Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Note 1 - Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Business Activities and Organization

 

Company Overview

 

Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company”, formerly known as “Heatwurx” ) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Processa Therapeutics LLC (“Processa”), a Delaware limited liability company, acquired all the net assets of Promet Therapeutics, LLC (“Promet”) a private Delaware limited liability company, including the rights to the CoNCERT Agreement mentioned below, on October 4, 2017 in exchange for 31,745,242 shares of the common stock of the Company which, at closing, constituted approximately 90% of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis accounted for as a tax-free contribution under Internal Revenue Code Section 351. Immediately following closing, there were 35,272,626 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. At closing, Processa was assigned all the assets and operations of Promet that constituted the operating business of Promet, while Promet, which continues as an active company, received the shares of Company common stock mentioned above, including those shares that Promet agreed to hold for the benefit of, and transfer to, CoNCERT in respect of the Agreement (as defined below) which was expected, anticipated and intended to occur at this time. Upon closing on October 4, 2017, there was a change in control of the Company to Promet. The Company abandoned its prior business plan and adopted Promet’s business plan focused on developing drugs to treat patients that have a high unmet medical need. Subsequent to closing and effective October 10, 2017, the Company changed its trading symbol to “PCSA” on the OTC Pink Marketplace. The Company effected a one-for-seven reverse split of its shares in December 2017. As a result, the 2017 condensed consolidated financial statements have been retrospectively adjusted to reflect shares outstanding after the one-for-seven reverse split.

 

The net asset acquisition transaction was accounted for as a reverse acquisition. Prior to the acquisition, Heatwurx (subsequently renamed Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) had nominal net liabilities and operations. It was considered a non-operating public shell corporation. Therefore, Promet was considered the accounting acquirer (and legal wholly-owned subsidiary of Heatwurx, now called Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) and Heatwurx was considered the accounting acquiree (and legal acquirer). As a result, the consolidated financial statements of the Company reflect the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of Promet for all periods presented prior to October 4, 2017 and Processa for the periods subsequent to October 4, 2017. The legal capital stock (number and type of equity interests issued) is that of Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the legal parent, in accordance with guidance on reverse acquisitions accounted for as a capital transaction instead of a business combination (See Note 2 – Basis of Presentation and Earnings Per Share and Note 3 – Reverse Acquisition in Item 8 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 17, 2018).

 

All references to the “Company” and Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. refer to Heatwurx, Inc., Processa Therapeutics, LLC, and the net assets acquired from Promet, which were assigned at acquisition to Processa Therapeutics, LLC and Promet’s operations prior to October 4, 2017.

 

On March 19, 2018, Promet, Processa and CoNCERT Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“CoNCERT”) amended the Option and License Agreement (the “Agreement”) executed in October 2017. The Agreement was assigned to Processa and Processa exercised the exclusive option for the PCS-499 compound. The option was exercised in exchange for CoNCERT receiving (i) $8 million of Company common stock that was held by Promet for the benefit of CoNCERT (2,090,301 shares representing 5.93% of total the Company’s common stock issued and outstanding), and (ii) 15% of any sublicense revenue earned by the Company for a period equivalent to the royalty term (as defined in the Agreement) until the earliest of (a) Processa raising $8 million of gross proceeds; and (b) CoNCERT being able to sell its shares of Company common stock without restrictions pursuant to the terms of the amended Agreement. All other terms of the Agreement remain unchanged. As a result, the Company recognized an intangible asset and additional paid-in capital in the amount of $8 million resulting from Promet releasing the shares to CoNCERT in satisfaction of Processa’s obligation under the Agreement to CoNCERT (see Note 2 Intangible Asset for the income tax effect of this transaction). There was no change in the total shares issued and outstanding, however, after Promet released CoNCERT’s shares it held for CoNCERT, Promet’s percentage interest held in Processa was reduced from 90% to 84%.

  

Description of Business

 

Processa is an emerging pharmaceutical company focused on the clinical development of drug products that are intended to improve the survival and/or quality of life for patients who have a high unmet medical need or who have no alternative treatment. Within this group of pharmaceutical products, we currently are developing one product for two indications (i.e., the use of a drug to treat a particular disease) and searching for additional products for our portfolio.

 

Processa’s lead product, PCS-499 is an oral tablet that is an analog of an active metabolite of an already approved FDA drug. The advantage of PCS-499 is that it potentially may work in many conditions because it has multiple pharmacological targets it affects that are important in the treatment of these conditions. Based on its pharmacological activity, Processa has identified multiple unmet medical need conditions where the use of PCS-499 may result in clinical efficacy. The lead indication currently under development for PCS-499 is Necrobiosis Lipoidica (NL). Processa has met with the FDA on the NL condition and has developed a strategy for moving the program for NL forward starting with a Phase 2 clinical trial in NL patients in late 2018. Processa will continue to evaluate other unmet need conditions for PCS-499 as well as other potential assets and develop strategies including the regulatory pathway and commercialization plans for the product(s) for these unmet need conditions over the next year.

 

Processa is also looking to acquire additional drug candidates to help patients who have an unmet medical need.

 

Our operations are performed in the state of Maryland and are still in the organizational and research and development phase of operations. As a result, we have a limited operating history and only a preliminary business plan from which investors may evaluate our future prospects. We have not had any sources of revenue from inception (August 31, 2015) through September 30, 2018 and have a history of operating losses from operations. Our ability to generate meaningful revenue from any products in the United States depends on obtaining FDA authorization. Even if our products are authorized and approved by the FDA, we must still meet the challenges of successful marketing, distribution and consumer acceptance.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X.

 

Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary, which are of a normal and recurring nature, for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial position and of the results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the SEC on April 17, 2018. The results of operations for the interim periods shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the full year.

 

As a result of the modification of the Agreement with CoNCERT and the acquisition of an exclusive license intangible asset used in research and development activities described above, the Company adopted a new intangible asset policy and disclosure (see Intangible Assets below and Note 2 – Intangible Asset) and recognized a deferred tax liability for the acquired temporary difference between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of the intangible asset (see Note 5 – Income Taxes).

 

Going Concern and Management’s Plan

 

The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared using U.S. GAAP and are based on the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company faces certain risks and uncertainties that are present in many emerging growth companies regarding product development and commercialization, limited working capital, recurring losses and negative cash flow from operations, future profitability, ability to obtain future capital, protection of patents, technologies and property rights, competition, rapid technological change, navigating the domestic and major foreign markets’ regulatory and clinical environment, recruiting and retaining key personnel, dependence on third party manufacturing organizations, third party collaboration and licensing agreements, lack of sales and marketing activities, and no customers or pharmaceutical products to sell or distribute. These risks and other factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

 

The Company has relied exclusively on private placements with a small group of accredited investors to finance its business and operations. We do not have any prospective arrangements or credit facilities as a source of future funds. The Company has not had any revenue since its inception on August 31, 2015. We are looking at ways to add a revenue stream to offset some of our expenses. The Company does not currently have any revenue under contract or any immediate sales prospects. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had an accumulated deficit of approximately $7.0 million, incurred a net loss of approximately $3.2 million and used approximately $3.2 million in net cash from operating activities from continuing operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The Company had total cash and cash equivalents of approximately $2.4 million as of September 30, 2018 and a Clinical Trial Funding commitment from an investor (PoC Capital) of $1.8 million.

 

Based on our current plan and our available resources (including the Clinical Trial Funding commitment of $1.8 million from PoC Capital), we will need to raise additional capital before the end of the second quarter of 2019 in order to fund our future operations. While we believe our current resources are adequate to complete our upcoming Phase 2a trial for NL, we do not currently have resources to conduct other future trials without raising additional capital. As noted above, the timing and extent of our spending will depend on the cost associated with, and the results of our upcoming Phase 2a trial for NL. Our anticipated spending and our cash flow needs could change significantly as the trial progresses. There may be costs we incur during our trial that we do not currently anticipate requiring us to need additional capital sooner than currently expected.

 

When additional funding is required, it may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing when needed, we may have to delay, reduce the scope of or suspend one or more of our clinical trials, or research and development programs. We may seek to raise any necessary additional capital through a combination of public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements and other marketing and distribution arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through marketing and distribution arrangements or other collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our product candidates, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we do raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our stockholders’ rights. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, we may be subject to covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends.

 

Uncertainty concerning our ability to continue as a going concern may hinder our ability to obtain future financing. Continued operations and our ability to continue as a going concern are dependent on our ability to obtain additional funding in the near future and thereafter, and no assurances can be given that such funding will be available at all or will be available in sufficient amounts or on reasonable terms. Without additional funds from debt or equity financing, sales of assets, sales or out-licenses of intellectual property or technologies, or other transactions yielding funds, we will rapidly exhaust our resources and will be unable to continue operations. Absent additional funding, we believe that our cash and cash equivalents will not be sufficient to fund our operations for a period of one year or more after the date that these consolidated financial statements are available to be issued based on the timing and amount of our projected net loss from continuing operations and cash to be used in operating activities during that period of time.

  

As a result, substantial doubt exists about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that these consolidated financial statements are available to be issued. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of recorded assets, or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might be different should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern based on the outcome of these uncertainties described above.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts (including assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses) and related disclosures, including contingent assets and liabilities. Estimates have been prepared on the basis of the most current and best available information. However, actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and money market funds. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity at the date of purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

 

Intangible Assets

 

Intangible assets acquired individually or with a group of other assets from others (other than in a business combination) are recognized at cost, including transaction costs, and allocated to the individual assets acquired based on relative fair values and no goodwill is recognized. Cost is measured based on cash consideration paid. If consideration given is in the form of non-cash assets, liabilities incurred, or equity interests issued, measurement of cost is based on either the fair value of the consideration given or the fair value of the assets (or net assets) acquired, whichever is more clearly evident and more reliably measurable. Costs of internally developing, maintaining or restoring intangible assets that are not specifically identifiable, have indeterminate lives or are inherent in a continuing business are expensed as incurred.

 

Intangible assets purchased from others for use in research and development activities and that have alternative future uses (in research and development projects or otherwise) are capitalized in accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other. Those that have no alternative future uses (in research and development projects or otherwise) and therefore no separate economic value are considered research and development costs and are expensed as incurred. Amortization of intangibles used in research and development activities is a research and development cost.

 

Intangibles with a finite useful life are amortized and those with an indefinite useful life are not amortized. The useful life is the best estimate of the period over which the asset is expected to contribute directly or indirectly to the future cash flows of the Company. The useful life is based on the duration of the expected use of the asset by the Company and the legal, regulatory or contractual provisions that constrain the useful life and future cash flows of the asset, including regulatory acceptance and approval, obsolescence, demand, competition and other economic factors. If an income approach is used to measure the fair value of an intangible asset, the Company considers the period of expected cash flows used to measure the fair value of the intangible asset, adjusted as appropriate for Company-specific factors discussed above, to determine the useful life for amortization purposes. If no regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors limit the useful life of the intangible to the Company, the useful life is considered indefinite.

 

Intangibles with a finite useful life are amortized on the straight-line method unless the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset are consumed or used up are reliably determinable. The Company evaluates the remaining useful life of intangible assets each reporting period to determine whether any revision to the remaining useful life is required. If the remaining useful life is changed, the remaining carrying amount of the intangible asset will be amortized prospectively over the revised remaining useful life.

  

Intangibles with an indefinite useful life are not amortized until its useful life is determined to be no longer indefinite. If the useful life is determined to be finite, the intangible is tested for impairment and the carrying amount is amortized over the remaining useful life in accordance with intangibles subject to amortization. Indefinite-lived intangibles are tested for impairment annually and more frequently if events or circumstances indicate that it is more-likely-than-not that the asset is impaired.

 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Intangibles Other Than Goodwill

 

The Company accounts for the impairment of long-lived assets in accordance with ASC 360, Property, Plant and Equipment and ASC 350, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other which requires that long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to its expected future undiscounted net cash flows generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured as the amount by which the carrying amounts of the assets exceed the fair value of the assets based on the present value of the expected future cash flows associated with the use of the asset. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Based on management’s evaluation, there was no impairment loss recorded for the three or nine-month periods ended September 30, 2018.

 

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure

 

The Company applies ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, which expands disclosures for assets and liabilities that are measured and reported at fair value on a recurring basis. Fair value is defined as an exit price, representing the amount that would be received upon the sale of an asset or payment to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants.

 

Fair value is a market-based measurement that is determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. A three-tier fair value hierarchy is used to prioritize the inputs in measuring fair value as follows:

 

Level 1 – Quoted market prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date.

 

Level 2 – Quoted market prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable, either directly or indirectly. Fair value determined through the use of models or other valuation methodologies.

 

Level 3 – Significant unobservable inputs for assets or liabilities that cannot be corroborated by market data. Fair value is determined by the reporting entity’s own assumptions utilizing the best information available and includes situations where there is little market activity for the asset or liability.

 

The asset’s or liability’s fair value measurement within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s policy is to recognize transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy in the period the event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer. There were no transfers into or out of Level 1, 2, or 3 during the periods presented.

 

Stock-based Compensation

 

Share-based compensation expense is based on the grant-date fair value estimated in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. The Company expenses stock-based compensation to employees over the requisite service period based on the estimated grant-date fair value of the awards. Stock-based awards with graded-vesting schedules are recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for each separately vesting portion of the award. The Company estimates the fair value of stock option grants using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, and the assumptions used in calculating the fair value of stock-based awards represent management’s best estimates and involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management’s judgment. Stock-based compensation costs are recorded as general and administrative or research and development costs in the statements of operations based upon the underlying individual’s role at the Company.

  

Net Income (Loss) per Share

 

The Company computes basic and diluted earnings per share amounts pursuant to ASC 260-10-45. Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common shareholders, by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, excluding the effects of any potentially dilutive securities. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) available to common shareholders by the diluted weighted average number of shares of common stock during the period. Since the Company had a net loss for each of the periods presented, basic and diluted net loss per share are the same. The computation of diluted net loss per share for the periods presented does not assume the impact of the conversion of the Senior Convertible Notes or the exercise or contingent exercise of securities since that would have an anti-dilutive effect on loss per share during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

From time to time, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies issue new accounting pronouncements. Updates to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification are communicated through issuance of an Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”). The Company has implemented all new accounting pronouncements that are in effect and that may impact its financial statements. We have evaluated recently issued accounting pronouncements and determined that there is no material impact on our financial position or results of operations.

 

From May 2014 through September 30, 2018, the FASB issued several ASUs related to ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, although entities may adopt one year earlier if they choose. The two permitted transition methods under the new standard are the full retrospective method, in which case the standard would be applied to each prior reporting period presented and the cumulative effect of applying the standard would be recognized at the earliest period shown, or the modified retrospective method, in which case the cumulative effect of applying the standard would be recognized at the date of initial application. The Company is currently in the pre-revenue stages of operations; therefore, we do not currently anticipate there would be any change to timing or method of recognizing revenue. As such, the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

 

In February 2016 through September 30, 2018, the FASB issued several ASUs related to ASU-2016-02, Leases. The guidance requires that a lessee recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right of use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. For operating leases: the right-of-use asset and a lease liability will be initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in the statement of financial position; a single lease cost will be recognized, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term on a generally straight-line basis; and all cash payments will be classified within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. The amendments in Topic 842 are effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2019. The Company’s office lease expires September 30, 2019. Management is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the new guidance on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

In July 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2017-11 (ASU 2017-11), which allows companies to exclude a down round feature when determining whether a financial instrument is considered indexed to the entity’s own stock. As a result, financial instruments with down round features are no longer classified as liabilities and embedded conversion options with down round features are no longer bifurcated. For equity-classified freestanding financial instruments, such as warrants, an entity will treat the value of the effect of the down round, when triggered, as a dividend and a reduction of income available to common shareholders in computing basic earnings per share. For convertible instruments with embedded conversion options that have down round features, an entity will recognize the intrinsic value of the feature only when the feature becomes beneficial. The guidance in ASU 2017-11 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. We early adopted ASU 2017-11 effective January 1, 2018 without a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

  

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies the accounting for share-based payments granted to nonemployees for goods and services. Under the ASU, most of the guidance on such payment to nonemployees would be aligned with the requirements for share-based payment granted to employees. The changes take effect for fiscal years starting after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. We expect that the adoption of this ASU would not have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.