primarily through the private placement of convertible preferred stock, the issuance of long-term debt, and the sale of common stock from our initial public offering (our
IPO) and our at-the-market equity offering program (ATM offering program). Through December 31, 2022, we have
raised gross proceeds of approximately $124.8 million from the issuance of convertible preferred stock, $15.0 million under a loan and security agreement we entered into in August 2019 with K2 HealthVentures Equity Trust LLC
(K2), which was subsequently amended in March 2020 and October 2021 (as amended to date, the K2 Loan Agreement), and $107.7 million from the sale of common stock from our IPO and our ATM
offering program. In February 2023, we prepaid, in full, all outstanding borrowings, accrued interest, and associated fees under the K2 Loan Agreement.
We have incurred net losses since our inception. Our net loss was $24.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. As of
September 30, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $207.6 million. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, depending on the timing of our clinical trials and preclinical studies and our expenditures on other development activities, if the Dissolution Proposal is not
approved and the Dissolution is not consummated. We expect our expenses and operating losses will increase as MET642 or any future product candidates advance through clinical trials, and as we expand our clinical, regulatory, quality and
manufacturing capabilities, incur significant commercialization expenses for marketing, sales, manufacturing and distribution, if we obtain marketing approval for MET642 or any future product candidate, and incur additional costs associated with
operating as a public company, if the Dissolution Proposal is not approved and the Dissolution is not consummated.
We do not expect to generate any
revenues from product sales unless and until we successfully complete development and obtain regulatory approval for one or more product candidates, which will not be for many years, if ever, if the Dissolution Proposal is not approved and the
Dissolution is not consummated. Accordingly, until such time as we can generate significant revenue from sales of MET642 or any future product candidate, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through a combination of equity offerings, debt
financings, strategic transactions, collaborations, and other similar arrangements. However, we may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other arrangements when needed on favorable terms or at all. Our failure to raise capital or
enter into such other arrangements when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and could force us to delay, reduce or terminate our development programs or other operations, or grant rights to develop and market product
candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Background to the Proposed Dissolution and Plan of Dissolution
Over the years, in the ordinary course from time to time, our Board and management team have evaluated and considered a variety of financial and
strategic opportunities for the Company as part of our long-term strategy to enhance value for our stockholders, including potential acquisitions, divestitures, business combinations and other transactions.
As part of the ongoing consideration and evaluation of our long-term prospects and strategies, our Board frequently reviews, with our management,
strategic and financial alternatives in light of developments in our business, the competitive landscape, the economy generally and financial markets, all with the goal of enhancing value for our stockholders and making a positive impact in
patients lives. As part of this process, from time to time, our management has engaged in business development and/or strategic discussions with industry participants. This includes contacts with numerous companies regarding potential global
and regional partnerships, as well as a number of discussions with companies about strategic transactions.
As discussed above, we had been
developing an FXR agonist, MET409, for the treatment of NASH, but given interim clinical data from October 2021 relating to our programs relative to competing programs, reduced investor sentiment in NASH, and the significant resources required to
pursue further development in NASH, we elected to discontinue future development of our FXR program in NASH in November 2021 while prioritizing our resources and efforts toward the development of MET642 for the treatment of UC, one of the two
primary types of IBD. We were then also developing small molecule inhibitors of hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 17ß13, or HSD17ß13, a genetically validated target for advanced liver disease, for the treatment of NASH.
18