Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

v3.24.1
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation

(a) Basis of Presentation

 

The Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company are prepared in U.S. Dollars and in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP).

 

Use of Estimates and Judgments

(b) Use of Estimates and Judgments

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimates are revised and in any future periods affected. Information about significant areas of estimation, uncertainty and critical judgments in applying accounting policies that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognized in the financial statements is included in the following notes for recording research and development expenses, impairment of intangible assets and the valuation of share-based payments.

 

Functional and Presentation Currency

(c) Functional and Presentation Currency

 

These consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. Dollars, which is the Company’s functional currency. All financial information has been rounded to the nearest dollar. Foreign Currency Transaction Gains or Losses, resulting from cash balances denominated in Foreign Currencies, are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

 

 

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(d) Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

The Company follows Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“FASB ASC”) 220 in reporting comprehensive income (loss). Comprehensive income (loss) is a more inclusive financial reporting methodology that includes disclosure of certain financial information that historically has not been recognized in the calculation of net income. Since the Company has no items of other comprehensive income (loss), comprehensive income (loss) is equal to net income (loss).

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

(e) Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all highly liquid investments, which include short-term bank deposits (up to three months from date of deposit) that are not restricted as to withdrawal date or use, to be cash equivalents.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

(f) Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, receivables and trade and other payables. The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, receivables and trade and other payables approximate their fair value because of their short maturities.

 

The framework for measuring fair value provides a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under FASB ASC 820 are described as follows:

 

  Level 1 Inputs to the valuation methodology are unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the Company can access.
     
  Level 2 Inputs to the valuation methodology include:

 

  quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets;
  quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets;
  inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability;
  inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means

 

If the asset or liability has a specified (contractual) term, the level 2 input must be observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

 

  Level 3 Inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

 

The asset or liability’s fair value measurement level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Valuation techniques maximize the use of relevant observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.

 

 

(f) Fair Value of Financial Instruments, continued

 

The following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for assets measured at fair value as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.

 

Marketable Securities: Valued using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.

 

    Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets or Liabilities (Level 1)     Quoted Prices for Similar Assets or Liabilities in Active Markets (Level 2)     Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)  
Marketable securities at December 31, 2023   $ 2,242,106     $ -     $ -  
                         
Marketable securities at December 31, 2022   $ 4,086,902     $        -     $       -  

 

Marketable securities are classified as available for sale and are valued at fair market value. Maturities of the securities are less than one year.

 

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company held certain mutual funds, which, under FASB ASC 321-10, were considered equity investments. As such, the change in fair value in the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was a gain of $514 and a gain of $2,958, respectively.

 

Gains and losses resulting from the sales of marketable securities were gains of $416 and losses of $5,964 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

 

Proceeds from the sales of marketable securities were $15,300,030 and $11,750,000 in the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Purchases of marketable securities were $13,454,304 and $4,836,837 during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

 

Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

 

The Company follows the guidance in ASC 820 for its financial assets and liabilities that are re-measured and reported at fair value at each reporting period, and non-financial assets and liabilities that are re-measured and reported at fair value at least annually. The estimated fair value of the warrant liabilities and bifurcated embedded derivatives represent Level 3 measurements. The following table presents information about the Company’s liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2023, and indicates the fair value hierarchy of the valuation inputs the Company utilized to determine such fair value:

 

Description   Level    

December 31, 2023

 
Liabilities:            
Warrant liabilities (Note 3)     3     $ 867,000  
Derivative liabilities (Note 3)     3     $ 61,000  

 

The following table sets forth a summary of the change in the fair value of the warrant liabilities that is measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

 

Balance on December 31, 2022   $ -  
Issuance of warrants reported at fair value     10,623,000  
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities     (1,175,000 )
Balance on March 31, 2023     9,448,000  
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities     (1,635,000 )
Balance on June 30, 2023     7,813,000  
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities     (5,356,000 )
Balance on September 30, 2023     2,457,000  
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities     (1,590,000 )
Balance on December 31, 2023   $ 867,000  

 

 

The following table sets forth a summary of the change in the fair value of the derivative liabilities that is measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

 

Balance on December 31, 2022   $ -  
Issuance of convertible preferred stock with derivative liabilities     3,149,800  
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities     120,700  
Balance on March 31, 2023     3,270,500  
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities     194,500  
Balance on June 30, 2023     3,465,000  
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities     (2,566,900 )
Balance on September 30, 2023     898,100  
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities     (837,100 )
Balance on December 31, 2023   $ 61,000  

 

Derivative Financial Instruments

(g) Derivative Financial Instruments

 

The Company evaluates its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives in accordance with ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging.” If liability accounting is required, the Company’s derivative instruments are recorded at fair value at the issuance date and re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the statements of operations. Derivative assets and liabilities are classified on the balance sheet as current or non-current based on whether or not net-cash settlement or conversion of the instrument could be required within twelve (12) months of the balance sheet date.

 

The Company has determined that the Series F Convertible Preferred Stock warrants are derivatives that are required to be accounted for as liabilities. The Company has also determined that the following embedded features in the preferred stock are not clearly and closely related to the debt host instrument: 1) make-whole interest upon a contingent redemption event, 2) make-whole interest upon a conversion event, 3) an installment redemption upon an Equity Conditions Failure (as defined in the Certificate of Designation), and 4) variable share-settled installment conversion and as such are bifurcated from the preferred stock and accounted for as liabilities. The fair value of the warrants and embedded features are estimated using internal valuation models. The Company’s valuation models utilize inputs and other assumptions and may not be reflective of the price at which they can be settled.

 

Prepaid Expenses

(h) Prepaid Expenses

 

Prepaid expenses represent expenses paid prior to the date that the related services are rendered or used are comprised principally of prepaid insurance and research and development expenses.

 

Concentrations

(i) Concentrations

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash on deposit with financial institutions and accounts receivable. At times, the Company’s cash in banks exceeds the FDIC insurance limit. The Company has not experienced any loss because of these cash deposits. These cash balances are maintained with two banks as of December 31, 2023.

 

Risk Management of Cash and Investments

(j) Risk Management of Cash and Investments

 

It is the Company’s policy to minimize the Company’s capital resources to investment risks, prioritizing the preservation of capital over investment returns. Investments are maintained in securities, primarily publicly traded, short-term money market funds based on highly rated federal, state, and corporate bonds, that minimize the risk to the Company’s capital resources and provide ready access to funds.

 

The Company’s investment portfolios are regularly monitored for risk and are held with one brokerage firm.

 

 

Investments

(k) Investments

 

Investments recorded using the cost method will be assessed for any decrease in value that has occurred that is other than temporary and the other than temporary decrease in value shall be recognized. As and when circumstances and facts change, the Company will evaluate the Company’s ability to significantly influence operational and financial policy to establish a basis for converting the investment accounted for using the cost method to the equity method of valuation in accordance with FASB ASC 323.

 

In accordance with FASB ASC 323, the Company recognizes investments in joint ventures based upon the Company’s ability to significantly influence the operational or financial policies of the joint venture. An objective judgment of the level of influence is made at the time of the investment based upon several factors including, but not limited to the following:

 

  a) Representation on the Board of Directors
  b) Participation in policy-making processes
  c) Material intra-entity transactions
  d) Interchange of management personnel
  e) Technological dependencies
  f) Extent of ownership and the ability to influence decision making based upon the makeup of other owners when the shareholder group is small.

 

The Company follows the equity method for valuating investments in joint ventures when the existence of significant influence over operational and financial policy has been established, as determined by management; otherwise, the Company will valuate these investments using the cost method.

 

In accordance with FASB ASC 321-10-35-2, the Company has elected to measure its investment in Oravax Medical, Inc. (“Oravax”) (Note 3) as an equity security without a readily determinable fair value. Under this election, an equity security without a readily available fair value is reflected at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. At each reporting period, the Company is required to make a qualitative assessment considering impairment indicators to evaluate whether the investment is impaired. If deemed impaired, the Company is required to estimate the fair value of the investment and recognize an impairment loss equal to the difference between the fair value of the investment and its carry amount. As of December 31, 2023, the Company performed a qualitative assessment to evaluate whether the investment is impaired and determined that the investment was not impaired and thus no adjustment to fair market value was required as of December 31, 2023.

 

Property, Plant and Equipment

(l) Property, Plant and Equipment

 

Items of property, plant and equipment are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Costs include expenditures that are directly attributable to the acquisition of the asset.

 

Gains and losses on disposal of an item of property, plant and equipment are determined by comparing the proceeds from disposal with the carrying amount of property, plant and equipment and are recognized within “other (income)/expense” in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.

 

Depreciation is recognized over the estimated useful lives of the property, plant and equipment. Leased assets are depreciated over the shorter of the lease term or their useful lives.

 

The estimated useful lives for the current and comparative periods are as follows:

 

    Useful Life
    (in years)
Plant and equipment   5-12
Furniture and fixtures   5-10
Computer equipment & software   3-5
Leasehold Improvements   Shorter of the remaining lease or estimated useful life

 

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at each reporting date.

 

Intangible Assets

(m) Intangible Assets

 

The Company’s long-lived intangible assets, other than goodwill, are assessed for impairment when events or circumstances indicate there may be an impairment. These assets were initially recorded at their estimated fair value at the time of acquisition and assets not acquired in acquisitions were recorded at historical cost. However, if their estimated fair value is less than the carrying amount, other intangible assets with indefinite lives are reduced to their estimated fair value through an impairment charge in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss.

 

 

Patents and Trade Secrets

 

Propriety protection for the Company’s products, technology and process is important to its competitive position. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has 17 issued U.S. patents, 64 foreign patents, 2 pending U.S. patent applications and 10 foreign patent applications pending in such jurisdictions as Australia, Canada, China, European Union, Israel, Japan and South Korea, which if issued are expected to expire between 2036 and 2041. Management intends to protect all other intellectual property (e.g. copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets) using all legal remedies available to the Company.

 

The Company records expenses related to the application for and maintenance of patents as a component of research and development expenses on the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Loss.

 

Patent Costs

 

Patents may be purchased from third parties. The costs of acquiring the patent are capitalized as patent costs if it represents a future economic benefit to the Company. Once a patent is acquired it is amortized over its remaining useful life and assessed for impairment when necessary.

 

Other Intangible Assets

 

Other intangible assets that are acquired by the Company, which have definite useful lives, are measured at cost less accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment losses.

 

Amortization

 

Amortization is recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of intangible assets, other than goodwill, from the date that they are available for use. The estimated useful lives for the current and comparative periods are as follows:

 

    Useful Life
    (in years)
Patents and trademarks   12-17

 

Goodwill

(n) Goodwill

 

Goodwill is evaluated annually for impairment or whenever we identify certain triggering events or circumstances that would more likely than not reduce the fair value below its carrying amount. Events or circumstances that might indicate an interim evaluation is warranted include, among other things, unexpected adverse business conditions, economic factors (for example, the loss of key personnel), supply costs, unanticipated competitive activities, and acts by governments and courts. No impairment was recorded for each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

 

Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets

(o) Recoverability of Long-Lived Assets

 

In accordance with FASB ASC 360-10-35 “Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets”, long-lived assets to be held and used are analyzed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be fully recoverable or that the useful lives of those assets are no longer appropriate. The Company evaluates at each balance sheet date whether events and circumstances have occurred that indicate possible impairment.

 

 

The Company determines the existence of such impairment by measuring the expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges) and comparing such amount to the carrying amount of the assets. An impairment loss, if one exists, is then measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the discounted estimated future cash flows. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value of such assets less costs to sell. Asset impairment charges are recorded to reduce the carrying amount of the long-lived asset that will be sold or disposed of to their estimated fair values. Charges for the asset impairment reduce the carrying amount of the long-lived assets to their estimated salvage value in connection with the decision to dispose of such assets.

 

Right-of-Use Assets

(o) Right-of-Use Assets

 

The Company leased a facility in Tampa, Florida (“Hyde Park”) under an operating lease (“Hyde Park Lease”) with annual rentals of $22,048 to $23,320 plus certain operating expenses. The Hyde Park facility housed the MyMD Florida operations. The Hyde Park Lease took effect on July 1, 2019 for a term of 36 months to expire on June 30, 2022. The Company cancelled the Hyde Park lease in March 2022 without penalty.

 

The Company leases a facility in Baltimore, Maryland (“2021 Wolfe St”) under an operating lease (“2021 Baltimore Lease”) with annual rentals of $52,800 to $56,016 plus certain operating expenses. The 2021 Baltimore Lease took effect on November 17, 2021 for a term of 12 months with automatic renewals unless a sixty-day notice is provided. The initial term expires on November 30, 2022. The lease renewed effective December 1, 2022 for a term of 12 months with automatic renewals unless a sixty-day notice is provided.

 

The Company leased a facility in Tampa, Florida (“Platt St”) under an operating lease (“Platt Street Lease”) with annual rentals of $22,030 to $23,259 plus certain operating expenses. The Platt Street Lease took effect on April 1, 2022 for a term of 36 months. The Platt Street Lease was cancelled without penalty effective October 31, 2023.

 

In accordance with FASB ASC, Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”), which increases transparency and comparability by recognizing a lessee’s rights and obligations resulting from leases by recording them on the balance sheet as lease assets and lease liabilities. The guidance requires the recognition of the right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and related operating and finance lease liabilities on the balance sheet.

 

The Company utilizes the package of practical expedients permitted within the standard, which allows an entity to forgo reassessing (i) whether a contract contains a lease, (ii) classification of leases, and (iii) whether capitalized costs associated with a lease meet the definition of initial direct costs. Also, the Company elected the expedient allowing an entity to use hindsight to determine the lease term and impairment of ROU assets and the expedient to allow the Company to not have to separate lease and non-lease components. The Company has also elected the short-term lease accounting policy under which the Company would not recognize a lease liability or ROU asset for any lease that at the commencement date has a lease term of twelve months or less and does not include a purchase option that the Company is more than reasonably certain to exercise.

 

 

For operating leases, the lease liability is initially and subsequently measured at the present value of the unpaid lease payments. The Company generally uses its incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate for leases, unless an interest rate is implicitly stated in the lease. The present value of the lease payments is calculated using the incremental borrowing rate for operating leases, which was determined using a portfolio approach based on the rate of interest that the Company would have to pay to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments on a collateralized basis over a similar term. The lease term for all the Company’s leases includes the non-cancellable period of the lease plus any additional periods covered by either a Company option to extend the lease that the Company is reasonably certain to exercise, or an option to extend the lease controlled by the lessor. All ROU assets are reviewed for impairment.

 

Lease expense for operating leases consists of the lease payments plus any initial direct costs and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

 

The Company’s operating leases are comprised of the 2021 Baltimore Lease and the Platt Street Lease on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The information related to these leases are presented below:

 

Balance Sheet Location   Lease     Lease     Total     Lease     Lease     Total  
    As of December 31, 2023     As of December 31, 2022  
    Platt Street    

2021

Baltimore

          Hyde Park    

2021

Baltimore

       
Balance Sheet Location   Lease     Lease     Total     Lease     Lease     Total  
Operating Lease                                                
Lease Right of Use   $ -     $ 47,389     $ 47,389     $ 45,353     $ 94,309     $ 139,662  
Lease Payable, current     -       48,870       48,870       18,741       47,039       65,780  
Lease Payable - net of current     -       -       -       27,070       48,871       75,941  

 

The following provides details of the Company’s lease expense:

 

Lease Expenses   Lease     Lease     Total     Lease     Lease     Lease     Total  
    Year Ended
December 31, 2023
    Year Ended
December 31, 2022
 
    Platt Street     2021 Baltimore           Hyde Park     Platt Street     2021 Baltimore        
Lease Expenses   Lease     Lease     Total     Lease     Lease     Lease     Total  
Operating Leases                                                        
Lease Costs   $ 18,868     $ 54,400     $ 73,268     $ 6,251     $ 16,981     $ 54,400     $ 77,632  

 

 

Other information related to leases is presented below:

 

    As of December 31, 2023  
    Platt     2021 Baltimore        
Other Information   Street Lease     Lease     Total  
Operating Leases                        
Operating cash used   $ 20,048     $ 54,520     $ 74,568  
Average remaining lease term     -       11       11  
Average discount rate     10.0 %     10.0 %     10.0 %

 

As of December 31, 2023, the annual minimum lease payments of the Company’s operating lease liabilities were as follows:

 

    Street Lease     Lease     Total  
    As of December 31, 2023  
    Platt     2021 Baltimore        
    Street Lease     Lease     Total  
For Years Ending December 31,                  
2024   $ -     $ 49,867     $ 49,867  
Total future minimum lease payments, undiscounted   $ -     $ 49,867     $ 49,867  
Less: Imputed interest     -       997       997  
Present value of future minimum lease payments   $ -     $ 48,870     $ 48,870  

 

Revenue Recognition

(q) Revenue Recognition

 

The Company will recognize revenue under ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The core principle of the revenue standard is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods and services transferred to the customer. The following five steps are applied to achieve that core principle:

 

  1) Identify the contract with the customer
  2) Identify the performance obligations in the contract
  3) Determine the transaction price
  4) Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract
  5) Recognize revenue when the company satisfies a performance obligation

 

Income Taxes

(r) Income Taxes

 

The Company utilizes an asset and liability approach for financial accounting and reporting for income taxes. The provision for income taxes is based upon income or loss after adjustment for those permanent items that are not considered in the determination of taxable income. Deferred income taxes represent the tax effects of differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of the Company’s assets and liabilities at the enacted tax rates in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse.

 

The Company evaluates the recoverability of deferred tax assets and establishes a valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that some portion or all the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Management makes judgments as to the interpretation of the tax laws that might be challenged upon an audit and cause changes to previous estimates of tax liability. In management’s opinion, adequate provisions for income taxes have been made. If actual taxable income by tax jurisdiction varies from estimates, additional allowances or reversals of reserves may be necessary.

 

Tax benefits are recognized only for tax positions that are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. The amount recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely to be realized upon settlement. A liability for “unrecognized tax benefits” is recorded for any tax benefits claimed in the Company’s tax returns that do not meet these recognition and measurement standards. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, no liability for unrecognized tax benefits was required to be reported.

 

 

There was no income tax benefit recorded for the losses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 since management determined that the realization of the net deferred tax assets is not more likely than not to be realized and has recorded a full valuation allowance on the net deferred tax assets.

 

The Company’s policy for recording interest and penalties associated with tax audits is to record such items as a component of general and administrative expense. There were no amounts accrued for penalties and interest for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company does not expect its uncertain tax position to change during the next twelve months. Management is currently unaware of any issues under review that could result in significant payments, accruals or material deviations from its position.

 

Tax years from 2020 through 2023 remain subject to examination by federal and state jurisdictions.

 

Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share of Common Stock

(s) Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share of Common Stock

 

Basic earnings per common share is based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the periods presented. Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares plus dilutive common share equivalents outstanding during the period. Potential common shares that would have the effect of increasing diluted earnings per share are considered anti-dilutive.

 

Diluted net loss per share is computed using the weighted average number of shares of Common Stock and dilutive potential Common Stock outstanding during the period.

 

As the Company reported a net loss for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, Common Stock equivalents were anti-dilutive.

 

As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the following securities are excluded from the calculation of weighted average dilutive common shares because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:

 

    2023     2022  
    For the Years Ended
December 31,
 
    2023     2022  
Stock Options     47,286       149,241  
Unvested Restricted Stock Units     88,668       82,001  
Warrants to purchase Common Stock     4,933,622       217,202  
Pre-funded Warrants to purchase Common Stock     -       4,505  
Series C Preferred Convertible Warrants     918       918  
Series D Preferred Convertible Stock     1,217       1,217  
Series F Preferred Convertible Stock     3,318,626       -  
Total potentially dilutive shares     8,482,891,     466,252  

 

Stock-based Payments

(t) Stock-based Payments

 

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation under the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 718, “Compensation - Stock Compensation”, which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees and directors based on estimated fair values on the grant date. The Company estimates the fair value of stock-based awards on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as expense over the requisite service periods using the straight-line method. In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting (the “2018 Update”). The amendments in the 2018 Update expand the scope of Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. Prior to the 2018 Update, Topic 718 applied only to share-based transactions to employees. Consistent with the accounting requirement for employee share-based payment awards, nonemployee share-based payment awards within the scope of Topic 718 are measured at grant-date fair value of the equity instruments that an entity is obligated to issue when the good has been delivered or the service has been rendered and any other conditions necessary to earn the right to benefit from the instruments have been satisfied.

 

The Company has elected to account for forfeiture of stock-based awards as they occur.

 

Research and Development Costs

(u) Research and Development Costs

 

In accordance with FASB ASC 730, research and development costs are expensed as incurred and consist of fees paid to third parties that conduct certain research and development activities on the Company’s behalf.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

(v) Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Adopted

 

In May 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-04, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Debt - Modifications and Extinguishments (Subtopic 470-50), Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718), and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40), Issuer’s Accounting for Certain Modifications or Exchanges or Freestanding Equity - Classified Written Call Options. The amendments in this Update clarify an issuer’s accounting for modifications or exchanges of freestanding equity - classified written call options (for example, warrants) that remain equity classified after modification or exchange. The amendments are effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. An entity should apply the amendments prospectively to modifications or exchanges occurring on or after the effective date of the amendments. Early adoption is permitted for all entities, including adoption in an interim period. If an entity elects to early adopt the amendments in this Update in an interim period, the guidance should be applied as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes the interim period. The adoption of this ASU had no material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosure.

 

 

In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, as modified by FASB ASU No. 2019-10 and other subsequently issued related ASUs. The amendments in this Update affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, and any other financial assets that have the contractual right to receive cash. The ASU requires an entity to recognize expected credit losses rather than incurred losses for financial assets. The amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted this new guidance effective January 1, 2023 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements, but did change how the allowance for credit losses is determined.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Adopted

 

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards could have a material effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. As new accounting pronouncements are issued, the Company will adopt those that are applicable under the circumstances.