v3.26.1
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had non-cancellable commitments for purchase of clinical materials, contract manufacturing, maintenance, and committed funding of up to $19.7 million, of which the Company expects to pay $16.1 million within one year and the remaining $3.6 million over one to five years. Certain agreements provide for termination rights subject to termination fees or wind down costs. Under such agreements, the Company is contractually
obligated to make certain payments to vendors, primarily to reimburse them for their unrecoverable outlays period incurred prior to cancellation. The amount and timing of these payments vary depending on the rate of progress of development. Future clinical trial expenses have not been included within the purchase commitments because they are contingent on enrollment in clinical trials and the activities required to be performed by the clinical sites.
Leases
On February 7, 2022, the Company entered into an operating lease for its new U.S. corporate headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts (the “Boston Lease”). After a build out of the space, the Boston Lease commenced on March 31, 2023. The 10-year Boston Lease is for 18,922 square feet with a fixed annual rent of approximately $1.6 million commencing in 2023 and escalating to approximately $1.9 million by year 10. The Boston Lease required the Company to issue a letter of credit in the amount of $0.7 million in favor of the landlord. The Company may, at its discretion, extend the Boston Lease for one extension term of five years. On October 11, 2023, the Company entered into a five-year agreement to sublet 4,242 square feet of the Boston Lease, which may be extended at subtenant’s option.
The following table provides balance sheet information related to leases as of December 31, 2025 (amounts in thousands):
December 31, 2025
Assets:
Operating lease, right-of-use asset$10,047 
Liabilities:
Current portion of operating lease liabilities$713 
Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion7,573 
Total operating lease liabilities$8,286 
In calculating the present value of the lease payments, the Company elected to utilize its incremental borrowing rate based on the original term of the lease. The following table summarizes supplemental information related to leases as of December 31, 2025 (amount in thousands):
December 31, 2025
Weighted-average remaining lease term7.0 years
Weighted-average discount rate11.97 %
The components of the Company’s lease costs and sublease income are classified on its consolidated statements of operations as follows (amounts in thousands):
Year EndedYear Ended
20252024
Operating lease cost$1,998 $1,998 
Variable lease cost131 20 
Short term lease cost
Sublease income
(350)(350)
Total operating lease cost$1,785 $1,672 

Future lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases and expected sublease income as of December 31, 2025 were as follows (amounts in thousands):

Operating Leases
Sublease Income
Year ending:
2026$1,667 $362 
20271,700 370 
20281,734 345 
20291,769 — 
20301,804 — 
Thereafter3,717 — 
Total undiscounted amounts
$12,391 $1,077 
Less: Imputed interest
(4,105)
Present value of lease liabilities$8,286 
Less: current portion(713)
Lease liabilities, net of current portion$7,573 
Licensing and Collaborative Arrangements
The Company is party to in-licensing and collaboration arrangements to develop and commercialize intellectual property. Included in research and development expense in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss for year ended December 31, 2025 were aggregate incurred expenses of $12.2 million, primarily reflecting development milestone costs. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $3.6 million in licensing and collaborative arrangement milestone obligations recorded on its balance sheet under Accrued expenses and other current liabilities. In addition, the Company achieved two development milestones for approximately $1.8 million and $3.0 million in January and February 2026, respectively which were recorded in the first quarter of 2026.
License Agreement with Nxera Pharma UK Limited (formerly Heptares Therapeutics Limited) in connection with Orexin Program
The Company is party to a license, assignment, and research services agreement with Nxera Pharma UK Limited (“Nxera”), relating to certain specific molecules with, among other criteria, the primary mode of action of an orexin agonist or orexin positive modulator (“Molecules”). Under the agreement, Nxera assigned to the Company all of Nxeras’ right, title, and interest in and to intellectual property that is already in existence and that is developed as a result of the agreement that relates solely to Molecules or products that contain Molecules (“Products”), including all rights to obtain patent or similar protection throughout the world for such intellectual property and to take any and all actions regarding past infringements of existing intellectual property. Additionally, Nxera granted to the Company an exclusive, sublicensable (subject to certain terms) license to make, import, export, use, sell, or offer for sale, including to
development, commercialization, registration, modification, enhancement, improvement, manufacturing, holding, keeping or disposing of Molecules and Products. Nxera must not by itself or through a third party (other than a single company) exploit, use or dispose of (inter alia) any product in the field of orexin agonism and orexin positive modulation for the duration of the agreement and for three years thereafter.
In consideration for the assignment and license, the Company is to pay Nxera a royalty in the low single-digits on net sales of Products (subject to limitations in certain scenarios). Royalties are on a Product-by-Product and country-by country basis. Payments shall commence with the first commercial sale of such product in a country and shall continue until the later of: (a) the duration of regulatory exclusivity in the country; or (b) 10 years after the first commercial sale. Further, the Company is responsible for all development costs incurred by itself or Nxera in the performance of the research program (within the confines of the research budget). Additionally, the Company must pay Nxera, on a Molecule-by-Molecule basis, development milestone payments in the aggregate of a low double-digit number in the millions of pounds sterling. Milestone payments are payable once per Molecule. The Company could pay between the low single digits millions of pounds sterling to low double digit millions of pounds sterling in the next twelve months.
The Company may terminate the agreement at any time following the expiration or termination of the research program. In addition, customary termination rights exist for both parties for breach and insolvency. In the event of termination, all licenses automatically terminate. The term of the agreement is until the later of: (i) the expiration of the last to expire patent within the licensed intellectual property; (ii) the expiration of the royalty term; and (iii) the fifteenth anniversary of the effective date. Upon expiration, with respect to any given Molecule, the license granted to the Company shall become perpetual, irrevocable, and fully-paid up.
Other License and Collaboration Agreements
The Company is a party to other license and collaboration agreements to develop and commercialize intellectual property in addition to the agreement discussed above. In aggregate, Centessa may be obligated to make up to $4.3 million and $15.0 million in development and commercial milestone payments, respectively, related to these other agreements.
Incentivization Agreements
In January 2021, we established incentivization arrangements (as novated, amended or amended and restated from time to time) pursuant to which certain members of the senior management teams of each historically acquired subsidiary in January 2021 are eligible to earn certain payments based on the attainment of corresponding milestone performance by and/or an “exit event” of such historically acquired subsidiary, as applicable to each executive. As defined in the incentivization agreements, an “exit event” includes the sale or disposition (including via an out-licensing) of all or substantially all of the acquired subsidiary’s commercially valuable assets or, in the case of acquired subsidiaries with more than one asset, sale or disposition of one or more of such assets, or any sale or disposition of the applicable subsidiary’s equity which results in the purchaser of the equity acquiring a controlling interest in the applicable subsidiary.
Milestones may include the designation of a product candidate or the attainment of approvals, licenses, permits, certifications registrations or authorizations necessary for the sale of a particular product candidate or related molecules in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain or the United Kingdom. Each milestone payment amount for each historically acquired subsidiary is in the low eight figure range to be divided among the members of the respective historically acquired subsidiary’s senior management team and employees according to the terms of its respective incentivization agreement. Any milestone payment earned will be payable in a lump sum within twenty (20) days after attainment of the milestone. Such milestone payment may be accelerated in the event of a Company change of control and would result in the termination of the applicable incentivization agreement. In addition, if a sale of a controlling interest in a historically acquired subsidiary or sale (or grant of an exclusive license) of its respective product candidate occurs prior to attainment of the milestone or within the three (3) year period following attainment of the milestone, an exit payment equal in the low teens percentage of the sales proceeds less any amounts previously paid as a milestone payment (if any) and any fees, costs and expenses of the sale (excluding any earn out, milestone, royalty payment or other contingent payments but including any escrow, holdback or similar amount) will become due and payable to certain employees and members of the historically acquired subsidiary’s senior management team. To the extent an exit event occurs following the occurrence of an adverse event (which includes the failure to achieve milestones within the specified time period), no exit payment will become due unless sale proceeds are in excess of an amount in the eight-figure range.
As of December 31, 2025, incentivization agreements associated with Centessa Bioscience, Inc. (formerly Palladio Bioscience, Inc.), Capella Bioscience Limited, Centessa Pharmaceuticals (Morphogen-IX) Limited (formerly Morphogen-IX Limited), Pearl River Bio, Pega-One SAS, ApcinteX Limited and Z-Factor Limited have ceased to apply. Incentivization agreements in respect of our orexin program and LockBody program continue to subsist.
The incentivization agreements contain standard termination provisions providing that the agreements shall terminate upon the occurrence of certain events, or automatically on December 31, 2035. Other events that may trigger termination include:
an “exit event”;
the occurrence of certain asset sales in conjunction with certain milestones; and
the date that is three years following achievement of certain milestones.
As of December 31, 2025, no contingent liabilities have been recorded for these agreements, as no contingent events are considered probable.

Contingencies
From time to time, the Company may have certain contingent liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities. The Company accrues a liability for such matters when it is probable that future expenditures will be made, and such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. Legal charges incurred in connection with contingencies and litigation are expensed as incurred.