Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. - Quarter Report: 2018 September (Form 10-Q)

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One) 

 

☒    QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2018

 

OR

 

☐    TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Commission file number: 001-37813

SYROS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

(617) 744-1340

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

(Former Name, Former Address and Former Fiscal Year, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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  ☒

 

Number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding on October 26, 2018: 33,654,604

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, or Quarterly Report, contains forward‑looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this Quarterly Report, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management and expected market growth are forward‑looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward‑looking statements, although not all forward‑looking statements contain these identifying words. In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. The forward‑looking statements and opinions contained in this Quarterly Report are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Quarterly Report and, while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information.

 

These forward‑looking statements include, among other things, statements about:

 

 

We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward‑looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward‑looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward‑looking statements we make. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward‑looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this Quarterly Report, particularly in the “Risk Factors” section, that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward‑looking statements that we make. Our forward‑looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, collaborations, joint ventures or investments that we may make or enter into. You should read this Quarterly Report completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward‑looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

 

PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

SYROS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

 

SYROS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SYROS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

SYROS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

 

 

See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

 

1. Nature of Business

 

Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company"), a Delaware corporation formed in November 2011, is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering an understanding of the non-coding regulatory region of the genome to advance a new wave of medicines that control the expression of genes.

 

The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to those of other early stage companies, including dependence on key individuals; risks inherent in the development and commercialization of medicines to treat human disease; competition from other companies, many of which are larger and better capitalized; risks relating to obtaining and maintaining necessary intellectual property protection; and the need to obtain adequate additional financing to fund the development of its product candidates and discovery activities. If the Company is unable to raise capital when needed or on favorable terms, it would be forced to delay, reduce, eliminate or out-license certain of its research and development programs or future commercialization rights to its product candidates.

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company issued and sold an aggregate of 1,373,677 shares of its common stock to the public pursuant to its at-the-market sales facility, resulting in aggregate proceeds of $16.6 million. In February 2018, the Company issued and sold an aggregate of 4,188,481 shares of its common stock in a public offering at a price of $9.55 per share, resulting in gross proceeds of $40.0 million before deducting underwriting commissions and fees of approximately $3.0 million. The underwriters exercised their option to purchase an additional 628,272 shares at a price per share of $9.55, resulting in additional gross proceeds of $6.0 million before deducting underwriting commissions and fees of approximately $0.4 million. In February 2018, the Company also completed a private placement of 144,505 shares of common stock to Incyte Corporation (“Incyte”), for aggregate proceeds of $1.4 million. In January 2018, the Company completed a private placement of 793,021 shares of common stock to Incyte for aggregate proceeds of $10.0 million in connection with entry into a target discovery collaboration with Incyte (refer to Note 3).

 

The Company has incurred significant annual net operating losses in every year since its inception. It expects to continue to incur significant and increasing net operating losses for at least the next several years. The Company’s net losses were $54.0 million, $47.7 million and $29.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $44.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $199.5 million. The Company has not generated any revenues from product sales, has not completed the development of any product candidate and may never have a product candidate approved for commercialization. The Company has financed its operations to date primarily through the sale of equity securities. The Company has devoted substantially all of its financial resources and efforts to research and development and general and administrative expense to support such research and development. The Company’s net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year. Net losses and negative cash flows have had, and will continue to have, an adverse effect on the Company’s stockholders' equity and working capital. The Company believes that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $113.2 million as of September 30, 2018, will be sufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operating plan for a period of at least 12 months past the issuance date of these unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements. 

 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The Company’s unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative U.S. GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted from this report, as is permitted by such rules and regulations. Accordingly, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017 and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 12, 2018. 

 

The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited financial statements except as noted below with respect to the adoption of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”). In the opinion of the Company’s management, the accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments that are necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of September 30, 2018, the results of its operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. Such adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the year ending December 31, 2018, or for any future period.

 

Principles of Consolidation

 

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Syros Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Syros Securities Corporation, which is a Massachusetts corporation formed by the Company in December 2014 to exclusively engage in buying, selling and holding securities on its own behalf. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Management considers many factors in selecting appropriate financial accounting policies and in developing the estimates and assumptions that are used in the preparation of the financial statements. Management must apply significant judgment in this process. In addition, other factors may affect estimates, which include, but are not limited to, expected business and operational changes, sensitivity and volatility associated with the assumptions used in developing estimates and whether historical trends are expected to be representative of future trends. Management’s estimation process often may yield a range of potentially reasonable estimates and management must select an amount that falls within that range of reasonable estimates. On an ongoing basis, the Company’s management evaluates its estimates, which include, but are not limited to, estimates related to revenue recognition, stock-based compensation expense, accrued expenses and income taxes. Actual results may differ from those estimates or assumptions.

 

Segment Information

 

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's chief operating decision maker is the Chief Executive Officer. The Company and the chief operating decision maker view the Company's operations and manage its business in one operating segment. The Company operates only in the United States.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments that have original maturities of three months or less when acquired to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents, which consist of money market funds that invest in U.S. Treasury obligations, as well as overnight repurchase agreements, are stated at fair value. The Company maintains its bank accounts at one major financial institution.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820”), established a fair value hierarchy for instruments measured at fair value that distinguishes between assumptions based on market data (observable inputs) and the Company’s own assumptions (unobservable inputs). Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company’s assumption about the inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, and are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.

 

ASC 820 identified fair value as the exchange price, or exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As a basis for

considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, ASC 820 established a three-tier fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between the following:

 

Level 1—Quoted market prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

Level 2—Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are either directly or indirectly observable, such as quoted market prices, interest rates and yield curves.

 

Level 3—Unobservable inputs developed using estimates or assumptions developed by the Company, which reflect those that a market participant would use.

 

To the extent that the valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized as Level 3. A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

The carrying amounts reflected in the condensed consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses, other current assets, accounts payable, accrued expenses and deferred revenue approximate their fair values, due to their short-term nature.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

To date the Company’s only revenue has consisted of collaboration and license revenue. The Company has not generated any revenue from product sales and does not expect to generate any revenue from product sales for the foreseeable future. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recognized approximately $0.4 million and $1.2 million of revenue, respectively, all of which was attributable to its target discovery collaboration with Incyte. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recognized $1.1 million of revenue, all of which was attributable to a research agreement with a multinational pharmaceutical company that expired in accordance with its terms in March 2017. No revenue was recognized for the three months ended September 30, 2017.

 

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Topic 606 using the modified retrospective method and applied the new standard to contracts that have been not completed as of the January 1, 2018 adoption date. As of the January 1, 2018 adoption date, the Company did not have any contracts that were not yet completed.

 

Topic 606 applies to all contracts with customers, except for contracts that are within the scope of other standards, such as leases, insurance, collaboration arrangements and financial instruments. Under Topic 606, an entity recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that an entity determines are within the scope of Topic 606, the entity performs the following five steps:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer.  At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of Topic 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determines those that are performance obligations, and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct.  The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.  

  

The Company from time to time enters into agreements that are within the scope of Topic 606. The terms of these arrangements typically include payment to the Company of one or more of the following: non-refundable, up-front license fees; development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments; and royalties on net sales of licensed products. Each of these payments results in license and collaboration revenues, except for revenues from royalties on net sales of licensed products, which will be classified as royalty revenues.

 

The Company analyzes its collaboration arrangements to assess whether they are within the scope of ASC 808, Collaborative Arrangements (“ASC 808”), to determine whether such arrangements involve joint operating activities performed by parties that are both active participants in the activities and exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of such activities. This assessment is performed throughout the life of the arrangement based on changes in the responsibilities of all parties in the arrangement.  For collaboration arrangements within the scope of ASC 808 that contain multiple elements, the Company first determines which elements of the collaboration are deemed to be within the scope of ASC 808 and those that are more reflective of a vendor-customer relationship and therefore within the scope of Topic 606. For elements of collaboration arrangements that are accounted for pursuant to ASC 808, an appropriate recognition method is determined and applied consistently, generally by analogy to Topic 606.  For those elements of the arrangement that are accounted for pursuant to Topic 606, the Company applies the five-step model described above.

 

Research and Development

 

Expenditures relating to research and development are expensed in the period incurred. Research and development expenses consist of both internal and external costs associated with the development of the Company’s gene control platform and product candidates. Research and development costs include salaries and benefits, materials and supplies, external research, preclinical and clinical development expenses, stock-based compensation expense and facilities costs. Facilities costs primarily include the allocation of rent, utilities, depreciation and amortization.

 

In certain circumstances, the Company is required to make nonrefundable advance payments to vendors for goods or services that will be received in the future for use in research and development activities. In such circumstances, the nonrefundable advance payments are deferred and capitalized, even when there is no alternative future use for the research and development, until related goods or services are provided.

 

The Company records accruals for estimated ongoing research costs. When evaluating the adequacy of the accrued liabilities, the Company analyzes progress of the work being performed, including the phase or completion of the event, invoices received and costs. Significant judgements and estimates may be made in determining the accrued balances at the end of any reporting period. Actual results could differ from the Company’s estimates.

 

The Company may in-license the rights to develop and commercialize product candidates. For each in-license transaction the Company evaluates whether it has acquired processes or activities along with inputs that would be sufficient to constitute a “business” as defined under U.S. GAAP. A “business” as defined under U.S. GAAP consists of inputs and processes applied to those inputs that have the ability to create outputs. Although businesses usually have outputs, outputs are not required for an integrated set of activities to qualify as a business. When the Company determines that it has not acquired sufficient processes or activities to constitute a business, any up-front payments, as well as milestone payments, are immediately expensed as acquired research and development in the period in which they are incurred.

 

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

 

The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation awards in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). ASC 718 requires all stock-based payments to employees and directors, including grants of restricted stock and stock options, to be recognized as expense in the consolidated statements of operations based on their grant date fair values. Grants of restricted stock and stock options to other service providers, referred to as non-employees, are required to be recognized as expense in the consolidated statements of operations based on their vesting date fair values. The Company estimates the fair value of options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Prior to June 30, 2016, the Company was a private company and, therefore, lacks Company-specific historical and implied volatility information. As a result, it estimates its expected stock volatility based on the historical volatility of a publicly traded set of peer companies and expects to continue to do so until such time as it has adequate historical data regarding the volatility of its own traded stock price. The expected term of the Company’s stock options has been

determined utilizing the “simplified” method for awards that qualify as “plain-vanilla” options. The expected term of stock options granted to non-employees is equal to the contractual term of the option award. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. Expected dividend yield is based on the fact that the Company has never paid cash dividends and does not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The Company uses the value of its common stock to determine the fair value of restricted stock awards.

 

The amount of stock-based compensation expense recognized during a period is based on the fair value of the portion of the awards that are ultimately expected to vest. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur instead of estimating forfeitures at the time of grant. Ultimately, the actual expense recognized over the vesting period will be for only those options that vest.

 

The Company expenses the fair value of its stock-based awards to employees on a straight-line basis over the associated service period, which is generally the vesting period. For stock-based awards granted to non-employees, stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the period during which services are rendered by such non-employees until completed. At the end of each financial reporting period prior to completion of the service, the fair value of these awards is remeasured using the then-current fair value of such awards.

 

For stock-based awards that contain performance-based milestones, the Company records stock-based compensation expense in accordance with the accelerated attribution model. Management evaluates when the achievement of a performance-based milestone is probable based on the expected satisfaction of the performance conditions as of the reporting date. For certain of the Company’s performance-based awards, notwithstanding any vesting in accordance with the achievement of performance-based milestones, such awards vest in full on the sixth anniversary of the vesting commencement date.

 

Net Loss per Share

 

Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing net loss by the weighted average shares outstanding during the period, without consideration for common stock equivalents. Diluted net loss per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average shares outstanding for the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents outstanding for the period, determined using the treasury-stock method and the if-converted method. For purposes of the dilutive net loss per share calculation, stock options are considered to be common stock equivalents but are excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share, as their effect would be anti-dilutive; therefore, basic and diluted net loss per share were the same for all periods presented as a result of the Company’s net losses.

 

The following common stock equivalent was excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the periods indicated because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:

 

 

Income Taxes

 

In December 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 to address the application of U.S. GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of H.R.1 (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act). The Company has recognized provisional tax impacts related to the re-valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities and included these amounts in its consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017. The Company has no foreign operations and, therefore, does not have an associated liability from the repatriation tax on accumulated earnings in H.R.1. The ultimate impact may differ from these provisional amounts, possibly materially, due to, among other things, additional analysis, changes in interpretations and assumptions the Company has made, additional regulatory guidance that may be issued, and actions the Company may take as a result of H.R.1. The Company’s accounting treatment is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2018, which is one year from the enactment of H.R.1.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASC 842”), which applies to all leases and will require lessees to record most leases on the balance sheet but recognize expense in a manner similar to the current standard. ASC 842 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those years and, as such, will be effective for the year ended December 31, 2019 for the Company. Entities are required to use a modified retrospective approach of adoption for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements. Full retrospective application is prohibited. The modified retrospective approach includes a number of optional practical expedients primarily focused on leases that commenced before the effective date of ASC 842, including continuing to account for leases that commence before the effective date in accordance with previous guidance, unless the lease is modified. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which clarifies ASC 842 and provides companies with an optional transition method. The optional transition method allows for companies to adopt ASC 842 as of the January 1, 2019 adoption date and record a cumulative catch-up to related earnings during the period of adoption. The Company is currently in the process of quantifying the impact ASC 842 will have on its condensed consolidated balance sheets and statement of operations. The Company anticipates adopting the new standard using the optional transition method and only presenting the right of use asset and lease liability as of the January 1, 2019 adoption date. The Company also anticipates electing the practical expedients as part of the adoption of ASC 842 and will not reassess the classification of leases executed prior to the January 1, 2019 adoption date. While the Company continues to evaluate the provisions of ASC 842 to determine how it will be effected, the primary effect of adopting the new standard is currently expected to be the recording of  a right of use asset and lease liability for the current operating lease for its office and laboratory facility as of the January 1, 2019 adoption date.

 

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation -Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2018-07”). ASU 2018-07 aims to simplify the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees by aligning it to the accounting for share-based payments to employees including determining the fair value of the award on the date of grant and recognizing the stock-based compensation expense as of the respective vesting date. The new standard also requires companies to elect to either measure the awards to nonemployees over an estimated expected term or contractual term as well as elect to estimate forfeitures or account for forfeitures as incurred. ASU 2018-07 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. ASU 2018-07 is to be adopted using a modified retrospective approach with a cumulative catch-up to retained earnings recorded for equity-classified awards for which a measurement date has not been established as of the date of adoption. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of ASU 2018-07, but does not anticipate ASU 2018-07 will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

 

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurements (Topic 820 (“ASU 2018-13”)), which provides for changes to the disclosure requirements for recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements under Topic 820. ASU 2018-13 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Provisions of ASU 2018-13 including changes in unrealized gains and losses, the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements, and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty are required to be applied prospectively for only the most recent interim or annual period presented in the initial fiscal year of adoption. All other amendments in ASU 2018-13 should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented upon their effective date. Early adoption is permitted upon issuance of ASU 2018-13. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the new standard but does not anticipate ASU 2018-13 will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. 

 

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, (Topic 606) ("ASU 2014-09"). ASU 2014-09 amends the guidance for the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers to transfer goods and services. The FASB subsequently issued additional, clarifying standards to address issues arising from the implementation of the new revenue recognition standard. The new revenue recognition standard and clarifying standards require an entity to recognize revenue when control of promised goods or services is transferred to the customer at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Company adopted ASU 2014-09 as of January 1, 2018 and has elected to adopt ASU 2014-09 using the modified retrospective approach and applied the standard only to contracts that have not been completed as of the January 1, 2018 adoption date. As of the January 1, 2018 adoption date, the Company did not have any contracts that were not yet completed and will apply the new standard to all future contracts executed. The adoption of ASU 2014-09 did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company entered into a target discovery collaboration with Incyte that is accounted for in accordance with Topic 606, as discussed in Note 3. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recognized $0.4 million and $1.2 million of revenue, respectively, related to the target discovery collaboration, compared to $0.4 million and $1.2 million, respectively, that would have been recognized in accordance with the previous revenue recognition policies of ASC 605.

 

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) (“ASU 2016-15”), which simplifies certain elements of cash flow classification. The new guidance is intended to reduce diversity of practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows and is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted ASU 2016-15 on January 1, 2018. The adoption of ASU 2016-15 did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of cash flows and related disclosures.

 

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Restricted Cash (“ASU 2016-18”). The amendments in ASU 2016-18 require an entity to reconcile and explain the period-over-period change in total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash within its statements of cash flows. The Company adopted ASU 2016-18 on January 1, 2018 using the full retrospective approach. As a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-18, the Company included $0.6 million and $0.5 million of restricted cash in the ending balances of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash in the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business (“ASU 2017-01”). The amended guidance clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The Company adopted ASU 2017-01 on January 1, 2018 and will apply the guidance prospectively. The adoption of ASU 2017-01 did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

3. Agreements with Incyte Corporation

 

On January 8, 2018, the Company and Incyte entered into a Target Discovery, Research Collaboration and Option Agreement (the “Collaboration Agreement”). Under the Collaboration Agreement, the Company is using its proprietary gene control platform to identify novel therapeutic targets with a focus on myeloproliferative neoplasms, and Incyte has received options to obtain exclusive worldwide rights to intellectual property resulting from the collaboration for the development and commercialization of therapeutic products directed to up to seven validated targets. Incyte will have exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize any therapies under the collaboration that modulate those validated targets.

 

On January 8, 2018, the Company also entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with Incyte (the “Stock Purchase Agreement”) whereby, for an aggregate purchase price of $10.0 million, Incyte purchased 793,021 shares of the Company’s common stock at $12.61 per share. Under the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement, the shares were purchased at 30% premium over the volume-weighted sale price of the shares of the Company’s common stock over the fifteen (15) trading day period immediately preceding the date of the Stock Purchase Agreement.

 

Collaboration Agreement

 

Under the terms of the Collaboration Agreement, Incyte paid the Company $10.0 million in up-front consideration, consisting of $2.5 million in cash and $7.5 million in pre-paid research funding (the “Prepaid Research Amount”). The Company’s activities under the Collaboration Agreement are subject to a joint research plan and, subject to certain exceptions, Incyte is responsible for funding the Company’s activities under the research plan, including amounts in excess of the pre-paid research funding amount. Under the Collaboration Agreement, the Company is required to use commercially reasonable efforts to conduct the research services over a period commencing on the effective date of the Collaboration Agreement and ending upon the completion of specified target validation activities (the "Research Term"). 

 

The Company is eligible to receive target selection milestone payments, which extend the period of time in which the options are exercisable, and option exercise fees of up to an aggregate of $54.0 million if Incyte selects the maximum number of targets for validation and exercises its options to obtain exclusive rights to collaboration intellectual property for seven validated targets. Should any therapeutic product be developed by Incyte against a target as to which Incyte has exercised its option to obtain exclusive rights to collaboration intellectual property, the Company will be eligible to receive milestone payments and, if approved and commercialized, royalty payments from Incyte. For each of the up to seven validated targets, the Company would become eligible to receive from Incyte a total of up to $50.0 million in development and regulatory milestone payments. If products arising from the collaboration are approved, the Company would become eligible to receive from Incyte, for each validated target, a total of up to $65.0 million in commercial milestone payments. Upon approval and commercialization of any therapeutic product resulting from the collaboration, the Company would become eligible to receive low single-digit royalties on net sales of such product.

 

The term of the Collaboration Agreement began on January 8, 2018 and, unless terminated by a party early, will continue until all royalty obligations for products arising from the collaboration expire. The Collaboration Agreement may be terminated by Incyte for convenience on sixty (60) days’ prior written notice to the Company, or by the Company on thirty (30) days’ written notice in the event Incyte or one of its affiliates or sublicensees challenges the validity or enforceability of certain patent rights controlled by the Company. The Collaboration Agreement may also be terminated by either of the parties on thirty (30) days’ prior written notice in the event of an uncured material breach of the Collaboration Agreement by the other party or immediately in the case of certain bankruptcy events. If the Collaboration Agreement is terminated by Incyte for material breach, then the Company shall refund any unexpended Prepaid Research Amount. Incyte’s right to terminate for convenience and each party’s right to terminate for uncured material breach may be exercised either with respect to the Collaboration Agreement in its entirety or, as applicable, in relation to the relevant validated target and associated therapeutic products.

 

Collaboration Revenue

 

The Company analyzed the Collaboration Agreement to assess whether it is within the scope of ASC 808. As it was determined that the arrangement did not involve joint operating activities performed by parties that are both active participants in the activities and exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of such activities, the Company concluded that the Collaboration Agreement was not in the scope of ASC 808. The Company assessed the Collaboration Agreement and concluded that it represents a contract with a customer within the scope of Topic 606. 

 

The Company has identified a single performance obligation which includes a (i) research license that Incyte retains as long as there remains an unexercised option (the “Research License”) and (ii) research and development services provided during the Research Term (the “Research Services”). The Collaboration Agreement includes options to (x) obtain additional time to exercise the license options for certain targets designated as definitive validation targets and (y) obtain license rights to each validated target, both of which were not considered by the Company’s management to be material rights, and therefore not performance obligations, at inception. The Company’s management believes the options do not provide a material right to the customer that it would receive without entering into the contract principally because the option fees are at least equal to the standalone selling price for the underlying goods. The Research License is not considered distinct as Incyte cannot benefit from the Research License without the Research Services that are separately identifiable in the contract. The Research License only allows Incyte to evaluate the targets developed as part of the conduct of the Research Services under the research plan or conduct work allocated to them during the Research Term. Incyte cannot extract any benefit from the Research License without the Research Services, including the provision of data package information, performed by the Company. As such, these two promises are deemed inputs to a

combined output (the delivery of data package allowing Incyte to make an option exercise decision) and are bundled into a single performance obligation (the “Research License and Research Service Performance Obligation”).

 

At inception, the total transaction price was determined to be $12.3 million, which consisted of a $2.5 million upfront non-refundable and non-creditable payment, the $7.5 million Prepaid Research Amount and $2.3 million in premium paid on the equity investment made pursuant the Stock Purchase Agreement. The Collaboration Agreement also provides for development and regulatory milestones that are only payable subsequent to the exercise of an option and were therefore excluded from transaction price at inception. The Company intends to re-evaluate the transaction price at the end of each reporting period and as uncertain events are resolved or other changes in circumstances occur. There were no changes to the transaction price during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018.

 

Topic 606 requires an entity to recognize revenue only when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring a promised good or service to a customer. A good or service is considered to be transferred when the customer obtains control. As the Research License and Research Services represent one performance obligation, the Company has determined that it will satisfy its performance obligation over a period of time as services are performed and Incyte receives the benefit of the services, as the overall purpose of the arrangement is for the Company to perform the services. 

 

The Company intends to recognize revenue related to the Research License and Research Services Performance Obligation as the underlying services are performed using an input measure over the period the Company expects to complete the performance obligation. The Company measures proportional performance based on an input method using actual costs incurred relative to the total estimated costs of the Research Services. 

 

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recognized revenue of approximately $0.4 million and $1.2 million, respectively, under the Collaboration Agreement. As of September 30, 2018, the Company has deferred revenue outstanding under the Collaboration Agreement of approximately $11.1 million, of which $7.1 million and $4.0 million were classified as current and long-term, respectively, on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets.

 

The following table presents the changes in the Company’s deferred revenue liabilities for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 (in thousands):

 

 

 

4.  Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities

 

Cash equivalents are highly liquid investments that are readily convertible into cash with original maturities of three months or less when purchased. Marketable securities consist of securities with original maturities greater than 90 days when purchased. The Company classifies these marketable securities as available-for-sale and records them at fair value in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. Unrealized gains or losses are included in accumulated other comprehensive loss. Premiums or discounts from par value are amortized to other income over the life of the underlying security.

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities consisted of the following at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (in thousands):

 

 

Although available to be sold to meet operating needs or otherwise, securities are generally held through maturity. The cost of securities sold is determined based on the specific identification method for purposes of recording realized gains and losses. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, there were no realized gains or losses on sales of investments, and no investments were adjusted for other-than-temporary declines in fair value.

As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, all marketable securities had maturities of less than twelve months when purchased.

At September 30, 2018, the Company held fourteen securities that were in an unrealized loss position. The aggregate fair value of securities held by the Company in an unrealized loss position for less than 12 months as of September 30, 2018 was $69.7 million, and there were no securities held by the Company in an unrealized loss position for more than 12 months. The Company has the intent and ability to hold such securities until recovery. The Company determined that there was no material change in the credit risk of the above investments. As a result, the Company determined it did not hold any investments with an other-than-temporary impairment as of September 30, 2018.

5. Fair Value Measurements

 

Assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

 

6. Restricted Cash

 

At September 30, 2018, the Company had $0.9 million in restricted cash of which $0.6 million was classified as short-term and $0.3 million as long-term. At December 31, 2017, the Company had $0.5 million in restricted cash, of which $0.2 million was classified as short-term and $0.3 million as long-term.

 

As of December 31, 2017,  the $0.5 million of restricted cash served as the security deposit on the lease of the Company’s current facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Note 8). In April 2018, the Company collected a $0.2 million refund from its landlord in accordance with the terms of the lease agreement and the remaining of $0.3 million is classified as long-term on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2018.

 

In August 2018, the Company entered into a manufacturing agreement with a third party for manufacturing services related to one of its product candidates. In accordance with the terms of the manufacturing agreement, the Company was required to provide a letter of credit in the amount of $0.6 million. The letter of credit will expire on September 30, 2019 and is classified as short-term on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2018.

 

In accordance with the recently adopted accounting pronouncement ASU 2016-18, the following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows as of September 30, 2018, December 31, 2017, September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 (in thousands):

 

 

 

7. Accrued Expenses

 

Accrued expenses consisted of the following as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (in thousands):

 

 

 

8. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Operating Leases

 

In March 2015, the Company entered into an operating lease for approximately 21,488 rentable square feet of office and laboratory space in Cambridge, Massachusetts (the “2015 Lease”), with a lease term commencing in August 2015 and ending in October 2020. The Company has an option to extend the 2015 Lease for five additional years. The 2015 Lease has escalating rent payments and the Company records rent expense on a straight-line basis over its term, including any rent-free periods. The 2015 Lease includes certain lease incentives in the form of tenant allowances. The Company has capitalized the improvements made with the tenant allowance into fixed assets and established a liability for the deferred lease incentive upon occupancy. The Company recorded these incentives as a component of deferred rent and will amortize these incentives as a reduction of rent expense over the lease term. The related fixed assets will be amortized over the lease term. Upon the Company’s adoption of ASC 842 effective January 1, 2019, the lease incentives will be an  offsetting component of the right of use asset (see more details in Note 1 – “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” above).

 

The Company recorded rent expense of $0.2 million for each of the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, and $0.7 million for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, related to the 2015 Lease. The 2015 Lease required the Company to issue an original letter of credit in the amount of $0.5 million of which $0.2 million was collected in April 2018 and $0.3 million remains classified as restricted cash as of September 30, 2018 (see Note 6).

 

License Agreements

 

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. and Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

 

      In February 2013, the Company entered into a license agreement with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc. ("Dana-Farber") pursuant to which the Company was granted an exclusive worldwide, sublicensable license under specified patents relating to CDK7 inhibitors and JNK inhibitors owned or controlled by Dana-Farber. Payments totaling $3.4 million are due to Dana-Farber if and when the Company achieves certain clinical and regulatory milestones for any licensed product, none of which have been achieved as of September 30, 2018.  No future potential milestone payments have been accrued as September 30, 2018 or December 31, 2017, as no milestones have been achieved and the agreement can be cancelled at the Company's option. Therefore, the Company had no obligation to pay any of these amounts. The Company is obligated to pay a tiered royalty on net sales for licensed products in any country subject to the license. Royalty payments, if any, would continue for the duration of the licensed patents.

 

In April 2013, the Company entered into a license agreement with the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research (“Whitehead”) and Dana-Farber, pursuant to which the Company was granted a worldwide, sublicensable license under specified patents relating to MYC modulators owned or controlled by Whitehead and Dana-Farber.

 

In April 2013, the Company entered into an additional license agreement with Whitehead, pursuant to which the Company was granted a worldwide license under specified patents relating to super-enhancers owned or controlled by Whitehead.

 

In connection with the Whitehead agreements, the Company issued 171,674 shares of its common stock to Whitehead in April 2013. Payments totaling $3.6 million are due under the Whitehead agreements when the Company achieves certain milestones. The future potential milestone payments due under the Whitehead agreements have not been accrued as of September 30, 2018 or December 31, 2017, as no milestones have been achieved and the agreement can be cancelled at the Company's option. Therefore, the Company had no obligation to pay any of these amounts. The Company paid Whitehead and the Whitehead Institute for Genome Technology Core (“Whitehead Core”) $0.5 million and $0.8 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, for annual license maintenance fees and research services inclusive of a $0.2 million fee paid to Whitehead as a result of entry into the Collaboration Agreement with Incyte in January 2018. Additionally, at September 30, 2018, the Company had approximately $0.2 million in accounts payable and accrued expenses due to Whitehead for research services performed during 2018.

 

TMRC Co. Ltd.

 

 In September 2015, the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement with TMRC Co. Ltd. ("TMRC") to develop and commercialize tamibarotene in North America and Europe for the treatment of cancer. This agreement was amended and restated in April 2016.

In exchange for this license, the Company agreed to a non-refundable upfront payment of $1.0 million, for which $0.5 million was paid in September 2015 upon execution of the agreement, and the remaining $0.5 million was paid in May 2016. Under the agreement, the Company is also obligated to make payments upon the successful achievement of clinical and regulatory milestones totaling approximately $13.0 million per indication, defined as a distinct tumor type. In September 2016, the Company paid $1.0 million to TMRC for a development milestone achieved upon the successful dosing of the first patient in its Phase 2 clinical trial of SY-1425. In addition, the Company is obligated to pay TMRC a single-digit percentage royalty, on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis, on net product sales of SY-1425 using know-how and patents licensed from TMRC in North America and Europe for a defined royalty term. 

 

The Company also entered into a supply management agreement with TMRC under which the Company agreed to pay TMRC a fee for each kilogram of SY-1425 active pharmaceutical ingredient that is produced. The Company made payments of $0.4 million under this supply management agreement during the nine months ended September 30, 2017.  No payments were made under the supply management agreement during the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

 

9. Stock-Based Payments

 

2016 Stock Incentive Plan

 

The 2016 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”) was adopted by the board of directors on December 15, 2015 and approved by the stockholders on June 17, 2016, and became effective on July 6, 2016 upon the closing of the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”). The 2016 Plan replaced the 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2012 Plan"). Any options or awards outstanding under the 2012 Plan remained outstanding and effective. Under the 2016 Plan, the Company may grant incentive stock options, non- statutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards. The number of shares of the Company’s common stock reserved for issuance under the 2016 Plan automatically increases on the first day of each calendar year, through the 2025 calendar year, in an amount equal to the least of (i)  1,600,000 shares of common stock, (ii) 4.0% of the outstanding shares of common stock as of such date, or (iii) such lesser amount as specified by the board of directors. This number is subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split, stock dividend or other change in the Company’s capitalization. For the calendar year beginning January 1, 2018, the number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2016 Plan was increased by 1,056,935 shares. At September 30, 2018,  2,969,793 shares remained available for future issuance under the 2016 Plan. Under the 2016 Plan, stock options may not be granted at less than fair value on the date of grant.

 

Terms of stock option agreements, including vesting requirements, are determined by the board of directors, subject to the provisions of the 2016 Plan. Stock option awards granted by the Company generally vest over four years, with 25% vesting on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and 75% vesting ratably, on a monthly basis, over the remaining three years. Such awards are exercisable from the date of grant for a period of ten years. The Company may grant performance-based stock option awards for which vesting accelerates upon the achievement of performance-based milestones. For certain of such awards, notwithstanding any vesting in accordance with the achievement of performance-based milestones, such awards may vest in full on the sixth anniversary of the vesting commencement date.

 

2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan 

 

The 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2016 ESPP”) was adopted by the board of directors on December 15, 2015 and approved by the stockholders on June 17, 2016, and became effective on July 6, 2016 upon the closing of the IPO. The number of shares of the Company’s common stock reserved for issuance under the 2016 ESPP automatically increases on the first day of each calendar year through the 2025 calendar year, in an amount equal to the least of (i) 1,173,333 shares of the Company’s common stock, (ii) 1.0% of the total number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding on the first day of the applicable year, and (iii) an amount determined by the Company’s board of directors. For the calendar year beginning January 1, 2018, the number of shares reserved for issuance under the

2016 ESPP was increased by 264,233 shares. At September 30, 2018,  1,084,756 shares remained available for future issuance under the 2016 ESPP. 

 

Stock Options

 

Performance-Based Stock Options

 

The Company has granted stock options to management for which vesting accelerates upon the achievement of performance-based criteria. Milestone events are specific to the Company’s corporate goals, including but not limited to certain clinical development milestones and the Company’s ability to execute on its corporate development and financing strategies. Stock-based compensation expense associated with these performance-based stock options is recognized based on the accelerated attribution model. Management evaluates when the achievement of a performance-based milestone is probable based on the expected satisfaction of the performance conditions as of the reporting date. Notwithstanding any vesting in accordance with the achievement of performance-based milestones, such awards vest in full on the sixth anniversary of the vesting commencement date. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded additional stock-based compensation expense of $0.2 million related to the acceleration of vesting of certain stock options associated with the entry into the Collaboration Agreement with Incyte. The Company did not record any additional stock-based compensation expense related to the achievement of performance-based milestones during the three months ended September 30, 2018. As of September 30, 2018, there was $1.1 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to the performance-based stock options granted to management, with an expected recognition period of  4.01 years.

 

The Company has granted options to purchase 75,000 shares of common stock to an advisor that vest upon the achievement of performance-based criteria. As of September 30, 2018,  no such performance-based criteria had been achieved. As of September 30, 2018, there was $0.7 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to this option, with a remaining contractual period of 7.95 years.

 

A summary of the status of stock options as of December 31, 2017 and September 30, 2018 and changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 is presented below:

 

 

The intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.8 million and $4.1 million, respectively.

 

Stock-based Compensation Expense

 

The fair value of each stock option granted was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model based on the following weighted-average assumptions:

 

 

The weighted‑average grant date fair value per share of options granted in the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was $8.15 and $8.69, respectively.

 

The following table summarizes the stock-based compensation expense for stock options and restricted common stock granted to employees and non-employees recorded in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations:

 

As of September 30, 2018, there was $15.5 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options granted to employees, excluding those stock option grants subject to the achievement of performance milestones, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.1 years. Due to an operating loss, the Company does not record tax benefits associated with stock‑based compensation or option exercises. Tax benefits will be recorded when realized. 

 

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 financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the audited financial information and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on March 12, 2018, or the 2017 10-K.   

 

Our actual results and timing of certain events may differ materially from the results discussed, projected, anticipated, or indicated in any forward-looking statements. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate, may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods.  

 

The following information and any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of risks identified under the caption “Risk Factors” in the 2017 10-K as updated in Part II, Item 1A of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 that we filed with the SEC on May 10, 2018.

   

We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements made by us, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation, except as specifically required by law and the rules of the SEC, to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

 

Overview

 

We are a biopharmaceutical company pioneering an understanding of the non-coding regulatory region of the genome to advance a new wave of medicines that control the expression of genes. We have built a proprietary platform that is designed to systematically and efficiently analyze this unexploited region of DNA in human disease tissue to identify novel targets linked to genomically defined patient populations and to develop drugs against those targets. Because gene expression is fundamental to the function of all cells, we believe that our gene control platform has broad potential to create medicines that achieve profound and durable benefit across therapeutic areas and a range of diseases. We are currently focused on developing treatments for cancer and diseases resulting from modifications of a single gene, also known as monogenic diseases, and are building a pipeline of gene control medicines.

Our lead product candidates are:

 

 

 

 

Our ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial is assessing the safety and efficacy of SY-1425 in combination with azacitidine in approximately 25 newly diagnosed AML patients who are not suitable candidates for standard chemotherapy, and in combination with daratumumab in approximately 12 relapsed or refractory AML and higher-risk MDS patients. Enrollment in the azacitidine combination cohort of the trial began in the fall of 2017 and enrollment in the daratumumab combination cohort of the trial began in early 2018. All patients enrolled or to be enrolled in the trial in support of our primary efficacy analyses have been or will be prospectively selected using our proprietary RARα or IRF8 biomarkers. In addition, to support the development of a commercial companion diagnostic test for SY-1425, we are evaluating SY-1425 in combination with azacitidine in approximately 25 newly diagnosed AML patients who are not suitable candidates for standard chemotherapy and who are biomarker-negative. We expect to report initial clinical data from both combination cohorts of the trial at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in December 2018. To date, we have enrolled 19 patients in the azacitidine combination cohort, including 11 biomarker-positive patients. Eight of these biomarker-positive patients are currently evaluable for clinical responses. To date, we have enrolled 12 patients in the daratumumab combination cohort. Data are currently available on eight of these patients, and six of them are evaluable for clinical responses.

Our Phase 1 clinical trial of SY-1365 is ongoing and we expect to report data from the dose-escalation phase of the trial at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Symposium in November 2018. In September 2018, we opened expansion cohorts in the trial evaluating SY-1365 in multiple ovarian cancer populations as a single agent as well as in combination with carboplatin, a chemotherapeutic agent. The ovarian cancer populations include a 24-patient cohort evaluating SY-1365 as a single agent in patients who have relapsed after three or more prior therapies, a 24-patient cohort evaluating SY-1365 in combination with carboplatin in patients who relapsed after one or more prior therapies but who may still benefit from additional platinum-based treatment, and a 12-patient pilot cohort evaluating SY-1365 as a single agent in primary platinum-refractory disease. We are also evaluating SY-1365 in combination with fulvestrant, a hormonal medicine, in 12 patients with hormone-receptor positive, or HR+, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who have progressed after treatment with a CDK4/6 inhibitor plus an aromatase inhibitor. In addition, we are evaluating the mechanism of action of SY-1365 as a single agent in ten patients with any solid tumor accessible for biopsy.

We currently have several other programs in our preclinical and discovery pipeline, including our SY-5609 program, a program directed to inhibitors of an immuno-oncology target, and discovery programs related to a gene control target to treat sickle cell disease and in the field of cancer. We have and are continuing to use our gene control platform in collaboration with third parties to identify and validate targets in diseases beyond our current areas of focus. To this end, we entered into a target discovery, research collaboration and option agreement with Incyte Corporation, or Incyte, in January 2018 under which we are using our platform to identify novel therapeutic targets with a focus on myeloproliferative neoplasms. 

Since our inception in November 2011, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, developing our technology platform and conducting preclinical research and clinical development for our product candidates. We do not have any products approved for sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales. We have financed our operations to date primarily through the sale of equity securities. From inception through September 30, 2018, we raised an aggregate of $288.7 million from such transactions, including $16.6 million in aggregate proceeds through our at-the-market sales facility, $46.0 million in gross proceeds from the sale of common stock in a public offering in February 2018 and $1.4 million in a concurrent private placement

in February 2018, and $10.0 million of aggregate proceeds through the issuance of our common stock in connection with our target discovery collaboration with Incyte in January 2018.

 

Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net losses were $44.2 million and $38.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. As of September 30, 2018, we had an accumulated deficit of $199.5 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. We anticipate that our expenses will increase significantly in connection with our ongoing activities, as we:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of increased expenses or when or if we will be able to achieve or maintain profitability. Even if we are able to generate product sales, we may not become profitable. If we fail to become profitable or are unable to sustain profitability on a continuing basis, then we may be unable to continue our operations at planned levels and be forced to reduce or terminate our operations.

 

Financial Operations Overview

 

Revenue

 

To date, our revenue has consisted of collaboration and license revenue and we have not generated any revenue from product sales and do not expect to generate any revenue from product sales for the foreseeable future. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, we recognized approximately $0.4 million and $1.2 million of revenue, respectively, all of which was attributable to our target discovery collaboration with Incyte. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, we recognized $1.1 million of revenue, all of which was attributable to a research agreement with a multinational pharmaceutical company that expired in March 2017 in accordance with its terms. No revenue was recognized during the three months ended September 30, 2017.