NOTE 2 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

Principles of Consolidation

The Company evaluates the need to consolidate affiliates based on standards set forth in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810, “Consolidation,” (“ASC 810”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Alpha-5 Integrin, LLC, AlloMek Therapeutics, LLC, Pasithea Therapeutics Limited (U.K.) and Pasithea Clinics Inc. (“Pasithea Clinics”). All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.  

These consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. Dollars.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statement and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.

Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate, could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Management regularly makes estimates related to the fair value of warrant liabilities; the recoverability of long-lived assets; the fair values and useful lives of intangible assets acquired in business combinations; the potential impairment of goodwill; and income taxes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for the amounts recorded in the consolidated financial statements. As appropriate, the Company obtains reports from third-party valuation experts to inform and support estimates related to fair value measurements.

Research and Development

Research and development costs are charged to operations when incurred and are included in operating expense, except for goodwill related to intellectual property & patents. Research and development costs consist principally of compensation of employees and consultants that perform the Company’s research activities, payments to third parties for preclinical and non-clinical activities, costs to acquire drug product from contract development and manufacturing organizations and third-party contractors relating to chemistry, manufacturing and controls (“CMC”) efforts, the fees paid for and to maintain the Company’s intellectual property, and research and development costs related to our discovery programs. Depending upon the timing of payments to the service providers, the Company recognizes prepaid expenses or accrued expenses related to these costs. These accrued or prepaid expenses are based on management’s estimates of the work performed under service agreements, milestones achieved and experience with similar contracts. The Company monitors each of these factors and adjusts estimates accordingly.

Research and development also includes contra expense related to costs reimbursed under the Company’s grant agreement. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded zero and $0.2 million of grant income as a contra expense within research and development.

General and Administrative

Our general and administrative expenses primarily consist of personnel and related costs, including stock-based compensation, legal fees relating to both intellectual property and corporate matters, accounting and audit related costs, insurance, corporate communications and public company expenses, information technology, office and facility rents and related expenses, including depreciation, amortization and maintenance, and fees for consulting, business development and other professional services.

Grants

In connection with the acquisition of Alpha-5, the Company legally assumed rights under a grant agreement with FightMND, which was entered into by Alpha-5 on September 23, 2021. FightMND supports pre-clinical research, development and assessment of therapeutics for motor neuron disease, including ALS. Under the grant agreement, the Company is entitled to reimbursements for costs incurred for research related to its monoclonal antibody targeting a5b1 integrin as a potential treatment for ALS. There was no grant income recognized for the year ended December 31, 2023.  For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded $0.2 million of grant income related to this grant as a contra expense within research and development.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents, classified as trading securities. The Company had cash equivalents of $13.4 million as of December 31, 2023, and did not have any cash equivalents as of December 31, 2022.

Property and Equipment and Depreciation

Property and equipment is recorded at cost. Depreciation is computed using straight-line and accelerated methods over the estimated useful lives of the related assets which range from three to ten years. Expenditures that enhance the useful lives of the assets are capitalized and depreciated. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. When properties are retired or otherwise disposed of, related costs and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated useful life of those leasehold improvements and the remaining lease term.

Warrant Liability 

The Company accounts for the publicly traded warrants issued in its Initial Public Offering (the “Public Warrants”) and the warrants issued as compensation to the underwriters in its Initial Public Offering (the “Representative Warrants” and together with the Public Warrants, the “IPO Warrants”) in accordance with the guidance contained in ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging,” under which the IPO Warrants do not meet the criteria for equity treatment and must be recorded as derivative liabilities. Accordingly, the Company classifies the IPO Warrants as liabilities at their fair value. This liability is subject to re-measurement at each balance sheet date until the IPO Warrants are exercised or expire, and any change in fair value is recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The fair value of the IPO Warrants was initially measured using a Black-Scholes pricing model. Currently, the fair value of the Public Warrants is measured using quoted market prices, and the fair value of the Representative Warrants is based on an estimate of the relative fair value to the Public Warrants, accounting for a small difference in the exercise price.

Income Taxes

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using 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 that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had deferred tax assets related to certain net operating losses. A valuation allowance was established against these deferred tax assets at their full amount, resulting in a zero balance of deferred tax assets on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.

ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. There were no unrecognized tax benefits and no amounts accrued for interest and penalties as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. The Company is currently not aware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviation from its position. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of a cash account in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has not experienced losses on this account and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such account.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

With the exception of liabilities related to the IPO Warrants, described in the table below, the fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the accompanying balance sheet, primarily due to their short-term nature.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received for sale of an asset or paid for transfer of a liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. GAAP establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements). These tiers include:

The following table presents information about the Company’s liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:

The following table presents a reconciliation of the Level 3 Representative Warrants liabilities:

The change in fair value of the Representative Warrants liabilities is recorded in change in fair value of warrant liabilities on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

The fair value of the cash equivalents is based on the fair value of marketable securities invested in U.S. government money market funds.

The fair value of the liability associated with the Public Warrants as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, was based on the quoted closing price on The Nasdaq Capital Market and is classified as Level 1. The fair value of the liability associated with the Representative Warrants as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, was based on an estimate of the relative fair value to the Public Warrants, accounting for a small difference in the exercise price, and is classified as Level 3.

In some circumstances, the inputs used to measure fair value might be categorized within different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those instances, the fair value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the fair value hierarchy based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Net Loss Per Share

Net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted earnings per share is computed similarly to the basic earnings per share, except the weighted average number of common shares outstanding are increased to include additional shares from the assumed exercise of share options, if dilutive. The following outstanding shares issuable upon exercise of stock options and warrants and vesting of restricted stock units were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share for the periods presented because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:

Foreign Currency Translations

The Company’s functional and reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. All transactions initiated in other currencies are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate prevailing on the date of transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the U.S. dollar at the rate of exchange in effect at the balance sheet date. Unrealized exchange gains and losses arising from such transactions are deferred until realization and are included as a separate component of stockholders’ equity (deficit) as a component of comprehensive income or loss. Upon realization, the amount deferred is recognized in income in the period when it is realized.

Translation of Foreign Operations

The financial results and position of foreign operations whose functional currency is different from the Company’s presentation currency are translated as follows:

Exchange differences arising on translation of foreign operations are transferred directly to the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive loss in the consolidated financial statements. Transaction gains and losses arising from exchange rate fluctuation on transactions denominated in a currency other than the functional currency are included in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

The relevant translation rates are as follows:

Comprehensive Loss

ASC 220, “Comprehensive Income,” establishes standards for reporting and display of comprehensive income (loss) and its components in a full set of general-purpose financial statements. As of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company had no material items of other comprehensive income (loss) except for the foreign currency translation adjustment.

Acquisitions, Intangible Assets and Goodwill

The consolidated financial statements reflect the operations of an acquired business beginning as of the date of acquisition. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their fair values at the date of acquisition; goodwill is recorded for any excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired. Significant judgment is required to determine the fair value of certain tangible and intangible assets and in assigning their respective useful lives. Accordingly, we typically obtain the assistance of third-party valuation specialists for significant tangible and intangible assets. The fair values are based on available historical information and on future expectations and assumptions deemed reasonable by management but are inherently uncertain, and could affect the accuracy or validity of the estimates and assumptions. Determining the useful life of an intangible asset also requires judgment. Intangible assets are amortized over their estimated lives. Any intangible assets associated with acquired in-process research and development activities (“IPR&D”) are not amortized until a product is available for sale.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Goodwill

Long-lived and amortizable intangible assets are assessed annually for impairment or sooner should impairment indicators exist. Significant events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. Such circumstances may include a significant decrease in the market price of an asset, a significant adverse change in the manner in which the asset is being used or in its physical condition or a history of operating or cash flow losses associated with the use of an asset. An impairment loss is recognized when the carrying amount of an asset exceeds the anticipated future undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. The amount of the impairment loss is the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value. There were no charges related to impairments of long-lived assets for all periods presented.

Goodwill is assessed for impairment annually during the fourth quarter, or more frequently if impairment indicators exist. Impairment exists when the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value. The Company may elect to assess goodwill for impairment using a qualitative or a quantitative approach, to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of goodwill is greater than its carrying value. There were no charges related to goodwill impairment for all periods presented.

Leases

The Company’s has leases related to office space. The Company determines whether a contract is or contains a lease at the time of the contract’s inception based on the presence of identified assets and the Company’s right to obtain substantially all the economic benefit from or to direct the use of such assets. When the Company determines a lease exists, it records a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and corresponding lease liability on its balance sheet. ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term. Lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets are recognized at the lease commencement date at the present value of the remaining future lease payments the Company is obligated for under the terms of the lease. Lease liabilities are recognized concurrent with the recognition of the ROU asset and represent the present value of lease payments to be made under the lease. These ROU assets and liabilities are adjusted for any prepayments, lease incentives received, and initial direct costs incurred. As the discount rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable in most of the Company’s leases, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. If the Company’s lease terms include an option to extend the lease for a set period, the Company evaluates the renewal option and should it be reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option, adjusts the ROU asset and liability accordingly.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation awards to employees and members of its Board of Directors (the “Board”) in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). ASC 718 requires all stock-based payments to employees and Board members, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the statements of operations by measuring the fair value of the award on the date of grant and recognizing this fair value as stock-based compensation using a straight-line method over the requisite service period, generally the vesting period.

The Company estimates the grant date fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The use of the Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires management to make assumptions with respect to the expected term of the option, the expected volatility of the Common Stock consistent with the expected life of the option, risk-free interest rates and expected dividend yields of the Common Stock.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The Company does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses, which requires entities to estimate all expected credit losses for financial assets measured at amortized cost basis, including trade receivables, held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2023. The adoption of this accounting standard did not have a material impact to the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.