Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Company Description and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

v3.20.4
Company Description and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Company Description and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Nature of Business
Nature of Business
 
Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. (together with its subsidiary OcuSub, Inc., the "Company" or "Ocuphire") is a clinical-stage ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for the treatment of several eye disorders. The Company’s pipeline currently includes two small molecule product candidates targeting front and back of the eye indications. The Company’s lead product candidate, Nyxol® Eye Drops (“Nyxol”), is a once-daily eye drop formulation of phentolamine mesylate designed to reduce pupil diameter and improve visual acuity. The Company’s second product candidate, APX3330, is a twice-a-day oral tablet, designed to target multiple pathways relevant to retinal and choroidal vascular diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy (“DR”) and diabetic macular edema (“DME”). The Company has also in-licensed additional second-generation product candidates, analogs of APX3330, including APX2009 and APX2014.
 
The Company has sustained operating losses since inception and expects such losses to continue indefinitely until a sustained revenue source is realized. Management plans to continue financing the Company’s operations through additional issuances of the Company’s equity and debt securities. If adequate funds are not available, the Company may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate part or all of its research and development programs.
Reverse Merger with Rexahn
Reverse Merger with Rexahn
 
On June 17, 2020, Ocuphire, Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Rexahn”), Razor Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Rexahn (“Merger Sub”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization, as amended on June 29, 2020 (as amended, the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, and subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub would merge with and into Ocuphire, with Ocuphire continuing as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rexahn and the surviving corporation of the merger (the “Merger”). The Merger closed on November 5, 2020.  Upon completion of the Merger, Rexahn changed its name to Ocuphire Pharma, Inc. and changed its ticker symbol on the Nasdaq Capital Market to "OCUP".
 
The Company’s headquarters is located in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
 
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting standards generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements of the Company include a subsidiary, OcuSub, Inc., which is fully owned by the Company. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the preparation of the financial statements.
 
All of the share and per share amounts presented were adjusted, on a retroactive basis, to reflect the exchange of the shares of Ocuphire pre-Merger (“Private Ocuphire”) into 1.0565 shares of the Company (the “Exchange Ratio”), except for par value and share authorizations of Private Ocuphire for periods presented prior to the Merger.
Going Concern
Going Concern
 
The Company’s ability to continue operating as a going concern is contingent upon, among other things, its ability to secure additional financing and to achieve and maintain profitable operations. The Company plans to issue additional  equity instruments and possibly debt to finance operating and working capital requirements. While the Company expects to obtain the additional financing that is needed, there is no assurance that the Company will be successful in obtaining the necessary funding for future operations. These factors raise substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties.
Common Stock Valuation
Common Stock Valuation
 
Prior to the close of the Merger, due to the absence of an active market for the Private Ocuphire’s common stock, the Company utilized methodologies in accordance with the framework of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Technical Practice Aid, Valuation of Privately-Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation, to estimate the fair value of Private Ocuphire common stock. The valuation methodology included estimates and assumptions that required the Company’s judgment. These estimates and assumptions included a number of objective and subjective factors, including external market conditions affecting the biotechnology industry sector, and the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering (“IPO”), reverse merger or sale. Significant changes to the key assumptions used in the valuations resulted in different fair values of common stock at each valuation date.
 
For the valuation of equity awards granted in October 2020 and September 2020, the Company used a contemporaneous third-party valuation of $8.76 and $7.89 per share, respectively. For the valuation of equity awards granted in April 2020 and June 2020, the Company applied a straight-line calculation using the contemporaneous third-party valuations of $1.74 per share as of March 31, 2020 and $9.54 per share as of June 18, 2020 to determine the fair value of Private Ocuphire common stock. Using the benefit of hindsight, the Company determined that the straight-line calculation would provide the most reasonable conclusion for the valuation of the Company’s common stock on these interim dates between valuations because the Company did not identify any single event or series of events that occurred during this interim period that would have caused a material change in fair value. Based on this calculation, the Company assessed the fair value of its common stock for awards granted in April 2020 and June 2020 at $2.33 and $8.65 per share, respectively.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
 
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Segment Information
Segment Information
 
Operating segments are components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and is evaluated regularly by the Company’s chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and assessing performance. The Company’s chief operating decision maker is its Chief Executive Officer. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer views the Company’s operations and manages its business in one operating segment, which is the business of development and commercialization of products related to vision performance and health. Accordingly, the Company has a single reporting segment.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of 90 days or less at the time of deposit to be cash equivalents.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Concentration of Credit Risk
 
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents. Substantially all of the Company’s cash is held by one large, long-standing financial institution in the United States. Amounts on deposit may at times exceed federally insured limits. Management believes that the financial institution is financially sound, and accordingly, minimal credit risk exists with respect to the financial institution. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had deposits that exceeded federally insured amounts by $16.1 million.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and Administrative Expenses
 
General and administrative expenses (“G&A”) consist primarily of personnel-related costs, including salaries and stock-based compensation costs, for personnel in functions not directly associated with research and development activities. Other significant costs include legal fees relating to intellectual property and corporate matters, professional fees for accounting and tax services, and other services provided by business consultants.
Research and Development
Research and Development
 
Research and development expenses (“R&D”) consist of costs incurred in performing research and development activities, including compensation for research and development employees and consultants, costs associated with preclinical studies and clinical trials, regulatory activities, manufacturing activities to support clinical activities, license fees, nonlegal patent costs, fees paid to external service providers that conduct certain research and development, and an allocation of R&D related overhead expenses.
Acquired In-Process Research and Development Expenses
Acquired In‑Process Research and Development Expenses
 
The Company includes costs to acquire or in‑license product candidates as acquired in‑process research and development expenses (“IPR&D”). These costs are immediately expensed provided that the payments do not also represent processes or activities that would constitute a “business” as defined under GAAP or provided that the product candidate has not achieved regulatory approval for marketing, and absent obtaining such approval, has no alternative future use. Royalties owed on future sales of any licensed product will be expensed in the period the related revenues are recognized. See Note 8 – Apexian Sublicense Agreement.
Other Income (Expense), net
Other Income (Expense), net
 
Other income represents interest income related to cash and cash equivalent investments and reimbursements from grants and other sources. Other expense includes non-operating transaction costs, including legal and advisory fees, related principally to potential asset acquisitions when incurred. The non-operating transaction costs, interest income and other reimbursements are included in the other income (expense), net line item in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.
Share-Based Compensation
Share‑Based Compensation
 
The Company accounts for share‑based compensation in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC 718”), Compensation — Stock Compensation. Accordingly, compensation costs related to equity instruments granted are recognized at the grant‑date fair value. The Company records forfeitures when they occur. Share‑based compensation arrangements to non‑employees are accounted for in accordance with the applicable provisions of ASC 718.
Warrant Liabilities
Warrant Liabilities
 
The Company issued Series A Warrants in connection with the Pre-Merger Financing (see Note 9 – Pre-Merger Financing) and assumed Rexahn warrants issued prior to the Merger. The Company accounts for these warrants as a liability at fair value as certain provisions precluded equity accounting treatment for these instruments. Additionally, issuance costs associated with the warrants classified as liabilities are expensed as incurred and reflected as interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. The Company will continue to adjust the liabilities for changes in fair value until the earlier of the exercise, expiration, or until such time that certain indexation or cash settlement provisions are no longer in effect for the warrants. The change in fair value of the warrant liabilities are recognized as a component of the fair value change in derivative and warrant liabilities line item in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.
Premium Conversion Derivatives
Premium Conversion Derivatives
 
The Company evaluates all conversion and redemption features contained in a debt instrument to determine if there are any embedded derivatives that require separation from the host debt instrument. An embedded derivative that requires separation is bifurcated from its host debt instrument and a corresponding discount to the host debt instrument is recorded. The discount is amortized and recorded to interest expense over the term of the host debt instrument using the straight-line method which approximates the effective interest method. The embedded derivative is accounted for separately on a fair market value basis. The Company records the fair value changes of a separated embedded derivative at each reporting period in the fair value change in derivative and warrant liabilities line item in the accompanying consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. The Company determined that the redemption features under the convertible notes qualified as embedded derivatives and were separated from their debt hosts.
Fair Value Measurements
Fair Value Measurements
 
The Company follows accounting guidance that emphasizes that fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity-specific measurement. Fair value is defined as “the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.” Fair value measurements are defined on a three-level hierarchy:
 

Level 1 inputs: Unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;
 

Level 2 inputs: Quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or inputs which are observable, whether directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability; and
 

Level 3 inputs: Unobservable inputs that reflect the Company’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date.
 
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the fair values of cash and cash equivalents, prepaid and other assets, deferred costs, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximated their carrying values because of the short-term nature of these assets or liabilities. The estimated fair value of the Company’s convertible notes were based on amortized cost which was deemed to approximate fair value. The fair value of the warrant liabilities and premium conversion derivatives, while outstanding, were based on cash flow models discounted at current implied market rates evidenced in recent arms-length transactions representing expected returns by market participants for similar instruments and were based on Level 3 inputs. There were no transfers between fair value hierarchy levels during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
 
The fair value of financial instruments measured on a recurring basis is as follows (in thousands):
 
   
As of December 31, 2020
 
Description
 
Total
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Liabilities:
                 
Warrant liabilities
 
$
27,964
   
$
   
$
   
$
27,964
 
Total liabilities at fair value
 
$
27,964
   
$
   
$
   
$
27,964
 

   
As of December 31, 2019
 
Description
 
Total
 
Level 1
 
Level 2
 
Level 3
 
Liabilities:
                 
Premium conversion derivatives
 
$
2,714
   
$
   
$
   
$
2,714
 
Total liabilities at fair value
 
$
2,714
   
$
   
$
   
$
2,714
 

The following table provides a roll-forward of the warrant liabilities and premium conversion derivatives measured at fair value on a recurring basis using unobservable level 3 inputs for the years ended December 31,  2020 and 2019 (in thousands):
 
   
2020
 
Warrant liabilities
     
Balance as of beginning of period
 
$
 
Value assigned to warrants upon in connection with pre-merger financing
   
25,821
 
Issuance of warrants to former Rexahn stockholders classified as a liability
   
768
 
Cash settlement of warrant liabilities
   
(506
)
Reclassification of Rexahn warrants from liability to equity
   
(64
)
Change in fair value of warrant liability
   
1,945
 
Balance as of end of period
 
$
27,964
 

   
2020
   
2019
 
Premium conversion derivatives
           
Balance as of beginning of period
 
$
2,714
   
$
305
 
Value assigned to the underlying derivatives in connection with convertible notes
   
831
     
1,910
 
Revaluation due to convertible note extinguishment
   
(3,086
)
   
 
Change in fair value of premium conversion derivatives
   
(459
)
   
499
 
Balance as of end of period
 
$
   
$
2,714
 

There were no financial instruments measured on a non-recurring basis for any of the periods presented.
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
 
The Company utilizes the liability method of accounting for income taxes as required by ASC 740, Income Taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and the tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Currently, there is no provision for income taxes, as the Company has incurred operating losses to date, and a full valuation allowance has been provided on the net deferred tax assets.
Property and Equipment
Property and Equipment
 
Property and equipment, net is recorded at cost and reduced by accumulated depreciation. Depreciation expense is recognized over the estimated useful lives of the assets using the straight-line method. Equipment and furniture are depreciated over a five year estimated useful life. Tangible assets acquired for research and development activities which have alternative use are capitalized and depreciated over the useful life of the acquired asset. Estimated useful lives are periodically reviewed, and when appropriate, changes are made prospectively. When certain events or changes in operating conditions occur, asset lives may be adjusted and an impairment assessment may be performed on the recoverability of the carrying amounts. Maintenance and repairs are charged directly to expense as incurred.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
 
In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014‑09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in FASB ASC 605. The new guidance primarily states that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2019 and selected the modified retrospective transition method. The Company modified its accounting policies to reflect the requirements of this standard; however, the adoption did not affect the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures for the periods presented as the Company has yet to generate any revenues.
 
In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016‑01, Financial Instruments — Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The guidance affects the accounting for equity investments, financial liabilities under the fair value option and the presentation and disclosure requirements of financial instruments. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2019 and the standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
 
In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash. The objective of this ASU is to eliminate the diversity in practice related to the classification of restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this update should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2019 and the standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
 
In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2018-07”), which expands the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. An entity should generally apply the requirements of Topic 718 to nonemployee awards except in circumstances where there is specific guidance on inputs to an option pricing model and the attribution of cost. ASU 2018-07 specifies that Topic 718 applies to all share-based payment transactions in which a grantor acquires goods or services to be used or consumed in a grantor’s own operations by issuing share-based payment awards. The Company early adopted ASU 2018-07 effective January 1, 2019. The guidance did not have an impact to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
 
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (ASU 2018-13). This new guidance modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements, including removal and modifications of various current disclosures as well as some additional disclosure requirements for Level 3 fair value measurements. Some of these disclosure changes must be applied prospectively while others retrospectively depending on requirement. The Company adopted the new guidance on January 1, 2020 and the adoption did not have an impact on its consolidated financial statements.
 
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) and subsequently amended the guidance relating largely to transition considerations under the standard in January 2017, July 2018 and March 2019. The objective of this update is to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The Company adopted the new guidance on January 1, 2019 and the adoption did not have an impact on its consolidated financial statements.
 
In July 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-11, Earnings Per Share, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity and Derivatives and Hedging, which changes the accounting and earnings per share for certain instruments with down round features. The amendments in this ASU should be applied using a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the beginning of the fiscal year or retrospective adjustment to each period presented. The Company adopted the new guidance on January 1, 2020 and the adoption did not have an impact on its consolidated financial statements.
 
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The new guidance simplifies the accounting for income taxes by eliminating certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period, hybrid taxes and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. It also clarifies and simplifies other aspects of the accounting for income taxes. The Company adopted the guidance effective April 1, 2020. The adoption of the guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
 
In August 2020, FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity, which, among other things, provides guidance on how to account for contracts on an entity’s own equity. This ​ASU eliminates the beneficial conversion and cash conversion accounting models for convertible instruments. It also amends the accounting for certain contracts in an entity’s own equity that are currently accounted for as derivatives because of specific settlement provisions. In addition, this ASU modifies how particular convertible instruments and certain contracts that may be settled in cash or shares impact the diluted EPS computation. The amendments in this ASU are effective for smaller reporting companies (as defined by the SEC) for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2020-06 on its consolidated financial statements.