Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - continued
Cash
The Company maintains its cash at a major financial institution with high credit quality. At times, the balance of its cash deposits may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced losses on deposits with commercial banks and financial institutions which exceed federally insured limits.
Offering Costs
Offering costs consist of certain legal, accounting, and other advisory fees incurred related to the Company’s efforts to raise debt and equity capital. Offering costs in connection with equity financing are recognized as either an offset against the financing proceeds to extent the underlying security is equity classified or a current period expense to extent the underlying security is liability classified or for which the fair value option is elected. Offering costs, lender fees, and warrants issued in connection with debt financing, to the extent the fair value option is not elected, are recognized as debt discount, which reduces the reported carrying value of the debt, with the debt discount amortized as interest expense, generally over the contractual term of the debt agreement, to result in a constant rate of interest. Offering costs associated with in-process capital financing are accounted for as deferred offering costs.
Revenue Recognition
Revenues are recognized when the satisfaction of the performance obligation occurs, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to collect in exchange for those services. The Company’s revenue is primarily generated by its laboratory testing services utilizing its EsoGuard Esophageal DNA tests. The services are completed upon release of a patient’s test result to the ordering healthcare provider. Revenue recognized is inclusive of both variable consideration in connection with an individual patient’s third-party insurance coverage policy and fixed consideration in connection with a contracted services arrangement with an unrelated third party legal entity. To determine revenue recognition for the arrangements that the Company determines are within the scope of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, the Company performs the following five steps: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.
The key aspects considered by the Company include the following:
Contracts—The Company’s customer is primarily the patient, but the Company does not enter into a formal reimbursement contract with a patient. The Company establishes a contract with a patient in accordance with other customary business practices, which is the point in time an order is received from a provider and a patient specimen has been returned to the laboratory for testing. Payment terms are a function of a patient’s existing insurance benefits, including the impact of coverage decisions with Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and applicable reimbursement contracts established between the Company and payers. However, when a patient is considered self-pay, the Company requires payment from the patient prior to the commencement of the Company’s performance obligations. The Company’s consideration can be deemed variable or fixed depending on the structure of specific payer contracts, and the Company considers collection of such consideration to be probable to the extent that it is unconstrained.
Performance obligations—A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service (or a bundle of goods or services) to the customer. The Company’s contracts have a single performance obligation, which is satisfied upon rendering of services, which culminates in the release of a patient’s test result to the ordering healthcare provider. The Company elects the practical expedient related to the disclosure of unsatisfied performance obligations, as the duration of time between providing testing supplies, the receipt of a sample, and the release of a test result to the ordering healthcare provider is far less than one year.
Transaction price—The transaction price is the amount of consideration that the Company expects to collect in exchange for transferring promised goods or services to a customer, excluding amounts collected on behalf of third parties (for example, some sales taxes). The consideration expected to be collected from a contract with a customer may include fixed amounts, variable amounts, or both.
If the consideration derived from the contracts is deemed to be variable, the Company estimates the amount of consideration to which it will be entitled in exchange for the promised goods or services. The Company limits the amount of variable consideration included in the transaction price to the unconstrained portion of such consideration. In other words, the Company recognizes revenue up to the amount of variable consideration that is not subject to a significant reversal until additional information is obtained or the uncertainty associated with the additional payments or refunds is subsequently resolved.
When the Company does not have significant historical experience or that experience has limited predictive value, the constraint over estimates of variable consideration may result in no revenue being recognized upon delivery of patient EsoGuard test results to the ordering healthcare provider. As such, the Company recognizes revenue up to the amount of variable consideration not subject to a significant reversal until additional information is obtained or the uncertainty associated with additional payments or refunds, if any, is subsequently resolved. Differences between original estimates and subsequent revisions, including final settlements, represent changes in estimated expected variable consideration, with the change in estimate recognized in the period of such revised estimate. With respect to a contracted service arrangement, the fixed consideration revenue is recognized on an as-billed basis upon delivery of the laboratory test report with realization of such fixed consideration deemed probable based upon actual historical experience.
Allocate transaction price—The transaction price is allocated entirely to the performance obligation contained within the contract with a customer on the basis of the relative standalone selling prices of each distinct good or service.
Practical Expedients—The Company does not adjust the transaction price for the effects of a significant financing component, as at contract inception, the Company expects the collection cycle to be one year or less.
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - continued
Fixed Assets
Fixed assets are stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the assets’ estimated useful lives. Additions and improvements are capitalized, including direct and indirect costs incurred to validate equipment and bring to working conditions. The costs for maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred.
Leases
The Company adopted FASB ASC Topic 842, Leases, (“ASC 842”) effective December 31, 2021. All significant lease agreements and contractual agreements with embedded lease agreements are accounted for under the provisions of ASC 842, wherein, if the contractual arrangement: involves the use of a distinct identified asset; provides for the right to substantially all the economic benefits from the use of the asset throughout the contractual period; and provides for the right to direct the use of the asset. A lease agreement is accounted for as either a finance lease (generally with respect real estate) or an operating lease (generally with respect to equipment). Under both a finance lease and an operating lease, the Company recognizes as of the lease commencement date a lease right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and a corresponding lease payment liability.
A lease ROU asset represents the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and the lease liability represents its contractual obligation to make lease payments. The lease ROU asset is measured at the lease commencement date as the present value of the future lease payments plus initial direct costs incurred. The Company recognizes lease expense of the amortization of the lease ROU asset for an operating lease on a straight-line basis over the lease term; and for financing leases on a straight-line basis unless another basis is more representative of the pattern of economic benefit. The operating ROU asset also includes any lease incentives received for improvements to leased property, when the improvements are lessee-owned. For improvements to leased property that are lessor-owned, the Company includes amounts the Company incurred for the improvements as ROU assets which are amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease.
The lease liability is measured at the lease commencement date with the discount rate generally based on the Company’s incremental borrowing rate (to the extent the lease implicit rate is not known nor determinable), with interest expense recognized using the interest method for financing leases.
Certain leases may include options to extend or terminate the agreement. The Company does not assume renewals in determination of the lease term unless the renewals are deemed to be reasonably certain at lease commencement. As well, an option to terminate is considered unless it is reasonably certain the Company will not exercise the option. The Company elected the practical expedient to not recognize a lease ROU asset and lease payment liability for leases with a term of twelve months or less (“short-term leases”), resulting in the aggregate lease payments being recognized on a straight line basis over the lease term. The Company’s leases with a commencement date prior to January 1, 2022 were short-term leases and therefore did not require recording a ROU asset or lease liability at December 31, 2021. Additionally, the Company elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components.
Intangible Assets
Purchased intangible assets are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the assets’ estimated useful life. See Note 11, Intangible Assets, net, for further information with respect to purchased intangible assets.
Impairment - Long Lived Assets
The Company reviews its long-lived assets, including intangible assets with finite lives, for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. The Company evaluates assets for potential impairment by comparing estimated future undiscounted net cash flows to the carrying amount of the asset. If the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated future undiscounted cash flows, impairment is measured based on the difference between the carrying amount of the assets and fair value which is generally an expected present value cash flow technique. The assessment and determination of the existence of an impairment indicator comprises measurable operating performance criteria as well as qualitative factors deemed relevant and appropriate to such evaluation.
Stock-Based Compensation
Stock-based awards are made to members of the board of directors of the Company, the Company’s employees and non-employees, under each of the Lucid Diagnostics Inc. 2018 Equity Plan and the PAVmed Inc. 2014 Equity Plan.
The grant-date estimated fair value of the stock-based award is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective stock-based award, with such straight-line recognition adjusted, as applicable, so the cumulative expense recognized is at-least equal-to-or-greater-than the estimated fair value of the vested portion of the respective stock-based award as of the reporting date.
The Company uses the Black-Scholes valuation model to estimate the fair value of stock options granted under both the PAVmed Inc. 2014 Equity Plan and the Lucid Diagnostics Inc. 2018 Equity Plan, which requires the Company to make certain weighted-average valuation estimates and assumptions for stock-based awards, principally as follows:
● | With respect to the PAVmed Inc. 2014 Equity Plan, the expected stock price volatility is based on the historical stock price volatility of PAVmed Inc. common stock and the volatilities of similar entities within the medical device industry over the period commensurate with the expected term with respect to stock options granted to the board of directors and employees in the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021; |
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - continued
● | With respect to stock options granted under the Lucid Diagnostics Inc. 2018 Equity Plan, the expected stock price volatility was based on the historical stock price volatility of similar entities within the medical device industry over the period commensurate with the expected term with respect to stock options granted to employees in the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021; | |
● | The risk-free interest rate is based on the interest rate payable on U.S. Treasury securities in effect at the time of grant for a period commensurate with either the expected term or the remaining contractual term, as applicable, of the stock option; and, | |
● | The expected dividend yield is based on annual dividends of $ as there have not been dividends paid to-date, and there is no plan to pay dividends for the foreseeable future. |
The price per share of Lucid Diagnostics Inc. common stock used in the computation of estimated fair value of stock options and restricted stock awards granted under the Lucid Diagnostics Inc. 2018 Equity Plan is as follows: (i) for the period October 14, 2021 to December 31, 2022 it is its quoted closing price per share; and (ii) for the period January 1, 2021 to October 14, 2021, it was estimated using a probability-weighted average expected return methodology (“PWERM”), which involves the determination of equity value under various exit scenarios and an estimation of the return to the common stockholders under each scenario.
The price per share of PAVmed Inc. common stock used in the computation of estimated fair value of stock options and restricted stock awards granted under the PAVmed Inc. 2014 Equity Plan is its quoted closing price per share.
Financial Instruments Fair Value Measurements
FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, (ASC 820) defines fair value as the price which would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at a transaction measurement date. The ASC 820 three-tier fair value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies, as follows:
Level 1 | Valuations based on quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets. | |
Level 2 | Valuations based on observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets which are not active, or other inputs observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. | |
Level 3 | Valuations based on unobservable inputs reflecting the Company’s own assumptions, consistent with reasonably available assumptions made by other market participants. These valuations require significant judgment. |
As of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the carrying values of cash, and accounts payable, approximate their respective fair value due to the short-term nature of these financial instruments.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses are recognized as incurred and include the salary and stock-based compensation of employees engaged in product research and development activities, and the costs related to the Company’s various contract research service providers, suppliers, engineering studies, supplies, and outsourced testing and consulting fees, as well as depreciation expense and rental costs for equipment used in research and development activities, and fees incurred for access to certain facilities of contract research service providers.
Patent Costs and Purchased Patent License Rights
Patent related costs in connection with filing and prosecuting patent applications and patents filed by the Company are expensed as incurred and are included in the line item captioned “general and administrative expenses” in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Patent fee reimbursement expense incurred under the patent license agreement agreements are included in the line item captioned “research and development expenses” in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
The Company has entered into agreements with third parties to acquire technologies for potential commercial development. Such agreements generally require an initial payment by the Company when the contract is executed. The purchase of patent license rights for use in research and development activities, including product development, are expensed as incurred and are classified as research and development expense. Additionally, the Company may be obligated to make future royalty payments in the event the Company commercializes the technology and achieves a certain sales volume. In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standard Codification (“ASC”) Topic 730, “Research and Development”, (“ASC 730”), expenditures for research and development, including upfront licensing fees and milestone payments associated with products not yet been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), are charged to research and development expense as incurred. Future contract milestone and /or royalty payments will be recognized as expense when achievement of the milestone is determined to be probable and the amount of the corresponding milestone can be objectively estimated.
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - continued
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, as required by FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, (ASC 740). Current tax liabilities or receivables are recognized for estimated income tax payable and/or refundable for the current year. Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis, along with net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Changes in deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are recorded in the provision for income taxes.
Under ASC 740, a “more-likely-than-not” criterion is applied when assessing the estimated realization of deferred tax assets through their utilization to reduce future taxable income, or with respect to a deferred tax asset for tax credit carryforward, to reduce future tax expense. A valuation allowance is established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities, when the assessment indicates it is more-likely-than-not, the full or partial amount of the net deferred tax asset will not be realized. As a result of the evaluation of the positive and negative evidence bearing upon the estimated realizability of net deferred tax assets, and based on a history of operating losses, it is more-likely-than-not the deferred tax assets will not be realized, and therefore a valuation allowance reserve equal to the full amount of the deferred tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities, has been recognized as a charge to income tax expense as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
The Company recognizes the benefit of an uncertain tax position it has taken or expects to take on its income tax return if such a position is more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, with the tax benefit recognized being the largest amount having a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. As of December 31, 2022, the Company does not have any unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions.
The Company’s policy is to record interest and penalties related to income taxes as part of its income tax provision. There were no amounts accrued for penalties or interest as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 or recognized during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Company is not aware of any issues under review to potentially result in significant payments, accruals, or material deviations from its position.
On October 14, 2021, Lucid Diagnostics Inc. completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) of its common stock. While PAVmed Inc. holds a majority-interest equity ownership and has a controlling financial interest, its ownership interest was reduced to below 80% after the IPO. Accordingly, Lucid Diagnostics Inc. is included in the PAVmed Inc and Subsidiaries consolidated income tax returns through October 13, 2021, and effective October 14, 2021, Lucid Diagnostics Inc. will file its income tax returns on a stand-alone legal entity basis. The Lucid Diagnostics Inc. stand-alone legal entity estimated income tax provision was computed on an assumed separate income tax return for the periods presented through October 13, 2021, wherein, the estimated income tax provision of Lucid Diagnostics Inc. is computed as if its income tax returns were filed by Lucid Diagnostics Inc. on a stand-alone legal entity basis. Notwithstanding the absence of a formal tax sharing agreement between PAVmed Inc. and Lucid Diagnostics Inc., the Lucid Diagnostics Inc. stand-alone legal entity current tax expense and /or tax refund, if any, would be settled with PAVmed Inc. (as opposed with the respective tax authority) through October 13, 2021. The deferred tax asset and /or deferred tax liability; a valuation allowance on the deferred tax asset, net; and /or an uncertain tax position, if any; each as discussed above, is determined based on Lucid Diagnostics Inc. stand-alone legal entity assumed filing of separate income tax returns.
The net loss per share is computed by dividing each of the respective net loss by the number of “basic weighted average common shares outstanding” and diluted weighted average shares outstanding” for the reporting period indicated. The basic weighted-average shares common shares outstanding are computed on a weighted average based on the number of days the shares of common stock of the Company are issued and outstanding during the respective reporting period indicated. The diluted weighted average common shares outstanding are the sum of the basic weighted-average common shares outstanding plus the number of common stock equivalents’ incremental shares on an if-converted basis, computed using the treasury stock method, computed on a weighted average based on the number of days the incremental shares would potentially be issued and outstanding during the periods indicated, if dilutive. The Company’s common stock equivalents include stock options and unvested restricted stock awards granted under the Lucid Diagnostics Inc. 2018 Long-Term Incentive Equity Plan.
Notwithstanding, as the Company has a net loss for each reporting period presented, only the basic weighted average common shares outstanding are used to compute the basic and diluted net loss per share for each reporting period presented.
JOBS Act EGC Accounting Election
The Company is an “emerging growth company” or “EGC”, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). Under the JOBS Act, an EGC can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued after the enactment of the JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies. The Company has irrevocably elected to avail itself of this exemption from new or revised accounting standards, and, therefore, will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as public companies who are not an EGC.
Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - continued
Reclassifications
Certain prior-year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation, which includes presenting costs of revenue within operating expenses on the statements of operations, in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. The impact of the reclassifications made to prior year amounts is not material and did not affect net loss.
Recent Accounting Standards Updates Adopted
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815 – 40), (“ASU 2020-06”). ASU 2020-06 simplifies the accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of liabilities and equity, by eliminating the beneficial conversion and cash conversion accounting models previously contained in ASC 470-20 that required separate accounting for embedded conversion features. ASU 2020-06 also simplified the assessment of a financial instrument settlement to determine whether a contract is an entity’s own equity qualifies for equity classification by removing certain conditions from ASC 815-4-25. The ASU 2020-06 amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company’s adoption of the ASU 2020-06 guidance as of January 1, 2021 did not have an effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, “Income Taxes: Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes”, (“ASU 2019-12”). The guidance of ASU 2019-12 removes certain exceptions for recognizing deferred taxes for investments, performing intra-period allocation, and calculating income taxes in interim periods, and adds revised guidance to reduce complexity in certain areas, including recognizing deferred taxes for tax goodwill and allocating taxes to members of a consolidated group. Adoption of the guidance of ASU 2019-12 is required for annual and interim financial statements beginning after December 15, 2020. The Company’s adoption of the ASU 2019-12 guidance as of January 1, 2021 did not have an effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Effective December 31, 2021, the Company adopted FASB ASC Topic 842, Leases, (“ASC 842”). ASC 842 established a right-of-use (“ROU”) model requiring a lessee to recognize a ROU asset and a lease liability for all leases with terms greater-than 12 months. Leases are classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. The Company’s adoption of ASC 842 did not have an effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. See Note 10, Leases.