05/13/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/13/2026 06:11
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and related financing, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, including those factors set forth in "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our actual results could differ materially from the results described in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.
Overview
We are a New York City based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing transformative therapies for the treatment of cancer and rare diseases. We were founded on the principle of applying modern scientific, regulatory or manufacturing advancements to established mechanisms in order to create new development opportunities. We prioritize creativity, integrity and tenacity to expedite our goal of bringing life-changing therapies to people with limited treatment options.
Our portfolio includes two development programs utilizing TARA-002, an investigational cell therapy based on the broad immunopotentiator, OK-432, which was originally granted marketing approval by the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare as an immunopotentiating cancer therapeutic agent. This cell therapy is currently approved in Japan and Taiwan for lymphatic malformations, or LMs, and multiple oncologic indications. We have secured worldwide rights to the asset excluding Japan and Taiwan and are exploring its use in oncology and rare disease indications. TARA-002 was developed from the same master cell bank of genetically distinct group A Streptococcus pyogenes as OK-432 (marketed as Picibanil® in Japan by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., or Chugai Pharmaceutical). We are currently developing TARA-002 in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, or NMIBC, and LMs. We are also pursuing Intravenous, or IV, Choline Chloride, an investigational phospholipid substrate replacement therapy, for patients receiving parenteral support, or PS, which includes both nutrition and fluids.
We have devoted substantial efforts to the development of our programs and do not have any approved products and, to date, have not generated any revenues from product sales. Neither TARA-002 nor IV Choline Chloride have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, or other comparable regulatory authorities for use for any indications. We do not expect to generate revenues in the near-term, and it is possible we may never generate revenues in the future. To finance our current strategic plans, including the conduct of ongoing and future clinical trials and further research and development costs, we will need to raise additional capital. See "Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources" for additional information about our liquidity and capital resource needs.
Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. As of March 31, 2026, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $320.2 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and increasing operating losses for at least the next few years as we continue our development of, and seek marketing approvals for, our product candidates, prepare for and begin the commercialization of any approved products, and add infrastructure and personnel to support our product development efforts and operations as a public company in the United States.
As a clinical-stage company, our expenses and results of operations are likely to fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year. We believe that our period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations should not be relied upon as indicative of our future performance.
As of March 31, 2026, we had approximately $177.4 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and marketable debt securities.
TARA-002 in NMIBC
Our lead oncology program is TARA-002 in NMIBC, which is cancer found in the tissue that lines the inner surface of the bladder that has not spread into the bladder muscle. Bladder cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the U.S., with NMIBC representing approximately 80% of bladder cancer diagnoses. Approximately 65,000 patients are diagnosed with NMIBC in the U.S. each year. Very few new therapeutics have been approved for NMIBC since the 1990s and the current standard of care for NMIBC includes intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, or BCG.
Following the completion of our Phase 1a ADVANCED-1 and Phase 1b ADVANCED-1EXP trials in October 2024 and September 2024, respectively, to evaluate safety, preliminary efficacy and the dosing of TARA-002, at the 40KE (Klinische Einheit, or KE, is a German term indicating a specified weight of dried cells in vial) dose level, we initiated and are currently conducting our ADVANCED-2 clinical trial. ADVANCED-2 is a Phase 2 open-label clinical trial evaluating intravesical TARA-002 in patients with high-grade carcinoma in situ, or CIS. Cohort A of the Phase 2 trial has completed enrollment and enrolled 31 patients with CIS (± Ta/T1, with Ta defined as non-invasive papillary carcinoma and T1 defined as carcinoma invading the lamina propria) who are either BCG-Naïve or BCG-Exposed and who have not received intravesical BCG for at least 24 months prior to CIS diagnosis. Cohort B of the Phase 2 trial is expected to enroll 75 to 100 patients with BCG-Unresponsive CIS (± Ta/T1) and is designed to be registrational based on the FDA's August 2024 Draft Guidance for Industry on BCG-Unresponsive Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Developing Drugs and Biological Products for Treatment. Trial subjects in ADVANCED-2 receive an induction course, with or without a reinduction, of six weekly intravesical instillations of TARA-002, followed by a maintenance course of three weekly instillations every three months.
In February 2026, we presented updated interim data from our ongoing Phase 2 open-label ADVANCED-2 trial reporting results that continue to support TARA-002's potential as a new therapy in the NMIBC treatment landscape and demonstrating meaningful and durable activity in BCG-Unresponsive and BCG-Naïve NMIBC patients.
The dataset includes 43 BCG-Unresponsive patients and 31 BCG-Naïve patients who received at least one dose of TARA-002; 35 BCG-Unresponsive patients and 29 BCG-Naïve patients completed at least one response assessment and were evaluable for efficacy as of a January 28, 2026 data cutoff. Complete response, or CR, rates at the six months and 12 months landmark time points include all participants who were either evaluable at that time point or had experienced disease progression or treatment failure prior to the scheduled visit.
For the BCG-Unresponsive cohort, the CR rate at any time was 65.7% (23/35). The CR rate was 68.2% (15/22) at six months and 33.3% (5/15) at 12 months. Among responders, the Kaplan-Meier, or KM, estimated probability of maintaining a CR for six months was 71.1% (95% confidence interval, or CI: 46.7, 95.5), and 100% (5/5) maintained their CR from nine to 12 months. Re-induction therapy successfully converted 61.5% (8/13) non-responders to a CR at six months.
For the BCG-Naïve cohort, the CR rate at any time was 72.4% (21/29). The CR rate was 66.7% (18/27) at six months and 57.9% (11/19) at 12 months. Among responders, the KM estimated probability of maintaining a CR for six months was 73.1% (95% CI: 52.9, 93.4), and 100% (11/11) maintained their CR from nine to 12 months. Re-induction therapy successfully converted 66.7% (4/6) non-responders to a CR at six months.
The majority of treatment-related adverse events, or TRAEs, were Grade 1 and transient with no Grade 3 or greater TRAEs and no related serious adverse events, or SAEs, as assessed by study investigators. No patients discontinued treatment due to TRAEs. The most commonly occurring TRAEs were dysuria (14%), bladder spasm (9%), fatigue (7%) and micturition urgency (5%).
In March 2026, we announced that we have received confirmation on the six-month CR rate of the 25th BCG-Unresponsive patient in our ongoing Phase 2 open-label ADVANCED-2 trial of TARA-002 in patients with CIS (± Ta/T1) NMIBC. The average six-month CR rate in the 25 BCG-Unresponsive patients is 68.0%, which is consistent with the 68.2% CR rate at six months that was announced by us in February 2026, and is meaningfully above 41.9%.
We expect to complete enrollment of the BCG-Unresponsive registrational cohort of the ADVANCED-2 trial in the second half of 2026. Enrollment is complete in the BCG-Naïve cohort of the ADVANCED-2 trial with 31 patients. We are planning a proposed registrational trial in BCG-Naïve and potentially BCG-Exposed patients. The FDA has agreed that BCG is not required as a comparator and that intravesical chemotherapy is an acceptable comparator to TARA-002 in BCG-Naïve patients. We are continuing to engage with the FDA on aspects of the analysis plan, and we intend to initiate the ADVANCED-3 trial in the second half of 2026.
In addition to our existing clinical trials in NMIBC, we plan to continue to explore the anti-tumor activity related to the administration of TARA-002 via systemic administration. We continue to believe that combination therapy may play a meaningful role in the NMIBC treatment paradigm and intend to evaluate TARA-002 in combination with other therapies. Given what we have observed to date of TARA-002's mechanism of action and safety profile, we believe it has strong potential as a combination agent, and we continue to evaluate potential combination therapy options for our clinical program. We also continue to conduct non-clinical studies on TARA-002 to better characterize the mechanism of action to help us understand how TARA-002 may perform in potential combinations with other agents used to treat NMIBC, and to help us define other cancer targets for TARA-002, both within urothelial cancer and other types of cancer affecting different parts of the body.
IV Choline Chloride for Patients on PS
We are also pursuing IV Choline Chloride, an investigational phospholipid substrate replacement therapy, for patients receiving PS which includes both nutrition and fluids. Choline is a known important substrate for phospholipids that are critical for healthy liver function and also plays an important role in modulating gene expression, cell membrane signaling, brain development, neurotransmission, muscle function and bone health. PS patients are unable to synthesize choline from enteral nutrition sources, and there are currently no available PS formulations containing choline. Every year in the U.S. there are approximately 90,000 people who require PS at home and of those approximately 30,000 are on long-term PS. IV Choline Chloride has the potential to become the first FDA-approved IV choline formulation for PS patients.
An IV formulation of choline is recommended for patients on parenteral nutrition, or PN, by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, or ASPEN, in their Recommendations for Changes in Commercially Available Parenteral Multivitamin and Multi-Trace Element Products, as well as by the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, or ESPEN, in their Guideline on Home Parenteral Nutrition. IV Choline Chloride has been granted Orphan Drug Designation, or ODD, by the FDA for the prevention and/or treatment of choline deficiency in patients on long-term PN. The FDA has also granted IV Choline Chloride Fast Track Designation, or FTD, as a source of choline when oral or enteral nutrition is not possible, insufficient, or contraindicated. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, has issued us a U.S. patent claiming a choline composition and a U.S. patent claiming a method of treating choline deficiency with a choline composition, each with a term expiring in 2041.
In April 2024, we announced alignment with the FDA on a registrational path forward for IV Choline Chloride. Previously, we had been pursuing an indication in intestinal failure-associated liver disease, or IFALD, and following feedback from the FDA, are pursuing a broader indication as a source of choline when oral or enteral nutrition is not possible, insufficient, or contraindicated. Feedback from the FDA on our IV Choline Chloride program indicated that a single study with an endpoint of restoring choline levels in PS patients could serve as the basis for a regulatory submission for IV Choline Chloride.
In September 2024, we presented the results of THRIVE-1, a prospective, observational study evaluating the prevalence of choline deficiency and liver injury in patients dependent on PS in the U.S., U.K. and Europe. The study found that 78% of patients who are dependent on PS were choline deficient, and that 63% of choline deficient participants had liver dysfunction, including steatosis, cholestasis and hepatobiliary injury, underscoring the need for IV Choline supplementation in this patient population.
In January 2026, we advanced the development of IV Choline Chloride as a source of choline for adult and adolescent patients on long-term PS and initiated THRIVE-3, a registrational Phase 3 clinical trial. THRIVE-3 is a seamless Phase 2b/3 trial with a dose confirmation portion (n=24) followed by a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled portion to assess the efficacy and safety of IV Choline Chloride over 24 weeks in adolescents and adults on long-term PS when oral or enteral nutrition is not possible, insufficient, or contraindicated (n=100). The primary endpoint of the clinical trial is a pharmacokinetic, or PK, endpoint measuring the change from baseline in plasma choline concentration. We also plan to include a number of secondary endpoints related to liver, bone and memory. We anticipate reporting interim results from the dose-confirmation portion of the trial in the second half of 2026.
TARA-002 in LMs
We are also pursuing TARA-002 in macrocystic and mixed-cystic LMs, which are rare, non-malignant cysts of the lymphatic vascular system that primarily form in the head and neck region of children before the age of two. In addition to the clinical experience in Japan, we have secured the rights to a dataset from one of the largest ever conducted Phase 2 trials in LMs, in which OK-432 was administered via a compassionate use program led by the University of Iowa to over 500 pediatric and adult patients. In July 2020, the FDA granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation, or RPDD, for TARA-002 for the treatment of LMs and in May 2022 the European Commission granted Orphan Medicinal Product Designation to TARA-002 for the treatment of LMs. In December 2025, the FDA granted both FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation, or BTD, and FTD for TARA-002 for the treatment of macrocystic and mixed cystic LMs in pediatric patients. In April 2026, the FDA granted ODD to TARA-002 for the treatment of macrocystic LMs and mixed cystic LMs. We have an open investigational new drug application, or IND, for TARA-002 in LMs and the review of TARA-002 has been moved from the Office of Vaccines Research and Review to the Office of Therapeutic Products, or OTP, which has significant experience in pediatric rare disease and is the review division for TARA-002 in NMIBC.
In October 2023, we initiated STARBORN-1, which is a Phase 2 single-arm, open-label, prospective clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intracystic injection of TARA-002 for the treatment of macrocystic and mixed-cystic LMs (≥ 50% macrocystic disease) in participants six months to less than 18 years of age in the U.S. Including an age de-escalation safety lead-in, the clinical trial will enroll approximately 30 patients who will receive up to four injections of TARA-002 spaced approximately six weeks apart. The primary endpoint of the clinical trial is the proportion of participants with macrocystic LMs and mixed-cystic LMs who demonstrated clinical success, defined as having either a CR (90% to 100% reduction from baseline in total LM volume) or substantial response (60% to less than 90% reduction in total LM volume) as measured by axial imaging.
In November 2025, we announced interim results from our ongoing Phase 2 STARBORN-1 trial evaluating TARA-002 in pediatric patients with macrocystic and mixed cystic LMs. As of the data cutoff date of November 12, 2025, 12 patients had received at least one dose of TARA-002. Of the eight patients who were evaluable at the eight-week post-treatment assessment, 100% achieved clinical success. 88% of patients achieved clinical success with just one or two doses of TARA-002. Among macrocystic patients, 83% (5/6) achieved a CR, and the only mixed cystic patient treated also achieved a CR. Two patients who reached the 32-week post-treatment assessment remain disease-free.
The safety profile of TARA-002 in this trial has been favorable, with the majority of adverse events, or AEs, being mild to moderate in severity. No SAEs were reported. The most common AEs were swelling and fatigue, and only one patient discontinued treatment due to a Grade 2 AE of fatigue.
These results underscore the potential of TARA-002 to address an unmet need for pediatric patients with LMs, for whom there are currently no approved therapies. Many patients currently rely on invasive surgical procedures or off-label use of chemotherapies and chemicals, which can be associated with high complication rates and challenging side effects, particularly in pediatric populations.
Based on engagement with the FDA, we intend to submit a Biologics License Application for TARA-002 in LMs based on the results of the pivotal STARBORN-1 trial in the second half of 2027 and will continue to submit safety and efficacy data from the trial on an ongoing basis to support the FDA's evaluation of the risks and benefits of TARA-002 in LMs.
Other Potential Opportunities
We believe TARA-002 may also have the potential to be used to treat other maxillofacial cysts based on the historical literature from the TARA-002 predecessor, OK-432, as well as recent data from the STARBORN-1 trial in which the one pediatric patient with a ranula achieved a CR after a single 1KE injection of TARA-002. While completing STARBORN-1 in LMs is our priority, we believe there may be an opportunity in the future to explore the potential of TARA-002 to treat different types of maxillofacial cysts.
Financial Overview
Research and Development
Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for the development of our current and potential future product candidates, which include personnel-related expenses, including salaries, benefits, travel and stock-based compensation expense, external expenses incurred under agreements with contract research organizations, or CROs, contract development and manufacturing organizations, or CDMOs, the cost of acquiring, developing and manufacturing clinical trial materials, clinical and non-clinical related costs and costs associated with regulatory operations and facilities, which includes depreciation and other expenses such as rent, maintenance and other supplies.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel-related costs, including salaries, benefits, travel expenses and stock-based compensation, for executive management and other administrative personnel. General and administrative expenses also include professional fees for legal, investor relations, consulting, auditing and accounting services, business and market development activities, as well as costs related to human resources, information technology and facilities. In addition, these expenses include costs associated with operating as a public company, such as expenses related to our Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, listing and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, compliance and director and officer liability insurance premiums.
Other Income (Expense), net
Other income (expense), net consists of interest and investment income (expense) and other income (expense). Interest and investment income (expense) consists of interest and dividend income on our cash and cash equivalents and marketable debt securities and amortization of premiums and/or accretion of discounts. Other income (expense) may also include non-operating items, such as refundable tax credits and other miscellaneous income not related to our core operating activities.
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates
Our management's discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our condensed consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP. The preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience and other market-specific or other relevant assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from those estimates or assumptions.
Our critical accounting policy is the accounting for accrued research and development expenses. We record accruals for estimated costs of research, preclinical, non-clinical, clinical and manufacturing development within accrued expenses which are significant components of research and development expenses. A substantial portion of our ongoing research and development activities are conducted by third-party service providers. We accrue costs incurred under these third-party arrangements based on estimates of actual work completed in accordance with the respective agreements. We determine the estimated costs to accrue through discussions with internal personnel and our external service providers as to the percentage of completion of the services and the agreed-upon fees to be paid for such services. Payments made to third parties under these arrangements in advance of performance of the related services are recorded as prepaid expenses until the services are rendered.
It is important that the discussion of our operating results that follow be read in conjunction with our accounting policies which have been disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 10, 2026.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 and 2025
The following table summarizes our results of operations (in thousands):
|
For the Three Months Ended March 31, |
Period -to- Period |
|||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | Change | ||||||||||
| Operating expenses: | ||||||||||||
| Research and development | $ | 13,562 | $ | 9,148 | $ | 4,414 | ||||||
| General and administrative | 6,067 | 4,976 | 1,091 | |||||||||
| Total operating expenses | 19,629 | 14,124 | 5,505 | |||||||||
| Income (Loss) from operations | (19,629 | ) | (14,124 | ) | (5,505 | ) | ||||||
| Other income (expense), net: | ||||||||||||
| Interest and investment income (expense) | 1,847 | 1,729 | 118 | |||||||||
| Other income (expense) | - | 481 | (481 | ) | ||||||||
| Other income (expense), net | 1,847 | 2,210 | (363 | ) | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | (17,782 | ) | $ | (11,914 | ) | $ | (5,868 | ) | |||
Research and development expenses
The following table summarizes our research and development expenses (in thousands):
|
For the Three Months Ended March 31, |
Period -to- Period |
|||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | Change | ||||||||||
| Direct expenses by product candidate: | ||||||||||||
| TARA-002 in NMIBC | $ | 5,838 | $ | 3,557 | $ | 2,281 | ||||||
| TARA-002 in LMs | 808 | 549 | 259 | |||||||||
| IV Choline Chloride | 2,220 | 2,515 | (295 | ) | ||||||||
| Total direct expenses by product candidate | 8,866 | 6,621 | 2,245 | |||||||||
| Indirect research and development expenses | 4,696 | 2,527 | 2,169 | |||||||||
| Total | $ | 13,562 | $ | 9,148 | $ | 4,414 | ||||||
Research and development expenses were $13.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, which represented an increase of approximately $4.4 million as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025. This increase was primarily due to a $2.2 million increase in direct expenses for our product candidates and a $2.2 million increase in indirect expenses. The increase in direct expenses was primarily due to higher ongoing costs associated with the ADVANCED-2 trial for NMIBC as well as start-up costs related to the ADVANCED-3 trial for NMIBC. The increase in indirect expenses was primarily due to a $1.5 million increase in personnel-related expenses and a $0.7 million increase in research and development expenses not directly attributable to one specific product candidate.
General and administrative expenses
The following table summarizes our general and administrative expenses (in thousands):
|
For the Three Months Ended March 31, |
Period -to- Period |
|||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | Change | ||||||||||
| Personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation | $ | 3,467 | $ | 2,584 | $ | 883 | ||||||
| Other general and administrative expenses | 2,600 | 2,392 | 208 | |||||||||
| Total | $ | 6,067 | $ | 4,976 | $ | 1,091 | ||||||
General and administrative expenses were $6.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, which represented an increase of approximately $1.1 million as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025. This increase was primarily due to an increase of $0.9 million in personnel-related expenses, as well as an increase of $0.2 million in other general and administrative expenses.
Other income (expense), net
Other income (expense), net was $1.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, which represented a decrease of approximately $0.4 million as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025. The decrease was driven by a $0.5 million decrease in other income (expense) due to nonrecurring refundable tax credits received in the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, our unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, and marketable debt securities were $177.4 million and $197.9 million, respectively. We have not generated revenues since our inception and have incurred net losses of $17.8 million and $11.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. As of March 31, 2026, we had working capital of $131.1 million and stockholder's equity of $181.2 million. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, net cash flows used in operating activities were $21.3 million, consisting primarily of a net loss of $17.8 million including non-cash expenses of $1.5 million, as well as cash used for changes in operating assets and liabilities of $5.1 million. Since inception, we have met our liquidity requirements principally through the sale of our common stock, preferred stock and pre-funded warrants in private placements and public offerings. In addition, we may receive additional proceeds upon the exercise of the common warrants issued in the April 2024 Private Placement.
On November 3, 2023, we filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, or the Shelf Registration Statement, which became effective in November 2023. The Shelf Registration Statement permits the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $300.0 million of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities and warrants in one or more offerings and in any combination. In December 2024, we sold and issued approximately $102.8 million in gross proceeds of common stock and pre-funded warrants in a public offering under the Shelf Registration Statement. The net proceeds were approximately $95.9 million. In December 2025, we sold and issued approximately $86.3 million in gross proceeds of common stock in a public offering under the Shelf Registration Statement. The net proceeds were approximately $80.4 million.
As part of the April 2024 Private Placement, purchasers were offered common warrants. Common warrants exercised as of March 31, 2026 have resulted in $5.7 million in proceeds and, if exercised, proceeds from the remaining common warrants as of March 31, 2026 could result in an additional $51.2 million. The common warrants outstanding are set to expire on June 29, 2026.
We are in the business of developing biopharmaceuticals and have no current or near-term revenues. We have incurred substantial clinical and other costs in our drug development efforts. We will need to raise additional capital in order to fully realize management's plans.
We believe that our current financial resources are sufficient to satisfy our estimated liquidity needs for at least 12 months from the date of issuance of our condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on this Form 10-Q.
As a result of volatility in the capital markets, economic conditions, general global economic uncertainty, political and regulatory change, global pandemics and other factors, we do not know whether additional capital will be available when needed, or that, if available, we will be able to obtain additional capital on reasonable terms. If we are unable to raise additional capital due to volatile global financial markets, general economic uncertainty or other factors, we may need to curtail planned development activities. Despite recent moderation, the sustained elevated interest rates in recent years have had, and may continue to have, a negative effect on market prices for common stock of public companies, especially those in the biotech industry and those that have no current or near-term revenue. Further, a recession or market correction, supply chain disruptions and/or inflation could materially affect our business and the value of our common stock.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash (in thousands):
|
For the Three Months Ended March 31, |
Period-to- Period |
|||||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | Change | ||||||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities | $ | (21,343 | ) | $ | (14,713 | ) | $ | (6,630 | ) | |||
| Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities | (14,721 | ) | (58,354 | ) | 43,633 | |||||||
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | 1,144 | 1,730 | (586 | ) | ||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash | $ | (34,920 | ) | $ | (71,337 | ) | $ | 36,417 | ||||
Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 and 2025
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities was approximately $(21.3) million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to approximately $(14.7) million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The increase of approximately $6.6 million in cash used in operating activities was primarily driven by an increase in net loss of $5.9 million, an increase in cash used for operating assets and liabilities, primarily related to changes in other assets, accrued expenses and other current liabilities, offset by a decrease in accounts payable, resulting principally from the timing of payments to our service providers of $1.3 million, and by an increase in non-cash items, consisting principally of accretion of discount on marketable debt securities and stock-based compensation expense of $0.5 million.
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities was approximately $(14.7) million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to approximately $(58.4) million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The decrease in cash used of $43.6 million resulted primarily from a decrease in purchases of marketable debt securities of $22.0 million as well as an increase in proceeds from marketable debt securities matured and redeemed of $21.6 million.
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities was $1.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to $1.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The $0.6 million decrease was primarily driven by proceeds received in the prior-year period of $2.5 million from the net proceeds of the underwriters' overallotment option exercised in connection with the December 2024 Public Offering, as compared to, proceeds received during the current period of $1.9 million from the exercise of common warrants.
Contractual and Other Obligations
Operating lease obligations
Our operating lease obligations primarily consist of lease payments on our corporate headquarters in New York, New York, as well as lease payments for our development laboratory, a manufacturing facility and an additional manufacturing space, all located in North America which are described in further detail in Note 8 of our condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Other obligations
From time to time, we enter into certain types of contracts that contingently require us to indemnify parties against third-party claims, supply agreements and agreements with directors and officers. The terms of such obligations vary by contract and in most instances a maximum dollar amount is not explicitly stated therein. Generally, amounts under these contracts cannot be reasonably estimated until a specific claim is asserted, thus no liabilities have been recorded for these obligations on our condensed consolidated balance sheet for the periods presented.
We enter into contracts in the normal course of business with CROs, CDMOs and clinical sites for the conduct of clinical trials, non-clinical research studies, professional consultants for expert advice and other vendors for clinical supply manufacturing or other services. These contracts generally provide for termination on notice, and therefore are cancelable contracts.
Certain of these agreements require us to pay milestones to such third parties upon achievement of certain development, regulatory or commercial milestones as further described in Note 9 of our condensed consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Amounts related to contingent milestone payments are not considered contractual obligations as they are contingent on the successful achievement of certain development, regulatory approval and commercial milestones, which may not be achieved.
We also have obligations to make future payments to third parties that become due and payable on the achievement of certain milestones, including future payments to third parties with whom we have entered into research, development and commercialization agreements. We have not included these commitments on our condensed consolidated balance sheet for the periods presented because the achievement and timing of these milestones is not fixed and determinable.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have, during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined under the applicable regulations of the SEC.