2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The financial statements and accompanying notes have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain 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 and the reported amounts of expenses during the periods presented. Management believes that these estimates and assumptions are reasonable; however, actual results may differ and could have a material effect on future results of operations and financial position. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include stock-based compensation, research contract progress estimates, incremental borrowing rate for leases, useful life for assets, valuation of marketable securities, equity transactions, and the valuation of warrant liabilities. Actual results may materially differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to cash and have original maturities of three months or less at the time of acquisition are considered cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2025, cash and cash equivalents consist of cash deposited with banks, money market funds, investment in corporate bonds with original maturities of three months or less, and U.S. Treasury bills. As of December 31, 2024, cash and cash equivalents consist of cash deposited with banks and money market funds.

Marketable Securities

Marketable securities consist of corporate debt securities with original maturities beyond three months at the date of purchase and which mature at, or less than 12 months from, the balance sheet date. The Company classifies its investment in marketable securities as available-for-sale, as the sale of such securities may be required prior to maturity. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt securities at the time of purchase. The Company obtains pricing information from its investment manager and generally determines the fair value of investment securities using standard observable inputs, including reported trades, broker/dealer quotes, and bid and/or offers. Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair value, with the unrealized gains and losses reported as accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).The carrying value of debt securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity, the net amount of which, along with interest and realized gains and losses, is included under other income (expense) in the statements of comprehensive income (loss).

At each balance sheet date, the Company reviews its available-for-sale debt securities that are in an unrealized loss position to determine whether the unrealized loss or any potential credit losses should be recognized in the statements of operations. For available-for-sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company first assesses whether it intends to sell, or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the security’s amortized cost basis is written down to fair value through net income (loss). For available-for-sale securities that do not meet the above criteria, the Company evaluates whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, the Company considers the severity of the impairment, any changes in interest rates, changes to the underlying credit ratings and forecasted recovery among other factors. The credit-related portion of unrealized losses, and any subsequent improvements, are recorded in other income, net through an allowance account. There have been no impairment or credit losses recognized during any of the periods presented.

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Warrant Liability

In conjunction with the issuance of Series A-1 Preferred Stock (see Note 9), the Company established a warrant liability as of March 3, 2023, representing the fair value of warrants that may be issued (and have since been issued), subject to shareholder approval, upon conversion of the Series A-1 Preferred Stock which was received on June 26, 2023. The Company accounts for these warrants as liabilities (in accordance with ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity) on the balance sheets as a result of certain redemption clauses that are not within the control of the Company. The warrant liability was initially measured at fair value and is remeasured at fair value each reporting period. Changes in the fair value of the warrant liability are recognized in earnings during each period. The warrant liability is measured using Level 3 fair value inputs. See Note 11 for a description of warrant liability and the related valuations.

Segment Information

The Company reports its segment information to reflect the manner in which the Company’s Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) reviews and assesses performance. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer has the responsibility as the CODM to review and assess the performance of the Company as a whole.

The primary financial measures used by the CODM to evaluate performance and allocate resources are net (loss) income and operating (loss) income. The CODM uses net income (loss) and operating (loss) income to evaluate the performance of the Company’s ongoing operations and as part of the Company’s internal planning and forecasting processes. Information on net (loss) income and operating (loss) income is disclosed in the statements of operations. Segment expenses and other segment items are provided to the CODM on the same basis as disclosed in the Statements of Operations.

The CODM does not evaluate performance or allocate resources based on segment assets, and therefore such information is not presented in the notes to the financial statements.

Risks and Uncertainties

The Company operates in a dynamic and highly competitive industry and believes that changes in any of the following areas could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s future financial position, results of operations, or cash flows: ability to obtain future financing; advances and trends in new technologies and industry standards; results of clinical trials; regulatory approval and market acceptance of the Company’s products; development of sales channels; certain strategic relationships; litigation or claims against the Company related to intellectual property, product, regulatory, or other matters; and the Company’s ability to attract and retain employees necessary to support its growth.

The Company’s general business strategy may be adversely affected by any such economic, volatile business environments and continued unstable or unpredictable economic and market conditions.

Any product candidates developed by the Company will require approvals from the FDA or other international regulatory agencies prior to commercial sales. There can be no assurance that the Company’s current product candidates or any future product candidates will receive the necessary approvals. If the Company is denied approval, approval is delayed or the Company is unable to maintain approval, it could have a materially adverse impact on the Company.

The Company has expended and will continue to expend substantial funds to complete the research, development and clinical testing of its product candidates. The Company also will be required to expend additional funds to establish commercial-scale manufacturing arrangements and to provide for the marketing and distribution of products that receive regulatory approval. The Company will require additional funds to commercialize its products. The Company is unable to entirely fund these efforts with its current financial resources. If adequate funds are unavailable on a timely basis from operations or additional sources of financing, the Company may have to delay, reduce the scope of or eliminate one or more of its research or development programs, which would materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition and operations.

The Company is dependent upon the services of its employees, consultants and other third parties.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation. Additions, improvements, and major renewals or replacements that substantially extend the useful life of an asset are capitalized. Repairs and maintenance expenditures are expensed as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which range from three to seven years for lab equipment and furniture and fixtures. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the remaining lease term.

Management assesses the carrying value of property and equipment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. If there is indication of impairment, management prepares an estimate of future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. If these cash flows are less than the carrying amount of the asset, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the estimated fair value of the asset. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2025, management determined there were no impairments of the Company’s property and equipment.

Leases

The Company determines whether a contract is, or contains, a lease at inception. Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset during the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. The Company records the right-of-use asset at the amount of the lease liability plus any prepaid rent, and initial direct costs, less any lease incentives and accrued rent. Lease liabilities are recognized at lease commencement based upon the estimated present value of unpaid lease payments over the lease term. The right-of-use assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances exist that indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at lease commencement in determining the present value of unpaid lease payments.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments include the cash and cash equivalents, investment in marketable securities, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, and warrant liabilities.

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 fair value hierarchy contains the following levels:

The fair value of the warrant liability is determined using a Black Scholes model with parameters including (i) the exercise price of the warrants, (ii) the price of the underlying security, (iii) the time to expiration, or expected term, (iv) the expected volatility of the underlying security, (v) the risk-free rate, and (vi) estimated probability assumptions surrounding the achievement by the Company of technical milestones associated with regulatory and commercial progress.

These valuation techniques involve management’s estimates and judgment based on unobservable inputs and are classified in Level 3. The fair value estimates may not be indicative of the amounts that would be realized in a market exchange. Additionally, there may be inherent uncertainties or changes in the underlying assumptions used, which could significantly affect the current or future fair value estimates. Generally, a significant increase (decrease) in the probabilities of shareholder approval and the achievement of technical milestones would have resulted in a significantly higher (lower) fair value measurement; however, changes in other inputs such as expected term and price of the underlying common stock will have a directionally opposite impact on fair value measurement.

The following tables present the approximate value of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis within the Company’s balance sheets as of December 31, 2025 by the fair value hierarchy (in thousands):

Refer to Note 3 for disclosures related to cash equivalents and marketable securities.

The following tables present the approximate value of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis within the Company’s balance sheets as of December 31, 2024 by the fair value hierarchy (in thousands):

Refer to Note 3 for disclosures related to cash equivalents and marketable securities.

The following table summarizes the changes in fair value of the warrant liability classified in Level 3. Gains and losses reported in this table include changes in fair value that are attributable to unobservable inputs (in thousands):

The expense relating to the change in fair value of the warrant liability of $5.8 million and income of $2.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2025, respectively, is included in other income (expenses) in the statements of operations.

ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures requires all entities to disclose the fair value of financial instruments, both assets and liabilities, for which it is practicable to estimate fair value. As of December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2025, the recorded values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable, and accrued liabilities approximated fair value due to the short-term nature of the instruments. Cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable, and accrued liabilities are Level 1 financial instruments.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents. The cash and cash equivalents the Company uses to satisfy working capital and operating expense needs are held in accounts at various financial institutions. Cash balances may at times exceed federally insured limits. Cash and cash equivalents could be adversely impacted, including the loss of uninsured deposits and other uninsured financial assets, if one or more of the financial institutions in which the Company holds its cash or cash equivalents fails or is subject to other adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets. No such losses have been incurred through December 31, 2025.

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

Prepaid expenses and other current assets represent costs incurred that benefit future periods. These costs are amortized over specific time periods based on the agreements.

Research and Development Expenses

Substantially all the Company’s research and development expenses consist of expenses incurred in connection with the development of the Company’s product candidates. These expenses include fees paid to third parties to conduct certain research and development activities on the Company’s behalf, consulting costs, costs for laboratory supplies, product acquisition and license costs, certain payroll and personnel-related expenses, including salaries and bonuses, employee benefit costs and stock-based compensation expenses for the Company’s research and product development employees. The Company expenses both internal and external research and development expenses as incurred.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses represent personnel costs for employees involved in general corporate functions, including finance, accounting, legal and human resources, among others. Additional costs included in general and administrative expenses consist of professional fees for legal (including patent costs), audit and other consulting services, stock-based compensation and other general corporate overhead expenses.

Patent Costs

The Company expenses all costs as incurred in connection with patent licenses and applications (including direct application fees, and the legal and consulting expenses related to making such applications) and such costs are reflected in general and administrative expenses in the statements of operations.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation for all share-based payments made to employees and non-employees by estimating the fair value on the date of grant and recognizing compensation expense over the requisite service period on a straight-line basis. The Company recognizes forfeitures related to stock-based compensation as they occur. The Company estimates the fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Black-Scholes model requires the input of subjective assumptions, including expected common stock volatility, expected dividend yield, expected term, risk-free interest rate, and the public market closing price of the Company’s underlying common stock on the date of grant.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for corporate income taxes in accordance with GAAP as stipulated in ASC740, Income Taxes, (“ASC 740”). This standard entails the use of the asset and liability method of computing the provision for income tax expense. Current tax expense results from corporate tax payable at the Federal and California jurisdictions for the Company, which relates to the current accounting period. Deferred tax expense results primarily from temporary differences between financial statement and tax return reporting, which result in additional tax payable in future periods. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statement basis and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates and law. Net future tax benefits are subject to a valuation allowance when management expects that it is more-likely-than-not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

Current and non-current tax assets and liabilities are based upon an estimate of taxes refundable or payable for each of the jurisdictions in which the Company is subject to tax. In the ordinary course of business there is inherent uncertainty in quantifying income tax positions. The Company assess income tax positions and record the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit is recognized in the financial statements. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

Comprehensive Loss

Accumulated other comprehensive loss includes unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale, and is recognized as separate components of stockholders’ equity, As of December 31, 2025, comprehensive loss of $1,000 related to marketable securities was recorded.

Net Income (Loss) per Share

Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share is presented in conformity with the two-class method required for participating securities. Basic and diluted net income (loss) for common stock and for preferred stock is computed by dividing the sum of distributed earnings and undistributed earnings for each class of stock by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for each class of stock for the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share includes potentially dilutive securities outstanding for the period. See Note 12 for reconciliations of basic and diluted net income (loss) per share.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standard setting bodies and adopted by the Company as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations upon adoption.

Income Taxes Disclosures – In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures.” ASU 2023-09 requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as information on income taxes paid. ASU 2023-09 is effective for public entities with annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this standard prospectively for the year ended December 31, 2025. The adoption of the standard impacted the 2025 income tax disclosures.

Accounting pronouncements pending adoption

On November 4, 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (“ASU 2024-03”). ASU 2024-03 amends ASC 220, Comprehensive Income to expand income statement expense disclosures and require disclosure in the notes to the financial statements of specified information about certain costs and expenses. ASU 2024-03 is required to be adopted for fiscal years commencing after December 15, 2026, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting the standard on its financial statements.