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Item 2 — Management's Discussion and Analysis
Cullinan Therapeutics, Inc. · 10-Q · Q2 FY2026 · Period ended Jun 30, 2026
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You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our unaudited consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (the “2025 10-K”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 10, 2026. This discussion and other parts of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements regarding our plans, objectives, expectations, intentions and projections. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Please also refer to those factors described in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” of our 2025 10-K and "Part II, Item 1A. Risk Factors" in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for important factors that we believe could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements.
Overview
We are a biopharmaceutical company developing potential first- or best-in-class, disease-modifying T cell engagers for autoimmune diseases and cancer. We pursue promising therapeutic targets while leveraging our core expertise in T cell engagers, which are established in oncology and are now advancing into autoimmune diseases. With a clinical-stage pipeline built on a rigorous scientific approach and purposeful innovation, we are advancing our mission to deliver new standards of care for patients.
Immunology Pipeline
•CLN-978 is a CD19xCD3 T cell engager that we are developing for rheumatic diseases driven by pathogenic B cells. In the Phase 1 OUTRACE Program, CLN-978 is being evaluated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (“SLE”), rheumatoid arthritis (“RA”), and Sjögren’s disease (“SjD”). The OUTRACE SLE Study is an ongoing global Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with treatment-refractory moderate to severe SLE. The OUTRACE RA Study is a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with difficult-to-treat RA, which is ongoing in Europe. We shared initial clinical data in patients with SLE and RA in a poster presentation at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (“EULAR”) European Congress of Rheumatology and additional clinical data, including initial multi-dose regimen data in patients with RA, at an investor event in June 2026. We also plan to share additional multi-dose regimen data in patients with RA and SLE in the third and fourth quarters of 2026, respectively, and expect to begin Phase 2 expansion in both disease areas by early 2027. The OUTRACE SjD Study is an ongoing global Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with treatment-refractory moderate to severe Sjögren’s disease. We plan to share initial clinical data in patients with Sjögren’s disease in the fourth quarter of 2026.
•Velinotamig is a BCMAxCD3 T cell engager that we are developing for autoimmune diseases driven by pathogenic autoantibodies produced by long-lived plasma cells. Chongqing Genrix Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("Genrix"), from which we licensed velinotamig, is enrolling a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in China in patients with treatment-refractory autoimmune diseases, initially in patients with moderate to severe SLE. In June 2026, we shared initial clinical observations from two SLE patients with nephritis from the trial. Additional multi-dose regimen data from the trial are expected to be shared in the fourth quarter of 2026. In early 2027, we plan to initiate a global Phase 1/2 basket clinical trial in patients with autoimmune cytopenias, including immune thrombocytopenia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
Oncology Pipeline
•CLN-049 is a FLT3xCD3 T cell engager that we are developing for blood cancers. CLN-049 is being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia ("AML") or myelodysplastic syndrome (“MDS”). We plan to share a clinical data update from the dose escalation portion of the trial in the fourth quarter of 2026. Following a positive End-of-Phase 1 meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“U.S. FDA”) in July 2026, we will initiate a potentially registrational Phase 2 trial in patients with relapsed/refractory AML in the third quarter of 2026. The study will begin with a dose-optimization phase with seamless progression to a single-arm expansion cohort at the recommended Phase 2 dose. Phase 2 expansion will include a parallel exploratory cohort enrolling previously untreated TP53-mutated AML patients. In the fourth quarter of 2026, we also will initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the combination of CLN-049, venetoclax, and azacitidine as a potential frontline treatment for patients with previously untreated AML.
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•Zipalertinib (CLN-081/TAS6417), on which we are collaborating with an affiliate of Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. ("Taiho"), is an orally-available small-molecule, irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor ("EGFR") inhibitor that is designed to selectively target cells expressing EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations (“EGFR ex20ins”) with relative sparing of cells expressing wild-type EGFR. In April 2026, the U.S. FDA accepted for review a new drug application (“NDA”) for zipalertinib, supported by data from the pivotal Phase 2b portion of the REZILIENT1 clinical trial, for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR ex20ins non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”) whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy, with or without amivantamab. The U.S. FDA assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of February 27, 2027. Taiho is also evaluating zipalertinib in a Phase 2 parallel cohort trial (“REZILIENT2”) and a global Phase 3 clinical trial (“REZILIENT3”) in combination with chemotherapy as a potential first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic EGFR ex20ins NSCLC adult patients, for which Taiho completed enrollment in February 2026 and expects top-line results by the end of 2026.
Preclinical Programs
In addition to the product candidates described above, we are actively developing several preclinical programs.
Recently Discontinued Programs
CLN-619 is a MICA/B monoclonal antibody that we were previously evaluating in Phase 1 clinical trials. In May 2025, following a review of the CLN-619 data from the disease-specific expansion cohorts for endometrial and cervical cancers, we announced discontinuation of further development of CLN-619 in patients with gynecological cancers as preliminary results did not meet our internal threshold for advancement. In November 2025, after a review of the emerging clinical data in patients with NSCLC and multiple myeloma, we discontinued further development of CLN-619.
CLN-617 is an interleukin-2 and interleukin-12 fusion protein that we were previously evaluating in a Phase 1 clinical trial. In November 2025, after a review of the emerging clinical data in patients with advanced solid tumors, we discontinued further development of CLN-617.
Intellectual Property
We hold worldwide intellectual property rights for CLN-978. We hold worldwide, excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan (collectively referred to as “greater China”), intellectual property rights for velinotamig. We hold worldwide intellectual property rights for CLN-049 through a development subsidiary in which we had a 98% ownership interest as of June 30, 2026. We are co-developing zipalertinib, for which Taiho holds intellectual property rights, with an affiliate of Taiho.
Financing and Business Operations
Since our inception in 2016, we have focused all of our efforts and financial resources on raising capital, organizing and staffing our company, identifying, acquiring or in-licensing and developing product and technology rights, establishing and protecting our intellectual property portfolio, and developing and advancing our programs. We do not have any products approved for sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales.
We have funded our operations primarily through the sale of equity securities and from licensing or selling the rights to our product candidates. As of June 30, 2026, we have received net proceeds of $842.2 million from equity financings. We have received $18.9 million in revenue from a previous license agreement and cash proceeds of $275.0 million from the sale of our equity interest in our former zipalertinib development subsidiary to Taiho.
In April 2026, we entered into a sales agreement with TD Securities (USA) LLC (“TD Cowen”) to continue our at-the-market equity offering program (“ATM”), pursuant to which we can offer and sell up to $200.0 million of our common stock through TD Cowen at prevailing market prices from time to time. We made no sales under the ATM through June 30, 2026.
As of June 30, 2026, we had cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $334.5 million, and long-term investments and interest receivable of $21.4 million. Interest receivable is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the consolidated balance sheets and represents accrued and unpaid interest on our marketable securities. We have a history of significant operating losses and have had negative cash flows from operations since our inception. As of June 30, 2026, we had an accumulated deficit of $691.5 million. We expect to continue to generate operating losses for the foreseeable future. Our future viability is dependent on the success of our research and development and our ability to access additional capital to fund our operations. There can be no assurance that our current operating plan will be achieved or that additional funding will be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all.
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We are subject to risks and uncertainties common to early-stage companies in the biotechnology industry including, but not limited to, new technological innovations, protection of proprietary technology, dependence on key personnel, reliance on third parties, compliance with government regulations and the ability to obtain additional capital to fund operations. Our current and future product candidates will require significant additional research and development efforts, including preclinical and clinical testing and regulatory approval prior to commercialization. These efforts require additional capital, adequate personnel and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities. There can be no assurance that our research and development will be successfully completed, that adequate protection for our intellectual property will be obtained, that any products developed will obtain necessary government regulatory approval or that any approved products will be commercially viable.
Global Economic Conditions
As we continue to pursue commercial opportunities in both U.S. and international markets, we remain attentive to evolving global economic conditions, including uncertainties related to international trade policies, tariffs, and supply chain dynamics. Although these factors have not had a material impact on our business to date, future changes in trade regulations or tariff structures could have an impact on our business and operations, including our expenses, supply chain, manufacturing processes, preclinical studies and clinical trials. We continue to monitor these developments closely.
Components of Our Results of Operations
Revenue
We have not generated any revenue from the sale of products since our inception.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred in connection with the research and development of our product candidates and programs. These expenses include:
•compensation costs for employees engaged in research and development functions;
•expenses incurred under agreements with organizations that support our drug discovery and development activities;
•expenses incurred in connection with the preclinical and clinical development of our product candidates and programs, including under agreements with contract research organizations ("CROs");
•costs related to contract manufacturing organizations that are primarily engaged to provide drug substance, raw materials, and drug product for our clinical trials, research and development programs, as well as investigative sites and consultants that conduct our clinical trials, nonclinical studies, and other scientific development services;
•the costs of acquiring and manufacturing nonclinical and clinical trial materials, including manufacturing registration and validation batches;
•costs related to compliance with quality and regulatory requirements;
•payments made under third-party licensing agreements; and
•direct and allocated costs related to facilities, information technology, personnel and other overhead.
Pursuant to our co-development agreement, we are collaborating with a Taiho affiliate to develop zipalertinib for the treatment of a genetically defined subset of patients with NSCLC, and Taiho will commercialize zipalertinib. For the agreed-upon indication, Taiho and we share development costs equally, and each party will receive 50% of any future potential pre-tax profits from U.S. sales of zipalertinib. For any additional indications that Taiho chooses to develop independently, Taiho will bear all development costs until it has sufficient data from such indication to support a commercial purpose or submission of zipalertinib for the additional indication. At such time, 50% of Taiho’s independent development costs, subject to certain adjustments, will be deducted from future pre-tax profits for potential U.S. sales of zipalertinib. In November 2025, Taiho independently initiated an ongoing global Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating zipalertinib in an additional indication.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation costs for personnel in executive management, finance, legal, corporate and business development, and other administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include legal fees relating to patent and corporate matters; professional fees for accounting, auditing, tax, and administrative consulting services; insurance costs; administrative travel expenses; marketing expenses; and other operating costs.
Other Income
Other income consists primarily of interest income earned on our cash, cash equivalents, and investments.
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Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three and Six Months Ended June 30, 2026 and 2025
Research and Development Expenses
The following table summarizes our research and development expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 (in thousands):
Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2026 2025 2026 2025
CLN-049 $ 6,009 $ 4,898 $ 11,068 $ 8,793
CLN-617 79 1,403 764 3,196
CLN-619 1,102 7,317 3,573 13,435
CLN-978 10,532 5,393 20,197 10,066
Velinotamig 3,951 10 6,754 10
Zipalertinib 8,273 6,001 15,206 16,161
Clinical-stage product candidates 29,946 25,022 57,562 51,661
Early-stage programs 1,116 1,986 1,825 3,008
Research and development personnel and operations 9,070 9,741 18,909 19,572
License agreement obligations — 20,115 — 20,153
Equity-based compensation 4,305 4,166 8,264 8,095
Total research and development expenses $ 44,437 $ 61,030 $ 86,560 $ 102,489
The $16.6 million decrease in research and development expenses in the three months ended June 30, 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 was primarily due to a one-time upfront in-licensing fee for velinotamig ($20.0 million) paid in 2025, and decreases in chemistry, manufacturing and controls ("CMC") costs ($0.5 million), and personnel related costs ($0.5 million), offset partially by increases in clinical development costs ($4.4 million), and preclinical costs ($0.4 million).
The $15.9 million decrease in research and development expenses in the six months ended June 30, 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 was primarily due to a one-time upfront in-licensing fee for velinotamig ($20.0 million) paid in 2025, and decreases in CMC costs ($0.4 million), and personnel related costs ($0.4 million), offset partially by increases in clinical development costs ($5.2 million).
General and Administrative Expenses
The following table summarizes our general and administrative expenses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 (in thousands):
Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2026 2025 2026 2025
General and administrative expenses $ 12,817 $ 14,768 $ 24,391 $ 28,305
The $2.0 million decrease in general and administrative expenses in the three months ended June 30, 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 was primarily due to decreases in equity-based compensation costs of $1.6 million, other professional service costs of $0.3 million, and legal costs of $0.3 million, partially offset by an increase in personnel related costs of $0.3 million.
The $3.9 million decrease in general and administrative expenses in the six months ended June 30, 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 was primarily due to decreases in equity-based compensation costs of $3.4 million, legal costs of $0.6 million, and other professional service costs of $0.3 million, partially offset by an increase in personnel related costs of $0.6 million.
Other Income
The following table summarizes our other income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 (in thousands):
Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2026 2025 2026 2025
Other income (expense):
Interest income $ 3,648 $ 5,924 $ 7,746 $ 12,504
Other expense, net (98 ) (181 ) (160 ) (266 )
Total other income $ 3,550 $ 5,743 $ 7,586 $ 12,238
The $2.2 million and $4.7 million decreases in other income for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, compared to the same period in 2025 were primarily related to lower investment income.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
We have a history of significant operating losses and have had negative cash flows from operations since our inception and expect to continue to generate operating losses for the foreseeable future. We have not yet commercialized any products, and we do not expect to generate revenue from sales of products for several years, if at all. To date, we have funded our operations primarily with proceeds from the sale of equity securities and from licensing or selling the rights to our product candidates. As of June 30, 2026, we had cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $334.5 million, and long-term investments and interest receivable of $21.4 million.
Based on our current operating plans and assumptions, we expect that our current cash, cash equivalents, investments, and interest receivable will be sufficient to fund operations through at least twelve months from the date of issuance of our consolidated financial statements. We have based these estimates on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we expect. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to raise additional capital on reasonable terms or at all.
In June 2025, we entered into the Genrix License Agreement with Genrix, pursuant to which Genrix granted us a global (excluding greater China), exclusive license to develop and commercialize velinotamig, a BCMAxCD3 T cell engager, in all fields of use. Under the terms of the Genrix License Agreement, we paid Genrix an upfront license fee of $20.0 million in June 2025. Refer to Note 5 of our notes to the consolidated financial statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for additional detail regarding the Genrix License Agreement.
In April 2026, we entered into a sales agreement with TD Cowen to continue our ATM, pursuant to which we can offer and sell up to $200.0 million of our common stock through TD Cowen at prevailing market prices from time to time. We made no sales under the ATM through June 30, 2026.
Cullinan is eligible to receive a $30.0 million payment from Taiho upon U.S. regulatory approval of zipalertinib for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR ex20ins NSCLC who have previously received platinum-based systemic chemotherapy. Cullinan is also eligible to receive up to a $100.0 million payment from Taiho upon U.S. regulatory approval of zipalertinib for the first-line treatment for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR ex20ins NSCLC. Taiho and we will each receive 50% of any future pre-tax profits from potential U.S. sales of zipalertinib, subject to certain adjustments.
Comparison of Cash Flows for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2026 and 2025
The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash for the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 (in thousands):
Six Months Ended June 30,
2026 2025
Net cash used in operating activities $ (84,264 ) $ (100,764 )
Net cash provided by investing activities 73,092 90,206
Net cash provided by financing activities 1,480 373
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents $ (9,692 ) $ (10,185 )
Cash Flow from Operating Activities
For the six months ended June 30, 2026, our operating activities used $84.3 million of cash, which primarily consisted of our operating expenses, excluding non-cash items, of $94.7 million, partially offset by interest income, excluding accretion on marketable securities, of $6.4 million, and a $4.2 million net change in our non-tax operating assets and liabilities. The non-cash operating expenses primarily consisted of equity-based compensation expense.
For the six months ended June 30, 2025, our operating activities used $100.8 million of cash, which primarily consisted of our operating expenses, excluding non-cash items, of $111.4 million and a $0.6 million net change in our non-tax operating assets and liabilities, partially offset by interest income, excluding accretion on marketable securities, of $8.5 million, and an income tax refund of $3.0 million related to the utilization of federal research and development credits generated during 2023 that were carried back to tax year 2022. The non-cash operating expenses primarily consisted of equity-based compensation expense.
Cash Flow from Investing Activities
For the six months ended June 30, 2026, our investing activities provided $73.1 million of cash, which consisted of $107.8 million of proceeds from the maturities of marketable securities, partially offset by $34.7 million of purchases of marketable securities.
For the six months ended June 30, 2025, our investing activities provided $90.2 million of cash, which consisted of $294.6 million of proceeds from the maturities of marketable securities, partially offset by $204.4 million of purchases of marketable securities.
Cash Flow from Financing Activities
For the six months ended June 30, 2026, our financing activities provided $1.5 million of cash, which consisted of net proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our equity-based compensation plans.
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For the six months ended June 30, 2025, our financing activities provided $0.4 million of cash, which consisted of net proceeds from the issuance of common stock under our equity-based compensation plans.
Future Funding Requirements
We expect our expenses to continue to increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we:
•continue research and development of our current and future product candidates and programs;
•conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials for our current and future product candidates;
•experience any delays or encounter any issues with any of the above, including but not limited to failed studies, or trials, complex results, safety issues, or other regulatory challenges;
•develop the necessary processes, controls, and manufacturing capabilities to obtain marketing approval for our current and future product candidates and to support manufacturing on a commercial scale;
•develop and implement plans to establish and operate in-house manufacturing operations and facilities, if deemed appropriate;
•seek regulatory approvals for our current and future product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;
•hire and retain additional personnel, such as nonclinical, clinical, pharmacovigilance, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, distribution, legal, compliance, medical affairs, finance, general and administrative, commercial, and scientific personnel; and
•develop, maintain, expand, and protect our intellectual property portfolio.
Based on our current operational plans and assumptions, we expect that our current cash, cash equivalents, investments, and interest receivable will be sufficient to fund operations through at least twelve months from the date of issuance of our consolidated financial statements. We have based these estimates on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we expect. As we progress with our development programs and the regulatory review process, we expect to incur significant expenses related to product manufacturing, pre-commercial activities and commercialization. We may also require additional capital to pursue in-licenses or acquisitions of other programs to further expand our pipeline.
Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with research, development and commercialization of our product candidates and programs, we are unable to estimate the exact amount of our working capital requirements. Our future funding requirements will depend on and could increase significantly as a result of many factors, including:
•the scope, progress, results, and costs of drug discovery, laboratory testing, and preclinical and clinical development for our current and future product candidates;
•timely completion of our preclinical studies and clinical trials, which may be significantly slower or cost more than we currently anticipate and will depend substantially upon the performance of third-party contractors;
•the prevalence, duration, and severity of potential side effects or other safety issues experienced by patients receiving our current and future product candidates;
•our ability to establish and maintain collaborations and license agreements on favorable terms, if at all, and the extent to which we acquire or in-license technologies or programs, if at all;
•our ability to enroll clinical trials in a timely manner and to quickly resolve any delays or clinical holds that may be imposed on our development programs;
•the costs of expanding our facilities to accommodate our expected growth in personnel;
•our ability and the ability of third parties with whom we contract to manufacture adequate clinical and commercial supplies of our current and future product candidates, remain in good standing with regulatory authorities and develop, validate, and maintain commercially viable manufacturing processes that are compliant with current good manufacturing practices;
•the costs of preparing, filing, and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights, and defending intellectual property-related claims;
•the extent to which we acquire or in-license technologies or programs;
•the sales price and availability of adequate third-party coverage and reimbursement for our product candidates, if and when approved; and
•the ongoing costs of operating as a public company.
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Until such time, if ever, that we can generate product revenue sufficient to achieve profitability, we expect to finance our cash needs through equity offerings, debt financings, government or other third-party funding, marketing and distribution arrangements, and other collaborations, strategic alliances and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity, current ownership interests will be diluted. If we raise additional funds through government or third-party funding, collaboration agreements, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements, or marketing and distribution arrangements, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates, or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, or declaring dividends. If we are unable to raise additional funds 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 products or product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Contractual Obligations and Other Commitments
We have certain contractual obligations under various license and collaboration agreements. Under these agreements, we will be required to make milestone payments upon successful completion and achievement of certain intellectual property, clinical, regulatory, and sales milestones, and we will be required to make milestone and royalty payments in connection with the sale of products developed under these agreements. In addition, under our co-development agreement, if Taiho generates sufficient data to support commercial purposes or a regulatory submission for new zipalertinib indications that it independently develops, half of Taiho’s independent development costs, subject to certain adjustments, will be deducted from future pre-tax profits related to potential U.S. sales of zipalertinib. As the achievement and timing of these future contractual obligations are not probable or estimable, such amounts have not been included in our consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025.
As of June 30, 2026, we had total future minimum lease payments of $2.4 million, of which $0.9 million were payable within twelve months. See Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for further detail on our lease obligations and the timing of expected future payments.
In addition, we enter into agreements in the normal course of business with CROs for clinical trials and with other vendors for preclinical studies, manufacturing services, and other services and products for operating purposes, which are generally cancelable upon written notice.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our critical accounting policies have not materially changed from those described in the 2025 10-K.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position and results of operations is disclosed in Note 2 of our consolidated financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.