1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Arch Therapeutics, Inc. (together with its subsidiary, the “Company” or “Arch”) is a biotechnology company developing and marketing products based on our innovative AC5® self-assembling technology platform. The Company’s products are in the field of stasis and barrier applications, which includes managing wounds created during surgery, trauma or interventional care, or from disease; stopping bleeding (hemostasis); and controlling leaking (sealant).

Basis of presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. These condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2023, filed with the SEC. The accompanying condensed financial statements are unaudited, but in the opinion of management contain all adjustments, including normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the three and six months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. The balance sheet as of September 30, 2023 is derived from the Company’s audited financial statements. The results of operations for the three and six months ended March 31, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the full fiscal year ending September 30, 2024.

In accordance with the “Segment Reporting” Topic of the Accounting Standards Codification, the Company’s chief operating decision maker (the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer) determined that the Company has only one reporting unit.

The condensed 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.

Going Concern

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The Company has not yet generated sufficient revenues to fund operations and relies on issuance of debt and equity instruments to generate working capital. As reflected in the accompanying financial statements, for the six months ended March 31, 2024, the Company recorded a net loss of $4,150,791 and used cash in operations of $1,562,764. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date that the financial statements are issued. In addition, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, in its report on the Company’s September 30, 2023, financial statements, raised substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern.

The Company expects to incur substantial expenses for the foreseeable future relating to research, development and commercialization of its current and its potential future products. The Company has not yet generated sufficient revenues to fund operations and relies on issuance of debt and equity instruments to generate working capital. In evaluating the going concern position of the Company, management has considered potential funding providers and believes that financing to fund future operations could be provided by equity and/or debt financing. Even if the Company is able to obtain additional financing, it may contain undue restrictions on our operations, in the case of debt financing, or cause substantial dilution for our stockholders, in the case of equity financing.

Reverse stock split

On January 6, 2023, the directors of the Company authorized a reverse share split of the issued and outstanding Common Shares in a ratio of 1:200, effective January 17, 2023. Accordingly, all share and per share amounts presented herein with respect to common stock have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the above-described reverse stock split for all periods presented.

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 expense during the reporting periods. Significant estimates include the assumptions used in the accrual for potential liabilities, the net realizable value of inventory, the valuation of debt and equity instruments, the fair value of derivative liabilities, valuation of equity instruments issued for services, and deferred tax valuation allowances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue

The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), through a five-step process: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) a performance obligation is satisfied.

The Company’s source of revenue is product sales. Contracts with customers contain a single performance obligation and the Company recognizes revenue from product sales when the Company has satisfied our performance obligation by transferring control of the product to the customers. Control of the product transfers to the customer upon shipment from the Company’s third-party warehouse. In circumstances where the transaction price is not able to be determined at the time of shipment, the Company does not recognize revenue or any receivable amount until such time that the final transaction price is established.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue includes product costs, warehousing, overhead allocation and royalty expense.

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 stock-based compensation in accordance with the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”), which requires all share-based payments be recognized in the condensed consolidated financial statements based on their fair values. In accordance with ASC 718, the Company has elected to use the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model (the “Black-Scholes 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 expected life for awards uses the 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 the Company’s awards. The dividend yield assumption is based on history and the expectation of paying no dividends. Stock-based compensation expense, when recognized in the condensed 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 condensed 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 March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023, the carrying amounts of cash, accounts payables and accrued expense and other liabilities approximate fair value because of their short-term nature. The carrying amounts for the Series Convertible Notes, 2022 Notes, Second Notes, Third Notes and the Fourth Notes approximate fair value because borrowing rates and terms are similar to comparable market participants.

Warrants

The Company accounts for warrants as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of the warrant’s specific terms and applicable authoritative guidance in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”), and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). The assessment considers whether the warrants are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and whether the warrants meet all of the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own common stock and whether the warrant holders could potentially require “net cash settlement” in a circumstance outside of the Company’s control, among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted when the warrants are issued and at the end each subsequent quarterly period while the warrants are outstanding. For issued or modified warrants that meet all of the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital at the time of issuance. For issued or modified warrants that do not meet all the criteria for equity classification, the warrants are required to be liability classified and recorded at their initial fair value on the date of issuance and remeasured at fair value at each balance sheet date thereafter. Changes in the estimated fair value of the warrants are recognized as a non-cash gain or loss on the statements of operations. The Company has determined that the warrants issued in June 2018 and May 2019 equity financing (see Note 3) meet the requirements for liability classification. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, $1,158,197 was recorded to gain on extinguishment of derivative liability for the exchange of the Series G warrants and Series H warrants to 12,019 shares of common stock with a fair value of $49,278.

Loss per Common Share

Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year, excluding shares of unvested restricted common stock. Shares of restricted stock are included in the basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding from the time they vest. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the number of additional common shares that would have been outstanding if all dilutive potential common shares had been issued, using the treasury stock method. Shares of restricted stock are included in the diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding from the date they are granted. Potential common shares are excluded from the computation when their effect is antidilutive.

For the periods ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the calculations of basic and diluted loss per share are the same because potential dilutive securities would have had an anti-dilutive effect. The potentially dilutive securities consisted of the following:

 SCHEDULE OF BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE POTENTIAL DILUTIVE SECURITIES

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.

Risks and uncertainties – Geopolitical Conflicts

The Company sources its materials and services for its products and product candidates from facilities in areas impacted or which may be impacted by the outbreak of geopolitical conflicts. The Company’s ability to obtain future inventory may be impacted, therefore potentially affecting the Company’s future revenue stream. In addition, the Company has historically and principally funded its operations through debt borrowings, the issuance of convertible debt, and the issuance of units consisting of Common Stock and warrants which may also be impacted by economic conditions beyond the Company’s control as well as uncertainties resulting from geopolitical conflicts. The extent to which recent events, including recent wars in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza, will impact the global economy and the Company is uncertain and cannot be reasonably measured.

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.

On January 6, 2023, the directors of the Company authorized a reverse share split of the issued and outstanding Common Shares in a ratio of 1:200, effective January 17, 2023 (the “Reverse Share Split”). All information included in these consolidated financial statements has been adjusted, on a retrospective basis, to reflect the Reverse Share Split, unless otherwise stated. All outstanding securities entitling their holders to purchase shares of Common Stock or acquire shares of Common Stock, including stock options, restricted stock units, and warrants, were adjusted as a result of the Reverse Stock Split, as required by the terms of those securities.

In accordance with the “Segment Reporting” Topic of the Accounting Standards Codification, the Company’s chief operating decision maker (the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer) determined that the Company has only one reporting unit.

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. Significant estimates include the assumptions used in the accrual for potential liabilities, the net realizable value of inventory, the valuation of debt and equity instruments, the fair value of derivative liabilities, valuation of equity instruments issued for services, and deferred tax valuation allowances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue recognition

In accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board’s (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, the Company recognizes revenue through a five-step process: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) a performance obligation is satisfied.

The Company’s source of revenue is product sales. Contracts with customers contain a single performance obligation and the Company recognizes revenue upon shipment from the Company’s third-party warehouse which is when control of the product is transferred to the customers. In circumstances where the transaction price is not able to be determined at the time of shipment, the Company does not recognize revenue or any receivable amount until such time that the final transaction price is established and shipped to customer.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues includes product costs, warehousing, overhead allocation and royalty expenses.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

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, 2023 and 2022.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) basis. The cost of inventories comprises expenditures incurred in acquiring the inventories, the cost of conversion and other costs incurred in bringing them to their existing location and condition. The Company records adjustments to its inventory for estimated obsolescence or diminution in net realizable value equal to the difference between the cost of the inventory and the estimated net realizable value. When evidence exists that the net realizable value of inventory is lower than its cost, the difference is recognized as a loss in the period in which it occurs. Once inventory has been written down, it creates a new cost basis for inventory that may not subsequently written up. For the year ended September 30, 2023 there was no write-downs of inventories. For the year ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded write-down of inventories of $248,073.

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.

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 FASB ASC Topic 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. For the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 there has not been any impairment of long-lived assets.

Leases

The Company determines whether a contract is, or contains, a lease at inception. Operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and liabilities are recognized at lease commencement based on the present value of unpaid lease payments over the lease term. As our lease does not provide an implicit interest rate, the Company used an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company leases its office facility on a month to month basis with a monthly lease of approximately $3,500. The terms of the lease provide break options allowing both landlord and tenant to terminate on provision of not less than one month’s prior written notice.

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 (“ASC 815”). 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.

Complex Financial Instruments

The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risks. The Company evaluates its financial instruments, including warrants, to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. The Company values its derivatives using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model or other acceptable valuation models, including Monte-Carlo simulations. Derivative instruments are valued at inception, upon events such as an exercise of the underlying financial instrument, and at subsequent reporting periods. The classification of derivative instruments, including whether such instruments should be recorded as liabilities, is re-assessed at the end of each reporting period. The Company reviews the terms of debt instruments, equity instruments, and other financing arrangements to determine whether there are embedded derivative features, including embedded conversion options that are required to be bifurcated and accounted for separately as a derivative financial instrument. Additionally, in connection with the issuance of financing instruments, the Company may issue freestanding options and warrants, including options or warrants to non-employees in exchange for consulting or other services performed.

The Company accounts for its common stock warrants in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). Based upon the provisions of ASC 815, the Company accounts for common stock warrants as liabilities if the warrant requires net cash settlement or gives the holder the option of net cash settlement, or it fails the equity classification criteria. The Company accounts for common stock warrants as equity if the contract requires physical settlement or net physical settlement or if the Company has the option of physical settlement or net physical settlement and the warrants meet the requirements to be classified as equity. Common stock warrants classified as liabilities are initially recorded at fair value on the grant date and remeasured at fair value each balance sheet date with the offset adjustments recorded in change in fair value of warrant liability within the consolidated statements of operations. Common stock warrants classified as equity are initially measured at fair value on the grant date and are not subsequently remeasured.

Income Taxes

In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”), the Company recognizes 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.

The Company provides reserves for potential payments of tax to various tax authorities related to uncertain tax positions when management determines that it is more likely than not that a loss will be incurred related to these matters and the amount of the loss is reasonably determinable.

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.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”), which requires all share-based payments be recognized in the consolidated financial statements based on their fair values. In accordance with ASC 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 expected life for awards uses the 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. Stock-based compensation expense, when recognized in the consolidated financial statements, is based on awards that are ultimately expected to vest.

Loss per Common Share

Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income (loss) applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year, excluding shares of unvested restricted common stock. Shares of restricted stock are included in the basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding from the time they vest. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed by dividing the net income applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the number of additional common shares that would have been outstanding if all dilutive potential common shares had been issued, using the treasury stock method. Shares of restricted stock are included in the diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding from the date they are granted. Potential common shares are excluded from the computation when their effect is antidilutive.

For the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the calculations of basic and diluted loss per share are the same because potential dilutive securities would have had an anti-dilutive effect. The potentially dilutive securities consisted of the following:

 SCHEDULE OF BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE POTENTIAL DILUTIVE SECURITIES 

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, 2023 and 2022, the carrying amounts of cash, accounts payables and accrued expense and other liabilities approximate fair value because of their short-term nature. The carrying amounts for the Company’s convertible notes (see Notes 6,7, and 8) approximate fair value because borrowing rates and terms are similar to comparable market participants.

Financial Statement Reclassification

Certain balances in the prior year consolidated financial statements have been reclassified for comparison purposes to conform to the presentation in the current period consolidated financial statements. During the year ended September 30, 2023, the Company reclassified the carrying amount of Exchange Notes of $699,781 (see Notes 7 and 8) that were previously included in the Convertible Notes Payable, Senior Secured to Convertible notes payable, unsecured.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2021-04, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Debt — Modifications and Extinguishments (Subtopic 470-50), Compensation — Stock Compensation (Topic 718), and Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Issuer’s Accounting for Certain Modifications or Exchanges of Freestanding Equity-Classified Written Call Options (“ASU 2021-04”). ASU 2021-04 provides guidance as to how an issuer should account for a modification of the terms or conditions or an exchange of a freestanding equity-classified written call option (i.e., a warrant) that remains classified after modification or exchange as an exchange of the original instrument for a new instrument. An issuer should measure the effect of a modification or exchange as the difference between the fair value of the modified or exchanged warrant and the fair value of that warrant immediately before modification or exchange and then apply a recognition model that comprises four categories of transactions and the corresponding accounting treatment for each category (equity issuance, debt origination, debt modification, and modifications unrelated to equity issuance and debt origination or modification). ASU 2021-04 is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. An entity should apply the guidance provided in ASU 2021-04 prospectively to modifications or exchanges occurring on or after the effective date. The Company adopted ASU 2021-04 effective October 1, 2022. The adoption of ASU 2021-04 did not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statement presentation or disclosures.

Other recent accounting pronouncements and guidance issued by the FASB, its Emerging Issues Task Force, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Securities and Exchange Commission did not or are not believed by management to have a material impact on the Company’s present or future financial statements.