Item
4.01 Changes in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant
Previous
Independent Accountants
On
December 9, 2019, Accelerated Pharma, Inc. (the “Company” or “Registrant”), by the action of its Board
of Directors (“Board”), determined not to reengage Marcum LLP (“Marcum”) as its independent auditors,
to audit the Company’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 and review the interim quarterly financial
statements for the period ended September 30, 2019. We notified Marcum on February 3, 2020.
Marcum
audited the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements
of operations and comprehensive loss, changes in stockholders’ deficiency and cash flows for each of the two years in the
period ended December 31, 2018, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). Marcum’s
report on the Company’s financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, dated July 23, 2019, was included
in the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-227916 (the “Registration Statement”) declared
effective by the SEC on November 7, 2019. Such report contained an explanatory paragraph indicating that there was substantial
doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Other than such statement, no report of Marcum on the
financial statements of the Company for the two years ended December 31, 2018 contained an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion,
or was qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles.
During
the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the six months ended June 30, 2019 and though December 9, 2019, the date the Board
determined not to reengage Marcum, there have been no disagreements with Marcum on any matter of accounting principles or practices,
financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreement, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Marcum,
would have caused them to make reference thereto in their report on the financial statements.
During
the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the six months ended June 30, 2019 and though December 9, 2019, there have been no
reportable events, as that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K of the rules and regulations of the Securities
and Exchange Commission, except certain material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting,
which have been communicated to the Company.
The
Company has provided Marcum with a copy of the disclosure made in response to this Item 4.01 in this Form 8-K on February 3, 2020
and has requested that Marcum provide a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission confirming their agreement
with the disclosure contained herein, and if not, stating the respects in which it does not agree. Pursuant to our request, on
February 5, 2020, Marcum has provided the letter, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 16.1.
New
Independent Accountants
On
December 9, 2019, Slack & Co. CPAS (“Slack & Co.”), Certified Public Accountants, was appointed by the Company
to audit our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 and review the interim quarterly financial statements for
the period ended September 30, 2019. During our two most recent fiscal years and the subsequent interim periods preceding their
appointment as independent accountants, neither the Company nor anyone on its behalf consulted Slack & Co. regarding either
the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion
that might be rendered of the Company’s consolidated financial statements, nor has Slack & Co. provided to the Company
a written report or oral advice regarding such principles or audit opinion.