1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Arch Therapeutics, Inc. (together with its subsidiary, the “Company” or “Arch”) is a biotechnology company developing and marketing a product based on our innovative AC5® self-assembling technology platform. The Company believes that its products can be important advances 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. We believe that the disclosures contained in these condensed financial statements are adequate to make the information presented herein not misleading. 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 Dec ember 31, 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The balance sheet as of September 30, 2023 is derived from the Company’s audited financial statements. The results of operations for the three months ended December 31, 2023 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 three months ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded a net loss of $2,681,652 and used cash in operations of $862,605. 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. 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 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 December 31, 2023 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 (See Note 10), 2022 Notes (see Note 8), and Second Notes (see Note 9), and Third Notes (see Note 9) 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.

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 December 31, 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:

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 COVID-19 and the recent war in Ukraine, will impact the global economy and the Company is uncertain and cannot be reasonably measured.