7. Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

At the inception of a contractual arrangement, the Company determines whether the contract contains a lease by assessing whether there is an identified asset and whether the contract conveys the right to control the use of the identified asset in exchange for consideration over a period of time. If both criteria are met, the Company calculates the associated lease liability and corresponding right-of-use asset upon lease commencement using a discount rate based on the rate implicit in the lease or an incremental borrowing rate commensurate with the term of the lease. Lease renewable options are included in the estimation of the lease term when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise such options.

The Company records lease liabilities within current liabilities or long-term liabilities based upon the length of time associated with the lease payments. The Company records its operating lease right-of-use assets as long-term assets. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheets. Instead, the Company recognizes lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term in the statements of operations.

The Company’s existing operating lease agreements generally provide for periodic rent increases, and renewal and termination options. The Company’s lease agreements do not contain any material variable lease payments, residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.

Certain leases require the Company to pay taxes, insurance, and maintenance. Payments for the transfer of goods or services such as common area maintenance and utilities represent non-lease components. The Company elected the package of practical expedients and therefore does not separate non-lease components from lease components.

On October 16, 2025, the Company entered into a lease (the “Houston Lease”) with LG 1 Property Owner LP, pursuant to which the Company agreed to lease approximately 11,370 rentable square feet of space located at 6420 Levit Green Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77021. The Houston Lease is expected to commence on or about November 1, 2026. The Houston Lease provides for a monthly base rent of $58,745, which increases annually by approximately 3%, plus the Company’s share of the building’s direct expenses. The Houston Lease has an initial term of 120 calendar months. While the premises under the Houston Lease is constructed and designed to fit the Company's business needs and intended purpose, the Company leased temporary space of approximately 11,370 rentable square feet (separate from the premises under the Houston Lease) for a monthly base rent of $58,745. The Company expects to be in the temporary space until leasehold improvements are completed. The Company recognizes lease expense for the short-term temporary space on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term. The deferred rent balance of $159,000 representing the difference between the cash payments made and the straight-line lease expense is recorded to "Other liabilities" on the consolidated balance sheets.

The Company leases certain office space in Charlottesville, Virginia (the “Charlottesville Lease”). The Charlottesville Lease expires on March 31, 2027.

The Company’s operating lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets are included in the balance sheets. As of December 31, 2025, the weighted average discount rate used to measure operating lease liabilities and the operating leases remaining term were 12.7% and 1.25 years, respectively.

Total rent expenses for each of the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $0.4 million and $0.2 million, respectively, which includes leases in the table above, month-to-month operating leases, and common area maintenance charges.

Manufacturing Agreement with SpectronRX

On November 5, 2024, the Company entered into a manufacturing services agreement with SpectronRx for drug product development and manufacturing, which includes an initial commitment fee of $0.3 million. Under this agreement, the Company will own all rights to intellectual property related to the products developed, while SpectronRx retains rights to its own technology. SpectronRx is required to negotiate a commercial supply agreement upon six months' written notice before the Company's first commercial manufacturing needs. The agreement will remain in place for five years, automatically renewing for successive one-year terms unless terminated with six months' notice. During the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company did not recognize any expenses related to this agreement.

Other Commitments and Contingencies

The Company has entered into agreements with various research organizations for preclinical and clinical development studies, which have provisions for cancellation. Under the terms of these agreements, the vendors provide a variety of services including conducting research, recruiting and enrolling patients, monitoring studies and data analysis. Payments under these agreements typically include fees for services and reimbursement of expenses. The timing of payments due under these agreements is estimated based on current study progress. As of December 31, 2025, the Company did not have any clinical research study obligations.

The Company has entered into service and subscription-based agreements, which are recorded in accounts payable and accrued expenses, with an offsetting amount included in deferred costs within other current assets (see Note 6).

Legal proceedings

The Company is subject to various claims and contingencies related to legal proceedings. Due to their nature, such legal proceedings involve inherent uncertainties including, but not limited to, court rulings, negotiations between affected parties and governmental actions. Management assesses the probability of loss for such contingencies and accrues a liability and/or discloses the relevant circumstances, as appropriate.