DermTech, Inc. - Quarter Report: 2021 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-Q

Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2021

OR

For the transition period from              to                       

Commission File Number: 001-38118

DERMTECH, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (858) 450-4222

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

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

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

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

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

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

As of May 10, 2021, the registrant had 28,938,688 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, outstanding.

Table of Contents

i

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

DERMTECH, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

1

DERMTECH, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

2

DERMTECH, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

3

DERMTECH, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity

Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

4

DERMTECH, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity

Three Months Ended March 31, 2021

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

5

DERMTECH, INC.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

6

DERMTECH, INC.

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

On August 29, 2019, DermTech, Inc., formerly known as Constellation Alpha Capital Corp, (the “Company”), and DermTech Operations, Inc., formerly known as DermTech, Inc., (“DermTech Operations”), consummated the transactions contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 29, 2019, by and among the Company, DT Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), and DermTech Operations. The Company refers to this agreement, as amended by that certain First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of August 1, 2019, as the Merger Agreement. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into DermTech Operations, with DermTech Operations surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company refers to this transaction as the Business Combination. In connection with and two days prior to the completion of the Business Combination, the Company domesticated from the British Virgin Islands to Delaware. DermTech Operations changed its name from DermTech, Inc. to DermTech Operations, Inc. shortly before the completion of the Business Combination. On August 29, 2019, immediately following the completion of the Business Combination, the Company changed its name from Constellation Alpha Capital Corp. to DermTech, Inc., and then effected a one-for-two reverse stock split of its common stock (“Reverse Stock Split”).

The Company is an emerging growth molecular diagnostic company developing and marketing its Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (“CLIA”) laboratory services including molecular pathology tests to facilitate the diagnosis of dermatologic conditions including melanoma. The Company has developed a proprietary, non-invasive technique for sampling the surface layers of the skin using an adhesive patch called the DermTech Smart Sticker™ (the “Smart Sticker”) in order to collect individual biological information for commercial applications in the medical diagnostic field.

From the end of the first quarter of 2020 and through the first quarter of 2021, there has been a widespread worldwide impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company is considered an essential business due to the importance of early melanoma detection, which has allowed the Company’s CLIA laboratory to remain fully operational. The Company has implemented additional safety measures and social distancing with its CLIA laboratory operations and has transitioned administrative functions to predominantly remote work. Beginning in March 2020 and continuing through the first quarter of 2021, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has reduced patient access to clinician offices for in-person testing, which has resulted in a reduced volume of billable samples received during the first quarter of 2021 relative to the Company’s pre-pandemic expectations. The Company expects the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to continue to adversely impact billable sample volume until patient access to in-person testing fully resumes or telemedicine options are more widely adopted. Additionally, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected and will continue to negatively affect the Company’s pharmaceutical customers’ clinical trials. The extent of such effect on the Company’s future revenue is uncertain and will depend on the duration and extent of the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s pharmaceutical customers’ clinical trials.

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions among the consolidated entity have been eliminated in consolidation. These unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation, have been included.

During the course of preparing the quarterly report Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2021, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC Staff”) issued a public statement entitled “Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (“SPACs”)” (the “SEC Statement”). The SEC Statement highlighted challenges associated with the accounting for complex financial instruments that may be common in SPACs, specifically accounting for warrants issued in connection with a SPAC’s formation and initial registered offering. In the SEC Statement, the SEC Staff expressed its view that certain terms and conditions common to SPAC warrants may require the warrants to be classified as liabilities on the SPAC’s balance sheet as opposed to equity.

7

The Company previously issued warrants to purchase common stock in public and private placement offerings consummated on June 23, 2017 (the “SPAC Warrants”), which were originally classified as equity in the Company’s financial statements. As part of the aforementioned public offering, the Company issued 14,375,000 warrants (the “Public SPAC Warrants”) and as part of the aforementioned private placement offering, the Company issued 561,250 warrants (the “Private SPAC Warrants”). The SPAC Warrants have a five-year life from the date the Business Combination was consummated and every four SPAC Warrants entitle the holder to purchase one whole share of common stock at an exercise price of $23.00 per whole share. The Company’s SPAC Warrants were accounted for as equity within the Company’s previously reported consolidated balance sheets.

The Private SPAC Warrants are identical to the Public SPAC Warrants but they (i) are exercisable either for cash or on a cashless basis at the holder’s option, (ii) are not redeemable by the Company as long as such warrants are held by the initial purchasers or their affiliates and permitted transferees, and (iii) may be subject to the limitations on exercise as specified in the warrant agreement.

Historically, the Private SPAC Warrants were recorded as a component of equity as opposed to liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and the Company’s consolidated statements of operations did not include the subsequent non-cash changes in estimated fair value of the Private SPAC Warrants, based on our application of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging, Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (“ASC 815-40”). The views expressed in the recent SEC Statement were not consistent with the Company’s historical interpretation of the specific provisions within its warrant agreement and the Company’s application of ASC 815-40 to the warrant agreement. The Company reassessed its accounting for SPAC Warrants issued on June 23, 2017, in light of the SEC Staff’s published views. After discussion and evaluation, the Company concluded that, as a result of these difference in features between the Public SPAC Warrants and Private SPAC Warrants, the Private SPAC Warrants should be classified as liabilities, if still held by the original Private SPAC Warrant holder, with subsequent changes in fair value reported in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations.

In addition, the Company analyzed the impact of the aforementioned adjustments on its previously issued audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 and previously issued unaudited consolidated financial statements for the periods ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, June 30, 2020, and March 31, 2020 (such years and periods, the “Affected Periods”). The Company concluded the adjustments are not material to any individual period prior to the period ended March 31, 2021, taking into account the requirements of ASC Topic 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections, ASC Topic 270, Interim Financial Reporting, ASC Topic 250-S99-1, Assessing Materiality, and ASC Topic 250-S99-2, Considering the Effects of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements. In accordance with the authoritative guidance, management evaluated the materiality of the adjustments from a quantitative and qualitative perspective. Based on such evaluation, the Company concluded that the effects of these adjustments were not material individually or in the aggregate to the Affected Periods and had no effect on the trend of financial results. While management concluded the adjustment was not material to any prior periods, individually or in the aggregate, based on our qualitative and quantitative analysis, management opted to make the adjustment by revising the respective amounts that were previously reported in the periods reflected in this Form 10-Q filing. Accordingly, in this filing, the Company has revised the prior period interim and annual financial information for the Affected Periods to reflect these adjustments.

The Company’s accounting for the Private SPAC Warrants as components of liabilities instead of as equity did not have any effect on the Company’s previously reported operating expenses, total cash flows from operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities, cash or total assets. The impact on the individual line items of our condensed consolidated balance sheets for each period presented from the adjustment was as follows (in thousands):

8

9

The impact on the individual line items of the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations for the periods presented from the adjustment was as follows (in thousands):

The condensed consolidated statements of cash flow are not presented because there is no impact on total cash flows from operating activities, investing activities, or financing activities.  Certain components of net cash used in operating activities changed, as caused by the revision, such as incorporating the non-cash item from the change in fair value of warrant liability in the adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities, but the net change amounted to zero for the Affected Periods.

The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the amounts of revenues and expenses reported during the period. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates these estimates and judgments, including but not limited to those related to assay revenue, stock-based compensation, short-term marketable securities, accounts receivable, accrued bonus, warrant liability and the realization of deferred tax assets. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with remaining maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains its cash balances at banks and financial institutions. The balances are insured up to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation legal limit. The Company maintains cash balances that may, at times, exceed this insured limit.

10

The Company considers securities with original maturities of greater than 90 days to be marketable securities. The Company has the ability, if necessary, to liquidate any of its cash equivalents and marketable securities to meet its liquidity needs in the next 12 months. Accordingly, such marketable securities are classified as current assets on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets even if they have contractual maturities greater than one year from the date of purchase.  The Company’s marketable securities consist of U.S. Treasury and agency securities, commercial paper, and corporate debt securities. Marketable securities are recorded at fair value and unrealized gains and losses are recorded within accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss). The estimated fair value of the marketable securities is determined based on quoted market prices or rates for similar instruments. The Company evaluates securities with unrealized losses to determine whether such losses, if any, are other than temporary. Realized gains and losses are calculated using the specific identification method and recorded as interest income or expense. The Company has determined that there were no other-than-temporary declines in fair values of its investments as of March 31, 2021.

Property and equipment is recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation. Property and equipment consists of mainly assets such as leasehold improvements, office, computer and laboratory equipment, including laboratory equipment acquired under capital lease arrangements. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from two to five years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the remaining term of the lease or the useful life of the asset. The Company recorded depreciation expense of $0.2 million and $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, which includes amortization of laboratory equipment acquired under capital leases of $17,000 and zero for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Amortization of assets that are recorded under capital leases in depreciation expense is included in cost of revenues on the condensed consolidated statement of operations. Gross assets recorded under capital leases were $0.3 million as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. Accumulated amortization associated with capital leases was $27,000 and $10,000 as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred, and material improvements are capitalized. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in the consolidated statements of operations in the period realized. $0.1 million and zero of equipment was disposed of during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company assesses its long-lived assets, consisting primarily of property and equipment, for impairment when material events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. There were no impairment losses for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

Costs incurred in connection with research and development (“R&D”) activities are expensed as incurred. R&D expenses consist of (i) employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits, travel and stock-based compensation expense; (ii) and facilities and other expenses, which include direct and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and laboratory and other supplies.

The Company expenses all costs as incurred in connection with patent applications (including direct application fees and the legal and consulting expenses related to making such applications), and such costs are included in general and administrative expenses.

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. As of March 31, 2021, the Company maintained $100.0 million in a sweep account, which maintains cash balances throughout various interest bearing bank accounts under the $250,000 insurance limit provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for one federally insured financial institution. Approximately $118.4 million was held in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insured limit as of March 31, 2021. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.

The Company provides for federal and state income taxes on the asset and liability approach which requires deferred tax assets and liabilities to be recognized based on temporary differences between the consolidated financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the temporary differences are expected to reverse.

11

Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in management’s opinion, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. The Company’s valuation allowance is based on available evidence, including its current year and prior year operating losses, evaluation of positive and negative evidence with respect to certain specific deferred tax assets including evaluation sources of future taxable income to support the realization of the deferred tax assets. The Company has established a full valuation allowance on the deferred tax assets as of March 31, 2021.

Current and deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the Company’s income tax returns. U.S. GAAP requires that the tax benefits of an uncertain tax position can only be recognized when it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority. Tax benefits related to tax positions that do not meet this criterion are not recognized in the condensed consolidated financial statements, of which there are none.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

The Company’s revenue is generated from two revenue streams: contract revenue and assay revenue. The Company accounts for revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), as amended, and accounts for revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606 (“ASC 606”). The core principle of ASC 606 is that the Company recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASC 606 revenue recognition model consists of the following five steps: (1) identify the contracts with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.

Assay Revenue

The Company generates revenues from its Pigmented Lesion Assay (“PLA”) test it provides to healthcare clinicians in various states throughout the United States to assist in a clinician’s diagnosis of melanoma. The Company provides prescribing clinicians with its Smart Sticker adhesive sample collection kits to perform non-invasive skin biopsies of clinically ambiguous pigmented skin lesions on patients. The Company also offers clinicians a telemedicine solution where they can request the PLA collection kit be sent to the patient’s home for a clinician-guided remote collection on ambiguous pigmented skin lesions. Once the sample is collected by the healthcare clinician or the patient via the telemedicine solution, it is returned to the Company’s CLIA laboratory for analysis. The patient’s ribonucleic acid (“RNA”) and deoxyribonucleic acid (“DNA”) are extracted from the Smart Sticker adhesive patch collection kit and analyzed using gene expression technology to determine if the pigmented skin lesion contains certain genomic features indicative of melanoma. Upon completion of the gene expression analysis, a final report is drafted and provided to the dermatologists detailing the test results for the pigmented skin lesion indicating whether the sample collected is indicative of melanoma or not.

Contract Revenue

Contract revenue is generated from the sale of laboratory services and Smart Sticker adhesive sample collection kits to third-party companies through contract research agreements. Revenues are generated from providing gene expression tests to facilitate the development of drugs designed to treat dermatologic conditions. The provision of gene expression services may include sample collection using the Company’s patented Smart Sticker adhesive patch collection kits, assay development for research partners, RNA extraction, isolation, expression, amplification and detection, including data analysis and reporting.

12

(a) Disaggregation of Revenue

The following table presents the Company’s revenues disaggregated by revenue source during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands):

For the three months ended March 31, 2021, there were two payors that each accounted for more than 10% of our total revenue. These two payors combined accounted for 43% of our total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021. For the three months ended March 31, 2020, there was one payor and one customer that each accounted for more than 10% of our total revenue. The one payor and one customer combined accounted for 56% of our total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2020. There were no other payors or customers that individually accounted for more than 10% of our total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.

In addition, the Company had one payor that accounted for more than 10% of accounts receivable as of March 31, 2021. The one payor accounted for 26% of accounts receivable as of March 31, 2021. There were no other payors or customers that individually accounted for more than 10% of accounts receivable as of March 31, 2021. In addition, the Company had one payor and one customer that accounted for more than 10% of accounts receivable as of March 31, 2020. The one payor and one customer accounted for 43% of accounts receivable as of March 31, 2020. There were no other payors or customers that individually accounted for more than 10% of accounts receivable as of March 31, 2020.

(b) Deferred Revenue and Remaining Performance Obligations

The timing of revenue recognition, billings and cash collections results in billed accounts receivable and deferred revenue on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

In a majority of agreements that produce contract revenue, the Company receives a substantial up-front payment and additional payments upon the achievement of various milestones over the life of the agreement. This results in deferred revenue and is relieved upon delivery of the applicable Smart Sticker adhesive patch kits or RNA extraction results. Changes in accounts receivable and deferred revenue were not materially impacted by any other factors.

The Company records a deferred revenue liability if a customer pays consideration before the Company transfers a good or service to the customer. Deferred revenue primarily represents upfront milestone payments, for which consideration is received prior to when goods/services are completed or delivered. Upfront fees that are estimated to be recognized as revenue more than one year from the date of collection are classified as long-term deferred revenue. Short-term deferred revenue as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 was $1.4 million and $0.9 million, respectively. Long-term deferred revenue as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 was $0.1 million and $0.6 million, respectively. 

Remaining performance obligations include deferred revenue and amounts the Company expects to receive for goods and services that have not yet been delivered or provided under existing agreements. For agreements that have an original duration of one year or less, the Company has elected the practical expedient applicable to such agreements and does not disclose the remaining performance obligations at the end of each reporting period. As of March 31, 2021, the estimated revenue expected to be recognized in future periods related to performance obligations that are unsatisfied for executed agreements with an original duration of one year or more was approximately $1.3 million. The Company expects to recognize revenue on the majority of these remaining performance obligations over the next two to three years.

Assay Accounts Receivable

Due to the nature of the Company’s assay revenue, it can take a significant amount of time to collect upon billed PLA tests. The Company prepares an analysis on reimbursement collections and data obtained for each financial reporting period to determine

13

the amount of receivables to be recorded relating to PLA tests performed in the applicable period. The Company generally does not perform evaluations of customers’ financial condition and generally does not require collateral. Accounts receivable are written off when all efforts to collect the balance have been exhausted. Adjustments for implicit price concessions attributable to variable consideration are incorporated into the measurement of the accounts receivable balances. The Company recorded $1.5 million and $1.0 million of gross assay accounts receivable as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

Contract Accounts Receivable

Contract accounts receivable are recorded at the net invoice value and are not interest bearing. The Company reserves specific receivables if collectability is no longer reasonably assured, and as of March 31, 2021, the Company did not maintain any reserve over contract receivables as they relate to large established credit worthy customers. The Company re-evaluates such reserves on a regular basis and adjusts its reserves as needed. Once a receivable is deemed to be uncollectible, such balance is charged against the reserve. The Company recorded $0.4 million and $0.5 million of contract accounts receivable as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

The Company records outbound freight and shipping costs for its contract and assay revenues in cost of revenues.

Comprehensive loss is defined as a change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. We report net loss and the components of other comprehensive loss, including unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities, net of their related tax effect to arrive at total comprehensive loss.

Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or decision-making group, in making decisions on how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company views its operations and manages its business as one operating segment.

Basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock is determined by dividing net loss applicable to holders of common stock by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Because there is a net loss attributable to holders of common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the outstanding common stock warrants, stock options, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and preferred stock have been excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share of common stock because their effect would be anti-dilutive. Therefore, the weighted average shares used to calculate both basic and diluted loss per share are the same. Diluted net loss per share of common stock for the three months ended March 31, 2021 excludes the effect of anti-dilutive equity instruments including 749,770 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding common stock warrants and 2,495,765 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options and release of restricted stock units. Diluted net loss per share of common stock for the three months ended March 31, 2020 excludes the effect of anti-dilutive equity instruments including 4,338,136 shares of common stock then issuable upon conversion of the Company’s preferred stock, 4,212,349 shares of common stock then issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants and 1,342,625 shares of common stock then issuable upon the exercise of stock options and release of RSUs. The Company did not consider a two-class method of loss per share given that the Company’s convertible participating securities do not participate in losses.

14

Effective January 1, 2020, the Company elected an accounting policy change to no longer estimate forfeitures in connection with expense recognition of stock options and RSUs. All stock options and RSUs granted on or subsequent to January 1, 2020 will recognize forfeitures when they occur in accordance with ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718). In addition, effective January 1, 2020, the Company has elected to recognize stock-based compensation expense over the requisite service period of options and awards on a ratable basis. The Company believes that the recognition of stock-based compensation on a ratable basis is more aligned with their business practices of granting options and awards. The accounting policy change does not have a material effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

Compensation costs associated with stock option awards and other forms of equity compensation are measured at the grant-date fair value of the awards and recognized over the requisite service period of the awards on a ratable basis.

The Company grants stock options to purchase common stock to employees with exercise prices equal to the fair market value of the underlying stock, as determined by the board of directors, management and outside valuation experts prior to the Business Combination. The board of directors and outside valuation experts determined the fair value of the underlying stock by considering a number of factors, including historical and projected financial results, the risks the Company faced at the time, the preferences of the Company’s debt holders and preferred stockholders, and the lack of liquidity of the Company’s common stock. Subsequent to the close of the Business Combination, the fair market value of stock options is based on the closing stock price on the grant date.

The fair value of each stock option award is estimated using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model. Such value is recognized as expense over the requisite service period using the ratable method. The expected term of options is based on the simplified method which defines the expected term as the average of the contractual term of the options and the weighted average vesting period for all option tranches. The expected volatility of stock options is based upon the historical volatility of a number of related publicly traded companies in similar stages of development as well as the volatility of the Company’s common stock. The risk-free interest rate is based on the average yield of U.S. Treasury securities with remaining terms similar to the expected term of the share-based awards. The assumed dividend yield was based on the Company’s expectation of not paying dividends in the foreseeable future.

The Company accounts for stock options to non-employees using the fair value approach. The fair value of these options is measured using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model, reflecting the same assumptions applied to employee options, other than expected life, which is assumed to be the remaining contractual life of the award. Options that are granted to employees generally have a requisite service period of three to four years.

RSUs are considered restricted stock. The fair market value of RSUs is based on the closing stock price on the grant date. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense based on the fair value on a ratable basis over the requisite service periods of the awards. RSUs that are granted to employees have a requisite service period typically between two and four years.

All stock options and RSUs granted prior to January 1, 2020 will maintain the estimated forfeiture approach and will be recognized over the requisite service period using the straight-line method.

The fair value of each option for employees was estimated on the date of grant using the following assumptions:

The following table sets forth assumptions used to determine the fair value of the purchase rights issued under the ESPP:

15

The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense for employee options, RSUs, ESPP contributions, and consultant options of $2.2 million and $1.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The total compensation cost related to non-vested awards not yet recognized as of March 31, 2021 was $32.8 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average term of 3.03 years. 

The Company accounts for warrants as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in FASB ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”) and ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging–Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (“ASC 815-40”). The assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815-40, including whether the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own common stock, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the warrants are outstanding.

For issued or modified warrants that meet all of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants classified as liabilities and are required to be recorded at their initial fair value on the date of issuance, and each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of the warrants are recognized as a component of other income/(expense) in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. The fair value of the warrants is estimated using a Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model. The Company will continue to adjust the liability for changes in fair value until the earlier of the exercise or expiration of its warrants. At that time, the portion of the warrant liability related to the Company’s warrants will be reclassified to additional paid-in capital.

The following assumptions were used to calculate the fair value of the Company’s warrant liability using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model:

16

The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company uses a three-tier fair value hierarchy to prioritize the inputs used in the Company’s fair value measurements. These tiers include: Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets; Level 2, defined as inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are either directly or indirectly observable; and Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs in which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions. The following table provides a summary of the assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (in thousands):

The Company’s marketable debt securities are classified as available-for-sale securities based on management's intentions and are at level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, as these investment securities are valued based upon quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active. The Company has classified marketable securities with original maturities of greater than one year as short-term investments based upon the Company’s ability to use all of those marketable securities to satisfy the liquidity needs of the Company’s current operations.

The fair value of the Private SPAC Warrants was determined using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model and included a significant unobservable input: expected volatility. Expected volatility is considered by the Company to be a significant unobservable input and is calculated using a weighted average of historical volatilities of a combination of the Company and peer companies, due to the lack of sufficient historical data of the Company’s own stock price. The model also incorporated several observable assumptions at each valuation date including: the price of the Company’s common stock on the date of valuation, the remaining contractual term of the warrant and the risk-free interest rate over the remaining term.

The following table summarizes the changes in the fair value of the Company’s Level 3 liabilities (in thousands):

17

The Company believes the carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate their estimated fair values due to the short-term nature of these accounts.

In June 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) – Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies accounting for nonemployee share-based payment transactions to now include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. This new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2020, and it did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which modified the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, based on the concepts in the Concepts Statement, including the consideration of costs and benefits. This new standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2020, and it did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”), which supersedes FASB ASC Topic 840, Leases (“Topic 840”), and provides principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both lessees and lessors. The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method for finance leases or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease for operating leases. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases. For companies that are not emerging growth companies (‘‘EGCs’’), ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. For EGCs, the ASU was to be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. However, in November 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-10, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326), Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815) and Leases (Topic 842): Effective Dates (“ASU 2019-10”), which included a one-year deferral of the effective date of ASU 2016-02 for certain entities. In June 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-05, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and Leases (Topic 842): Effective Dates for Certain Entities (“ASU 2020-05”), which further defers the effective date for certain entities. As a result, the ASU is now effective for EGCs for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Assuming we remain an EGC, we intend to adopt the new standard in the fourth quarter of 2022 using the modified retrospective method, under which the Company will apply Topic 842 to existing and new leases as of January 1, 2022, but prior periods will not be restated and will continue to be reported under Topic 840 guidance in effect during those periods. The Company expects to elect certain optional practical expedients. The Company anticipates that the adoption will not have a material impact on its statements of operations, statements of comprehensive loss or its statements of cash flows but expects to recognize right-of-use assets and liabilities for lease obligations associated with its operating leases.

18

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”), which eliminates certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and simplifies other areas of the existing guidance. For non-EGCs, ASU 2019-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. For EGCs, the standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2019-12 on its financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326) (“ASU 2016-13”), which amends the impairment model by requiring entities to use a forward-looking approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including trade receivables and available-for-sale debt securities. This standard covers the Company’s financial instruments, such as debt securities that are available for sale. Previously, when credit losses were measured under U.S. GAAP, an entity generally only considered past events and current conditions in measuring the incurred loss. The new guidance requires companies to identify, analyze, document and support new methodologies for quantifying expected credit loss estimates for financial instruments, using information such as historical experience and current economic conditions, plus the use of reasonable supportable forecast information. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financing Instruments—Credit Losses, which included an amendment of the effective date for nonpublic entities. For non-EGCs, ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. For EGCs, ASU 2016-13 was to be effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. However, in November 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-10, which included a one-year deferral of the effective date of ASU 2016-13 for certain entities. As a result, ASU is now effective for EGCs for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, and the standard is adopted using a modified retrospective transition method through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective. Assuming the Company remains an EGC, it intends to adopt ASU 2016-13 at the beginning of its fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. Adoption will require a modified retrospective transition. We are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this standard will have on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06 ("ASU 2020-06"), Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) (“ASU 2020-06”). ASU 2020-06 eliminates the beneficial conversion and cash conversion accounting models for convertible instruments. It also amends the accounting for certain contracts in an entity’s own equity that are currently accounted for as derivatives because of specific settlement provisions. In addition, ASU 2020-06 modifies how particular convertible instruments and certain contracts that may be settled in cash or shares impact the diluted EPS computation. The amendments in this update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021 (or December 15, 2023 for companies who meet the SEC definition of Smaller Reporting Companies), and interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendment is to be adopted through either a fully retrospective or modified retrospective method of transition. Early adoption is permitted, but only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on its financial statements and related disclosures.

Short-Term Marketable Securities

The amortized cost, gross unrealized holding gains, gross unrealized holding losses, and fair value of debt securities classified as available-for-sale securities by major security type and class of security as of March 31, 2021 were as follows (in thousands):

19

The amortized cost, gross unrealized holding gains, gross unrealized holding losses, and fair value of debt securities classified as available-for-sale securities by major security type and class of security as of December 31, 2020 were as follows (in thousands):

As of March 31, 2021, all of our debt securities had contractual maturities of less than twelve months. As of December 31, 2020, the estimated market value of debt securities with contractual maturities of less than twelve months was $37.3 million; the remaining debt securities that we held at that date had an estimated market value of $2.3 million and contractual maturities of up to 14 months.

Prepaid Expenses and PP&E

Condensed consolidated balance sheet details are as follows (in thousands):