Transcode Therapeutics, Inc. Commitments Disclosure

(8)   Commitments and Contingencies

(a)   Leases

In March 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, Inc. (“MBI”) whereby the Company has subleased approximately 2,484 square feet of laboratory space with room for minor administrative functions. The Company was also permitted to use shared laboratory equipment at the facility. The monthly rental was $6,521, and the Company paid an additional amount for its allocated share of operating expenses, which in 2022 was $3,105 per month. In 2022, the Company added the right to use cubicle space outside its laboratory area to its sublease for an additional $650 per month, resulting in total monthly rental of $10,276. The sublease terminated as of February 2023.

Operating Lease

In December 2022, the Company signed an agreement to sublease 4,837 square feet of laboratory and office space in Newton, Massachusetts, from another biopharmaceutical company. The Company considers this sublease an operating lease with estimated right-of-use assets and lease liabilities of $874,957 recorded upon lease commencement on February 1, 2023. The sublease had an initial term of 24 months, and the Company had the option to extend the sublease for an additional 12 months but did not elect to exercise the option. Because the Company did not believe that the exercise of this option was probable, it did not include it in determination of the lease amounts. The base monthly rent was $37,285 during the first 12 months of the lease and $38,403 in the second 12 months. In addition, the Company was responsible for its share of operating expenses, real estate taxes, and utilities based on the actual costs of these items.

The following table contains a summary of the lease costs recognized under ASC 842 and other information pertaining to the Company’s operating lease for the year ended December 31, 2024. Prior to February 1, 2023, the Company had no operating leases with maturities greater than one year. The Company does not recognize any variable lease costs or short-term lease costs in connection with the operating lease.

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(8)   Commitments and Contingencies (continued)

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Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $411,662 and $575,192, respectively.

(b)   License Agreements

In November 2018, the Company licensed the exclusive rights to certain intellectual property to support development of its therapeutic candidates (“License”). The intellectual property licensed by the Company is owned by The General Hospital Corporation, d/b/a Massachusetts General Hospital, (“Licensor”). Payments by the Company under the license agreement included a one-time non-refundable fee of $50,000 paid after execution of the License; reimbursement of Licensor’s patent costs which, at execution of the License, were approximately $145,000; a minimum annual license fee of $25,000 payable within 60 days of each anniversary of the effective date of the License prior to the first commercial sale of a product or process covered by the License; milestone payments upon attainment of certain milestone events; royalties based on net sales of products covered by the patent-related rights; and a portion of any sublicense income received by the Company. The Company is responsible for the development and commercialization of the licensed assets and for meeting certain milestones set forth in the License.

The milestone payments the Company shall pay to Licensor shall not exceed $1,550,000 based upon and subject to the attainment of each milestone event indicated below. These payments are generally due within 60 days of achievement of the milestone.

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As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, no milestone events had been achieved.

The royalties to be paid to Licensor shall be assessed on net sales of licensed products on a country-by-country basis in an amount equal to 3.0% for therapeutic products or processes, and 6.0% for clinical diagnostic products and processes. The Company shall pay Licensor 30% of any and all sublicense income.

The Company has the right to terminate the License at any time by giving 90 days’ advance notice subject to the payment of any amounts due under the License at that time. The License may also be terminated for cause by either party upon the breach of the material obligations of the other party or the bankruptcy or liquidation of the other party. If the Company does not terminate the License, the term of the License shall continue until the latest of (i) the date on which all issued patents and filed patent applications subject to the License have expired or been abandoned; (ii) expiration of the last to expire regulatory exclusivity covering a covered product or process; or (iii) 10 years after the first commercial sale. The License requires the Company to make royalty payments beyond the term of the License at 1.5%.

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(8)   Commitments and Contingencies (continued)

In November 2020, the Company and Licensor amended the November 2018 license. Under the amendment, the intellectual property licensed in 2018 was categorized as “Patent Family 1” and a provisional patent filing related to the Company’s nanoparticle technology was added to Patent Family 1. A second patent family (“Patent Family 2”) was created which includes Licensor intellectual property targeting PD-L1.

The minimum annual license fee prior to the first commercial sale of a product or process covered by the License was increased from $25,000 per year to $30,000 per year for Patent Family 1 and a minimum annual license fee of $10,000 per year was added related to Patent Family 2. All other terms of the License including milestone payments, royalties and payment terms related to sublicense income received by the Company remain the same as in the original License.

Accrued License Obligations

At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had accrued $697 and $129,983, respectively, in license payments under the foregoing arrangements included in accounts payable and accrued expenses.

(c)   Collaboration Agreement

On July 29, 2022, the Company signed a five-year strategic collaboration agreement with The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (“MD Anderson”). Under the collaboration, the Company anticipated making certain expenditures with respect to Phase I and Phase II clinical trials which it expects will be conducted in part through MD Anderson as a primary investigator site. MD Anderson was also provide preclinical work under the collaboration. The details of clinical and preclinical work were to be mutually agreed by the parties prior to commencing work. The Company committed to fund up to $10 million over the term of the collaboration. Of this amount, the initial payment schedule called for $500,000 to be paid within the first year. Subsequent payments were scheduled to be $2 million on the first anniversary of the effective date of the agreement and $2.5 million on each of the second, third and fourth anniversaries thereof. Payments to MD Anderson are initially recorded as Prepaid Expenses. As work under the collaboration is performed by MD Anderson, the Company will record research and development costs in its statements of operations. The $250,000 first payment made by the Company to MD Anderson in January 2023 was recorded as a Prepaid Expense pending such time as payments under the collaboration become due. In late 2024, we and MD Anderson agreed to amend the collaboration agreement in favor of MD Anderson focusing solely on participation in our Phase 1/II clinical trial. This amendment relieves us from the obligation to make up to $10 million of collaboration payments. We are obligated to pay charges incurred by MD Anderson in connection with the clinical trial. Initial expenses of the clinical trial will be charged against the initial payment made to MD Anderson. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, these charges were $279,768 and $0, respectively.

(d)   Employment Agreements and Severance

Prior to the IPO, the Company entered into employment agreements with its executive officers which became effective on completion of the IPO. The employment agreements provide the employee with, among other things, severance payments upon termination of the agreement by the Company for any reason other than for cause, death or disability or by the employee for good reason. The maximum aggregate severance payments under the agreements, which arise in the event of termination involving a Change of Control (as defined in the agreements), are approximately $1,296,000.

In December 2023, the Board approved various actions designed to streamline the Company’s operations and reduce expenses (the “Restructuring”). These included delaying or eliminating certain development activities and reducing headcount by laying off four employees. This lowered the Company’s headcount to eight employees at December 31, 2024, compared to 11 at December 31, 2023. Severance in the aggregate of $424,576 was provided to the affected employees and charged to expense.

(e)   Litigation

The Company may from time to time be subject to claims by others under various legal disputes. The defense of such claims, or any adverse outcome relating to any such claims, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s liquidity, financial condition, and

(8)   Commitments and Contingencies (continued)

cash flows. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company did not know of any claims or actions pending against it or threatened, the ultimate disposition of which could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations or financial condition except claims by an investment bank that it is entitled to fees, claims which the Company rigorously disputes.

(f)   Indemnification Agreements

In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to vendors, lessors, business partners, and other parties with respect to certain matters including, but not limited to, losses arising out of breach of such agreements or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with members of its Board and executive officers that require the Company, among other things, to indemnify the parties against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is, in many cases, unlimited. To date, the Company has not incurred any costs as a result of payments required by such indemnifications. The Company is not aware of any indemnification arrangements that could have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows, and it has not accrued any liabilities related to such obligations in its financial statements, as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.

(g)   Risks and Uncertainties

As geopolitical events such as wars in the Ukraine and the Middle East and major health issues such as SARS-CoV-2, or the coronavirus, continues to evolve, the extent to which it affects the Company’s operations directly or through parties on whom the Company depends is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence. The outcomes resulting from these events could delay the Company’s plans, increase its operating expenses and have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operations.