Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

v3.10.0.1
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
2.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
The accompanying consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”).
 
Basis of Presentation
 
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Arch Therapeutics, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Arch Biosurgery, Inc., a biotechnology company. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
 
The Company is in the development stage and is devoting substantially all of its efforts to developing technologies, raising capital, establishing customer and vendor relationships, and recruiting and retaining new employees.
 
Use of Estimates
 
Management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
 
Recently Issued Accounting Guidance
 
Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-07, “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting” was issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in June 2018. The purpose of this amendment is to address aspects of the accounting for nonemployee share-based payment transactions. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated results of operations, financial position or disclosures.
 
ASU 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Payments” was issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in August 2016. The purpose of this amendment is to address eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated results of operations, financial position or disclosure.
  
ASU 2016-09, “Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting” was issued by the FASB in March 2016. The purpose of this amendment is to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 during our first quarter of fiscal year 2018, which had no impact on our consolidated financial statements, and will apply the guidance in future periods.
 
ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” was issued by the FASB in February 2016. The purpose of this amendment requires the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases previously classified as operating leases. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not believe that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated results of operations, financial position or disclosures.
  
Cash
 
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company had no cash equivalents as of September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017.
 
Concentration of Credit Risk
 
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash. The Company maintains its cash in bank deposits accounts, which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. The Company believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash.
 
Deferred Offering Costs
 
Deferred Offering Costs consist of fees and expenses incurred in connection with the public offering and sale of the Company’s common stock, including legal, accounting, printing and other related expenses. These costs are netted against the proceeds received as a reduction to additional paid-in capital.
 
Property and Equipment
 
Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the related asset. Upon sale or retirement, the cost and accumulated depreciation are eliminated from their respective accounts, and the resulting gain or loss is included in income or loss for the period. Repair and maintenance expenditures are charged to expense as incurred.
 
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
 
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment when circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable in accordance with ASC 360,
Property, Plant and Equipment
. For assets that are to be held and used, impairment is recognized when the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset or group of assets is less than their carrying value. If impairment exists, an adjustment is made to write the asset down to its fair value, and a loss is recorded as the difference between the carrying value and fair value. Fair values are determined based on quoted market values, discounted cash flows or internal and external appraisals, as applicable. Assets to be disposed of are carried at the lower of carrying value or estimated net realizable value. For the years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 there has not been any impairment of long-lived assets.
 
 
Income Taxes
 
In accordance with FASB ASC 740,
Income Taxes
, we recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences or events that have been included in our consolidated financial statements and/or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are based upon the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of existing assets and liabilities and for loss and credit carryforwards using enacted tax rates expected to be in effect in the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.
 
We provide reserves for potential payments of tax to various tax authorities related to uncertain tax positions when management determines that it is probable that a loss will be incurred related to these matters and the amount of the loss is reasonably determinable.
  
On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) was signed into United States law. The TCJA includes a number of changes to existing tax law, including, among other things, a permanent reduction in the federal corporate income tax rate to a flat rate of
21%,
effective January 1, 2018, as well as the elimination of net operating loss carrybacks for losses arising in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Further, operating losses arising in tax years after December 31, 2017, are carried forward indefinitely. Due to the TCJA, the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities recognized prior to 2017 were revalued at the newly enacted tax rates, which resulted in a corresponding adjustment in the valuation allowance.
 
Research and Development
 
The Company expenses internal and external research and development costs, including costs of funded research and development arrangements, in the period incurred.
 
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
 
The Company accounts for employee stock-based compensation in accordance with the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 718,
Compensation-Stock Compensation
(“FASB ASC Topic 718”), which requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the consolidated financial statements based on their fair values. The Company accounts for non-employee stock-based compensation in accordance with the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 505,
Equity
(“FASB ASC Topic 505”), which requires that companies recognize compensation expense based on the estimated fair value of options granted to non-employees over their vesting period, which is generally the period during which services are rendered by such non-employees. FASB ASC Topic 505 requires the Company to re-measure the fair value of stock options issued to non- employee at each reporting period during the vesting period or until services are complete.
 
In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, the Company has elected to use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of options granted and recognizes the compensation cost of share-based awards on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the award.
 
The determination of the fair value of share-based payment awards utilizing the Black-Scholes model is affected by the fair value of the common stock and a number of other assumptions, including expected volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. The Company does not have a sufficient history of market prices of the common stock, and as such volatility is estimated in accordance with ASC 718-10-S99 Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 107,
Share-Based Payment
(“SAB No. 107”), using historical volatilities of similar public entities. The life term for awards uses simplified method for all “plain vanilla” options, as defined in ASC 718-10-S99 and the contractual term for all other employee and non-employee awards. The risk-free interest rate assumption is based on observed interest rates appropriate for the terms of our awards. The dividend yield assumption is based on history and the expectation of paying no dividends. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Stock-based compensation expense, when recognized in the consolidated financial statements, is based on awards that are ultimately expected to vest.
 
Fair Value Measurements
 
The Company measures both financial and nonfinancial assets and liabilities in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 820,
Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures
, including those that are recognized or disclosed in the consolidated financial statements at fair value on a recurring basis. The standard created a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels as follows: Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; and Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs that reflect the Company’s own views about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. 
 
 At September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017, the carrying amounts of cash, accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities, approximate fair value because of their short-term nature.
 
Derivative Liabilities
 
The Company accounts for its warrants and other derivative financial instruments as either equity or liabilities based upon the characteristics and provisions of each instrument, in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. Warrants classified as equity are recorded at fair value as of the date of issuance on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and no further adjustments to their valuation are made. Warrants classified as derivative liabilities and other derivative financial instruments that require separate accounting as liabilities are recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets at their fair value on the date of issuance and will be revalued on each subsequent balance sheet date until such instruments are exercised or expire, with any changes in the fair value between reporting periods recorded as other income or expense. Management estimates the fair value of these liabilities using option pricing models and assumptions that are based on the individual characteristics of the warrants or instruments on the valuation date, as well as assumptions for future financings, expected volatility, expected life, yield, and risk-free interest rate.
 
Subsequent Events
 
The Company evaluated all events or transactions that occurred commencing from October 1, 2018 and ending on December 17, 2018 the date which these consolidated financial statements were issued. The Company disclosed material subsequent events in Note 15.
 
Going Concern Basis of Accounting
 
As reflected in the consolidated financial statements, the Company has an accumulated deficit, has suffered significant net losses and negative cash flows from operations, has not generated operating revenues, and has limited working capital. The continuation of our business as a going concern is dependent upon raising additional capital and eventually attaining and maintaining profitable operations. In particular, as of September 30, 2018, the Company will be required to raise additional capital, obtain alternative means of financial support, or both, in order to continue to fund operations, and therefore there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The Company expects to incur substantial expenses into the foreseeable future for the research, development and commercialization of its potential products. In addition, the Company will require additional financing in order to seek to license or acquire new assets, research and develop any potential patents and the related compounds, and obtain any further intellectual property that the Company may seek to acquire. Historically, the Company has principally funded operations through debt borrowings, the issuance of convertible debt, and the issuance of units consisting of common stock and warrants. Provisions in the Securities Purchase Agreements that the Company entered into on February 20, 2017 (“2017 SPA”) and on June 28, 2018 (“2018 SPA”) restrict the Company’s ability to effect or enter into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of Common Stock or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the 2017 SPA and 2018 SPA) including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit or “At-the-Market” financing facility until the three lead investors in the 2017 Financing and the institutional investors in the 2018 SPA collectively own less than 20% of the Series F Warrants and the Series G Warrants purchased by them pursuant to the 2017 SPA and 2018 SPA, respectively.
 
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from this uncertainty.