Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
1. Organization
XBiotech Inc. (XBiotech or the Company) was incorporated in Canada on March 22, 2005. XBiotech USA, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, was incorporated in Delaware, United States in November 2007. XBiotech Germany GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, was incorporated in Germany in January 2014. XBiotech Germany GmbH was dissolved in February 2023. The Company’s headquarters are located in Austin, Texas.
Since its inception, XBiotech has focused on advancing technology to rapidly identify and clone antibodies from individuals that have resistance to disease. At the heart of the Company is a proprietary technical knowhow to translate natural human immunity into therapeutic product candidates. The Company has in its pipeline both anti-infective and anti-inflammatory candidate therapeutics derived from this technology.
An area of medical focus for XBiotech are therapies that block a potent substance naturally produced by body, known as interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1a), that mediates tissue breakdown, angiogenesis, the formation of blood clots and inflammation. IL-1a is a protein that is on or in cells of the body and is involved in the body’s response to injury or trauma. In almost all chronic and in some acute injury scenarios (such as stroke or heart attack), IL-1a may mediate harmful disease-related activity.
At the end of 2019, XBiotech sold a True Human™ antibody that blocked IL-1a activity for $1.35 billion in cash and potential milestone payments (the “Janssen Transaction”). On February 2, 2022, XBiotech announced an addendum to the 2019 Janssen Manufacturing Agreement. XBiotech will continue to manufacture bermekimab for use by Janssen in its clinical trials through December 2023. As part of the Janssen Transaction, XBiotech maintained the right to develop new antibodies that block IL-1a and develop these therapeutics in all areas of medicine except dermatology. Moreover, all patents acquired by Janssen relating to IL-1a would be asserted for the benefit of XBiotech to protect its future IL-1a related therapies in all non-dermatological indications. Consequently, XBiotech is pursuing the development of other True Human™ antibodies targeting IL-1a for areas of medicine outside of dermatology. Due to the speed and effectiveness of the Company’s True Human™ antibody discovery technology, the Company has identified new IL-1a targeting product candidates and has already brought one such candidate into a clinical study in oncology. While the Company previously was focused on a single True Human™ antibody targeting IL-1a, it now plans to develop more than one product candidate that targets IL-1a to be used in different areas of medicine.
The Company continues to be subject to a number of risks common to companies in similar stages of development. Principal among these risks are the uncertainties of technological innovations, dependence on key individuals, development of the same or similar technological innovations by the Company’s competitors and protection of proprietary technology. The Company’s ability to fund its planned clinical operations, including completion of its planned trials, is expected to depend on the amount and timing of cash receipts from future collaboration or product sales and/or financing transactions. The Company believes that its cash and cash equivalents of $152.5 million at March 31, 2023, will enable the Company to achieve several major inflection points, including potential new clinical studies with lead product candidates. The Company expects to have sufficient cash through 12 months from the date of this report.
2. Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2023, the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 were prepared by management without audit. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, except as otherwise disclosed, necessary for the fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and changes in financial position for such periods, have been made.
Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. The results of operations for the period ended March 31, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results that may be expected for a full year. The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 contains financial information taken from the audited XBiotech Inc. consolidated financial statements as of that date.
Basis of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported values of amounts in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Revenue
Revenue from Janssen Agreements
The Company recognized revenues from its Janssen Agreements as follows.
The Company entered into its clinical manufacturing and clinical trial services arrangements in connection with its sale of certain intellectual property on December 30, 2019. These contracts commenced January 1, 2020. The Company executed an addendum related to manufacturing agreement, which generated revenue through November 2022. While these agreements are not considered contracts with a customer based on the terms thereof, the Company applied the revenue recognition guidance by analogy.
XBiotech is still in the research and development phase; however, the eventual output of the Company’s intended ordinary activities will be the licensing of intellectual property and/or sale of commercialized compounds for use in pharmaceutical treatment of disease, not the performance of manufacturing of development stage compounds or clinical trials for others. Although Janssen is not a customer, as these services are not the output of XBiotech’s ordinary activities, the Company evaluated the terms of the agreements and has analogized to Accounting Standards Codification, Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) for clinical manufacturing and clinical trial services revenue recognition.
Under ASC 606, an entity recognizes revenue when (or as) its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration that the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that an entity determines are within the scope of ASC 606 (or for those analogized to it), the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts (including by analogy) when it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the counterparty. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of or analogized to ASC 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determine those that are performance obligations, and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.
Manufacturing Revenue
The Company had a Clinical Manufacturing Agreement that it accounts for by analogy to ASC 606. In 2022 the Company executed a new manufacturing agreement with a Janssen related company. The agreement generated $4.0 million in revenue through termination in November 2022.
Research and Development Costs
All research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. Research and development costs include salaries and personnel-related costs, consulting fees, fees paid for contract clinical trial research services, the costs of laboratory consumables, equipment and facilities, license fees and other external costs. Costs incurred to acquire licenses for intellectual property to be used in research and development activities with no alternative future use are expensed as incurred as research and development costs.
Nonrefundable advance payments for goods or services to be received in the future for use in research and development activities are deferred and capitalized. The capitalized amounts are expensed as the related goods are delivered or the services are performed.
Clinical Trial Accruals
Expense accruals related to clinical trials are based on the Company’s estimates of services received and efforts expended pursuant to contracts with third party service providers conduct and manage clinical trials on the Company’s behalf. The financial terms of these agreements vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. Payments under some of these contracts depend on factors such as the successful enrollment of patients and the completion of clinical trial milestones. In accruing costs, the Company estimates the period over which services will be performed and the level of effort to be expended in each period based upon patient enrollment, clinical site activations, or information provided to the Company by its vendors on their actual costs incurred. Any estimates of the level of services performed or the costs of these services could differ from actual results.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. The Company measures deferred tax assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates for the years and jurisdictions in which the temporary differences are expected to be recovered. A change to the tax rates used to measure the Company’s deferred taxes is recognized in income during the period in which the new rate(s) were enacted.
The Company recognizes deferred tax assets to the extent the Company’s assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including the future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carryforwards, tax-planning strategies, taxable income in prior carryback years if permitted under tax law, and the results from prior years. If the Company determines it is more likely than not, that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized a valuation allowance is recorded with a charge to income tax expense. Alternatively, if the Company determines that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset previously not meeting the more likely than not threshold will be realized, the Company reduces its valuation allowance and recognizes a benefit in income tax expense.
The Company recognizes and measure uncertain tax benefits in accordance with ASC 740 based on a two-step process in which (1) the Company determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained based on the technical merits of the position, and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than fifty percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority. The Company's policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions, if any, in income tax expense.
Share-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for its share-based compensation awards in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). ASC 718 requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the statements of operations based on their grant date fair values. For stock options granted to employees and to members of the board of directors for their services on the board of directors, the Company estimates the grant date fair value of each option award using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The use of the Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires management to make assumptions with respect to the expected term of the option, the expected volatility of the common stock consistent with the expected life of the option, risk-free interest rates and expected dividend yields of the common stock. To determine the fair value of its common stock, the Company uses the closing price of the Company’s common stock as reported by NASDAQ. For awards subject to service-based vesting conditions, the Company recognizes share-based compensation expense, equal to the grant date fair value of stock options on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur rather than on an estimated basis.
Share-based compensation expense recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 was included in the following line items on the Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands).
| | | Three Months Ended | |
| | | March 31, | |
| | | 2023 | | | 2022 | |
| Research and development | | $ | 623 | | | $ | 990 | |
| General and administrative | | | 82 | | | | 458 | |
| Total share-based compensation expense | | $ | 705 | | | $ | 1,448 | |
The fair value of each option is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes method with the following assumptions:
| | | Three Months Ended | |
| | | March 31, | |
| | | 2023 | | | 2022 | |
| Dividend yield | | | - | | | | - | |
| Expected volatility | | | 82 | % | | | 82%-83 | % |
| Risk-free interest rate | | | 3.5%-4.2 | % | | | 1.5%-2.4 | % |
| Expected life (in years) | | | 5.63-6.25 | | | | 6.25 | |
| Weighted-average grant date fair value per share | | $ | 3.84 | | | $ | 7.14 | |
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents consisted primarily of cash on deposit in U.S., German, Swiss, Japanese and Canadian banks. Cash and cash equivalents are stated at cost which approximates fair value.
Interest Bearing Time Deposit
The Company holds guaranteed investment certificates with a financial institution. The guaranteed investment certificates have a 12 month term at origination with interest payable at maturity.
Concentrations of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. The Company holds these investments in highly-rated financial institutions, and limits the amounts of credit exposure to any one financial institution. These amounts at times may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any credit losses in such accounts and does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk on these funds. The Company has no off-balance sheet concentrations of credit risk, such as foreign currency exchange contracts, option contracts or other hedging arrangements.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment, which consists of land, construction in process, furniture and fixtures, computers and office equipment, scientific equipment, vehicles and building are stated at cost and depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the assets, with the exception of land and construction in process which are not depreciated, using the straight line method. The useful lives are as follows:
| • Furniture and fixtures | 7 years |
| | |
| • Office equipment | 5 years |
| | |
| • Scientific equipment | 5 years |
| | |
| • Vehicles | 5 years |
| | |
| • Mobile facility | 27.5 years |
| | |
| • Building | 39 years |
Costs of major additions and betterments are capitalized; maintenance and repairs, which do not improve or extend the life of the respective assets, are charged to expense as incurred. Upon retirement or sale, the cost of the disposed asset and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and the resulting gain or loss is recognized.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
The Company periodically evaluates its long-lived assets for potential impairment in accordance with ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant and Equipment. Potential impairment is assessed when there is evidence that events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recovered. Recoverability of these assets is assessed based on undiscounted expected future cash flows from the assets, considering a number of factors, including past operating results, budgets and economic projections, market trends and product development cycles. If impairments are identified, assets are written down to their estimated fair value. The Company has not recognized any impairment through March 31, 2023.
Foreign Currency Transactions
Certain transactions are denominated in a currency other than the Company’s functional currency of the U.S. dollar, and the Company generates assets and liabilities that are fixed in terms of the amount of foreign currency that will be received or paid. At each balance sheet date, the Company adjusts the assets and liabilities to reflect the current exchange rate, resulting in a translation gain or loss. Transaction gains and losses are also realized upon a settlement of a foreign currency transaction in determining net loss for the period in which the transaction is settled.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
ASC Topic 220, Comprehensive Income, requires that all components of comprehensive income (loss), including net income (loss), be reported in the financial statements in the period in which they are recognized. Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, including unrealized gains and losses on investments and foreign currency translation adjustments.
Segment and Geographic Information
Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker, or decision making group, in making decisions on how to allocate resources and assess performance. The Company’s chief operating decision maker is the Chief Executive Officer. The Company and the chief operating decision maker view the Company’s operations and manage its business as one operating segment. Substantially all of the Company’s operations are in the U.S. geographic segment.
Net Loss Per Share
Net income/loss per share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income/loss by the weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding (if dilutive) during each period. The number of common share equivalents, which include stock options, is computed using the treasury stock method.
Subsequent Events
The Company considered events or transactions occurring after the balance sheet date but prior to the date the consolidated financial statements are available to be issued for potential recognition or disclosure in its consolidated financial statements. We have evaluated subsequent events through the date of filing this Form 10-Q.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU requires instruments measured at amortized cost to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. Entities are also required to record allowances for available-for-sale debt securities rather than reduce the carrying amount. On November 15, 2019, the FASB delayed the effective date of the standard for certain small public companies and other private companies. As amended, the effective date of ASC Topic 326 was delayed until fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022 for SEC filers that are eligible to be smaller reporting companies under the SEC’s definition, as well as private companies and not-for-profit entities. The Company expects that the adoption will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
On February 2, 2022, the Company announced an addendum to the 2019 Janssen Manufacturing Agreement XBiotech continued to manufacture bermekimab for use by Janssen in its clinical trials through December 2022. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company has recorded $0.5 million of revenues under the February 2022 agreement.The agreement was terminated in November 2022.
| 4. | Property and Equipment |
Property and equipment consisted of the following as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 (in thousands):
| | | March 31, 2023 | | | December 31, 2022 | |
| Manufacturing equipment | | $ | 2,493 | | | $ | 2,716 | |
| Winnebago building | | | 20,985 | | | | 21,143 | |
| Other fixed assets | | | 2,358 | | | | 2,401 | |
| Total property and equipment | | $ | 25,837 | | | $ | 26,260 | |
Pursuant to its Articles, the Company has an unlimited number of shares available for issuance with no par value.
No stock options were exercised from January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023.
On November 11, 2005, the Board of Directors of the Company adopted the XBiotech Inc. 2005 Incentive Stock Option Plan (the “2005 Plan”), and on March 24, 2015, the board of directors of the Company adopted the XBiotech Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2015 Plan”) pursuant to which the Company may grant incentive stock and non-qualified stock options to directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Company or an affiliate or other persons as the Compensation Committee may approve.
All options under both Plans will be non-transferable and may be exercised only by the participant, or in the event of the death of the participant, a legal representative until the earlier of the options’ expiry date or the first anniversary of the participant’s death, or such other date as may be specified by the Compensation Committee.
The term of the options is at the discretion of the Compensation Committee, but may not exceed 10 years from the grant date. The options expire on the earlier of the expiration date or the date three months following the day on which the participant ceases to be an officer or employee of or consultant to the Company, or in the event of the termination of the participant with cause, the date of such termination. Options held by non-employee Directors have an exercise period coterminous with the term of the options.
The number of common shares reserved for issuance to any one person pursuant to the 2005 Plan shall not, in aggregate, exceed 5% of the total number of outstanding common shares. The exercise price per common share under each option will be the fair market value of such shares at the time of the grant. Upon stock option exercise, the Company issues new shares of common stock.
A summary of changes in common stock options issued under the 2005 Plan and under the 2015 Plan is as follows:
| | | Options | | | Exercise Price | | | Weighted-Average
Exercise Price | |
| Options outstanding at December 31, 2022 | | | 4,558,902 | | | 2.71121.7474 | | | $ | 10.47 | |
| Granted | | | 698,800 | | | 3.3884.1515 | | | | 3.84 | |
| Exercised | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | |
| Forfeitures | | | (88,600 | ) | | 3.84414.7171 | | | | 13.00 | |
| Options outstanding at March 31, 2023 | | | 5,169,102 | | | 2.71121.7474 | | | $ | 9.53 | |
As of March 31, 2023, there was approximately $3.7 million of unrecognized compensation cost, related to stock options granted under the Plans which will be amortized to stock compensation expense over the next 1.3 years.
| 7. | Net Income/Loss Per Share |
The following summarizes the computation of basic and diluted net income/loss per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands, except share and per share data):
| | | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | | 2023 | | | 2022 | |
| Net loss | | $ | (3,816 | ) | | $ | (5,395 | ) |
| Weighted-average number of common shares—basic and diluted | | | 30,439,275 | | | | 30,439,275 | |
| Net loss per share—basic and diluted | | $ | (0.13 | ) | | $ | (0.18 | ) |
The Company's effective tax rates for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022, were 0.9% and 16.4%, respectively. The effective tax rate for the three month period ended March 31, 2023 varied from the Canadian statutory rate primarily due to non-deductible compensation and losses in jurisdictions for which a valuation allowance is recorded and no benefit is recognized. The effective tax rate for the three month period ended March 31, 2022 varied from the Canadian statutory rate primarily due to non-deductible compensation, foreign inclusions, and losses in jurisdictions for which a valuation allowance is recorded and no benefit is recognized.