumptions form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the recording of revenue and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates. As of March 31, 2022, there have been no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from those disclosed in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates,” included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 1, 2022.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
As of March 31, 2022, there have been no material changes outside the ordinary course of our business to the contractual obligations we reported in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Contractual Obligations and Commitments,” included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 1, 2022.
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ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
As of March 31, 2022, there have been no material changes in our market risk from that described in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk,” included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 1, 2022.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our periodic and current reports that we file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable and not absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In reaching a reasonable level of assurance, management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. In addition, the design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, has evaluated, as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report on Form 10-Q, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based on such evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, as of March 31, 2022, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
In January 2022, we completed the implementation of a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to improve certain operational and financial processes. Accordingly, we modified the design and operation of certain internal control processes and procedures relating to the new ERP system. Other than the ERP system implementation changes described above, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended March 31, 2022 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II — OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings. From time to time, we may be involved in legal proceedings or subject to claims incident to the ordinary course of business. Regardless of the outcome, such proceedings or claims can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of resources and other factors, and there can be no assurances that favorable outcomes will be obtained.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There have been no material changes to the risk factors set forth in Part I, Item 1A of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on March 1, 2022.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
None.
Use of Proceeds
On June 11, 2020, the SEC declared effective our registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-238612), as amended, filed in connection with our IPO. Our IPO closed on June 16, 2020, and we issued and sold 16,560,000 shares of our common stock at a price to the public of $18.00 per share, which included the exercise in full of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. We received gross proceeds from our IPO of $298.1 million, before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering costs of $24.0 million. The managing underwriters of the offering were Cowen and Company, LLC, SVB Leerink LLC, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. No offering costs were paid or are payable, directly or indirectly, to our directors or officers, to persons owning 10% or more of any class of our equity securities or to any of our affiliates.
As of March 31, 2022, we have used approximately $77.9 million of the proceeds from our IPO for general corporate purposes, including the advancement of our development programs. There has been no material change in our planned use of such proceeds from that described in the prospectus for our IPO dated June 11, 2020. We have invested a portion of the remaining proceeds from our IPO in short- and intermediate-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities.
Issuer Repurchases of Equity Securities
None.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
Not applicable.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
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Item 6. Exhibits
Exhibit Number | | Exhibit Description | | Incorporated by Reference | | Filed Herewith |
| | | | Form | | Date | | Number | | |
3.1 | | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation | | 8-K | | 6/16/2020 | | 3.1 | | |
3.2 | | Amended and Restated Bylaws | | 8-K | | 6/16/2020 | | 3.2 | | |
4.1 | | Form of Common Stock Certificate | | S-1 | | 5/22/2020 | | 4.1 | | |
4.2 | | Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated November 8, 2019, by and among Avidity Biosciences, Inc. and certain of its stockholders | | S-1 | | 5/22/2020 | | 4.2 | | |
10.1# | | Employment Letter Agreement, dated August 14, 2020, by and between Teresa McCarthy and Avidity Biosciences, Inc. | | | | | | | | X |
31.1 | | Certification of Chief Executive Officer of Avidity Biosciences, Inc., as required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | | | | | | | | X |
31.2 | | Certification of Chief Financial Officer of Avidity Biosciences, Inc., as required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a), as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | | | | | | | | X |
32.1* | | Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | | | | | | | | X |
32.2* | | Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | | | | | | | | X |
101.INS | | Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. | | | | | | | | X |
101.SCH | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document | | | | | | | | X |
101.CAL | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document | | | | | | | | X |
101.DEF | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document | | | | | | | | X |
101.LAB | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document | | | | | | | | X |
101.PRE | | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document | | | | | | | | X |
104 | | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) | | | | | | | | X |
# | Indicates management contract or compensatory plan. |
* | This certification is deemed not filed for purpose of section 18 of the Exchange Act or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| Avidity Biosciences, Inc. |
| | |
Date: May 10, 2022 | By: | /s/ Sarah Boyce |
| | Sarah Boyce |
| | President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
| | |
Date: May 10, 2022 | By: | /s/ Michael F. MacLean |
| | Michael F. MacLean |
| | Chief Financial and Chief Business Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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