On January 19, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with Royalty Pharma under which Royalty Pharma acquired the Company’s royalty interest in seltorexant for an upfront payment of $60 million and up to an additional $95 million in potential milestone payments. These milestone payments are contingent upon the achievement of certain clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones for seltorexant by Janssen or any other party in the event that Janssen sells seltorexant. Under the terms of the agreement, Royalty Pharma has recourse against the Company relating to payments due from Janssen and therefore, the Company is deemed to have significant continuing involvement. The Company has applied the debt recognition guidance under ASC 470, Debt, and recorded the upfront payment of $60 million on the balance sheet as a liability related to the sale of future royalties (the “Royalty Obligation”) and will record any amortized interest expense and future milestone payments received from Royalty Pharma as well. No amounts received, including the initial upfront payment, amortized interest expense or potential milestone payments, are repayable to Royalty Pharma if Janssen discontinues the clinical development of seltorexant or ceases to pursue its commercialization at a future date for any reason. In accordance with ASC 470, the Company will account for any royalties received in the future as non-cash royalty revenue.
As royalties are remitted from Janssen to Royalty Pharma, the balance of the Royalty Obligation will be effectively repaid over the expected life of the Janssen Agreement. The $60 million payment received from Royalty Pharma and any potential future milestone payments from Royalty Pharma are recorded as part of the Royalty Obligation. The difference between the total expected royalties receivable from Janssen and the upfront and milestone payments potentially receivable from Royalty Pharma is being amortized as non-cash interest expense over the estimated remaining life of the Janssen Agreement. To determine the amount of non-cash interest to be amortized, the Company is required to make assumptions for the total amount of future royalty payments to be received from Janssen. At execution, the Company’s estimate of this total non-cash interest expense resulted in an effective annual interest rate of approximately 10.5%.
The Company regularly evaluates the assumptions supporting future royalty estimates and, during the third quarter of 2024, noted that Janssen announced on clinicaltrials.gov a further Phase 3 study with seltorexant (42847922MDD3003) that has an estimated study completion date of November 30, 2027, which is significantly different from the assumption the Company used in its original estimates. As a result, the Company has made a significant revision to its estimates for the timing and amount of future royalty payments to be earned over the life of the Janssen Agreement and noted that the estimate of undiscounted royalty payments is now less than the original carrying value of the upfront payment received. Therefore, under the retrospective interest model, during the third quarter of 2024 the Company adjusted the Royalty Obligation to the initial upfront payment received of $60 million and recognized $26.6 million as a component of Other Income, representing the amount of amortized non-cash interest expense through June 30, 2024. In addition, the Company does not expect to recognize non-cash interest expense in the future related to the Royalty Obligation, as the effective annual interest rate is negative.
NOTE 6 — STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Private Placement of Common Stock and Warrants
On June 27, 2023, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with certain institutional accredited investors (the “Investors”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to the Investors in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) (i) an aggregate of 1,425,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock at a purchase price of $10.00 per Share, and (ii) in lieu of additional shares of common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase an aggregate of 575,575 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $9.99 per pre-funded warrant. The price per pre-funded warrant represents the price of $10.00 per Share sold in the Private Placement, minus the $0.01 per share exercise price of each such pre-funded warrant. The pre-funded warrants are exercisable at any time after their original issuance and will not expire until exercised in full.
The pre-funded warrants issued in the Private Placement provide that a holder of the pre-funded warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its pre-funded warrants to the extent such holder, together with its affiliates, after giving effect to such exercise, would beneficially own in excess of the beneficial ownership limitation, as elected by such Investor, immediately after giving effect to such exercise (the “Beneficial Ownership Limitation”); provided, however, that each pre-funded warrant holder may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation by giving 61 days’ notice to the Company, but not to any percentage in excess of 19.99%.
On June 30, 2023, the Private Placement closed and the Company received aggregate gross proceeds from the Private Placement of $20.0 million. The Company incurred approximately $0.4 million in offering expenses during 2023, which were included as a component of additional paid-in capital, resulting in net proceeds of $19.6 million from the Private Placement.
Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Company filed a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-273686), which was declared effective by the SEC on August 9, 2023, covering the resale of the Registrable Securities (as such term is defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement). The Company has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts to keep such registration statement effective until the earlier of (i) the third anniversary of the effective date of the initial registration statement covering the Registrable Securities; (ii) the date all Shares and all shares of common stock underlying the pre-funded warrants may be sold under Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, without being subject to any volume, manner of sale or publicly available information requirements; or (iii) immediately prior to the closing of a Change of Control (as such term is defined in the Securities Purchase Agreement).
Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, in connection with the Private Placement, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (“BI”), an Investor in the Private Placement, has the right to designate an observer to attend, subject to certain exceptions, meetings of the Company’s board of directors and its committees, until the earlier of (i) the occurrence of a Change of Control and (ii) the date that it and its affiliates collectively hold less than 10% of the Company’s common stock (which shall be calculated by including in the amount of common stock held by such Investor and its affiliates any shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of any portion of the pre-funded warrant issued to such Investor and not yet exercised). BI designated a board observer on August 29, 2023.
At-the-Market Equity Offering Program
In September 2022, the Company entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell, from time to time, through Jefferies shares of the Company’s common stock, by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at-the-market” offering as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. During the three months ended March 31, 2025, no shares of the Company’s common stock were issued or sold under the Sales Agreement. As of March 31, 2025, an aggregate of $22.6 million was eligible for sale pursuant to the Sales Agreement under the Company’s effective registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-267424).
Term Loan Warrants
In connection with the Company’s former Loan and Security Agreement with Oxford Finance LLC and Silicon Valley Bank (the “Lenders”), which provided for term loans to the Company in an aggregate principal amount of up to $15 million in two tranches on January 15, 2016, the Company issued the Lenders warrants to purchase 5,099 shares of common stock at a per share exercise price of $44.13. The warrants were immediately exercisable upon issuance, and other than in connection with certain mergers or acquisitions, will expire on the ten-year anniversary of the date of issuance. The term loans were repaid in August 2018. All related warrants were outstanding and exercisable as of March 31, 2025.
NOTE 7 — STOCK AWARD PLAN AND STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
In December 2013, the Company adopted the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (as subsequently amended and restated, the “Plan”), which provides for the issuance of options, stock appreciation rights, stock awards and stock units. As of March 31, 2025, the total shares authorized for issuance under the Plan were 2,078,917.
Stock Option Awards
Stock option activity for employees and non-employees for the three months ended March 31, 2025 is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares
Issuable
Pursuant to
Stock
Options |
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price |
|
|
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Terms
(years) |
|
|
Total
Intrinsic
Value (in
thousands) |
|
Outstanding January 1, 2025 |
|
|
1,487,234 |
|
|
$ |
8.34 |
|
|
|
8.3 |
|
|
$ |
46 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Granted |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercised |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expired |
|
|
(937 |
) |
|
$ |
34.72 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outstanding March 31, 2025 |
|
|
1,486,297 |
|
|
$ |
8.33 |
|
|
|
8.0 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Exercisable March 31, 2025 |
|
|
637,620 |
|
|
$ |
14.31 |
|
|
|
6.9 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Available for future grant |
|
|
33,298 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The weighted average grant-date fair value of stock options outstanding on March 31, 2025 was $6.16 per share. Total unrecognized compensation costs related to non-vested stock options at March 31, 2025 were approximately $2.5 million and are expected to be recognized within future operating results over a weighted-average period of 2.3 years. Generally, stock options are granted using exercise prices equal to the market price at the date of grant, vest over four years for employees and one year for directors, and are exercisable over a maximum period of 10 years from their grant dates.
The expected term of the employee-related options was estimated using the “simplified” method as defined by the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107, Share-Based Payment. The volatility assumption was determined by examining the historical volatility of the Company and volatilities for industry peer companies. The risk-free interest rate assumption is based on the U.S. Treasury instruments, the term of which was consistent with the expected term of the options. The dividend assumption is based on the Company’s history and expectation of dividend payouts. The Company has never paid dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate paying dividends on its common stock in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the Company has assumed no dividend yield for the purposes of estimating the fair value of the options.
The Company uses the Black-Scholes model to estimate the fair value of stock options granted. There were no stock options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units
On August 6, 2021, options to purchase 953,980 shares of the Company’s common stock were exchanged for 476,640 PRSUs. Options surrendered in the one-time stock option exchange program (the “Exchange Program”) were cancelled and shares subject to the cancelled options again became available for issuance under the Plan. The Exchange Program was treated as a Type II modification (Probable-to improbable) under ASC 718.
The Company used the pre-modification stock options for determining the compensation cost related to the PRSUs as the vesting conditions remain uncertain for the outstanding PRSUs. All expense related to the non-vested pre-modification stock options was fully recognized as of December 31, 2023.
On April 28, 2023, the Compensation Committee of the Company’s board of directors certified the achievement of a performance condition occurring upon FDA acceptance of the NDA for roluperidone. As a result, 50% of the shares of common stock underlying the Company’s PRSUs vested and the Company recognized approximately $0.2 million in non-cash compensation expense, representing 50% of the incremental cost of the PRSUs granted under the Exchange Program. The incremental cost was measured as the excess of the fair value of each new PRSU, measured as of the date the new PRSUs were granted, over the fair value of the stock options surrendered in exchange for the new PRSU, measured immediately prior to the cancellation. The remaining PRSUs vest upon roluperidone receiving FDA marketing approval, provided that such approval occurs within five years after the August 6, 2021 grant date. As of March 31, 2025, 228,213 PRSUs have vested, 20,218 have been cancelled, and 228,209 remain outstanding.
The following table presents stock-based compensation expense included in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
Research and development |
|
$ |
99,699 |
|
|
$ |
192,385 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
197,530 |
|
|
|
246,464 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
297,229 |
|
|
$ |
438,849 |
|
NOTE 8 — COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, the Company may be subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of the Company’s business activities. The Company is not aware of any claim or litigation, the outcome of which, if determined adversely to the Company, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and with our annual audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2025. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve significant risks and uncertainties. Our actual results, performance or experience could differ materially from what is indicated by any forward-looking statement due to various important factors, risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those set forth under “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Overview
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary product candidates to treat patients suffering from central nervous system diseases. Leveraging our scientific insights and clinical experience, we have acquired or in-licensed compounds that we believe have innovative mechanisms of actions and therapeutic profiles that potentially address the unmet needs of patients with these diseases.
We are developing roluperidone for the treatment of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize MIN-301 for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In addition, we previously co-developed seltorexant with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (“Janssen”), for the treatment of insomnia disorder and adjunctive treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (“MDD”). In June 2020, we exercised our right to opt out of our agreement with Janssen for the Phase 3 development of seltorexant and as a result, we were entitled to collect royalties in the mid-single digits on potential future worldwide sales of seltorexant in certain indications, with no further financial obligations to Janssen. In January 2021, we sold our rights to these potential royalties to Royalty Pharma plc (“Royalty Pharma”) for a $60 million cash payment and up to an additional $95 million in potential future milestone payments, subject to completion of Phase 3 trials by Janssen and regulatory approvals.
In August 2022, we submitted a New Drug Application (“NDA”) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for our lead product candidate, roluperidone, for the treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. On February 26, 2024, the FDA issued a Complete Response Letter (“CRL”) regarding our NDA for roluperidone. Since receiving the CRL, we have continued to have interactions with the FDA with the goal of addressing the questions raised in the CRL.
We have not received any regulatory approvals to commercialize any of our product candidates, and we have not generated any revenue from the sales or license of our product candidates. We routinely evaluate the status of our drug development programs as well as potential strategic options. We have incurred significant operating losses since inception and expect to continue to incur net losses and negative cash flows from operating activities for the foreseeable future in connection with the clinical and regulatory activities associated with advancing our product candidates. As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $399.1 million and $395.4 million, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, we recorded net losses of $3.8 million and $8.6 million, respectively.
Recent Developments
Nasdaq Listing Requirement Compliance Notice
On March 17, 2025, we were formally notified that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel, or the Panel, of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, or Nasdaq, determined that we have regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(3), which requires listed companies to maintain a minimum of $500,000 of net income from continuing operations. Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5815(d)(4)(A), we will be subject to a discretionary panel monitor for a period of one year from March 17, 2025. If, within that one-year monitoring period, we fail to maintain compliance with any Nasdaq continued listing requirement, the Listing Qualifications Staff of Nasdaq, or the Staff, will issue a Delist Determination Letter, and we will have an opportunity to request a new hearing with the initial Panel or a newly convened Hearings Panel if the initial Panel is unavailable. Notwithstanding Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(2), we will not be permitted to provide the Staff with a plan of compliance with respect to any deficiency that arises during the one-year monitoring period, and the Staff will not be permitted to grant additional time for us to regain compliance with respect to any deficiency.
There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to maintain compliance with Nasdaq’s listing standards or that the Company will be able to continue its listing on Nasdaq.
Clinical and Regulatory Updates
Complete Response Letter (CRL)
On February 26, 2024, the FDA issued a CRL to our NDA for roluperidone for the treatment of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. In the CRL, the FDA cited the following clinical deficiencies:
•Although one study (MIN-101C03) demonstrated statistical significance on the primary efficacy endpoint, it is insufficient on its own to establish substantial evidence of effectiveness.
•The NDA submission lacks data on concomitant antipsychotic administration.
•The NDA submission lacks data needed to establish that the change in negative symptoms of schizophrenia with roluperidone treatment was clinically meaningful.
•The submitted safety database included an inadequate number of subjects exposed to roluperidone at the proposed dose (64 mg) for at least 12 months.
To address these deficiencies, the FDA stated that we must submit at least one additional positive, adequate, and well-controlled study to support the safety and effectiveness of roluperidone for the treatment of negative symptoms. We must also provide additional data to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of roluperidone co-administered with antipsychotic medications, to support the observed effect on negative symptoms with roluperidone treatment corresponds to a clinically meaningful change, and to demonstrate the long-term safety of the proposed dose.
In addition to the clinical deficiencies described above, the FDA also provided comments on, among other items, clinical pharmacology, product quality, biopharmaceutics, and nonclinical issues.
Macroeconomic Considerations
Results of our operations have varied and may vary in the future based on the impact of changes in the domestic or global economy. Negative conditions in the general economy both in the United States and abroad, including conditions resulting from changes in inflation and fluctuations in interest rates, financial and credit market fluctuations, international trade relations and tariffs, pandemics, political turmoil, natural catastrophes and warfare in the United States or elsewhere, could negatively affect our business. It is not possible at this time to estimate the long-term impact that these and related events could have on our business, as the impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
Financial Overview
Revenue
None of our product candidates have been approved for commercialization and we have not received any revenue in connection with the sale or license of our product candidates.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development costs are expensed as they are incurred and consist principally of costs incurred in connection with the development of our product candidates including: fees paid to consultants and clinical research organizations (“CROs”), investigator grants, patient screening, laboratory work, database management, material management, statistical analysis, license fees, regulatory compliance, and costs related to salaries, benefits, bonuses and stock-based compensation granted to employees in research and development functions.
Completion dates and costs can vary significantly by product candidate and are difficult to predict. We anticipate making determinations as to which programs to pursue and the level of funding to direct to each program on an ongoing basis in response to the scientific and clinical success or failure of each product candidate, the estimated costs to continue the development program relative to our available resources, as well as an ongoing assessment of each product candidate’s commercial potential. We will need to raise additional capital or may seek additional product collaborations in the future to complete the development and commercialization of our product candidates.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative costs are expensed as they are incurred and consist principally of costs for facility and information systems, professional fees for auditing, consulting and legal services and costs related to salaries, benefits, bonuses and stock-based compensation granted to employees in administrative functions. General and administrative costs also include costs for maintaining a publicly listed company including increased audit and legal fees, compliance with securities laws, corporate governance and investor relations.
Foreign Exchange Gains (Losses)
Foreign exchange gains (losses) are comprised primarily of gains and (losses) on foreign currency transactions primarily related to research and development expenses. We incur certain expenses, primarily in Euros, and record these expenses in United States Dollars at the time the liability is incurred. Changes in the applicable foreign currency rate between the date that an expense is recorded and the payment date is recorded as a foreign currency gain or (loss).
Investment Income
Investment income consists of income earned on our cash equivalents and marketable securities.
Non-Cash Interest Expense for the Sale of Future Royalties
Non-cash interest expense for the sale of future royalties consists of the non-cash interest expense associated with the Royalty Pharma agreement.
Results of Operations
Comparison of Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 versus March 31, 2024
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses were $1.4 million and $4.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, a decrease of approximately $2.8 million. The decrease in research and development expenses was primarily due to costs associated with the FDA’s review of our NDA for roluperidone, costs for the C18 study, and lower compensation expenses. Non-cash stock compensation costs included in research and development expenses were $0.1 million and $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses were $2.5 million for both the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024. Non-cash stock compensation costs included in general and administrative expenses were $0.2 million also for both the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
Foreign Exchange (Losses) Gains
Foreign exchange losses were $8 thousand and foreign exchange gains were $5 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, a decrease of $13 thousand, primarily due to currency movements.
Investment Income
Investment income was $158 thousand and $358 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, a decrease of approximately $200 thousand, primarily due to cash and cash equivalents balances and interest rates.
Non-cash interest expense for the sale of future royalties
Non-cash interest expense for the sale of future royalties was zero and $2.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, a decrease of $2.3 million. The decrease in non-cash interest expense for the sale of future royalties was due to revising our estimates for the timing and amount of future royalty payments to be received under the royalty arrangement. During the third quarter of 2024, we adjusted the carrying amount of our liability related to the sale of future royalties to the initial payment of
$60 million. This adjustment resulted in the recognition of $26.6 million in other income during the third quarter of 2024, representing the amount of non-cash interest expense amortized through June 30, 2024.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
As of March 31, 2025, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $399.1 million. We anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future as we continue the development and potential commercialization of our product candidates and to support our operations as a public company. We have no products approved for commercial sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales to date, and we may never generate product revenue or achieve profitability. As of March 31, 2025, we had approximately $17.4 million in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, which we believe will be sufficient to meet our operating commitments for the next 12 months from the date our financial statements are issued. Our cash requirements primarily relate to expenditures to support the development of roluperidone, which includes advancing the program through the regulatory process.
The process of drug development can be costly and the timing and outcomes of clinical trials is uncertain. The assumptions upon which we have based our estimates are routinely evaluated and may be subject to change. The actual amount of our expenditures will vary depending upon many factors, including, but not limited to, the design, timing and duration of future clinical trials, the progress of our research and development programs, the infrastructure to support a commercial enterprise and the level of financial resources available. We can adjust our operating plan spending levels based on the timing of future clinical trials which are predicated upon adequate funding to complete the trials. We routinely evaluate the status of our clinical development programs as well as potential strategic options.
Private Placement of Common Stock and Warrants
On June 27, 2023, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional accredited investors, pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell in a private placement (i) an aggregate of 1,425,000 shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $10.00 per share, and (ii) in lieu of additional shares of common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase an aggregate of 575,575 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $9.99 per pre-funded warrant. The price per pre-funded warrant represents the price of $10.00 per share sold in the private placement, minus the $0.01 per share exercise price of each such pre-funded warrant. The pre-funded warrants are exercisable at any time after their original issuance and will not expire until exercised in full.
On June 30, 2023, we received aggregate gross proceeds under the private placement of $20.0 million and incurred approximately $0.4 million in offering expenses. Pursuant to the securities purchase agreement, we filed a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-273686), which was declared effective by the SEC on August 9, 2023, covering the resale of the Registrable Securities (as defined in the securities purchase agreement). In connection with the private placement, on August 29, 2023, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, an investor in the private placement, designated an observer to attend, subject to certain exceptions, meetings of our board of directors and our committees, until the earlier of (i) the occurrence of a Change of Control and (ii) the date that it and its affiliates collectively hold less than 10% of our Common Stock.
At-the-Market Equity Offering Program
In September 2022, we entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement (the “Sales Agreement”) with Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to time, through Jefferies, shares of our common stock, by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at-the-market” offering as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
During the three months ended March 31, 2025, no shares of our common stock were issued or sold under the Sales Agreement. As of March 31, 2025, an aggregate of $22.6 million was eligible for sale pursuant to the Sales Agreement under our effective registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-267424).
Seltorexant Royalties
We previously co-developed seltorexant with Janssen for the treatment of insomnia disorder and adjunctive treatment of MDD. During 2020, we exercised our right to opt out of a joint development agreement with Janssen for the future development of seltorexant. As a result, we were entitled to collect royalties in the mid-single digits on potential future sales of seltorexant worldwide in certain indications, with no further financial obligations to Janssen.
On January 19, 2021, we sold our royalty interest in seltorexant to Royalty Pharma for an upfront payment of $60 million and up to an additional $95 million in potential future milestone payments, contingent upon the achievement of certain clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones for seltorexant by Janssen.
Uses of Funds
To date, we have not generated any revenue from sales of products. We have only generated collaborative revenue due to opting out of our license and co-development agreement with Janssen. Furthermore, the $60 million payment received from Royalty Pharma for the sale of our royalty interests in seltorexant has been included on our balance sheet under liability related to the sale of future royalties. We do not know when, or if, we will generate any revenue from sales of our products, or from the potential future non-cash royalty revenue associated with the sale of our royalty interests in seltorexant to Royalty Pharma. We do not expect to generate significant revenue from product sales unless and until we obtain regulatory approval of and commercialize any of our product candidates. At the same time, we expect our expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing development activities, particularly as we continue the research, development and clinical trials of, and seek regulatory approval for, our product candidates. We also expect to continue to incur costs associated with operating as a public company. In addition, subject to obtaining regulatory approval of any of our product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses for product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution.
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial revenue from product sales, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, government or other third-party funding, commercialization, marketing and distribution arrangements and other collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the ownership interests of our common stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of our common stockholders. Additional debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through government or other third party funding, commercialization, marketing and distribution arrangements or other collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. There can be no assurance that such additional funding, if available, can be obtained on terms acceptable to us, and our ability to raise additional capital may be adversely impacted by global economic conditions, geopolitical conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and hostilities in the Middle East, and other factors. If we are unable to obtain additional financing, future operations would need to be scaled back or discontinued. We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash will be sufficient to meet our cash commitments for at least the next 12 months after the date that the financial statements are issued. The timing of future capital requirements depends upon many factors including the size and timing of future clinical trials, the timing and scope of any strategic partnering activity and the progress of other research and development activities.
Cash Flows
The tables below set forth our significant sources and uses of cash for the periods.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
|
(dollars in millions) |
|
Net cash used in: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating activities |
|
$ |
(4.1 |
) |
|
$ |
(6.1 |
) |
Investing activities |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Financing activities |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Net decrease in cash |
|
$ |
(4.1 |
) |
|
$ |
(6.1 |
) |
Net Cash Used in Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities of approximately $4.1 million during the three months ended March 31, 2025 was primarily due to our net loss of $3.8 million, and a $1.0 million decrease in accounts payable, partially offset by stock-based compensation expense of $0.3 million, a $0.3 million decrease in prepaid expenses, and a $0.1 million increase in accrued expenses.
Net cash used in operating activities of approximately $6.1 million during the three months ended March 31, 2024 was primarily due to our net loss of $8.6 million, a $0.4 million decrease in accounts payable, and a $0.1 million decrease in accrued expenses, partially offset by non-cash interest expense for the sale of future royalties of $2.3 million, stock-based compensation expense of $0.4 million, and a $0.3 million decrease in prepaid expenses.
Net Cash Provided by Investing Activities
Net cash provided by investing activities was zero during the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was zero during the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
In our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, our most critical accounting policies and estimates upon which our financial status depends were identified as those relating to research and development costs; goodwill; and the liability related to the sale of future royalties. We reviewed our policies and determined that those policies were our most critical accounting policies for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and are adopted by us as of the specified effective date. See Note 2 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and Note 2 in our condensed consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-Q for a description of recent accounting pronouncements applicable to our financial statements. We believe that the impact of recently issued, but not yet adopted, accounting pronouncements will not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements or do not apply to our operations.
Smaller Reporting Company Status
We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”). We may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled disclosures for so long as the market value of our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or our annual revenue is less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule12b-2 of the Exchange Act and are not required to provide the information required under this item.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) and Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer), evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2025. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2025, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at a reasonable assurance level.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act, during our latest fiscal quarter that would have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.