SEC Filing - Scholar Rock, Inc.

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q


☒	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED March 31, 2023


☐	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM _ TO _

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 001-38501

______________________________________________

SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware	82-3750435
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor Cambridge, Massachusetts	02142
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(857) 259 3860

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:


Title of each class	Trading symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share	SRRK	The Nasdaq Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.


Large accelerated filer	☐	Accelerated filer	☐

Non-accelerated filer	☒	Smaller reporting company	☒

		Emerging growth company	☒

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The number of outstanding shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock as of May 4, 2023 was 54,291,331.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Quarterly Report”), including the documents incorporated by reference, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are including this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Quarterly Report are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “predicts”, “potential”, “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Some of the risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

●

the success, cost and timing of clinical trials for apitegromab and SRK-181, including the progress and completion of clinical trials, and the results, and the timing of results, from these trials;

●

our success in identifying and executing a development program for additional indications for apitegromab and SRK-181 and in identifying product candidates from our preclinical programs;

●

the clinical utility of our product candidates and their potential advantages over other therapeutic options;

●

our ability to obtain, generally or on terms acceptable to us, funding for our operations, including funding necessary to complete further development and, upon successful development, if approved, commercialization of apitegromab, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates;

●

risks associated with impact of global economic and political developments on our business, including rising inflation and capital market disruptions, the current conflict in Ukraine, economic sanctions and economic slowdowns or recessions the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health pandemics, which may adversely impact our workforce, global supply chain, business, preclinical studies, clinical trials, our research and development efforts, the value of our common stock and our ability to access capital markets, and financial results;

●

the potential for our identified research priorities to advance our proprietary platform by identifying future product candidates;

●

the timing, scope, or likelihood of our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), the European Commission (“EC”) and other regulatory authorities for apitegromab, SRK-181 and any future product candidates, and any related restrictions, limitations or warnings in the label of any approved product candidate;

●

our ability to continue to grow our organization, including our personnel, systems and relationships with third parties;

●

our ability to retain our executives and highly skilled technical and managerial personnel, which could be affected due to any transition in management, or if we fail to recruit additional highly skilled personnel;

●

our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our product candidates and the duration of such protection and our ability to operate our business without infringing on the intellectual property rights of others;

●

our ability and the potential to successfully manufacture our product candidates for clinical trials and for commercial use, if approved;

●

our ability to successfully build a commercial infrastructure to market apitegromab, if approved;

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●

our ability to establish or maintain collaborations or strategic relationships;

●

our expectations relating to the potential of our proprietary platform technology;

●

our ability to obtain additional funding when necessary;

●

the size and growth potential of the markets for our product candidates, and our ability to serve those markets, either alone or in combination with others;

●

our expectations related to the use of our cash reserves;

●

the impact of new laws and regulations or amendments to existing laws and regulations in the United States and foreign countries;

●

developments and projections relating to our competitors and our industry;

●

our estimates and expectations regarding cash and expense levels, future revenues, capital requirements and needs for additional financing, including our expected use of proceeds from our public offerings, and liquidity sources;

●

our expectations regarding the period during which we qualify as an emerging growth company (“EGC”) under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act or as a “smaller reporting company” as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

●

other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption Part II, Item 1A “Risk Factors”.

The risks set forth above are not exhaustive. Other sections of this report may include additional factors that could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Investors should also refer to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for future periods and Current Reports on Form 8-K as we file them with the SEC, and to other materials we may furnish to the public from time to time through Current Reports on Form 8-K or otherwise, for a discussion of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, future events, or otherwise, and you should not rely upon these forward-looking statements after the date of this report.

We may from time to time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the general business environment, and the markets for certain diseases, including estimates regarding the potential size of those markets and the estimated incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events, circumstances or numbers, including actual disease prevalence rates and market size, may differ materially from the information reflected in this Quarterly Report. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry data, business information, market data, prevalence information and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data, and similar sources, in some cases applying our own assumptions and analysis that may, in the future, prove not to have been accurate.

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SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION

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	Page
PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited)	5
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022	5
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022	6
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022	7
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022	8
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements	9
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	18
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	28
Item 4. Controls and Procedures	28

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings	29
Item 1A. Risk Factors	30
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	82
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities	82
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures	82
Item 5. Other Information	82
Item 6. Exhibits	83
SIGNATURES	84

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)


	March 31,		December 31,
	2023		2022
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	151,280	$	103,275
Marketable securities		124,004		212,086
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		11,874		12,663
Total current assets		287,158		328,024
Property and equipment, net		6,681		7,384
Operating lease right-of-use asset		16,731		18,543
Restricted cash		2,498		2,498
Other long-term assets		1,653		1,719
Total assets	$	314,721	$	358,168
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	3,720	$	3,994
Accrued expenses		14,730		24,321
Operating lease liability		7,637		7,852
Other current liabilities		121		222
Total current liabilities		26,208		36,389
Long-term portion of operating lease liability		10,031		11,800
Long-term debt		49,829		49,744
Total liabilities		86,068		97,933
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8)
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022; no shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022		—		—
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 150,000,000 shares authorized; 51,989,359 and 51,672,579 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively		52		52
Additional paid-in capital		778,941		771,699
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(329)		(884)
Accumulated deficit		(550,011)		(510,632)
Total stockholders’ equity		228,653		260,235
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	314,721	$	358,168

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2023		2022
Revenue	$	—	$	33,193
Operating expenses:
Research and development		29,735		29,366
General and administrative		10,774		10,760
Total operating expenses		40,509		40,126
Loss from operations		(40,509)		(6,933)
Other income (expense), net		1,130		(1,017)
Net loss	$	(39,379)	$	(7,950)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted	$	(0.49)	$	(0.21)
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted		79,610,059		37,456,574

Comprehensive loss:
Net loss	$	(39,379)	$	(7,950)
Other comprehensive loss:
Unrealized gain (loss) on marketable securities		555		(117)
Total other comprehensive gain (loss)		555		(117)
Comprehensive loss	$	(38,824)	$	(8,067)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share data)


						Accumulated
				Additional		Other				Total
	Common Stock			Paid‑in		Comprehensive		Accumulated		Stockholders’
	Shares	Amount		Capital		Loss		Deficit		Equity
Balance at December 31, 2022	51,672,579	$	52	$	771,699	$	(884)	$	(510,632)	$	260,235
Unrealized gain on marketable securities	—		—		—		555		—		555
Sale of common shares, net of issuance costs	68,696		—		827		—		—		827
Exercise of stock options	28,706		—		243		—		—		243
Issuance of common shares upon RSU vesting	219,378		—		—		—		—		—
Equity-based compensation expense	—		—		6,170		—		—		6,170
Other	—		—		2		—		—		2
Net loss	—		—		—		—		(39,379)		(39,379)
Balance at March 31, 2023	51,989,359	$	52	$	778,941	$	(329)	$	(550,011)	$	228,653


						Accumulated
				Additional		Other				Total
	Common Stock			Paid‑in		Comprehensive		Accumulated		Stockholders’
	Shares	Amount		Capital		Loss		Deficit		Equity
Balance at December 31, 2021	35,209,099	$	35	$	548,204	$	(35)	$	(376,130)	$	172,074
Unrealized loss on marketable securities	—		—		—		(117)		—		(117)
Exercise of stock options	42,129		—		481		—		—		481
Issuance of common shares upon RSU vesting	49,595		—		—		—		—		—
Equity-based compensation expense	—		—		6,828		—		—		6,828
Net loss	—		—		—		—		(7,950)		(7,950)
Balance at March 31, 2022	35,300,823	$	35	$	555,513	$	(152)	$	(384,080)	$	171,316

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

(In thousands)


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2023		2022
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$	(39,379)	$	(7,950)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		733		749
Amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs		85		198
Equity-based compensation		6,170		6,828
Amortization/accretion of investment securities		(1,363)		139
Non-cash operating lease expense		1,812		1,675
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		773		(6,050)
Other assets		66		(46)
Accounts payable		(274)		(1,580)
Accrued expenses		(9,591)		(1,579)
Operating lease liabilities		(1,984)		(1,770)
Deferred revenue		—		(33,193)
Other liabilities		(102)		14
Net cash used in operating activities		(43,054)		(42,565)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment		(30)		(443)
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment		13		—
Purchases of marketable securities		—		(80,133)
Maturities of marketable securities		90,000		10,000
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		89,983		(70,576)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from sale of common shares, net of issuance costs		827		—
Proceeds from stock option exercises		247		481
Other		2		—
Net cash provided by financing activities		1,076		481
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		48,005		(112,660)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period		105,773		215,333
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	$	153,778	$	102,673
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash items:
Property and equipment purchases in accounts payable and accrued expenses	$	—	$	413
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest	$	1,491	$	812

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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SCHOLAR ROCK HOLDING CORPORATION

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

1. Nature of the Business

Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (the “Company”) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases in which signaling by protein growth factors plays a fundamental role. As a global leader in transforming growth factor beta (“TGFβ”) superfamily biology, the Company’s novel understanding of the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled the development of a proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target the precursor, or latent, forms of growth factors. The Company’s first product candidate, apitegromab, is a highly selective, fully human, monoclonal antibody, with a unique mechanism of action that results in inhibition of the activation of the growth factor, myostatin, in skeletal muscle. Apitegromab is being developed as a potential first muscle-targeted therapy for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (“SMA”). The Company is conducting SAPPHIRE, a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of apitegromab in patients with nonambulatory Type 2 and Type 3 SMA. In June 2022, the Company announced 24-month efficacy and safety extension data of apitegromab in patients with Type 2 and Type 3 SMA from the Phase 2 TOPAZ proof-of-concept clinical trial. The Company’s second product candidate, SRK-181, is being developed for the treatment of cancers that are resistant to checkpoint inhibitor (“CPI”) therapies, such as anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibody therapies. SRK-181 is a highly selective inhibitor of the activation of latent transforming growth factor beta-1 (“TGFβ1”) that is being investigated in the Company’s Phase 1 DRAGON proof-of-concept clinical trial in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors that exhibit resistance to anti-PD-(L)1 antibodies. The DRAGON trial consists of two parts: Part A (dose escalation of SRK-181 as a single-agent or in combination with an approved anti-PD-(L)1 therapy) and Part B (dose expansion evaluating SRK-181 in combination with an approved anti-PD- (L)1 antibody therapy). Part B includes the following active cohorts: urothelial carcinoma, cutaneous melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Additionally, the Company continues to create a pipeline of product candidates to deliver novel therapies to underserved patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis, and iron-restricted anemia. The Company was originally formed in May 2012. Its principal offices are in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Since its inception, the Company’s operations have focused on research and development of monoclonal antibodies that selectively inhibit activation of growth factors for therapeutic effect, as well as establishing the Company’s intellectual property portfolio and performing research and development activities. The Company has primarily financed its operations through various equity financings, as well as research and development collaboration agreements and the Company’s debt facility (Note 9).

Revenue generation activities have been limited to two collaborations, both containing research services and the issuance of a license. The first agreement, executed in 2013, was with Janssen Biotech, Inc. (“Janssen”), a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson and was terminated in July 2022. The second agreement, the Gilead Collaboration Agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. (“Gilead”), was in effect between December 2018 and January 2022. No revenues have been recorded from the sale of any commercial product.

The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to other life science companies, including, but not limited to, successful discovery and development of its drug candidates, raising additional capital, development by its competitors of new technological innovations, protection of proprietary technology and regulatory approval and market acceptance of the Company’s product candidates. The Company anticipates that it will continue to incur significant operating losses for the next several years as it continues to develop its product candidates. The Company believes that its existing cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities at March 31, 2023 will be sufficient to allow the Company to fund its current operations through at least a period of one year after the date these financial statements are issued.

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2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The significant accounting policies used in preparation of the unaudited consolidated financial statements are described in the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the notes thereto, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. There have been no material changes to the significant accounting policies previously disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

The following table reconciles cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash per the balance sheet to the statement of cash flows (in thousands):


	As of March 31,
	2023		2022
Cash and cash equivalents	$	151,280	$	100,175
Restricted cash		2,498		2,498
	$	153,778	$	102,673

Unaudited Interim Financial Information

The consolidated financial statements of the Company included herein have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Scholar Rock Holding Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of management, the information furnished reflects all adjustments, all of which are of a normal and recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the reported interim periods. The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosure. The results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year or any other interim period.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgments that may affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the related reporting of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard requires that a financial asset or a group of financial assets measured at amortized cost basis to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. Under previous GAAP, a company only considered past events and current conditions in measuring an incurred loss. Under ASU 2016-13, the information that a company must consider is broadened in developing an expected credit loss estimate for assets measured either collectively or individually. The use of forecasted information incorporates more timely information in the estimate of expected credit loss. The guidance is applied using a modified retrospective, or prospective approach, depending on a specific amendment. In November 2019, the FASB deferred the effective date for smaller reporting companies to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Therefore, the new standard was effective for the Company on January 1, 2023. The Company established processes and internal controls to comply with the new credit loss standard and related disclosure requirements. The Company’s investment policy has primary objectives of preservation of capital and maintenance of liquidity. As a result, the Company typically invests in money market funds

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and U.S. government securities. The Company believes that such funds are subject to minimal credit risk. The Company has not experienced any credit losses and does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk on these investments. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

The Company has reviewed all recently issued accounting pronouncements and has determined that such standards do not currently apply to its operations.

3. Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities

The following tables summarize the assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 (in thousands):


	Fair Value Measurements at March 31, 2023
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets:
Money market funds, included in cash and cash equivalents	$	143,573	$	143,573	$	—	$	—
Marketable securities:
U.S. Treasury obligations		124,004		124,004		—		—
Total assets	$	267,577	$	267,577	$	—	$	—


	Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2022
	Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets:
Money market funds, included in cash and cash equivalents	$	98,073	$	98,073	$	—	$	—
Marketable securities:
U.S. Treasury obligations		212,086		212,086		—		—
Total assets	$	310,159	$	310,159	$	—	$	—

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities are Level 1 assets and include investments in money market funds and U.S. government securities that are valued using quoted market prices. Accordingly, money market funds and government funds are categorized as Level 1 as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022. There were no transfers of assets between fair value measurement levels during the three months ended March 31, 2023 or 2022.

The carrying amounts reflected in the balance sheets for prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable, and accrued expenses approximate their fair values at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, due to their short-term nature.

The Company believes the terms of its debt reflect current market conditions for an instrument with similar terms and maturity, therefore the carrying value of the Company's debt approximates its fair value based on Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

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4. Marketable Securities

The following table summarizes the Company’s investments as of March 31, 2023 (in thousands):


			Gross
	Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
	Cost		Gains		Losses		Fair Value
Marketable securities available-for-sale:
U.S. Treasury obligations	$	124,333	$	2	$	(331)	$	124,004
Total available-for-sale securities	$	124,333	$	2	$	(331)	$	124,004

The following table summarizes the Company’s investments as of December 31, 2022 (in thousands):


			Gross
	Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
	Cost		Gains		Losses		Fair Value
Marketable securities available-for-sale:
U.S. Treasury obligations	$	212,970	$	—	$	(884)	$	212,086
Total available-for-sale securities	$	212,970	$	—	$	(884)	$	212,086

The aggregate fair value of marketable securities with unrealized losses was $114.0 million and $212.1 million at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. At March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, 13 investments and 23 investments, respectively, were in an unrealized loss position. All such investments have been in an unrealized loss position for less than a year and these losses are considered temporary. The Company has the ability and intent to hold these investments until a recovery of their amortized cost, which may not occur until maturity. The Company believes that U.S. Treasury obligations are subject to minimal credit risk. As a result, the Company did not record any charges for credit-related impairments for its available-for-sale securities for the three months ended March 31, 2023.

5. Accrued Expenses

As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, accrued expenses consist of the following (in thousands):


	As of
	March 31,		December 31,
	2023		2022
Accrued external research and development expense	$	7,986	$	15,178
Accrued payroll and related expenses		4,047		6,800
Accrued professional and consulting expense		1,928		1,510
Accrued other		769		833
	$	14,730	$	24,321

6. Common Stock

The Company has had a sales agreement in place during various time periods with Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) with respect to an at-the-market (“ATM”) offering program. Under this program, the Company is able to offer and sell, from time to time at its sole discretion, shares of its common stock through Jefferies as its sales agent. In an ATM offering, exchange-listed companies incrementally sell newly issued shares into the secondary trading market through a designated broker-dealer at prevailing market prices. The current agreement, established in November 2022, allows for the sale of shares of common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $100 million. As of March 31, 2023, the Company has sold 68,696 shares of common stock under the current ATM agreement, generating $0.8 million in net proceeds.

On June 17, 2022, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement relating to the issuance and sale of an aggregate of 16,326,530 shares of its common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase 25,510,205 shares of its common stock and associated common warrants to purchase 10,459,181 shares of its common stock. The offering price per share

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and associated common warrant was $4.90 and the offering price per pre-funded warrant and associated common warrant is $4.8999, which equals the per share public offering price for the common shares less the $0.0001 exercise price for each such pre-funded warrant. The pre-funded warrants are exercisable at any time and only expire when exercised in full. Each common warrant has an exercise price per share of $7.35 (150% of the offering price per share of the common stock), is immediately exercisable and will expire on December 31, 2025. Gross proceeds from the transaction were $205.0 million. The offering was made pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3. The offering closed on June 22, 2022 and the Company received $195.3 million in net proceeds, after deducting placement agent fees and offering expenses. The pre-funded warrants and warrants meet the condition for equity classification and were therefore recorded as a component of stockholders’ equity within additional paid-in capital.

7. Equity-Based Compensation

The Company recorded equity-based compensation expense related to all equity-based awards, which was allocated as follows in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2023		2022
Research and development expense	$	2,645	$	3,407
General and administrative expense		3,525		3,421
	$	6,170	$	6,828

The following table summarizes the Company’s unrecognized equity-based compensation expense as of March 31, 2023:



	As of March 31, 2023
		Unrecognized Expense (in thousands)	Weighted Average Remaining Period of Recognition (years)
Restricted Stock Units		23,537	3.0
Stock Options		41,734	2.8
	$	65,271

Restricted Stock Units

The following table summarizes the Company’s restricted stock unit activity for the current year:


		Weighted
		Average Grant
	Number of Units	Date Fair Value
Restricted stock units as of December 31, 2022	1,667,522	$	14.17
Granted	942,241	$	9.98
Vested	(219,378)	$	24.08
Forfeited	(65,039)	$	9.50
Restricted stock units as of March 31, 2023	2,325,346	$	11.67

The total fair value of restricted stock units vested during the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $2.6 million.

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Stock Options

The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option activity for the current year:


				Weighted
		Weighted		Average
	Number of	Average		Remaining	Aggregate
	Shares	Exercise Price		Contractual Term	Intrinsic Value
				(in years)	(in thousands)
Outstanding as of December 31, 2022	6,242,784	$	17.12	7.74	$	5,835
Granted	1,453,616	$	9.99
Exercised	(28,706)	$	8.47
Cancelled	(128,489)	$	19.02
Outstanding as of March 31, 2023	7,539,205	$	15.74	7.64	$	3,917
Options exercisable as of March 31, 2023	2,667,243	$	20.08	5.47	$	1,262

Using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, the weighted average fair value of options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2023 was $7.69.

The following weighted average assumptions were used in determining the fair value of options granted in the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022:


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2023		2022
Risk-free interest rate	3.86	%	1.89	%
Expected dividend yield	0.0	%	0.0	%
Expected term (years to liquidity)	6.25		6.00
Expected volatility	90.17	%	86.73	%

8. Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

620 Memorial Facility Lease

In March 2015, the Company entered into a 5-year lease of office and laboratory space for its corporate headquarters (the “Lease”) at 620 Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Lease was amended in February 2018, to add an additional space (the “Expansion Space”) at the current location and to extend the Lease term (the “Amended Lease”). The Amended Lease expires in September 2023. Annual rent payments, including the Expansion Space, increase from $1.4 million to $1.7 million over the term of the Amended Lease. Variable lease payments include the Company’s allocated share of costs incurred and expenditures made by the landlord in the operation and management of the building.

On October 5, 2020, the Company entered into a Sublease Agreement (the “Sublease”) with Orna Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Subtenant”) to sublease the space covered by the Amended Lease at 620 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Sublease term commenced on February 1, 2021 and ends on August 31, 2023, unless terminated earlier. The Sublease provides for initial annual base rent of approximately $1.9 million. The Subtenant is obligated to pay for certain costs, taxes and operating expenses, subject to certain exclusions. The Sublease is subordinate to that certain Indenture of Lease, dated March 5, 2015, by and between 620 Memorial Leasehold LLC and Scholar Rock, Inc., as amended.

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301 Binney Facility Lease

In November 2019, the Company entered into a lease of office and laboratory space at 301 Binney Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts to be used as its new corporate headquarters. The expiration date of the lease is in August 2025 and the Company has the option to extend the term by two years. The base rent is $6.9 million per year, subject to an annual increase of 3.5%, and the Company was subject to a free-rent period through mid-August 2020. Variable lease payments include the Company’s allocated share of costs incurred and expenditures made by the landlord in the operation and management of the building. The lease included incentives of $14.1 million in the form of an allowance for tenant improvements related to the design and build out of the space. In connection with the lease, the Company has secured a letter of credit for $2.3 million which renews automatically each year. The lease commencement date, for accounting purposes, was reached in September 2020.

Other information related to the Company’s leases (excluding the Company’s sublease income of $0.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023) is as follows (in thousands, except lease term and discount rate):


	For Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2023
Lease Cost:
Operating lease cost	$	2,169
Variable lease cost		489
Total lease cost	$	2,658


	For Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2023
Other information:
Operating cash flows used for operating leases	$	2,341
Weighted average remaining lease term		2.3
Weighted average incremental borrowing rate		7.5	%

Legal Proceedings

The Company, from time to time, may be party to litigation arising in the ordinary course of its business. The Company was not subject to any material legal proceedings during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022.

9. Debt

On October 16, 2020 (the “Closing Date”) the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement with Oxford Finance LLC (“Oxford”) and Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) for $50.0 million (the “Loan and Security Agreement”). Tranche 1 of $25.0 million was funded on the Closing Date. The Company had an additional $25.0 million in loan proceeds available under Tranche 2 which was funded in December 2021, in conjunction with Amendment 1. The Loan and Security Agreement was to mature on May 1, 2025 and required interest-only payments through November 2022, with principal payments to commence in December 2022. Pursuant to the Loan and Security Agreement, the Company was required to maintain cash in an SVB account equal to the lesser of 100% of the Company’s consolidated cash or 105% of the dollar amount of the outstanding debt.

On November 10, 2022, the Company entered into Amendment 2 to the Loan and Security Agreement (the “Amendment”) to increase the total agreement to an amount up to $100.0 million, comprised of the original $50.0 million loan which remains outstanding and two additional $25.0 million tranches. The first $25.0 million tranche is available at the Company’s discretion through December 2023 upon achievement of certain development and business performance milestones. The second $25.0 million tranche may be available upon the Company’s request, at Oxford and SVB’s discretion. The Amendment also extended the interest-only payment period for an additional 24 months through November 2024, with principal payments to commence in December 2024, or for an additional 36 months through

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November 2025 upon achievement of certain development and business performance milestones, with principal payments to commence in December 2025. The maturity of the loan was extended to November 2027.

Effective upon the Amendment, the interest rate on the unpaid principal is the greater of the Wall Street Journal prime rate plus 4.60% or 9.35% per annum. Prepayment is permitted and may include a pre-payment fee ranging from 0% - 3% (of the principal amount being prepaid), depending on when the prepayment is made. The Company is also required to make a final payment equal to 2% of the original principal amount.

In conjunction with the Amendment, the Company was required to pay $0.9 million for the accrued portion of the final payment on the previous outstanding balance.

On March 10, 2023, SVB was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as receiver. Afterward, the FDIC transferred all deposits of the former Silicon Valley Bank to Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A., as operated by the FDIC. On March 27, 2023, Silicon Valley Bridge Bank was closed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the FDIC was appointed as receiver. First Citizens Bank then entered into an agreement with the FDIC to purchase out of FDIC receivership substantially all loans and certain other assets and assume all customer deposits and certain other liabilities of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank. On March 27, 2023, Silicon Valley Bridge Bank and its U.S. branches began operating as Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank.

10. Agreements

Collaboration with Gilead

On December 19, 2018 (the “Effective Date”), the Company entered into a three-year Master Collaboration Agreement (the “Gilead Collaboration Agreement”) with Gilead to discover and develop specific inhibitors of TGFβ activation focused on the treatment of fibrotic diseases. Under the collaboration, Gilead had exclusive options to license worldwide rights to product candidates that emerge from three of the Company’s TGFβ programs (each a “Gilead Program”). Pursuant to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, the Company was responsible for antibody discovery and preclinical research through product candidate nomination, after which, upon exercising the option for a Gilead Program, Gilead would be responsible for the program’s preclinical and clinical development and commercialization. Such option could have been exercised by Gilead at any time from the Effective Date through a date that is 90 days following the expiration of the Research Collaboration Term for a given Gilead Program (no later than March 19, 2022), or until termination of the Gilead Program, whichever is earlier (the “Option Exercise Period”). On January 6, 2022, Gilead agreed to terminate its option exercise period for all programs.

Revenue associated with the research and development and license performance obligations relating to the Gilead Programs was recognized as revenue as the research and development services were provided using an input method, according to the costs that were incurred on each Gilead Program and the costs that were expected to be incurred to satisfy the performance obligation. The transfer of control occurred over time. In management’s judgment, this input method was the best measure of progress towards satisfying the performance obligation. The amounts allocated to the three material rights provided by the options (“Material Rights”) was to be deferred on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet until either exercise or termination of the respective options. In January 2022, upon Gilead’s termination of its option exercise period for all programs, the Company recognized revenue of $33.2 million attributable to the Material Rights in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, after which all revenue related to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement had been fully recognized.

11. Net Loss per Share

The Company calculates basic net loss per share by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding restricted common stock. The weighted average number of common shares used in the basic and diluted net loss per share calculation includes the pre-funded warrants issued in connection with the Company’s November 2020 and June 2022 follow-on offerings as the pre-funded warrants are exercisable at any time for nominal cash consideration. As of March 31, 2023, no pre-funded warrants have been exercised and 27,689,692 pre-funded

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warrants are outstanding. The Company has generated a net loss in all periods presented, so the basic and diluted net loss per share are the same, as the inclusion of the potentially dilutive securities would be anti-dilutive.

The following table sets forth the outstanding common stock equivalents, presented based on amounts outstanding at each period end, that have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the periods indicated because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive:


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2023	2022
Restricted stock units	2,325,346	1,045,487
Stock options	7,539,205	4,567,106
Warrants	10,459,181	—
	20,323,732	5,612,593

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the “Quarterly Report”), and the audited financial information and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Our actual results and timing of certain events may differ materially from the results discussed, projected, anticipated, or indicated in any forward-looking statements. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods.

The following information and any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of factors discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, including those risks identified under Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors.

We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation, except as specifically required by law and the rules of the SEC, to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Overview

We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases in which signaling by protein growth factors plays a fundamental role. As a global leader in transforming growth factor beta (“TGFβ”) superfamily biology, our novel understanding of the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled us to develop a proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target the precursor, or latent, forms of growth factors. By targeting the signaling proteins at the cellular level and acting in the disease microenvironment, we believe we may avoid the historical dose-limiting safety challenges associated with inhibiting growth factors for therapeutic effect. We believe our focus on biologically validated growth factors may facilitate a more efficient development path.

Based on this proprietary and scalable technology platform, we are building a growing portfolio of novel product candidates with the aim of transforming the lives of patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis and iron-restricted anemia. We have discovered and progressed the development of:

●

Apitegromab, an inhibitor of the activation of latent myostatin, for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (“SMA”). We also believe apitegromab could have potential in the treatment of other disorders where the inhibition of myostatin may be beneficial.

●

SRK-181, an inhibitor of the activation of latent transforming growth factor beta-1 (“TGFβ1”), for the treatment of cancers that are resistant to anti-PD-(L)1 antibody therapies.

●

Potent and selective inhibitors of the activation of TGFβ for the treatment of fibrotic diseases. We are advancing multiple antibody profiles toward product candidate selection including antibodies that selectively inhibit the activation of latent TGFβ1 in the context of fibrotic extracellular matrix and that avoid perturbing TGFβ1 presented by cells of the immune system.

●

Additional discovery and early preclinical programs related to the selective modulation of growth factor signaling, including BMP6 and other growth factors.

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Our first product candidate, apitegromab, is a highly selective, fully human, monoclonal antibody with a unique mechanism of action that results in inhibition of the activation of the growth factor, myostatin, in skeletal muscle. Apitegromab is being developed as a potential first muscle-targeted therapy for the treatment of SMA. We are conducting SAPPHIRE, a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of apitegromab in patients with nonambulatory Type 2 and Type 3 SMA (which is estimated to represent the majority of the current prevalent SMA patient population in the U.S. and Europe). We expect to complete enrollment of SAPPHIRE in 2023, with the top-line data readout expected in 2024. If successful and if apitegromab is approved, we expect to initiate a commercial product launch in 2025. Apitegromab was evaluated in the Company’s Phase 2 TOPAZ proof-of-concept clinical trial for the treatment of patients with Type 2 and Type 3 SMA. Positive 12-month top-line results were announced in April 2021 and presented at the Cure SMA Virtual Conference in June 2021. In June 2022, at the Cure SMA Research & Clinical Care Meeting, we presented 24-month efficacy and safety extension data of apitegromab from TOPAZ. These data showed sustained continued improvement with apitegromab for nonambulatory patients with Types 2 and 3 SMA receiving an SMN therapy. We expect to report 36-month extension data from TOPAZ in mid-2023. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) granted Fast Track designation, Rare Pediatric Disease designation and Orphan Drug Designation to apitegromab for the treatment of SMA in May 2021, August 2020 and March 2018, respectively. The European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) granted PRIME designation in March 2021 and the European Commission (“EC”) granted Orphan Medicinal Product designation in December 2018 to apitegromab for the treatment of SMA.

Tertiary endpoint data from the TOPAZ trial was presented at both the 27^th International Annual Congress of the World Muscle Society 2022 and the 3^rd International Scientific Congress on SMA in October 2022, which showed trends of continuous improvement in quality-of-life measures such as activities of daily living, fatigue and endurance over 24 months.

We have identified multiple other diseases for which the selective inhibition of the activation of myostatin may offer therapeutic benefit, including additional patient populations in SMA (such as Type 1 SMA and ambulatory SMA) and indications outside of SMA.

Our second product candidate, SRK-181, is being developed for the treatment of cancers that are resistant to checkpoint inhibitor (“CPI”) therapies, such as anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibody therapies. SRK-181 is a highly selective inhibitor of the activation of latent TGFβ1 that is being investigated in our Phase 1 DRAGON proof-of-concept clinical trial in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors that exhibit resistance to anti-PD-(L)1 antibodies. This two-part clinical trial consists of a dose escalation portion (Part A) and a dose expansion portion evaluating SRK-181 in combination with an approved anti-PD-(L)1 antibody therapy (Part B). Part B commenced in 2021 and includes the following active cohorts: urothelial carcinoma, cutaneous melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Initial clinical data from Part A were presented in November 2021 at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (“SITC”) 36^th Annual Meeting and additional clinical data were presented at the 2022 SITC Annual Meeting in November 2022. The Phase 1 DRAGON trial continues to advance, and we expect to provide biomarker and clinical updates in 2023.

Utilizing our innovative approach and proprietary platform, we have multiple early stage and preclinical programs directed against targets that are known to be important in serious diseases. We are discovering and generating highly selective and differentiated monoclonal antibodies against difficult targets by 1) applying our structural insights and antibody discovery expertise, 2) prioritizing human biology, and 3) embedding translational thinking early in the research and development process.

Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net losses were $39.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. As of March 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $550.0 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future in performing our ongoing activities, as we:

●

continue development activities for apitegromab, including the conduct of our Phase 3 SAPPHIRE pivotal clinical trial in SMA, our open-label extension study and the extension phase of our Phase 2 TOPAZ clinical trial and the associated drug supply;

●

continue research and development activities for SRK-181, including the conduct of our Phase 1 DRAGON proof of concept clinical trial;

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●

continue to discover, validate and develop additional product candidates through the use of our proprietary platform;

●

maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;

●

hire additional research, development and business personnel; and

●

continue to build the infrastructure to support our operations as a public company.

To date, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the near future. If we successfully complete clinical development and obtain regulatory approval for apitegromab, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates, we may generate revenue in the future from product sales. In addition, if we obtain regulatory approval for apitegromab, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates, we expect to incur significant expenses related to developing our commercialization capabilities to support product sales, marketing and distribution activities.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The ultimate extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other epidemic, pandemic, outbreak, or public health crisis on our business, financial condition and results of operations will depend on future developments, including new information that may emerge concerning the severity of such epidemic, pandemic, outbreak, or public health crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted our business since March 2020 when the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic, and at various times we have experienced disruptions or restrictions on our preclinical studies, our ability to access and monitor certain clinical trial sites, restrictions on clinical trial participants’ ability to access our clinical trial sites and delays in enrollment. Some clinical trial participants have missed or experienced delays in receiving doses of study drug and completing their clinical trial assessments. While our laboratory operations have resumed to normal capacity, we may continue to experience challenges in procuring materials and supplies, as well as research services from our vendors in a consistently timely manner due to COVID-19 related supply chain issues. We continue to monitor developments as we adjust to the disruptions and uncertainties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Financial Operations Overview

Revenue

No revenues have been recorded from the sale of any commercial product. Revenue generation activities have been limited to collaborations, containing research services and the issuance of a license. The Gilead Collaboration Agreement was executed on December 19, 2018 (the “Effective Date”) and we began recognizing associated revenue in 2019. Under the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, Gilead had exclusive options to license worldwide rights to product candidates that emerged from three of our TGFβ programs (each a “Gilead Program”). Each option could have been exercised by Gilead at any time from the Effective Date through a date that was 90 days following the expiration of the Research Collaboration Term for a given Gilead Program (no later than March 19, 2022), or until termination of the Gilead Program, whichever was earlier (the “Option Exercise Period”). On January 6, 2022, Gilead agreed to terminate its option exercise period for all programs.

Revenue associated with the research and development and license performance obligations relating to the Gilead Programs was recognized as revenue using an input method as the research and development services were provided over the research term, which was during the period January 2019 through December 2021. The amounts of revenue allocated to the three material rights provided by the options was to be deferred on our consolidated balance sheet until either exercise or termination of the respective options. In January 2022, Gilead agreed that its option exercise period for all programs had been terminated. The remaining $33.2 million of deferred revenue associated with the materials rights provided by the options was recognized as revenue in January 2022. As a result, by January 31, 2022, all revenue related to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement had been recognized.

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Operating Expenses

Research and Development

Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for our research and development activities, including our product candidate discovery efforts, preclinical studies, manufacturing, and clinical trials under our research programs, which include:

●

employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and equity-based compensation expense for our research and development personnel;

●

expenses incurred under agreements with third parties that conduct research and development and preclinical activities on our behalf;

●

expenses incurred under agreements related to our clinical trials, including the costs for investigative sites and contract research organizations (“CROs”), that conduct our clinical trials;

●

manufacturing process-development, manufacturing of clinical supplies and technology-transfer expenses;

●

consulting and professional fees related to research and development activities;

●

costs of purchasing laboratory supplies and non-capital equipment used in our internal research and development activities;

●

costs related to compliance with clinical regulatory requirements; and

●

facility costs and other allocated expenses, which include expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities, insurance, depreciation and other supplies.

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Costs for certain activities are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks. Nonrefundable advance payments for research and development goods and services to be received in the future from third parties are deferred and capitalized. The capitalized amounts are expensed as the related services are performed.

A significant portion of our research and development costs have been external costs, which we track on a program-by-program basis after a clinical product candidate has been identified. However, we do not allocate our internal research and development expenses, consisting primarily of employee related costs, depreciation and other indirect costs, on a program-by-program basis as they are deployed across multiple projects.

Research and development activities are central to our business model. Product candidates in later stages of clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of later-stage clinical trials, as well as the associated clinical trial material requirements. We expect research and development costs for our product candidates to continue to be substantial for the foreseeable future as the development programs progress. However, we do not believe that it is possible at this time to accurately project total program-specific expenses through commercialization. There are numerous factors associated with the successful commercialization of any of our product candidates, including future trial design and various regulatory requirements, many of which cannot be determined with accuracy at this time based on our stage of development. Additionally, future commercial and regulatory factors beyond our control will impact our clinical development programs and plans.

The successful development of apitegromab, SRK-181 and any future product candidates is uncertain. Accordingly, at this time, we cannot reasonably estimate or know the nature, timing and estimated costs of the efforts that will be necessary to complete the remainder of the development of apitegromab, SRK-181 and any future product candidates. We are also unable to predict when, if ever, material net cash inflows will commence from the sale of our product candidates, if approved. This is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing product candidates, including the uncertainty of:

●

the scope, progress, outcome and costs of our preclinical development activities, clinical trials and other research and development activities;

●

establishing an appropriate safety profile;

●

successful enrollment in and completion of clinical trials;

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●

whether our product candidates show safety and efficacy in our clinical trials;

●

receipt of marketing approvals from applicable regulatory authorities, if any;

●

establishing commercial manufacturing capabilities or making arrangements with third-party manufacturers;

●

obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity for our product candidates;

●

significant and changing government regulation;

●

commercializing the product candidates, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others; and

●

continued acceptable safety profile of the products following any regulatory approval.

A change in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the development of apitegromab, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates could significantly change the costs and timing associated with the development of that product candidate.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and equity-based compensation expenses for personnel in executive, finance, business development, investor relations, legal, information technology and human resources functions. Other significant general and administrative expenses include facility costs not otherwise included in research and development expenses, legal fees relating to patent and corporate matters and fees for accounting, consulting services, and corporate expenses.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income (expense), net consists primarily of interest expense incurred on our debt facility, including amortization of debt discount and debt issuance costs, partially offset by interest income earned on our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities.

Results of Operations

Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands, except percentages):


	Three Months Ended March 31,				Change
	2023		2022		$		%
Revenue	$	—	$	33,193	$	(33,193)	(100.0)	%
Operating expenses:
Research and development		29,735		29,366		369	1.3	%
General and administrative		10,774		10,760		14	0.1	%
Total operating expenses		40,509		40,126		383	1.0	%
Loss from operations		(40,509)		(6,933)		(33,576)	484.3	%
Other income (expense), net		1,130		(1,017)		2,147	(211.1)	%
Net loss	$	(39,379)	$	(7,950)	$	(31,429)	395.3	%

Revenue

Revenue was $0 and $33.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2022, respectively, a decrease of $33.2 million or 100.0%. The revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was related to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement executed in December 2018 and was attributable to the material rights provided by the options and recognized in January 2022 upon Gilead’s termination of its option exercise period for all programs. All revenue related to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement had been fully recognized by January 31, 2022.

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Operating Expenses

Research and Development

Research and development expense was $29.7 million and $29.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, an increase of $0.3 million or 1.3%. The following table summarizes our research and development expense for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands, except percentages):


	Three Months Ended March 31,				Change
	2023		2022		$		%
External costs by program
Apitegromab	$	9,873	$	9,466	$	407	4.3	%
SRK-181		4,985		2,240		2,745	122.5	%
Other early development candidates and unallocated costs		797		1,941		(1,144)	(58.9)	%
Total external costs		15,655		13,647		2,008	14.7	%
Internal costs:
Employee compensation and benefits		10,125		11,336		(1,211)	(10.7)	%
Facility and other		3,955		4,383		(428)	(9.8)	%
Total internal costs		14,080		15,719		(1,639)	(10.4)	%
Total research and development expense	$	29,735	$	29,366	$	369	1.3	%

The increase in research and development expense was primarily attributable to the following:

●

An increase in our external research and development costs of $2.0 million, which primarily consisted of:

o

$0.4 million increase in costs associated with apitegromab primarily due to clinical trial costs, particularly the conduct of our Phase 3 SAPPHIRE clinical trial, partially offset by a decrease in clinical drug supply manufacturing;

o

$2.7 million increase in costs associated with SRK-181, due primarily to a purchase of pembrolizumab to be used in conjunction with SRK-181 in the Phase 1 DRAGON clinical trial; and

o

$1.1 million decrease in other early development candidates and unallocated costs.

●

$1.6 million decrease in internal research and development costs, which was primarily driven by a decrease in employee compensation and benefits costs, resulting from the decreased number of employees after the May 2022 restructuring. These costs include salaries, bonus, payroll taxes, benefits, temporary support, and non-cash equity-based compensation expense.

Total research and development expenses are expected to continue to be substantial, driven by employee compensation costs and development costs associated with our clinical stage programs as we continue to advance our product candidates, including apitegromab through our Phase 3 SAPPHIRE clinical trial, our open-label extension study for apitegromab, and the extension phase of our Phase 2 TOPAZ clinical trial in SMA, and SRK-181, through our Phase 1 DRAGON clinical trial.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expense was $10.8 million for each of the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We expect general and administrative expense to increase as we continue to invest in commercial readiness activities.

Other Income (Expense), Net

The change in other income (expense), net was primarily attributable to an increase in interest income earned due to higher average interest rates and higher balances in our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, partially offset by an increase in interest expense related to the Loan and Security Agreement, also due to higher interest rates.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

Sources of Liquidity

Since our inception, we have not generated any product revenue and have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from our operations. We have funded our operations to date primarily with proceeds from the sale of our convertible preferred stock and units in private placements before our IPO, and sale of our common stock through our IPO, to Gilead in an exempt private placement, through multiple secondary public offerings and through at-the-market (“ATM”) sales, as well as payments from our research collaborations and the Loan and Security Agreement entered into in October 2020 and amended in November 2022 (see Note 9).

On March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) as receiver. Subsequently, the U.S. Treasury, Federal Reserve and FDIC announced that SVB depositors would have access to all of their money. We have a banking relationship with SVB and hold cash of approximately $1.3 million as of March 31, 2023 in SVB depository accounts to cover short-term operational payments. We also have $2.5 million in SVB depository accounts that are used as collateral to support our letters of credit for our leases. While we have not experienced any losses in such accounts, the recent failure of SVB caused us to utilize our accounts at other financial institutions in order to mitigate potential operational risks stemming from the temporary inability to access funds in our SVB operating accounts. As a result of bank failures, such as SVB, our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our current and projected future business operations could be significantly impaired and could negatively impact the financial institutions with which we have direct arrangements, or the financial services industry or economy in general.

The following table provides information regarding our total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities at March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 (in thousands):


	March 31,		December 31,
	2023		2022
Cash and cash equivalents	$	151,280	$	103,275
Marketable securities		124,004		212,086
Total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities	$	275,284	$	315,361

During the three months ended March 31, 2023, our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balance decreased by $40.1 million. The decrease was primarily due to cash used to operate our business, including payments related to, among other things, research and development and general and administrative expenses as we continued to invest in our product candidates and supported our internal research and development efforts, capital purchases, and interest payments on our debt.

During the quarter ended March 31, 2023, we sold 68,696 shares of our common stock through sales under our ATM program with Jefferies, LLC, and received $0.8 million in net proceeds, after deducting commissions and fees.

In June 2022, we entered into a securities purchase agreement relating to the issuance and sale of an aggregate of 16,326,530 shares of our common stock, pre-funded warrants to purchase 25,510,205 shares of our common stock and associated common warrants to purchase 10,459,181 shares of our common stock. The offering price per share and associated common warrant was $4.90 and the offering price per pre-funded warrant and associated common warrant was $4.8999, which equaled the per share public offering price for the common shares less the $0.0001 exercise price for each such pre-funded warrant and associated common warrant. Each common warrant has an exercise price per share of $7.35 (150% of the offering price per share of the common stock). Gross proceeds from the transaction were $205.0 million. Upon the offering closing, we received $195.3 million in net proceeds, after deducting placement agent fees and expenses and offering expenses.

In October 2021, we sold 500,000 shares of our common stock through a sale in our ATM program with Jefferies, LLC, and received $13.1 million in net proceeds, after deducting commissions and fees.

In October 2020, we entered into an underwriting agreement relating to the issuance and sale of an aggregate of 3,717,948 shares of our common stock at $39.00 per share and pre-funded warrants to purchase 2,179,487 shares of our

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common stock. The price of each pre-funded warrant was $38.9999, which equals the per share public offering price for the common shares less the $0.0001 exercise price for each such pre-funded warrant. Gross proceeds of the transaction were $230.0 million. The offering closed in November 2020 and we received $215.9 million in net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses.

In October 2020, we entered into the Loan and Security Agreement with Oxford and SVB, which was amended in November 2022, of which $25.0 million from Tranche 1 was received in October 2020 and $25.0 million from Tranche 2 was received in December 2021 (Note 9).

In June and July 2019, we sold 3,450,000 shares of our common stock through an underwritten public offering. As a result of the offering, we received aggregate net proceeds, after underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, of $48.3 million.

In December 2018, we entered into the Gilead Collaboration Agreement pursuant to which we conducted research and pre-clinical development activities relating to the diagnosis, treatment, cure, mitigation or prevention of diseases, disorders or conditions, other than in the field of oncology in accordance with a pre-determined research plan. Pursuant to the Gilead Collaboration Agreement, Gilead made non-refundable payments of $80.0 million, including an upfront payment and an equity investment. In December 2019, we achieved a $25.0 million preclinical milestone for the successful demonstration of efficacy in preclinical in vivo proof-of-concept studies, and subsequently received the associated payment in January 2020.

Cash Flows

The following table provides information regarding our cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2023		2022
Net cash used in operating activities	$	(43,054)	$	(42,565)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		89,983		(70,576)
Net cash provided by financing activities		1,076		481
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	48,005	$	(112,660)

Net Cash Used in Operating Activities

Net cash used in operating activities was $43.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and consisted of our net loss of $39.4 million, changes in our assets and liabilities of $11.1 million, partially offset by non-cash adjustments of $7.4 million. The changes in our assets and liabilities includes a $9.6 million change in accrued expenses, mostly related to external research and development and payroll related expenses. The non-cash adjustments are primarily from equity-based compensation.

Net cash used in operating activities was $42.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, and consisted of our net loss of $8.0 million, changes in our assets and liabilities of $44.2 million, partially offset by non-cash adjustments of $9.6 million. The changes in our assets and liabilities includes a $33.2 million change in deferred revenue related to the Gilead collaboration, which relates to the recognition of revenue associated with the material rights provided by the options. The non-cash adjustments are primarily from equity-based compensation.

Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities

Net cash provided by investing activities was $90.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to net cash used in investing activities of $70.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Net cash provided by and used in investing activities for both periods was primarily associated with transactions involving our marketable securities.

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Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $1.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to $0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. Net cash provided by financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2023 was primarily attributable to proceeds from the sale of common stock through our ATM. Net cash provided by financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was primarily attributable to proceeds from stock option exercises.

Funding Requirements

We expect our expenses to continue to be substantial as we continue the research and development for, continue and initiate later stage clinical trials for, continue to develop and optimize our manufacturing processes for, and seek marketing approval for, our product candidates, including apitegromab and SRK-181, and any of our future product candidates. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for apitegromab, SRK-181 or any of our future product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. Furthermore, we expect to continue to incur costs associated with operating as a public company.

We expect that our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into 2025. However, we will require additional capital in order to complete clinical development and commercialization for each of our current programs. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we may use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

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the costs and timing of developing our product candidates, apitegromab and SRK-181, including our Phase 3 SAPPHIRE clinical trial for apitegromab in SMA, the extension phase of our Phase 2 TOPAZ clinical trial for apitegromab in SMA, the open-label extension study for apitegromab and the Phase 1 DRAGON clinical trial for SRK-181, and the costs and timing of conducting future preclinical studies and clinical trials;

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the costs of future manufacturing of apitegromab, SRK-181 and any other product candidates; including impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact at our contract manufacturers;

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the scope, progress, results and costs of discovery, preclinical development, laboratory testing and clinical trials for other potential product candidates we may develop, if any;

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the costs of identifying and developing, or in-licensing or acquiring, additional product candidates and technologies;

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the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our product candidates;

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our ability to establish and maintain collaborations on favorable terms, if at all;

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the achievement of milestones or occurrence of other developments that trigger payments under any collaboration agreements, license agreements, or other agreements we might have at such time;

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the costs of seeking marketing approvals for our product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials, if any;

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the costs and timing of future commercialization activities, including product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution, for any of our product candidates for which we receive marketing approval;

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the amount of revenue, if any, received from commercial sales of our product candidates, should any of our product candidates receive marketing approval;

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the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, obtaining, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending intellectual property-related claims;

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our headcount growth and associated costs as we expand our business operations and research and development activities;

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the costs of supporting our infrastructure and facilities, including equipment and physical infrastructure to support our research and development;

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the costs of operating as a public company; and

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the impact of adverse global economic conditions on our business, which may exacerbate the magnitude of the factors discussed above.

Identifying potential product candidates and conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials is a time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes years to complete, and we may never generate the necessary data or results required to obtain marketing approval and achieve product sales. In addition, our product candidates, if approved, may not achieve commercial success. Our commercial revenues, if any, will be derived from sales of products that we do not expect to be commercially available for many years, if at all. Accordingly, we will need to continue to rely on additional financing to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.

Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenues, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, common stockholder ownership interests may be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that could adversely affect the rights of a common stockholder. Additional debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends, that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business.

If we raise funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. Market volatility or other factors could also adversely impact our ability to access capital as and when needed. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.

Critical Accounting Estimates

This management’s discussion and analysis is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our consolidated financial statements. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgements about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our judgments and estimates in light of changes in circumstances, facts and experience. The effects of material revisions in estimates, if any, will be reflected in the consolidated financial statements prospectively from the date of change in estimates. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

There have been no material changes to our critical accounting estimates from those described in Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

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 applicable SEC rules.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

We have reviewed all recently issued standards and have determined that they will not have a material impact on our financial statements or do not otherwise apply to our operations.

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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and are not required to provide the information required under this item.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Management’s Evaluation of our Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (1) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms and (2) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial and accounting officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and our management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives.

Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer (principal executive officer) and chief financial officer (principal financial and accounting officer) has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2023, the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report. Based upon such evaluation, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level as of such date. We continue to review and document our disclosure controls and procedures, including our internal controls and procedures for financial reporting, and may from time to time make changes aimed at enhancing their effectiveness and to ensure that our systems evolve with our business.

Changes in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

No change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the three months ended March 31, 2023 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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Part II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we are subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business activities. Although the results of litigation and claims cannot be predicted with certainty, as of the date of this Quarterly Report, we do not believe we are party to any claim or litigation the outcome of which, if determined adversely to us, would individually or in the aggregate be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on our business. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

Careful consideration should be given to the following risk factors, together with all other information set forth in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Quarterly Report”), including our consolidated financial statements and related notes, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and in other documents that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in evaluating Scholar Rock Holding Corporation and our subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”, “we”, or “our”) and our business, before investing in our common stock. Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. If any of the following risks and uncertainties actually occurs, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The market price of our common stock could decline if one or more of these risks or uncertainties were to occur, which may cause you to lose all or part of the money you paid to buy our common stock. The risk factors described below disclose both material and other risks, and are not intended to be exhaustive and are not the only risks facing the Company. New risk factors can emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict the impact that any factor or combination of factors may have on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Certain statements below are forward-looking statements. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this Quarterly Report.

Summary of the Material Risks Associated with Our Business

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that you should be aware of before making an investment decision, including those highlighted in the section entitled “Risk Factors.” These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

Risks Related to Product Development, Regulatory Approval and Commercialization

●

Product development involves a lengthy and expensive process, with an uncertain outcome. We may incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialization of apitegromab, SRK-181, or any future product candidates.

●

Our business may be materially and adversely affected by pandemics such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting worker shortage, has had, and will likely continue to have, an impact on our business and operations, including clinical trial data and activities.

●

The results of preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials may not be predictive of future results. Success of a product candidate in an early-stage clinical trial may not be replicated in later-stage clinical trials.

●

Interim, initial and preliminary results from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change (e.g. from positive efficacy results to poor or negative efficacy results) as more patient data become available and are subject to additional audit, validation and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.

●

The data from our clinical trials, including from any future clinical trials conducted by us or any of our collaborators, may reveal significant adverse events not seen in our preclinical studies or earlier clinical trials and may result in a safety profile that could inhibit regulatory approval or market acceptance of any of our product candidates.

●

We rely on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and to conduct certain aspects of our preclinical studies. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or meet expected deadlines or comply with legal and regulatory requirements, we may be delayed or unable to receive regulatory approval of or commercialize any potential product candidates, and our business could be materially harmed.

●

We have never commercialized a product and will need to build and scale our business for potential commercialization of apitegromab, including building our compliance, medical affairs and commercial

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organizations, which, if we are not able to do so successfully could negatively impact our business, including the potential for a successful commercialization of apitegromab.

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The regulatory approval process for our product candidates in the U.S., EU, UK and other jurisdictions will be lengthy, time-consuming and inherently unpredictable and we may experience significant delays in the clinical development and regulatory approval, if any, of our product candidates.

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The FDA, EMA or regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions may disagree with our development plans and we may fail to receive or be delayed in receiving regulatory approval of our product candidates.

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We have received Orphan Drug designation from the FDA for apitegromab for the treatment of SMA and the EC granted Orphan Medicinal Product designation to apitegromab for the treatment of SMA. We may seek Orphan Drug designation from regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions for apitegromab and Orphan Drug designation from the FDA, EC or regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions for our future product candidates. In any of these instances, we may not receive the requested designation or we may be unable to realize the benefits associated with Orphan Drug designation, including the potential for market exclusivity.

●

Preclinical development is uncertain. Our preclinical programs may experience delays or may never advance to clinical trials, which would adversely affect our ability to develop our product pipeline and receive regulatory approvals or commercialize these programs on a timely basis or at all, which would have an adverse effect on our business.

Risks Related to Manufacturing and Supply

●

Because we rely on third-party manufacturing and supply partners, our supply of research and development, preclinical and clinical development materials, and, if approved, commercial materials, may become limited or interrupted or may not be of satisfactory quantity or quality.

Risks Related to Our Business and Operations

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Our restructuring and the associated workforce reduction announced in May 2022 may not result in anticipated savings, could result in total costs and expenses that are greater than expected and could disrupt our business.

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We will need to continue to grow our organization in certain areas, including our personnel, systems and relationships with third parties, in order to develop our drug candidates.

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Our executives and highly skilled technical and managerial personnel are critical to our business. If we have transition in management, lose key personnel, or if we fail to recruit additional highly skilled personnel, our ability to further develop apitegromab, SRK-181 and identify and develop new or next generation product candidates may be impaired.

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Failure by us or any of our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners or vendors to comply with applicable laws and regulations could negatively affect our business and operations.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

●

Our success depends in part on our ability to protect our intellectual property. It is difficult and costly to protect our proprietary rights and technology, and we may not be able to ensure their protection.

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●

We depend on intellectual property licensed from third parties. Failure to comply with our obligations under any of these licenses or termination of any of these licenses could result in the loss of significant rights, which would harm our business.

Risks Related to Our Financial Condition and Capital Requirements

●

We have incurred net losses in every year since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses in the future.

●

We will require additional capital to fund our operations and if we fail to obtain necessary capital, we will not be able to complete the development and commercialization of apitegromab, SRK-181 and any future product candidates.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

●

Our stock price is volatile and various factors could make our stock less attractive to investors.

Risks Related to Product Development and Regulatory Approval

To receive the requisite regulatory approvals to commercialize any product candidates, we must demonstrate through extensive clinical trials that our product candidates are safe and effective in humans. Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. We may be unable to establish clinical endpoints that applicable regulatory authorities would consider clinically meaningful, and a clinical trial can fail at any stage of testing. Differences in trial design between early-stage clinical trials and later-stage clinical trials make it difficult to extrapolate the results of earlier clinical trials to later clinical trials. Clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in clinical trials have nonetheless failed to receive marketing approval of their products.

Successful completion of clinical trials is a prerequisite to submitting a Biologics License Application (“BLA”) to the FDA, a Marketing Authorisation Application (“MAA”) to the EMA, MHRA, and similar marketing applications to comparable foreign regulatory authorities, for each product candidate and, consequently, the ultimate approval and commercial marketing of any product candidates.

We may experience delays in initiating, progressing or completing our clinical trials. We also may experience numerous unforeseen events during, or as a result of, any clinical trials in process or any future clinical trials that we conduct that could delay or prevent our ability to receive marketing approval or commercialize apitegromab, SRK-181 or any future product candidates, including:

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delay or inability to reach agreement with the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities on acceptable clinical trial design, conduct or statistical analysis plan;

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any orders from local, state or federal governments or clinical trial site policies resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic or similar event that determine essential and non-essential functions and staff, which may impact the ability of site staff to conduct assessments, or result in delays to the conduct of the assessments, as part of our clinical trial protocols, or the ability to enter assessment results into clinical trial databases in a timely manner;

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regulators, Institutional Review Boards (“IRBs”) or ethics committees may not authorize us or our investigators to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site;

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●

we may experience delays in reaching, or fail to reach, agreement on acceptable terms with prospective trial sites and prospective CROs, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;

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failure by our collaborators to provide us with an adequate and timely supply of product that complies with the applicable quality and regulatory requirements for a combination trial;

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collaborators may provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial program, delay or stop a clinical trial, abandon a product candidate or clinical trial program, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new formulation of a drug candidate for clinical testing;

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clinical trials of any product candidates may fail to show safety and effectiveness, or produce negative or inconclusive results and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials or we may decide to abandon product development programs;

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the number of subjects required for clinical trials of any product candidates may be larger than we anticipate, enrollment in these clinical trials may be slower or more challenging than we anticipate or subjects may drop out of these clinical trials or fail to return for post treatment follow-up at a higher rate than we anticipate;

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challenges in identifying or recruiting sufficient study sites or investigators for clinical trials;

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our third-party contractors may fail to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all;

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clinical study sites or clinical investigators may deviate from the clinical trial protocol or drop out of the trial, which may require that we add new clinical trial sites or investigators;

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we may elect to, or regulators, IRBs or ethics committees may require that we or our investigators, suspend or terminate clinical research or trials for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements or a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;

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limitations on our or our CROs’ ability to access and verify clinical trial data captured at clinical study sites through monitoring and source document verification;

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the cost of clinical trials of a product candidate may be greater than we anticipate;

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the supply or quality of our product candidates or other materials necessary to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates may be insufficient or inadequate to initiate or complete a given clinical trial;

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our product candidates may have undesirable side effects or other unexpected characteristics, causing us or our investigators, regulators, IRBs or ethics committees to suspend or terminate the trials, or reports from clinical testing of other therapies may raise safety or efficacy concerns about our product candidates;

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our failure to establish an appropriate safety profile for a product candidate based on clinical or preclinical data for such product candidate and/or data emerging from other molecules in the same class as our product candidate;

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the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities may require us to submit additional data such as long-term toxicology studies, or impose other requirements before permitting us to initiate a clinical trial;

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evolution in the standard of care or changes in applicable governmental regulations or policies during the development of a product candidate that require amendments to ongoing clinical trials and/or the conduct of additional preclinical studies or clinical trials; and

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lack of adequate funding to complete a clinical trial.

We could also encounter delays if a clinical trial is placed on clinical hold, suspended or terminated by us, the IRBs of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted, or the FDA, the competent authorities and/or ethics committees of the EU Member States or other regulatory authorities, if a clinical trial is recommended for suspension or termination by the data safety monitoring board (“DSMB”) or equivalent body for such trial, or on account of changes to federal, state, or local laws. A suspension or termination may be imposed due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA, EMA, competent authorities and/or ethics committees of the EU Member States or other regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a product or treatment, failure to establish or achieve clinically meaningful trial endpoints, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial.

Many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or completion of clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates. Further, the FDA, EMA or other regulatory authorities may disagree with our clinical trial design and our interpretation of data from clinical trials, or may change the requirements for approval even after they have reviewed and commented on the design for our clinical trials. For example, we anticipate some of our future trials to, in part, utilize an open-label trial design, and our ongoing Phase 1 DRAGON clinical trial for SRK-181 in cancer immunotherapy and our ongoing extension phase of the Phase 2 TOPAZ clinical trial for apitegromab in Type 2 and Type 3 SMA utilize an open-label trial design. An open-label trial is one where both the patient and investigator know whether the patient is receiving the test article or either an existing approved drug or placebo. Open-label trials are subject to various limitations that may exaggerate any therapeutic effect as patients in open-label studies are aware that they are receiving treatment. Open-label trials may be subject to a patient bias, for example, if patients perceive their symptoms to have improved merely due to their awareness of receiving an experimental treatment. Open-label trials also may be subject to an investigator bias where those assessing and reviewing the physiological outcomes of the clinical trials are aware of which patients have received treatment and may interpret the information of the treated group more favorably given this knowledge. Th