Item 7. 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 consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs and involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those described in the “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. You should carefully read “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors.”
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this discussion contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which are subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning our strategy, future operations, our expectations regarding our clinical trials, future financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects and plans and objectives of management. The words “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. 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 that we make. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the risks set forth in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements are applicable only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Overview
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a pipeline of novel therapies. We seek to in-license/acquire and develop novel therapeutic candidates in diseases with significant unmet medical need. Our first such program is a tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy for the treatment of cancer, which we acquired in 2020.
On December 13, 2023, we entered into an agreement with a third-party to develop an autologous FRα CoStAR TIL, or the Collaboration Product, for potential open-label investigator-initiated trials, or IITs, in non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, in China. Initial feasibility studies for the Collaboration Product have been completed and, assuming continued collaboration progress, the next steps would be for our collaborator to lead opening IITs to enroll patients. The Collaboration Product will be manufactured by our collaborator utilizing our proprietary FRα CoStAR construct in our collaborator’s manufacturing process. Our collaborator has an option to exclusively license the Collaboration Product in China and Taiwan.
In January 2024, concurrent with announcing our collaboration, we announced that we plan to close our UK manufacturing and clinical trial operations. While we have ceased our ITIL-306 Phase 1 clinical trial, we plan to retain certain key process development, research, and related personnel to advance early-stage pipeline development of CoStAR-TILs and other novel TIL technologies, and to support our collaboration.
Since inception, we have had significant operating losses. Our net loss was $156.1 million and $223.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $581.0 million. As of December 31, 2023, we had cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, marketable securities and long-term investments of $175.0 million, which consisted of $9.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, $1.5 million in restricted cash, $141.2 million in marketable securities and $23.2 million in long-term investments. We expect to continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. We expect our research and
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development expenses, general and administrative expenses, and capital expenditures to temporarily decrease, and we anticipate research and development expenses to subsequently increase for clinical development.
Recent Developments
As discussed above, in December 2023, we entered into a collaboration to develop our Collaboration Product for potential IITs in NSCLC in China. In addition, as discussed above, in January 2024, our Board of Directors approved a restructuring plan, or the 2024 Plan, to effect the closure ofour Manchester, UK manufacturing and clinical trial operations, including discontinuing our ITIL-306-202 clinical trial. The 2024 Plan is expected to result in a reduction of our UK workforce by approximately 61%. This workforce reduction is expected to be substantially completed by the first half of 2024.
In connection with the 2024 Plan, we currently estimate that we will incur charges of up to $6.1 million, including employee termination costs, severance and other benefits, and contract termination costs. The charges that we expect to incur in connection with the 2024 Plan are subject to a number of assumptions, and actual results may differ materially. We may also incur additional costs not currently contemplated due to events that may occur as a result of, or that are associated with, the 2024 Plan.
Components of Operating Results
Operating Expenses
Research and Development
Research and development expenses account for a significant portion of our operating expenses. Research and development expenses consist primarily of research and development, manufacturing, monitoring and other services payments and, to a lesser extent, salaries, benefits, and other personnel-related costs, including stock-based compensation, professional service fees and facility and other related costs. In addition, research and development expense is presented net of reimbursements from reimbursable tax and expenditure credits and grants from the UK government. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we did not allocate our research and development expenses by program.
We expect our future research and development expenses to change in line with our clinical development activities for our Collaboration Product or other next-generation TIL technologies, other potential business development activities, and changes in the size of our company. Our expenditures on future nonclinical and clinical development programs are subject to numerous uncertainties in timing and cost to completion. The duration, costs and timing of clinical trials and development of product candidates will depend on a variety of factors, including:
•the scope, rate of progress and expenses of clinical trials and other research and development activities;
•potential safety monitoring and other studies requested by regulatory agencies;
•significant and changing government regulation; and
•the timing and receipt of regulatory approvals, if any.
The process of conducting the necessary clinical research to obtain regulatory approval from the FDA, MHRA, European Medicines Agency, or EMA, and comparable foreign authorities is costly and time consuming and the successful development of product candidates is highly uncertain. The risks and uncertainties associated with our research and development projects are discussed more fully in the section of this Annual Report titled “Risk Factors.” As a result of these risks and uncertainties, we are unable to determine with any degree of certainty the duration and completion costs of our research and development projects, or if, when or to what extent we will generate revenues from the commercialization and sale of any of our product candidates that obtain regulatory approval. We may never succeed in achieving regulatory approval for any of our product candidates.
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General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation, for our personnel in executive, finance and other administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include professional fees paid for accounting, auditing, legal, tax and consulting services, insurance costs, recruiting costs, travel expenses, facility and other related costs, depreciation, and other general and administrative costs.
We expect our future general and administrative expenses to change in line with our updated strategy, including potential business development activities, as well as changes in the size of our company.
Additionally, we expect to continue to incur expenses as a result of operating as a public company, including expenses related to compliance with the rules and regulations of the SEC, director and officer insurance expenses, and any investor relations related expenses, as well as other administrative and professional services.
Restructuring and Impairment Charges
Restructuring and impairment charges consist primarily of:
•building and asset impairment charges related to our facility in Tarzana, which we have ceased using as a manufacturing facility;
•contract terminations, including contract terminations related to the Tarzana and Thousand Oaks facilities; and
•severance and other employee termination related costs.
Our 2022 Plan and 2023 Plan were designed to reduce costs and reallocate resources to focus on advancing our CoStAR platform and other next-generation TIL technologies and consolidate our manufacturing activities to one facility. As part of the Plan, in 2022 our ITIL-168 development program was discontinued, and in 2023 we transitioned clinical manufacturing and trial operations of ITIL-306 to the United Kingdom and, as a result, in 2023 we reduced our U.S. workforce by approximately 96% and our UK workforce by approximately 42%. Subsequently, in early 2024, we decided to close our UK manufacturing and clinical operations and we expect additional restructuring and impairment charges in 2024 as a result of our 2024 Plan.
Interest Income
Interest income consists of interest income from funds held in our cash and cash equivalent accounts, and marketable securities.
Interest Expense
Interest expense consists of interest expense on our note payable and amortization of loan origination costs.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net consists primarily of derivative instrument fair value gain or loss, foreign exchange remeasurement gain or loss and other expenses and income.
Income Tax Provision
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and the foreign jurisdiction where we operate, the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has statutory tax rates that differ from those in the United States. Accordingly, our effective tax rates will vary depending on the relative proportion of United Kingdom to United States income, the availability of research and development tax credits, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities and changes in tax laws.
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In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Due to the uncertainty of the business in which we operate, projections of future profitability are difficult and past profitability is not necessarily indicative of future profitability. At December 31, 2023, we maintained a full valuation allowance against net deferred tax assets for the United States and the United Kingdom. The valuation allowance has been provided based on the positive and negative evidence relative to our company, including the existence of cumulative net operating losses, or NOLs, since our inception, and the inability to carryback these NOLs to prior periods. Furthermore, we determined that it is more likely than not that the benefit of these assets would not be realized in the foreseeable future. The timing and the reversal of the valuation allowance will continue to be monitored.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2023and 2022
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31, Change
Operating expenses:
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses were $39.6 million and $141.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The net decrease of $101.5 million was primarily due to:
•$60.4 million decrease in costs from reduced headcount, consisting primarily of decreases of $45.4 million in wages and benefits, $10.3 million in stock-based compensation expense and $2.2 million for other employee-related expenses in relation to our research and development personnel and $2.5 million in professional services;
•$25.5 million decrease in costs related to research and clinical development activities, and our clinical trials resulting from our discontinuation of our ITIL-168 clinical manufacturing activities; and
•$15.6 million decrease in expenses related to facilities, overhead, depreciation, and other expenses due to strategic reductions made in these areas.
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We anticipate that our future research and development expenses will generally decrease in the near term as a result of implementing significant workforce reductions, adapting to changes in our company’s size, and adopting a more efficient clinical development strategy.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses were $47.6 million and $62.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The net decrease of $14.7 million was primarily due to:
•$13.7 million decrease in costs resulting from decrease in headcount and personnel related costs, including a decrease in stock-based compensation expense of $2.0 million; and
•$5.3 million decrease in consulting and professional service costs, mainly consisting of costs of information technology and facility consultants of $3.2 million, and costs of business operations consultants of $2.1 million; offset by
•$4.3 million increase in insurance expense, depreciation, and other office expenses.
We anticipate our general and administrative expenses to decrease generally in the near term as a result of implementing significant workforce reductions and adapting to changes in our company’s size.
Restructuring and Impairment Charges
Restructuring and impairment charges were approximately $72.0 million and $23.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The net increase of $48.8 million was primarily due to:
•$16.3 million increase in costs resulting from impairment charge of assets held for sale;
•$41.5 million increase in impairment on the Tarzana manufacturing facilities; and
•$7.7 million increase in leased assets impairment charge;
•$1.4 million increase in leasehold improvement impairment charge; offset by
•$0.4 million decrease in costs associated with termination of contracts;
•$0.7 million decrease in asset impairment for other fixed assets;
•$1.2 million decrease in costs consisting of severance payments and benefits continuation costs; and
•$15.8 million decrease in goodwill and intangible impairments during 2022.
We expect additional restructuring and impairment charges in 2024 as result of our reductions in UK workforce and other actions related to our 2024 Plan referenced in Note 12 to the financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Interest Income, Interest Expense and Other Expense, Net
Interest income, interest expense and other expense, net was $3.1 million and $1.2 million of income for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The increase in income of $1.9 million was primarily due to:
•$5.2 million of interest income related to our investments;
•$2.2 million of gain on foreign currency transactions; offset by
•$4.4 million of interest expense from our note payable; and
•$1.1 million other losses, including changes in fair value from derivative instrument.
Income Tax Benefit
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Income tax benefit decreased from $2.1 million benefit for the year ended December 31, 2022 to nil for the year ended December 31, 2023. Income tax was nil for the year ended December 31, 2023 since we maintained a full valuation allowance on the net deferred tax assets for the United States and the United Kingdom in both jurisdictions. We have concluded that it is more likely than not that we will not realize our deferred tax assets.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
Since our inception, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and we have incurred significant operating losses. We do not have any products that have achieved regulatory marketing approval and we do not expect to generate revenue from sales of any product candidates for at least several years, if ever.
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, marketable securities and long-term investments of $175.0 million, which consisted of $9.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, $1.5 million in restricted cash, $141.2 million in marketable securities and $23.2 million in long-term investments. Cash in excess of immediate requirements is invested in accordance with our investment policy, primarily with a view to liquidity and capital preservation.
Prior to our initial public offering, or IPO, we funded our operations primarily through the issuance and sale of convertible preferred stock. From our inception through March 2021, we raised net cash proceeds of $380.1 million from the issuance and sale of our convertible preferred stock.
In the first quarter of 2021, we raised net proceeds of $339.0 million in our IPO pursuant to which we sold an aggregate of 920,000 shares of common stock.
In June 2022, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Complex Therapeutics Mezzanine LLC, and our wholly owned indirect subsidiary, Complex Therapeutics LLC, entered into a mortgage construction loan and mezzanine construction loan, or together, the Loan, secured by our Tarzana, California land and building. Construction of the Tarzana facility has been completed. The initial principal amount of the Loan was $52.1 million, with additional future principal of up to $32.9 million to fund then ongoing construction costs. As of December 31, 2023, the outstanding principal amount under the Loan was $82.8 million and unamortized debt issuance costs were $1.4 million.
Future Funding Requirements
We are evaluating opportunities for a potential sale or lease of the Tarzana manufacturing site, as well as subleases of other facilities under lease, which may further extend our expected cash runway. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, we may not be successful in securing a sale or lease of the Tarzana facility or subleases of the other facilities on favorable terms, or at all and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we expect. We expect to continue to expend significant resources for the foreseeable future.
We use our cash to fund operations, primarily to fund our business development, research and development expenditures and related personnel costs. We expect our expenses to continue to be significant as we invest in research and development activities, particularly as we advance our product candidates into later stages of development and conduct larger clinical trials, seek regulatory approvals for and commercialize any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials, hire personnel and invest in and grow our business, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio, and operate as a public company. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with research, development and commercialization of our product candidates, we are unable to estimate the exact timing and amount of our funding requirements. Our future operating expenditures will depend on many factors, including:
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•the results of our collaboration and the scope, rate of progress, costs and results of our clinical and preclinical development activities, and the results of our discussions with the MHRA, the FDA and other regulatory agencies;
•the number and characteristics of any additional product candidates we develop or acquire;
•the timing of, and the costs involved in, obtaining regulatory approvals for any product candidates, and the number of trials required for regulatory approval;
•the cost of manufacturing any product candidates as well as any products we successfully commercialize;
•the cost of commercialization activities of our product candidates, if approved for sale, including marketing, sales and distribution costs;
•the timing, receipt and amount of sales of any product candidates, if approved;
•costs related to our Tarzana facility and our ability to complete a sale or lease of our Tarzana, California facility, as well as subleases of other facilities under lease;
•the extent to which we acquire or in-license other companies’ product candidates and technologies;
•our ability to establish and maintain strategic collaborations, licensing or other arrangements and the financial terms of any such arrangements, including the timing and amount of any future milestone, royalty or other payments due under any such agreement;
•any product liability or other lawsuits or claims;
•the expenses needed to attract, hire and retain skilled personnel;
•our investments in our operational, financial and management information systems;
•the costs associated with operating as a public company;
•the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, defending and enforcing our intellectual property portfolio; and
•any delays or issues resulting from the impact of adverse geopolitical and economic conditions.
In March 2020, we acquired 100% of the share capital of Immetacyte for total cash and non-cash consideration, including contingent consideration, of $15.4 million. In connection with the acquisition, we terminated the Immetacyte license agreement and associated payment obligations. The maximum consideration that remained unpaid at December 31, 2023, which payment is contingent on future events, was $13.3 million.
Until such time as we can generate significant revenue from sales of our product candidates, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through equity offerings, debt financings or other capital sources, which may include strategic collaborations or other arrangements with third parties. Additional funds may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity or convertible debt securities, our stockholders will suffer dilution and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of our common shareholders. Debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants limiting our flexibility in conducting future business activities, and, in the event of insolvency, debt holders would be repaid before holders of our equity securities receive any distribution of our corporate assets. If we raise funds through collaborations or other similar arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to technologies, future revenue streams, product candidates or research programs or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us and/or may reduce the value of our common stock. Our ability to raise additional funds may be adversely impacted by worsening global economic conditions and the recent disruptions to, and volatility in, the credit and financial markets in the United States and worldwide resulting from, among other things, heightened inflation, rising interest rates, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and recent potential future bank failures. If we fail to obtain necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, it could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development programs, commercialization efforts or other operations. See “Risk Factors.”
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We lease various operating spaces in the United States and the United Kingdom under non-cancelable operating lease arrangements that expire on various dates through 2026. These arrangements require us to pay certain operating expenses, such as taxes, repairs, and insurance and contain landlord or tenant incentives or allowances, renewal and escalation clauses. As of December 31, 2023, our future minimum lease payments under committed or non-cancelable lease agreements were $5.0 million, as discussed in Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In the normal course of business, we may enter into contracts with Clinical Research Organizations, or CROs, and other third parties for preclinical studies and clinical trials, research and development supplies and other testing and manufacturing services. We are not committed to future services related to clinical trial progress with any CRO as of December 31, 2023.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded aggregate restructuring and impairment charges of approximately $72.0 million related to contract termination, asset impairments, severance payments and other employee-related costs.
In connection with the 2024 Plan, we currently estimate that we will incur charges of up to $6.1 million, including employee termination costs, severance and other benefits, and contract termination costs. The charges that we expect to incur in connection with the 2024 Plan are subject to a number of assumptions, and actual results may differ materially. We may also incur additional costs not currently contemplated due to events that may occur as a result of, or that are associated with, the 2024 Plan.
Cash Flows
The following table sets forth the significant sources and uses of cash for the periods set forth below (in thousands):
Years Ended December 31,
Net cash provided by (used in):
Cash used in operating activities $ (82,029) $ (180,164)
Cash provided by financing activities 8,082 71,886
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $82.0 million, which consisted of the net loss of $156.1 million and a $9.0 million net change to our net operating assets and liabilities, partially offset by $83.1 million in non-cash charges and other adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities. The net change in our operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to a decrease of $7.8 million in accrued expenses, accrued restructuring costs, and other current liabilities, a decrease of $1.4 million in operating lease liabilities, a decrease of $1.1 million in accounts payable, and an increase of $0.2 million in prepaid expenses and other current assets, and an increase of $1.5 million in other long-term assets. The non-cash charges primarily consisted of stock-based compensation of $18.2 million, impairment of fixed assets of $60.1 million, impairment of right-of-use assets of $7.7 million and depreciation expense of $4.8 million, offset by accretion on invested securities of $6.8 million.
Cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $180.2 million, which consisted of the net loss of $223.2 million and a $9.6 million net change to our net operating assets and liabilities, partially offset by $52.6 million in non-cash charges and other adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities. The net change in our operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to a decrease of $1.8 million in accounts payable, a decrease of $14.4 million in accrued expenses and other current liabilities, an increase of $0.4 million in prepaid expenses and other current assets, offset by an increase of $5.4 million in accrued
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restructuring costs and an increase of $1.6 million in long-term liabilities. The non-cash charges primarily consisted of stock-based compensation of $30.4 million, goodwill and intangible assets impairment of $15.8 million, depreciation expense of $6.0 million and change in foreign exchange measurement of $1.4 million.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $41.1 million, consisting primarily of $60.2 million of cash provided by marketable securities investments and $1.6 million cash received from held for sale assets, offset by $20.7 million of cash used for purchases of property, plant and equipment.
Cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $114.5 million, of which $200.3 million of cash was provided by marketable securities investments, partially offset by $84.6 million of cash used related to purchases of property, plant and equipment and $1.2 million of cash used related to derivative financial instruments.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $8.1 million, which was primarily related to net cash proceeds from our note payable of $8.7 million, offset by loan payments of $0.6 million.
Cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $71.9 million, which was primarily related to net cash proceeds from our note payable of $70.3 million and cash proceeds from exercise of stock options of $1.5 million.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
In June 2022, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Complex Therapeutics Mezzanine LLC, and our wholly-owned indirect subsidiary, Complex Therapeutics LLC, entered into a mortgage construction loan and mezzanine construction loan (together, the "Loan") and as of December 31, 2023, the outstanding principal amount under the Loan was $82.8 million and unamortized debt issuance costs were $1.4 million.
As of December 31, 2023, we had non-cancelable purchase commitments of approximately $3.1 million consisting mainly of software and operating commitments. Additionally, future minimum lease payments under noncancellable operating leases as of December 31, 2023 totaled $5.0 million, as discussed in Note 7 to the financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
As part of the Plan, as of December 31, 2023, we recorded $1.8 million of costs related to one-time employee termination benefits and $2.0 million of costs for contract termination, as discussed in Note 12 to the financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Under our agreement with a collaborator related to potential IITs in China, we paid $0.3 million in milestone payments during the year ended December 31, 2023. Additional milestone payments of $2.6 million were made during the first quarter of 2024 and upon successful completion of future milestones we may be required to pay up to $3.4 million for clinical development and related activities.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
This management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making
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judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
While our significant accounting policies are more fully described in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report, we believe that the accounting policies discussed below are most critical to understanding and evaluating our historical and expected future performance.
Stock-Based Compensation
We maintain a stock-based compensation plan as a long-term incentive for employees, directors and consultants. The plan allows for the issuance of stock options, stock appreciation rights and restricted stock units.
For stock-based awards with only service conditions, we recognize stock-based compensation expense for stock-based awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period and account for forfeitures as they occur. For stock-based awards with performance conditions, stock-based compensation expense is not recognized until the performance condition is probable to occur. Our stock-based compensation costs are based upon the grant date fair value estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. This model utilizes inputs that are highly subjective assumptions and generally require significant judgment. These assumptions include:
•Fair Value of Common Stock—Prior to our IPO in March 2021, the fair value of the shares of common stock underlying stock options had historically been determined by the Board of Directors. Because there has been no public market for the our common stock, the Board of Directors has determined fair value of the common stock at the time of grant of the option by considering a number of objective and subjective factors including important developments in our operations, contemporaneous valuations performed by an independent third party firm, sales of our convertible preferred stock, our operating results and financial performance, the conditions in the biotechnology industry and the economy in general, the stock price volatility of similar public companies and the lack of marketability of our common stock, among other factors. After our IPO in March 2021, the fair value of common stock is determined using the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
•Expected Term—The expected term represents the period that stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding and is determined as the average of the time-to-vesting and the contractual life of the awards.
•Expected Volatility—Since we do not have sufficient trading history for our common stock, the expected volatility was estimated based on the average volatility for comparable publicly traded biotechnology companies over a period equal to the expected term of the stock option grants. The comparable companies were chosen based on their similar size, stage in the life cycle or area of specialty.
•Risk-Free Interest Rate—The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected term of awards.
•Expected Dividend Yield—We have never paid dividends on our common stock and have no plans to pay dividends on our common stock. Therefore, we used an expected dividend yield of zero.
Assets Held for Sale
We classify long-lived assets or disposal groups to be sold as held for sale in the period in which all of the following criteria are met: management, having the authority to approve the action, commits to a plan to sell the asset or disposal group; the asset or disposal group is available for immediate sale in its present condition subject only to terms that are usual and customary for sales of such assets or disposal group; the sale of the asset or disposal group is probable, and transfer of the asset or disposal group is expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale within one year, except if events or circumstances beyond our control extend the period of time required to sell the asset or disposal group beyond one year; the asset or disposal group is being actively marketed for sale at a price
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that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value; and actions required to complete the plan to sell have been initiated.
We initially measure a long-lived asset or disposal group that is held for sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Fair value is estimated by us through evaluations of quoted market prices received for other comparable held for sale assets sold by us. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a long-lived asset or disposal group until the date of sale. We assess the fair value of a long-lived asset or disposal group less any costs to sell each reporting period it remains classified as held for sale and report any subsequent changes as an adjustment to the carrying value of the asset or disposal group, as long as the new carrying value does not exceed the carrying value of the asset at the time it was initially classified as held for sale. Upon determining that a long-lived asset or disposal group meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale, we cease depreciation and report long-lived assets in the line item “assets held for sale” in the consolidated balance sheet. Refer to Notes 12 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Contingent Consideration
In connection with our acquisition of Immetacyte Ltd., we may be required to pay future consideration that is contingent upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory approval or sales-based milestone events. We record contingent consideration resulting from a business combination at its fair value on the acquisition date. Each reporting period thereafter, we remeasure these obligations and record increases or decreases in their fair value on our Consolidated Statements of Operations until such time that the payment is made. Increases or decreases in fair value of the contingent consideration liabilities can result from updates to assumptions such as the expected timing of or probability of achieving the specified milestone, the passage of time or changes in discount rates.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
We review our long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable or that the useful life is shorter than originally estimated. Recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset over its remaining useful life. If such assets are impaired, the impairment recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. If the useful life is shorter than originally estimated, we depreciate or amortize the remaining carrying value over the revised shorter useful life. Assets to be disposed of by sale are reflected at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell. To date, we have recorded impairment losses on long-lived assets associated with a sustained decrease in our stock price and the Plan for a strategic prioritization of our preclinical and clinical development programs. We recognized a non-cash impairment charge of $2.6 million during 2023 for leasehold improvements. The impairment charge was recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges.”
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we determined there were indicators of impairment on our buildings and construction work-in-progress asset groups. As a result, we performed recoverability tests on these groups and concluded these assets’ undiscounted cash flows did not exceed their carrying values. We estimate the fair value of our buildings through a combination of an income-based approach and a market-based approach. The income-based approach is dependent on specific assumptions such as market rental rates, capitalization rates and discount rates. The market-based approach utilizes observable data, such as comparable building sales and occupancy rates. The fair value of our buildings were determined to be $132.1 million, below the carrying value of $173.7 million. This led to an impairment of $41.5 million recognized in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges.” The fair value of these assets are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
See Notes 3, 7 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information.
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Information regarding recent accounting pronouncements applicable to us is included in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Emerging Growth Company Status and Smaller Reporting Company Status
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on certain exemptions from various public company reporting requirements, including not being required to have our internal control over financial reporting audited by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different than the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock.
In addition, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that we (i) are no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) December 31, 2026, (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, (iii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700.0 million as of the last business day of the second fiscal quarter of such year or (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company if either (i) the market value of our shares held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million or (ii) our annual revenue was less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our shares held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million. If we are a smaller reporting company at the time we cease to be an emerging growth company, we may continue to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are available to smaller reporting companies. Specifically, as a smaller reporting company, we may choose to present only the two most recent fiscal years of audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and, similar to emerging growth companies, smaller reporting companies have reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Item 10 of Regulation S-K and are not required to provide the information otherwise required under this item.
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
INSTIL BIO, INC.
Index to financial statements
Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID #34) 99
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements 104
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Instil Bio, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Instil Bio, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
San Diego, California
March 21, 2024
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.
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INSTIL BIO, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
December 31,
ASSETS
Current assets:
Restricted cash 1,501 —
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 8,902 8,458
Operating lease right-of-use assets 2,387 12,457
Long-term investments 23,161 —
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 9,347 30,069
Contingent consideration, current portion — 360
Contingent consideration, net of current portion 4,858 7,882
Operating lease liabilities, non-current 2,877 5,171
Other long-term liabilities 80 332
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Stockholders’ equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (348) (493)
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 325,630 $ 482,128
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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INSTIL BIO, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
Year Ended December 31,
Operating expenses:
Income tax benefit — 2,073
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation (433) 9
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net 578 (415)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (24.00) $ (34.46)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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INSTIL BIO, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in thousands, except share amounts)
Shares Amount
Other comprehensive loss — — — (406) — (406)
Other comprehensive income — — — 145 — 145
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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INSTIL BIO, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
Year Ended December 31,
Cash flows from operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Foreign exchange remeasurement (gain) loss (680) 1,391
Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets — 15,826
Impairment of right-of-use assets 7,724 166
Change in fair value of contingent consideration (3,384) (2,879)
Accretion on invested securities (6,775) (1,027)
Non-cash interest expense 1,015 (198)
Change in fair value of derivative instrument 1,147 (1,414)
Loss on disposals of property and equipment 377 —
Other, net — 780
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets (241) (430)
Operating lease liabilities (1,404) (335)
Long-term liabilities (12) 1,628
Accrued restructuring costs (2,298) 5,434
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (5,475) (14,411)
Net cash used in operating activities (82,029) (180,164)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment (20,663) (84,589)
Purchase of derivative financial instrument — (1,174)
Cash received from held for sale assets 1,557 —
Net cash provided by investing activities 41,128 114,541
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal payments on loan (587) —
Proceeds from exercise of stock options — 1,548
Net cash provided by financing activities 8,082 71,886
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period 43,716 38,090
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period $ 10,696 $ 43,716
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized $ 6,639 $ 1,068
Supplemental disclosure of noncash information:
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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INSTIL BIO, INC.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
1. Organization and Description of Business
Instil Bio, Inc. (the “Company”) is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and was incorporated in the state of Delaware in August 2018. The Company is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a pipeline of novel therapies. The Company seeks to in-license/acquire and develop novel therapeutic candidates in diseases with significant unmet medical need. The Company's first program is a tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy for the treatment of cancer, which it acquired in 2020.
In December 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a strategic reprioritization of our preclinical and clinical development programs (referred to as the "2022 Plan"). This decision involved reallocating resources to focus on advancing ITIL-306, our CoStAR platform, and other next-generation TIL technologies. In January 2023, the Company approved an additional restructuring plan (referred to as the "2023 Plan") and announced the consolidation of the ITIL-306 Phase 1 clinical trial and related manufacturing of CoStAR-TIL to the Company’s active operations in Manchester, UK and stopped recruiting for the ITIL-306-201 clinical trial. The 2022 Plan and 2023 Plan are collectively referred to as (the “Plan”).
On December 13, 2023, the Company entered into an agreement with a third-party to develop an autologous FRα CoStAR TIL, or the Collaboration Product, for potential open-label investigator-initiated trials, or IITs, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in China. Initial feasibility studies for the Collaboration Product have been completed and, assuming continued collaboration progress, the next steps would be for the collaborator to lead opening IITs to enroll patients. The Collaboration Product will be manufactured by the collaborator utilizing the Company's proprietary FRα CoStAR construct in the collaborator’s manufacturing process. The collaborator has an option to exclusively license the Collaboration Product in China and Taiwan.
In January 2024, concurrent with announcing the collaboration, the Company’s Board of Directors approved an additional restructuring plan (the “2024 Plan”), involving the closure of the Company’s UK manufacturing and clinical operations and cessation of the Company’s ITIL-306 clinical trial. The UK workforce reduction and related restructuring activities are expected to be substantially completed by the first half of 2024. We plan to retain certain key process development, research, and related personnel to advance early-stage pipeline development of CoStAR and other novel TIL technologies, and to support the Company’s collaboration.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions made in the accompanying consolidated financial statements include but are not limited to the fair value of contingent consideration payable, assets held for sale, fair value of the Company's building, contract terminations, and the estimation of fair value of goodwill and in-process research and development (IPR&D) intangible assets and associated impairment charges. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
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Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial Instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, marketable securities and long-term investments. The Company's cash and cash equivalents are held by two financial institutions in the United States (“U.S.”) and one financial institution in the United Kingdom (“UK”), which management believes to be financially sound, and accordingly, minimal credit risk exists with respect to the financial institutions. At times, the Company's deposits held in the U.S. and UK may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation and Financial Services Compensation Scheme, respectively, insured limits. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company has not experienced any credit losses in such accounts or marketable securities.
Risks and Uncertainties
The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to other development-stage biopharmaceutical companies, including but not limited to, dependency on the clinical and commercial success of its product candidates, ability to obtain regulatory approval of its product candidates, uncertainty of broad adoption of its approved products, if any, by physicians and patients, manufacturing, the need to obtain adequate additional funding, significant competition, and protection of its intellectual property portfolio.
Reverse Stock Split
Effective December 7, 2023, the Company effected a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of its outstanding shares of common stock. Where applicable, all share and per share amounts in this Annual Report have been adjusted to reflect the effect of the reverse stock split.
Segments
Operating segments are identified as components of an entity for which separate discrete financial information is available and that is regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision-maker in deciding how to allocate resources to an individual segment and in assessing performance. The Company has determined it operates in a single operating segment and has one operating segment.
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash, Marketable Securities and Long-Term Investments
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with original maturities of three months or less from the purchase date to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents include amounts invested in money market accounts.
The Company did not have restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022. Restricted cash consists of a cash reserve which serves as collateral for the Company’s construction loan and is classified within Restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2023.
The Company’s investments in marketable securities and long-term investments have been classified and accounted for as available-for-sale. The Company classifies its maturities as either short-term or long-term based on each instrument's underlying contractual maturity date, which are carried at their fair values based on the quoted market prices of the securities. Unrealized gains and losses are reported as accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Realized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are included in net loss in the period earned or incurred. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, marketable securities consisted of U.S. Treasury bills.
Short-term and long-term marketable securities are recorded at their estimated fair value. The Company periodically reviews whether its securities may be other-than-temporarily impaired, including whether or not (i) the Company has the intent to sell the security or (ii) it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the security before its anticipated recovery. If one of these factors is met, the Company will record an impairment loss associated with its impaired investment. The impairment loss will be recorded as a write-down of investments in the consolidated balance sheets and a realized loss within other expense in the consolidated statements of operations
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and comprehensive loss. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were no impairment losses for the investments.
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the amounts shown in the consolidated statements of cash flows (in thousands):
December 31,
Restricted cash 1,501 —
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 10,696 $ 43,716
Fair Value Measurement
Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis in the balance sheets are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair values. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or an exit price that would be paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The Company measures fair value based on a three-tier hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies in measuring fair value as follows:
Level 1 —Observable inputs such as unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.
Level 2 —Inputs (other than quoted prices included in Level 1) are either directly or indirectly observable for the assets or liabilities. These include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.
Level 3 —Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
In determining fair value, the Company utilize quoted market prices, or valuation techniques that maximize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible as well as considers counterparty credit risk in its assessment of fair value.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net
Property, plant and equipment, with the exception of land, is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred. Upon sale or retirement of assets, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheets and the resulting gain or loss is reflected in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. The estimated useful lives of the Company’s property, plant and equipment are as follows:
Laboratory equipment 5 years
Manufacturing equipment 5 years
Office and computer equipment 3 years
Building 35 years
Leasehold improvements Shorter of remaining lease term or estimated useful life
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The Company owns land and buildings and as described in Note 3, the clinical and commercial manufacturing building has been completed and is ready for its intended use. A variety of costs were incurred in the development of a property. After determination is made to capitalize a cost, it is allocated to the specific component of a project that is benefited. The capitalized costs include pre-construction costs essential to the development of the property, development costs, and construction costs. When the Tarzana development project was completed and available for occupancy, the Company ceased capitalization of costs other than costs to improve the functionality or extend the useful lives of property, plant and equipment included as part of the project. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded a building impairment of $41.5 million recognized in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges.” See Note 3 for more information.
Assets Held for Sale
The Company classifies long-lived assets or disposal groups to be sold as held for sale in the period in which all of the following criteria are met: management, having the authority to approve the action, commits to a plan to sell the asset or disposal group; the asset or disposal group is available for immediate sale in its present condition subject only to terms that are usual and customary for sales of such assets or disposal group; the sale of the asset or disposal group is probable, and transfer of the asset or disposal group is expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale within one year, except if events or circumstances beyond the Company’s control extend the period of time required to sell the asset or disposal group beyond one year; the asset or disposal group is being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to its current fair value; and actions required to complete the plan to sell have been initiated.
The Company initially measures a long-lived asset or disposal group that is held for sale at the lower of its carrying value or fair value less any costs to sell. Fair value is estimated by the Company through evaluations of quoted market prices received for other comparable held for sale assets sold by the Company. Any loss resulting from this measurement is recognized in the period in which the held for sale criteria are met. Conversely, gains are not recognized on the sale of a long-lived asset or disposal group until the date of sale. The Company assesses the fair value of a long-lived asset or disposal group less any costs to sell each reporting period it remains classified as held for sale and reports any subsequent changes as an adjustment to the carrying value of the asset or disposal group, as long as the new carrying value does not exceed the carrying value of the asset at the time it was initially classified as held for sale. Upon determining that a long-lived asset or disposal group meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale, the Company ceases depreciation and reports long-lived assets in the line item “assets held for sale” in its consolidated balance sheet. To date, the Company has recorded impairment losses on assets held for sale associated with the Plan. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recognized a non-cash impairment charge of $16.3 million and sold remaining assets held for sale for $1.6 million. The non-cash impairment charge was recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges.” See Note 12 for more information.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable or that the useful life is shorter than originally estimated. Recoverability of assets is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset over its remaining useful life. If such assets are impaired, the impairment recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. If the useful life is shorter than originally estimated, the Company depreciates or amortizes the remaining carrying value over the revised shorter useful life. Assets to be disposed of by sale are reflected at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. To date, the Company has recorded impairment losses on long-lived assets associated with a sustained decrease in the Company’s stock price and implementation of the Plan. The Company recognized a non-cash impairment charge of $68.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 and $1.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2022. The impairment charge was recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges.” See Note 12 for more information.
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Business Combinations
The Company evaluates acquisitions of assets and related liabilities and other similar transactions to assess whether or not the transaction should be accounted for as a business combination or asset acquisition by first applying a screen to determine if substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets. If the screen is met, the transaction is accounted for as an asset acquisition. If the screen is not met, further determination is required as to whether or not the Company has acquired inputs and processes that have the ability to create outputs which would meet the requirements of a business.
The Company accounts for its business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting which requires recognition and measurement of all identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their full fair value as of the date it obtains control. The Company has determined the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon management's estimates of the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the acquisitions. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable assets acquired. The Company accounts for contingent considerations at the acquisition-date fair value as part of the consideration transferred in the transaction and remeasures at fair value for each reporting period.
While management has used its best estimates and assumptions to measure the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, these estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, not to exceed one year from the date of acquisition, any changes in the estimated fair values of the net assets recorded for the acquisition will result in an adjustment to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period of final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, the Company records any subsequent adjustments to the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Acquisition-related costs, such as legal and consulting fees, are expensed as incurred.
The Company accounts for an asset acquisition by recognizing net assets based on the cost to the acquiring entity on a relative fair value basis, which includes transaction costs in addition to consideration given. Goodwill is not recognized in an asset acquisition; any excess consideration transferred over the fair value of the net assets acquired is allocated to the non-monetary identifiable assets and liabilities assumed based on relative fair values. Acquired IPR&D is expensed as incurred provided there is no alternative future use.
Goodwill and other Indefinite Lived Intangible Assets
Indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of goodwill and IPR&D acquired in a business combination.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at least annually or more frequently if a triggering event occurs. The Company’s impairment tests are based on a single operating segment and reporting unit structure. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment charge is recognized for the excess of the carrying value of the reporting unit over its fair value (see Note 12).
IPR&D assets represent the fair value of incomplete research and development projects that had not reached technological feasibility as of the date of acquisition; initially, these are classified as IPR&D and are not subject to amortization. Once these research and development projects are completed, the asset balances are transferred from IPR&D to acquisition-related developed technology and are subject to amortization from this point forward. The Company reviews IPR&D for possible impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that carrying amount may not be recoverable. Significant assumptions inherent in the evaluation and measurement of impairment include, but are not limited to, external factors such as industry and economic trends, and internal factors such as changes in the Company’s business strategy and the Company’s forecasts for specific projects (see Note 12). During the year ended December 31, 2022, there was $15.8 million in impairment of Goodwill & IPR&D recognized in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges”.
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Grant Proceeds
The Company receives government grants in the UK for the furtherance of certain research and development projects. Grant proceeds are recognized when all conditions of such grants are fulfilled or there is a reasonable assurance that they will be fulfilled. Grant proceeds are classified as a reduction of research and development expenses. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, $0.1 million and $1.6 million, of grant proceeds were recognized in research and development expenses on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, respectively.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development (“R&D”) costs are expensed as incurred. Advance payments for research and development activities are deferred as prepaid expenses, classified as current or noncurrent on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets based on the estimated timing the related services will be performed and are expensed as the related services are performed. Costs incurred by third parties pursuant to contracts with research institutions and clinical research organizations are expensed as the contracted work is performed. The Company accrues for costs incurred as the services are being provided by monitoring the status of the trial or project and the invoices received from the external service providers. The Company adjusts its accrual as actual costs become known. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies significantly from the estimate, the Company will adjust the accrual accordingly. The Company has not experienced any material differences between accrued costs and actual costs incurred since its inception.
Research and development expenses are presented net of government grants, as described above, and R&D tax and expenditure credits from the UK government, which are recognized over the period necessary to match the reimbursement with the related costs when it is probable that the Company has complied with any conditions attached and will receive the reimbursement. Reimbursable R&D tax and expenditure credits were $3.1 million in the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company measures its stock-based awards granted to employees, non-employee directors, consultants and independent advisors based on the estimated grant date fair value of the awards. For stock-based awards with only service conditions, compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period using the straight-line method. For stock-based awards that include performance conditions, compensation expense is not recognized until the performance condition is probable to occur. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of its stock-based awards. The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the Company to make assumptions and judgements about the variables used in the calculations, including the fair value of common stock, expected term, expected volatility of the Company’s common stock, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend yield. The Company accounts for forfeitures of stock-based awards as they occur.
Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for using the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts or existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period of enactment. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount expected to be realized.
The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities, based on the merits of the position. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to the underpayment of income taxes as a component of income tax expense or benefit. To date, there have been no interest or penalties charged in relation to the unrecognized tax benefits.
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Foreign Currency
The Company’s reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. The functional currency of the Company’s subsidiary located in the United Kingdom is the British pound sterling. Balance sheets prepared in the functional currency are translated to the reporting currency at exchange rates in effect at the end of the accounting period, except for stockholders’ deficit accounts, which are translated at rates in effect when these balances were originally recorded. Revenue and expense accounts are translated using an average exchange rate in effect during the period. The resulting foreign currency translation adjustments are recorded as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Gains and losses resulting from exchange rate changes on intercompany transactions denominated in a currency other than the local currency are included in earnings as incurred as the related amounts are expected to be repaid in the foreseeable future.
Net Loss Per Share
Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding for the period, without consideration for potential dilutive shares of common stock. For purposes of the diluted net loss per share calculation, convertible preferred stock and common stock options are considered to be potentially dilutive securities. Diluted net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share for each period presented since the effects of potentially dilutive securities are antidilutive given the net loss of the Company.
Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss is defined as a change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, comprehensive loss consists of foreign currency translation adjustments and unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities net of tax.
Leases
The Company adopted as its new standard Accounting Standards Updated (“ASU”) No. 2016-2, Leases effective January 1, 2022 using the modified retrospective transition approach. For its long-term operating leases, the Company recognizes a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on its consolidated balance sheets.
The Company determines if an arrangement is or contains a lease at contract inception by assessing whether the arrangement contains an identified asset and whether the lessee has the right to control such asset. Lessees are required to classify leases as either finance or operating leases and to record a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term greater than 12 months regardless of the lease classification. The lease classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest rate method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The Company determines the initial classification and measurement of its ROU assets and lease liabilities at the lease commencement date and thereafter if modified. For leases with a term greater than 12 months, the Company records the lease liability at the present value of lease payments over the term. The term of the Company’s leases equals the non-cancellable period of the lease, including any rent-free periods provided by the lessor, and also includes options to extend or terminate the lease that the Company is reasonably certain to exercise. The ROU asset equals the carrying amount of the related lease liability, adjusted for any lease payments made prior to lease commencement, any deferred rent upon adoption, and lease incentives provided by the lessor.
The Company has elected, for all classes of underlying assets, not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for leases with a term of 12 months or less. Lease cost for short-term leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate based on the rate of interest that the Company would have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term, an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment.
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Variable lease payments are expensed as incurred and do not factor into the measurement of the applicable ROU asset or lease liability. Lease payments may be fixed or variable; however, only fixed payments are included in the Company’s lease liability calculation. Lease costs for the Company’s operating leases are recognized on a straight-line basis within operating expenses over the lease term. The Company’s lease agreements may contain non-lease components such as common area maintenance, operating expenses or other costs, which are expensed as incurred for all classes of assets. The Company’s leases do not contain any residual value guarantees.
See Note 7, Commitments and Contingencies, regarding the Company’s leases, below.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) 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. Leases with a term of twelve months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases. The Company adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2022 using the modified retrospective transition approach. Upon adoption on January 1, 2022, the Company recognized ROU assets and lease liabilities totaling $12.5 million and $7.6 million, respectively, to reflect the present value of remaining lease payments under existing lease arrangements. The Company applied the modified retrospective transition approach and did not recast prior periods. As permitted by the standard, the Company elected the transition practical expedient package, which among other things, allows the carryforward of historical lease classifications. The Company’s new accounting policies around leases are described in Leases, above, and in Note 7, Commitments and Contingencies.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. Additionally, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-04, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, in April 2019 and ASU 2019-05, Financial Instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326) — Targeted Transition Relief, in May 2019. The amendments affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off-balance-sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope that have the contractual right to receive cash. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2022. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements and disclosures.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12. Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The standard simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 and also improves consistent application by clarifying and amending existing guidance. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2022. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures which requires public entities to disclose information about their reportable segments’ significant expenses on an interim and annual basis. ASU 2023-07 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU 2023-07 on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09 "Income Taxes (Topics 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures" to expand the disclosure requirements for income taxes, specifically related to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid. ASU 2023-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this ASU 2023-09 on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
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3. Balance Sheet Components
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net
Property, plant and equipment, net consist of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Office and computer equipment 831 4,969
Vehicles — 64
Construction work-in-progress — 104,117
Less: accumulated depreciation (7,555) (8,484)
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 the Company recognized depreciation expense of $4.8 million and $6.0 million, respectively, in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
The Company’s contractual commitments for its Tarzana development project are limited to unreimbursed spend by the general contractor and as such, as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, $0.2 million and $4.0 million, respectively, was contractually committed to the development of this project.
During the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company capitalized interest of $2.4 million and $1.2 million, respectively, related to qualifying expenditures for construction work-in-progress for its Tarzana manufacturing facility.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company determined there were indicators of impairment on its buildings and construction work-in-progress asset groups. As a result, the Company performed recoverability tests on these groups and concluded these assets’ undiscounted cash flows did not exceed their carrying values. The Company estimates the fair value of its buildings through a combination of an income-based approach and a market-based approach. The income-based approach is dependent on specific assumptions such as market rental rates, capitalization rates and discount rates which are Level 3 inputs. The market-based approach utilizes observable data, such as comparable building sales and occupancy rates which are Level 2 inputs. The fair value of its buildings were determined to be $132.1 million, below the carrying value of $173.7 million. This led to an impairment of $41.5 million recognized in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges.”
Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities
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Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Accrued construction costs $ — $ 12,359
Accrued compensation and benefits 1,026 3,273
Accrued research, development and clinical trial expenses 1,833 3,827
Operating lease liabilities, current 1,750 2,381
Other current liabilities 190 592
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities $ 9,347 $ 30,069
4. Goodwill and Intangible Assets
In March 2020, the Company acquired 100% of the share capital of Immetacyte. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination and, accordingly, the total fair value of purchase consideration was allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their fair values on the acquisition date. Due to the Company’s pre-commercialization stage, many of the processes and methods used in the production of TILs were still in experimental development and pre-clinical stages.
As a result of the 2022 Plan, the Company determined that the carrying amount of its goodwill and intangible assets exceeded its fair value. The fair value was determined based on a discounted cash flow analysis, which took into account multiple factors including future cash flows, discount rates, and market conditions. As a result of this analysis, the Company recognized a non-cash impairment charge of $5.7 million for goodwill and $10.1 million for intangible assets during the year ended December 31, 2022. The impairment charge was recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges.”
5. Fair Value Measurement
The fair value of cash and cash equivalents approximates carrying value since cash and cash equivalents consist of short-term highly liquid investments with maturities of less than three months at the time of purchase. Cash and cash equivalents are quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets and are therefore classified as Level 1 assets. Money market funds are open-end mutual funds that invest in cash, government securities, and/or repurchase agreements that are collateralized fully. To the extent that these funds are valued based upon the reported net asset value, they are categorized in Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.
Short-term and long-term marketable securities comprised U.S. Treasury bills that are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy are valued based on other observable inputs, including broker or dealer quotations, alternative pricing sources or U.S. Government Treasury yield of appropriate term.
The following tables provide information by level for assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring and nonrecurring basis:
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Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
(In thousands)
Financial Assets
Money market funds $ 5,684 $ — $ — $ 5,684
Derivative financial instrument — 1,055 — 1,055
Financial Liabilities
Contingent consideration $ — $ — $ 4,858 $ 4,858
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
(In thousands)
Financial Assets
Derivative financial instrument — 2,202 — 2,202
Financial Liabilities
Contingent consideration $ — $ — $ 8,242 $ 8,242
There were no transfers in or out of Level 1, 2 and 3 measurements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were no securities within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The derivative financial instrument above relates to the interest rate swap discussed in Note 7, and is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets in the consolidated balance sheets.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the fair value of the Company’s Loan (as defined in Note 7) was $72.3 million and $69.0 million, respectively. The fair value was determined on the basis of its net present value and is considered Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy (see Note 2).
The following table sets forth a summary of the changes in the fair value of the Company’s Level 3 financial liabilities (in thousands):
Fair value, beginning balance $ 8,242
Change in fair value (3,384)
Development milestone achieved —
Fair value, ending balance $ 4,858
Fair value, beginning balance $ 12,321
Change in fair value (2,879)
Development milestone achieved (1,200)
Fair value, ending balance $ 8,242
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The Company’s acquisition of Immetacyte involved the potential for the payment of future contingent consideration upon the achievement of (i) certain product development milestones including, approval of studies and commencement and completion of certain product trials, or (ii) various other performance conditions including, receipt of final approval for the first marketing authorization and first commercial sale in certain geographical markets. Contingent consideration is recorded at the estimated fair value of the contingent payments on the acquisition date. The fair value of the contingent consideration is remeasured at the estimated fair value at each reporting period with the change in fair value recognized as income or expense within research and development expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
During the year of acquisition, the Company determined the fair value of the contingent consideration by probability weighting scenarios of milestone achievements to determine the expected future contingent consideration payment, discounted to present value using an 8% discount rate based on the Company’s pre-tax cost of debt on the acquisition date. The probability of payments ranged from 20% to 100% and the timing of future payments ranged from 2026 to 2028. Determinations of the likelihood of milestone achievements, which trigger payouts related to the contingent consideration, as well as the probabilities for various scenarios used in the Company’s calculations, were based on internal unobservable projections.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the change of fair value related to the contingent consideration was due to the discontinuation of the ITIL-306-202 development program, the change in present value for the passage of time, as well as expected dates and probabilities of milestone achievement revisions.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the change of fair value related to the contingent consideration was due to the Company recognizing development milestones of $1.2 million, the discontinuation of the ITIL-168 development program, the change in present value for the passage of time, as well as expected dates and probabilities of milestone achievement revisions.
6. Financial Instruments
Marketable securities classified as available-for-sale at December 31, 2023 and 2022 consisted of the following (in thousands):
Maturity Amortized Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Value
U.S. Treasury bills Between one and two years 23,134 27 — 23,161
Maturity Amortized Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Value
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, marketable securities that had contractual maturities less than one year are classified as current because management considers these marketable securities to be available for current operations. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, marketable securities that had contractual maturities between one and two years are classified as long-term because management considers these marketable securities to be available for operations beyond one year. The Company does not intend to sell its marketable securities and it is not likely that the Company will be required to sell these securities before recovery of their amortized cost bases. There were $141.2 million marketable securities and $23.2 million long-term investments maturing in less than two years
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classified as available-for-sale at December 31, 2023. There were $217.2 million marketable securities classified as available-for-sale at December 31, 2022.
7. Commitments and Contingencies
Operating Lease Obligations
The Company currently leases office spaces and laboratory spaces located in Greater Los Angeles, California, Dallas, Texas, and the United Kingdom. The Company’s leased facilities have original lease terms ranging from 2 to 5 years that predominately require the Company to provide a security deposit, while certain leases provide the right for the Company to renew the lease upon the expiration of the initial lease term, and various leases have scheduled rent increases on an annual basis. The exercise of lease renewal options for the Company’s existing leases is at the Company’s sole discretion, and not included in the measurement of right-of-use asset or lease liability as they are not reasonably certain to be exercised. Certain leases have leasehold improvements and are being amortized over the shorter of the estimated useful life of the improvements or the remaining life of the lease, such improvements incurred by the Company will revert to the landlord at the expiration of the lease and will be removed from Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
The Company’s lease costs consist of the following (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
The following table summarizes cash flow information related to the Company’s lease obligations (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Cash paid for operating lease liabilities $ 2,308 $ 3,258
The following table summarizes the Company’s lease assets and liabilities (in thousands):
As of December 31,
Operating lease right-of-use assets $ 2,387 $ 12,457
Current operating lease liabilities $ 1,750 $ 2,381
Non-current operating lease liabilities $ 2,877 $ 5,171
The following table summarizes other supplemental information related to the Company’s lease obligations:
As of December 31,
Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years) 2.60 3.29
Weighted-average discount rate 6.75 % 6.75 %
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Future minimum lease payments under operating lease liabilities were (in thousands):
Total future lease payments 5,036
Less: imputed interest 409
Total lease liability balance 4,627
Less: current portion of operating lease liabilities 1,750
Total operating lease liabilities, non-current $ 2,877
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company evaluated its remaining right-of-use assets for impairment, as the Plan has resulted in a cessation of use for several locations. The Company determined these assets were impaired, and recognized an impairment loss of $7.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and nil for the year ended December 31, 2022, in addition to a loss on termination of $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 and nil for the year ended December 31, 2022, which were recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges” (see Note 12).
Construction Commitments
The Company’s contractual commitments for the development of the Tarzana project are limited to unreimbursed spend by the general contractor and as such, as of December 31, 2023, was $0.2 million, which is contractually committed to the development of this project.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company entered into lease termination agreements for several office and laboratory spaces located in the United States as a part of the Plan. As consideration for the terminations, the Company agreed to pay certain landlord’s termination fees of approximately $0.4 million, which are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the line item “restructuring and impairment charges” (see Note 12).
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, the Company may have certain contingent liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities. The Company accrues a liability for such matters when it is probable that future expenditures will be made and that such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. Significant judgment is required to determine both probability and the estimated amount. The Company does not expect that the resolution of these matters will have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Debt
In June 2022, the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Complex Therapeutics Mezzanine LLC, and the Company’s wholly owned indirect subsidiary, Complex Therapeutics LLC, entered into a mortgage construction loan and mezzanine construction loan (together, the “Loan”) secured by its Tarzana, California land and building (the “Property”) which is substantially complete and is waiting for final certificate of occupancy from the city of Los Angeles. The initial principal amount of the Loan was $52.1 million, with additional future principal of up to $32.9 million to fund ongoing Property construction costs. The Loan principal is payable in July 2025, with the option to extend until July 2027. As of December 31, 2023, the outstanding principal amount under the Loan was $82.8 million and unamortized debt issuance costs were $1.4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2023, $0.6 million in additional principal was paid in accordance with the lender agreement. The Loan is guaranteed by the Company and secured by the Property, and bears interest at one-month Secured Overnight Financing Rate, plus
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5.25% per annum. The Company discontinued capitalizing interest on June 2023 as the building was substantially complete. The Loan contains customary negative and affirmative covenants that include limitations on the ability of the Company to enter into significant contracts and incur additional debt. The Company is also required to maintain consolidated net worth and liquid assets of at least $85.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 as defined in the loan agreement. As of December 31, 2023, the Company was in compliance with the covenants of the Loan. The Company is also required to maintain certain insurance coverage on the Property. In connection with the Loan, the Company entered into an interest rate swap to effectively limit its maximum interest rate, as discussed in Note 5.
The net carrying amount of the liability component of the Loan was as follows (in thousands):
As of December 31,
Unamortized debt issuance cost (1,410) (2,405)
The following table sets forth the interest expense recognized related to the Loan (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Contractual interest expense $ 4,214 $ 1,302
Amortization of debt issuance cost 995 581
Total interest expense related to the Loan $ 5,209 $ 1,883
Indemnifications
The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and officers that may require the Company to indemnify its directors and officers against liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware corporate law. The Company currently has directors’ and officers’ insurance coverage that reduces its exposure and enables the Company to recover a portion of any future amounts paid. No liability associated with such indemnifications was recorded as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Other Commitments
In the normal course of business, the Company enters into contracts and various purchase agreements commitments with third-party vendors for clinical research services, products and other services from third parties for operating purposes. These agreements generally provide for termination or cancellation, other than for costs already incurred. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had $3.1 million in commitment for contract terminations as part of the Plan. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had $3.0 million in commitments related to one-time employee termination benefits and $2.4 million in commitments for contract terminations as part of the Plan (see Note 12).
The Company has entered into an agreement with a third-party to collaborate on the development of the Collaboration Product with the aim of enrolling patients in investigator-initiated (“IIT”) clinical trials in China. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company paid $0.3 million in milestone payments. Additional milestone payments of $2.6 million were made during the first quarter of 2024 and upon successful completion of future milestones the Company may be required to pay up to $3.4 million for clinical development and related activities.
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8. Equity
Common Stock
Each share of common stock has the right to one vote. The holders of common stock are also entitled to receive dividends whenever funds are legally available and if declared by the Board of Directors, subject to the prior rights of holders of all classes of stock outstanding having priority rights as to dividends. No cash dividends have been declared by the Board of Directors from inception.
As of December 31, 2023, the Company had 6,503,913 shares of common stock outstanding.
Preferred Stock Activity
The Company’s current amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorizes the Company to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock at $0.000001 par value per share. The Board of Directors is authorized to provide for the issuance of the preferred stock in one or more series, and to fix the number of shares and to determine or alter for each such series, such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designation, preferences, and relative, participating, optional, or other rights and such qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof, as shall be stated and expressed in subsequent resolution or resolutions adopted by the board providing for the issuance of such shares. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022 there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.
9. Stock-Based Compensation
2021 Equity Incentive Plan
In March 2021, the Company adopted the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”), which became effective in connection with the Company’s initial public offering (“IPO”). The 2021 Plan was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors and stockholders in March 2021. The 2021 Plan is an equity incentive plan pursuant to which the Company may grant the following awards: (i) incentive stock options; (ii) nonstatutory stock options; (iii) stock appreciation rights; (iv) restricted stock awards; (v) restricted stock unit awards; (vi) performance awards; and (vii) other forms of stock awards to employees, directors, and consultants, including employees and consultants of the Company’s affiliates. The 2021 Plan is a successor to the Company’s 2018 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”). Following the effectiveness of the 2021 Plan, no further grants may be made under the 2018 Plan; however, any outstanding equity awards granted under the 2018 Plan will continue to be governed by the terms of the 2018 Plan.
The number of shares available for future issuance under the 2021 Plan is the sum of (1) 433,000 new shares of common stock, (2) 209,722 remaining shares of common stock reserved under the 2018 Plan that became available for issuance upon the effectiveness of the 2021 Plan and (3) the number of shares of common stock subject to outstanding awards under the 2018 Plan when the 2021 Plan became effective that thereafter expire or are forfeited, canceled, withheld to satisfy tax withholding or to purchase or exercise an award, repurchased by the Company or are otherwise terminated. The number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2021 Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each year, for a period of ten years, from January 1, 2022 continuing through January 1, 2031, by 5% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, or a lesser number of shares as may be determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. Stock options granted by the Company to employees generally vest over four years with a one-year cliff.
As of December 31, 2023, 659,608 shares of common stock remained available for issuance under the 2021 Plan. As of December 31, 2023, the total number of shares authorized for issuance under the 2021 Plan was 642,722 shares.
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The following summarizes option activity under the 2021 Plan as of December 31, 2023:
Additional Shares Authorized —
Additional Shares Authorized —
Options exercised — — $ —
______________________________________________________________
(1) Includes 4,796 and 14,762 stock options during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, subject to only performance conditions.
The aggregate intrinsic value disclosed in the above table is based on the difference between the exercise price of the stock option and the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock as of the respective period-end dates. There were zero and 52,450 stock options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, was nil, respectively. The weighted-average grant date fair value of stock options granted during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, was $8.74 and $103.83 per share, respectively.
The following table sets forth stock-based compensation included in the Company’s statement of operations and comprehensive loss (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Research and development expense $ 1,549 $ 11,882
Total stock-based compensation expense $ 18,166 $ 30,441
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, there was $22.4 million and $55.0 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options granted under the 2021 Plan (excluding performance awards), which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.39 years and 1.98 years, respectively.
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The fair value of the Company’s stock option awards was estimated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions:
Year Ended December 31,
Expected dividend yield —% —%
The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires the use of highly subjective assumptions which determine the fair value of stock-based awards. These assumptions include:
Expected term—The expected term represents the period that stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding and is determined as the average of the time-to-vesting and the contractual life of the awards.
Expected volatility—Since the Company is privately held and does not have any trading history for its common stock, the expected volatility was estimated based on the average volatility for comparable publicly traded biotechnology companies over a period equal to the expected term of the stock option grants. The comparable companies were chosen based on their similar size, stage in the life cycle or area of specialty.
Risk-free interest rate—The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected term of awards.
Expected dividend yield—The Company has never paid dividends on its common stock and has no plans to pay dividends on its common stock. Therefore, the Company used an expected dividend yield of zero.
Performance Awards
During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, 4,796 and 14,762 stock options were granted to both employees and non-employees based upon performance conditions and strategic transactions. 2023 performance grants are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 0.37 years, and the 2022 performance grants are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.17 years. A strategic transaction has been defined as (a) a change in control, or (b) certain corporate and business goals specific to the employee's performance or employment agreement. Included in stock-based compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 is $4.2 million related to awards where performance conditions were achieved. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company had $5.1 million and $10.6 million of unrecognized compensation cost relating to these performance awards, calculated using the accelerated attribution method and the grant date fair value of the awards, respectively.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In March 2021, the Company adopted the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”), which became effective in connection with the IPO. The ESPP was adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors and stockholders in March 2021, but the Company has not yet commenced offerings to employees under the ESPP. The ESPP initially provides participating employees with the opportunity to purchase up to an aggregate of 61,850 shares of common stock. The number of shares reserved under the ESPP automatically increases on January 1 of each year through and until January 1, 2031, in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) 1% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, and (ii) 123,700 shares; provided, however, that before the date of any such increase, the Board of Directors may determine that such increase will be less than the amount set forth in clauses (i) and (ii).
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10. Net Loss Per Share
The following outstanding potentially dilutive shares have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the periods presented due to their anti-dilutive effect:
December 31,
All outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock were converted on a 1.2-for-1 conversion ratio of shares of common stock on March 23, 2021, the date of the Company’s IPO.
11. Income Taxes
The geographical breakdown of loss before provision for income taxes is as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
The components of the provision for income taxes are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Current provision for income taxes:
Domestic $ — $ 13
Foreign — —
Total current — 13
Deferred tax provision:
Domestic — —
Total deferred — (2,086)
Total income tax expense (benefit) $ — $ (2,073)
The following table presents a reconciliation of the Company’s statutory federal income tax rate and effective tax rate:
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Year Ended December 31,
U.S. federal taxes at statutory rate 21.0 % 21.0 %
Stock-based compensation (1.8) % (2.0) %
Permanent differences and other 0.8 % 0.2 %
Statutory tax rate differences 3.4 % 1.1 %
Change in valuation allowance (23.4) % (19.4) %
Total — % 0.9 %
The components of deferred tax liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Deferred tax assets:
Research and development credits 4,915 4,915
Accrued compensation and benefits 107 352
Other temporary differences 8,279 517
Intangible assets 97 —
Total deferred tax assets, net — 1,505
Deferred tax liabilities:
Intangible assets — —
Fixed assets — (420)
Total gross deferred tax liabilities — (1,505)
Net deferred tax liabilities $ — $ —
The components of unrecognized tax benefits consist of the following (in thousands):
In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, the Company considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Due to the uncertainty of the business in which the Company operates, projections of future
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profitability are difficult and past profitability is not necessarily indicative of future profitability. The Company does not believe it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will be realized, and accordingly, the valuation allowance increased $40.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards for federal income tax purposes of $319.5 million, which will carryforward indefinitely, but may only offset 80% of the Company’s taxable income. This limitation on the net operating loss may require the Company to pay federal income taxes in future years despite generating a loss for federal income tax purposes in prior years. In addition, the Company has $173.3 million of net operating loss carryforwards available to reduce future taxable income, for California state income tax purposes for the year ended December 31, 2023. The state net operating loss carryforwards will begin to expire, if not utilized, in 2041. The Company has R&D credits of $4.1 million, and $3.7 million for federal and California, respectively, as of December 31, 2023. The federal R&D credits expire in 2041 and the California R&D credits carryforward indefinitely.
The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, various states where the Company has employees and/or significant business activities, and the United Kingdom. As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s federal and state returns through 2020 are still open to examination. The UK returns starting from 2020 are open to examination. The Company had uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2022 of $2.3 million and this balance remained unchanged during December 31, 2023. The Company does not anticipate that the amount of existing unrecognized tax benefits will significantly increase or decrease during the next 12 months. The Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2023.
The Company has not completed a Section 382 study to assess whether an ownership change has occurred or whether there have been multiple ownership changes since the Company’s formation. Pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Sections 382 and 383, annual use of the Company’s net operating loss and research and development tax credit carryforwards may be limited in the event a cumulative change in ownership of more than 50% occurs within a three-year period. If eliminated, the related asset would be removed from the deferred tax asset schedule with a corresponding reduction in the valuation allowance. Due to the existence of the valuation allowance, limitations created by future ownership changes, if any, will not impact the Company’s effective tax rate.
12. Corporate Restructuring
In December 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors approved to implement a strategic prioritization of the Company’s preclinical and clinical development programs. The strategy was designed to reduce costs and reallocate resources to focus on advancing the Company’s CoStAR platform and other next-generation tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) technologies. As part of the strategy, the Company’s ITIL-168 development program was discontinued, and the Company reduced its U.S. workforce by approximately 60%.
In January 2023, the Company announced the consolidation of the ITIL-306 Phase 1 clinical trial and related manufacturing of CoStAR-TIL operations in Manchester, UK and stopped recruiting for the ITIL-306-201 clinical trial. The December 2022 and January 2023 events are collectively referred to as (the “Plan”).
In January 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the 2024 Plan that includes closing the Company’s Manchester, UK manufacturing facility and clinical trial operations and cessation of the Company’s ITIL-306-202 clinical trial. The Company expects to record restructuring and impairment charges in 2024.
In connection with the 2024 Plan, the Company currently estimates that it will incur charges of up to $6.1 million, including employee termination costs, severance and other benefits, and contract termination costs. The charges that the Company expects to incur in connection with the 2024 Plan are subject to a number of assumptions, and actual results may differ materially. The Company may also incur additional costs not currently contemplated due to events that may occur as a result of, or that are associated with, the 2024 Plan.
Restructuring and Impairment Charges
As a result of the Plan, in the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded restructuring and impairment charges of approximately $72.0 million and $23.2 million, respectively, within the restructuring and impairment charges line item within the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. These
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charges relate to asset impairments, contract terminations, severance payments and other employee-related costs incurred. The following table summarizes the restructuring and impairment charges by category (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Asset impairment for goodwill and intangible assets $ — $ 15,826
Asset impairment for leasehold improvements 2,644 1,202
Asset impairment for other fixed assets — 705
One-time employee termination benefits 1,844 2,995
Building and construction work in progress impairment 41,542 —
Contract terminations expense 1,987 2,439
Right-of-use asset impairment 7,724 —
Impairment of long-lived assets held for sale 16,271 —
Total restructuring and impairment charges $ 72,012 $ 23,167
Restructuring Liability
As a result of the Plan, the restructuring liability was recorded in the consolidated balance sheets under “Accrued expenses and other current liabilities” and were measured at the amount expected to be paid. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company paid $5.4 million of restructuring costs and expects to pay the remainder of the restructuring costs within the next 12 months. The following table shows the liability related to the Plan (in thousands):
Employee Benefits Contract terminations Total
Restructuring liability balance as of December 31, 2023 $ — $ 3,136 $ 3,136
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and to provide reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
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Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company's principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the company’s Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:
•Pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company;