grepcent public filings, reorganized for comparison

ROCKET PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (RCKT) FY 2022 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from ROCKET PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.'s 10-K for fiscal year 2022. Filing date: 2023-02-28. Report date: 2022-12-31. Accession: 0001140361-23-009252.

This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.

Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Confidence: high.

Company profile: RCKT · All MD&A years: index · Previous year: FY 2021 · Next year: FY 2023

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, related notes and other
financial information included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties such as our plans, objectives, expectations, and intentions. Our actual results could
differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those discussed in “Risk Factors” included
elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Unless otherwise indicated, references to the terms the “combined company,” “Rocket,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (formerly known as Inotek
Pharmaceuticals Corporation) and its subsidiaries. The term “Rocket Ltd” refers to privately-held Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. prior to its merger with Rome Merger Sub, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The term “Inotek”
refers to Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corporation and its subsidiaries prior to the reverse merger. For accounting purposes, the reverse merger is treated as a “reverse acquisition” under U.S. GAAP and Rocket Ltd is considered the accounting
acquirer. Accordingly, the historical financial information included in this Annual Report, unless otherwise indicated or as the context otherwise requires, is that of Rocket Ltd prior to the reverse merger.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is designed to provide a reader of Rocket’s financial statements with a narrative from
the perspective of management. Our management’s discussion and analysis is intended to help the reader understand our results of operations and financial condition and is provided as an addition to, and should be read in connection with, our
consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Introduction

We are a clinical-stage, multi-platform biotechnology company focused on the development of first, only and best-in-class gene therapies, with direct on-target mechanism of action and clear clinical endpoints,
for rare and devastating diseases. We have three clinical-stage ex vivo lentiviral vector (“LV”) programs. These include programs for Fanconi Anemia (“FA”), a genetic defect in the bone marrow that reduces production of blood cells or promotes
the production of faulty blood cells, Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (“LAD-I”), a genetic disorder that causes the immune system to malfunction and Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (“PKD”), a rare red blood cell autosomal recessive disorder that
results in chronic non-spherocytic hemolytic anemia. Of these, both the Phase 2 FA program and the Phase 1/2 LAD-I program are in potentially registration-enabling studies in the United States (“U.S.”) and Europe (“EU”). Additional work on a
gene therapy program for the less common FA subtypes C and G is ongoing. In the U.S., we also have a clinical stage in vivo adeno-associated virus (“AAV”) program for Danon disease, a multi-organ lysosomal-associated disorder leading to early
death due to heart failure. The Danon program is currently in an ongoing Phase 1 trial. Additionally, we have an AAV vector program targeting Plakophilin-2 Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (“PKP2-ACM”), an inheritable cardiac disorder that is
characterized by a progressive loss of cardiac muscle mass, severe right ventricular dilation, dysplasia, fibrofatty replacement of the myocardium and a high propensity to arrhythmias and sudden death. As a result of our acquisition of
Renovacor, we are now able to utilize recombinant AAV9-based gene therapy designed to slow or halt progression of BAG3 Dilated Cardiomyopathy (“DCM”), which is the most common form of cardiomyopathy and is characterized by progressive thinning
of the walls of the heart resulting in enlarged heart chambers that are unable to pump blood. We have global commercialization and development rights to all of these product candidates under royalty-bearing license agreements.

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Effective December 2021, a decision was made to no longer pursue Rocket-sponsored clinical evaluation of RP-L401; this program was returned to academic innovators. Although we believe that gene therapy may be
beneficial to patients afflicted with this disorder, we have opted to focus available resources towards advancement of RP-A601, RP-A501, RP-L102, RP-L201 and RP-L301, based on the compelling clinical data to date and potential for therapeutic
advancement in these severe disorders of childhood and young adulthood.

Recent Developments

At-the-Market Offering Program

On February 28, 2022, we entered into the Sales Agreement with Cowen and Company LLC (“Cowen”) with respect to an at-the-market offering program pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to time at our
sole discretion, shares through Cowen as our sales agent. The shares to be offered and sold under the Sales Agreement are being offered and sold pursuant to our shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-253756). We filed a
prospectus supplement with the SEC on February 28, 2022 in connection with the offer and sale of the shares, pursuant to the Sales Agreement. We have agreed to pay Cowen a cash commission of 3.0% of gross proceeds from the sale of the shares
pursuant to the Sales Agreement and to provide Cowen with customary indemnification and contribution rights and also reimburse Cowen for certain expenses incurred in connection with the Sales Agreement. Through
December 31, 2022, we have sold 3.3 million shares of common stock pursuant to the at-the-market offering program for gross proceeds of $48.0 million, less commissions of $1.4 million for net proceeds of $46.6 million.

Renovacor Acquisition

On September 19, 2022, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Renovacor, a Delaware corporation pursuant to which the Company acquired Renovacor (the “Renovacor
Acquisition”). The Renovacor Acquisition closed on December 1, 2022. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, each share of Renovacor’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share
outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Renovacor Acquisition was canceled and converted into the right to receive 0.1763 (the “Exchange Ratio”) fully paid and non-assessable shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01
par value per share, which was determined on the basis of an exchange formula set forth in the Merger Agreement. The Company issued a total of 3,391,976 shares of common stock in connection with the Renovacor Acquisition and
incurred approximately $3.2 million of acquisition related costs during the year ended December 31, 2022.

Public Offering

On October 6, 2022, we completed a public offering of 7,820,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $14.75 per share. The gross proceeds to Rocket from the public offering were approximately
$115.3 million, net of $7.2 million of offering costs, commissions, legal and other expenses for net proceeds from the offering of $108.1 million.

Financial Overview

Since our inception, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to organizing and staffing the company, business planning, raising capital, acquiring, or discovering product candidates and securing
related intellectual property rights, conducting discovery, R&D activities for our product candidates and planning for potential commercialization. We do not have any products approved for sale and have not generated any revenue from
product sales. From inception through December 31, 2022, we raised net cash proceeds of approximately $835.6 million from investors through both equity and convertible debt financing to fund operating activities.

Revenue

To date, we have not generated any revenue from any sources, including from product sales, and we do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the near future. If our development efforts
for product candidates are successful and result in regulatory approval or license agreements with third parties, we may generate revenue in the future from product sales.

Research and Development Expenses

Our R&D program expenses consist primarily of external costs incurred for the development of our product candidates. These expenses include:

Column 1Column 2Column 3
expenses incurred under agreements with research institutions that conduct R&D activities including, process development, preclinical, and clinical activities on our behalf;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
costs related to process development, production of preclinical and clinical materials, including fees paid to contract manufacturers and manufacturing input costs for use in internal manufacturing processes;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
consultants supporting process development and regulatory activities; and
Column 1Column 2Column 3
costs related to in-licensing of rights to develop and commercialize our product candidate portfolio.

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We recognize external development costs based on contractual payment schedules aligned with program activities, invoices for work incurred, and milestones which correspond with costs
incurred by the third parties. Nonrefundable advance payments for goods or services to be received in the future for use in R&D activities are recorded as prepaid expenses.

Our direct R&D expenses are tracked on a program-by-program basis for product candidates and consist primarily of external costs, such as research collaborations and third-party manufacturing agreements
associated with our preclinical research, process development, manufacturing, and clinical development activities. Our direct R&D expenses by program also include fees incurred under license agreements. Our personnel, non-program and
unallocated program expenses include costs associated with activities performed by our internal R&D organization and generally benefit multiple programs. These costs are not separately allocated by product candidate and consist primarily
of:

Column 1Column 2Column 3
salaries and personnel-related costs, including benefits, travel, and stock-based compensation, for our scientific personnel performing R&D activities;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
facilities and other expenses, which include expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities, and depreciation expense; and
Column 1Column 2Column 3
laboratory supplies and equipment used for internal R&D activities.

Our direct R&D expenses consist principally of external costs, such as fees paid to investigators, consultants, laboratories and CROs in connection with our clinical studies, and costs related to acquiring
and manufacturing clinical study materials. We allocate salary and benefit costs directly related to specific programs. We do not allocate personnel-related discretionary bonus or stock-based compensation costs, costs associated with our
general discovery platform improvements, depreciation or other indirect costs that are deployed across multiple projects under development and, as such, the costs are separately classified as other R&D expenses.

The following table of R&D expenses tracked on a program-by-program basis as well as by type and nature of our expense for our product candidates for the years ended December 31, 2022 and
2021, and 2020.

For the Years Ended December 31,
202220212020
Direct Expenses:
Danon Disease (AAV) RP-A501$28,524$15,804$18,459
Plakophilin-2 Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (AAV) RP-A60111,7241,071122
Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency (LV) RP-L20120,61724,2225,531
Fanconi Anemia (LV) RP-L10223,91715,45315,015
Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (LV) RP-L3012,7444,2064,990
Infantile Malignant Osteopetrosis (LV) RP-L401 (1)2712,2362,057
Other product candidates3,5803,5041,199
Total direct expenses91,37766,49647,373
Unallocated Expenses
Employee compensation$32,274$20,780$14,137
Non-cash R&D expense related to the issuance of warrants-12,78126,562
Stock based compensation expense12,46511,9547,121
Depreciation and amortization expense4,0375,1302,770
Laboratory and related expenses17,4053,3594,240
Professional Fees3,6011,7971,443
Other expenses4,4113,1791,792
Total other research and development expenses74,19358,98058,065
Total research and development expense$165,570$125,476$105,438

(1) Effective December 2021, a decision was made to no longer pursue Rocket-sponsored clinical evaluation of RP-L401; this program was returned to academic innovators. Costs to close out the study
were incurred in 2022.

We cannot determine with certainty the duration and costs to complete current or future clinical studies of product candidates or if, when, or to what extent we will generate revenues from the commercialization
and sale of any of our product candidates that obtain regulatory approval. We may never succeed in achieving regulatory approval for any of our product candidates. The duration, costs, and timing of clinical studies and development of product
candidates will depend on a variety of factors, including:

Column 1Column 2Column 3
the scope, rate of progress, and expense of ongoing as well as any clinical studies and other R&D activities that we undertake;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
future clinical study results;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
uncertainties in clinical study enrollment rates;

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Column 1Column 2Column 3
changing standards for regulatory approval; and
Column 1Column 2Column 3
the timing and receipt of any regulatory approvals.

We expect R&D expenses to increase for the foreseeable future as we continue to invest in R&D activities related to developing product candidates, including investments in manufacturing, as our programs
advance into later stages of development and as we conduct additional clinical trials. The process of conducting the necessary clinical research to obtain regulatory approval is costly and time-consuming, and the successful development of
product candidates is highly uncertain. As a result, we are unable to determine the duration and completion costs of R&D projects or when and to what extent we will generate revenue from the commercialization and sale of any of our product
candidates.

Our future R&D expenses will depend on the clinical success of our product candidates, as well as ongoing assessments of the commercial potential of such product candidates. In addition, we cannot forecast
with any degree of certainty which product candidates may be subject to future collaborations, when such arrangements will be secured, if at all, and to what degree such arrangements would affect our development plans and capital requirements.
We expect our R&D expenses to increase in future periods for the foreseeable future as we seek to complete development of our product candidates.

The successful development and commercialization of our product candidates is highly uncertain. This is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development and commercialization,
including the uncertainty of:

Column 1Column 2Column 3
the scope, progress, outcome and costs of our clinical trials and other R&D activities;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
the efficacy and potential advantages of our product candidates compared to alternative treatments, including any standard of care;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
the market acceptance of our product candidates;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
obtaining, maintaining, defending, and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
significant and changing government regulation; and
Column 1Column 2Column 3
the timing, receipt, and terms of any marketing approvals.

A change in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the development of our product candidates that we may develop could mean a significant change in the costs and timing associated with the
development of our product candidates. For example, if the FDA or another regulatory authority were to require us to conduct clinical trials or other testing beyond those that we currently contemplate for the completion of clinical development
of any of our product candidates that we may develop or if we experience significant delays in enrollment in any of our clinical trials, we could be required to expend significant additional financial resources and time on the completion of
clinical development of that product candidate.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and related benefit costs for personnel, including stock-based compensation and travel expenses for our employees in commercial, executive,
operational, finance, legal, business development, and human resource functions. In addition, other significant general and administrative expenses include professional fees for legal, consulting, investor and public relations, auditing, and
tax services as well as other expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities, insurance and other supplies used in general and administrative activities. We expect general and administrative expenses to increase for the foreseeable future due
to anticipated increases in headcount to support the continued advancement of our product candidates and our progression to commercial operations. We also anticipate that as we continue to operate as a public company with increasing complexity,
we will continue to incur increased accounting, audit, legal, regulatory, compliance and director and officer insurance costs as well as investor and public relations expenses.

Interest Expense

Interest expense in 2022 was related to our financing lease obligation for the Cranbury, NJ facility. Interest expense in 2021 and 2020 related to the 2021 Convertible Notes (as defined below), which were
converted into common stock on August 2, 2021, the 2022 Convertible Notes (as defined below), which were redeemed and converted into common stock in April 2021, and our financing lease obligation for the Cranbury, NJ facility.

Interest Income

Interest income is related to interest earned from investments and cash equivalents.

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Results of Operations

Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:

For the Years Ended December 31,
20222021Change
(in thousands)
Operating expenses:
Research and development$165,570$125,476$40,094
General and administrative58,77341,77217,001
Total operating expenses224,343167,24857,095
Loss from operations(224,343)(167,248)(57,095)
Research and development incentives5001,000(500)
Interest expense(1,862)(2,977)1,115
Interest and other income, net3,8893,068821
Amortization of premium on investments, net(47)(2,912)2,865
Total other income (expense), net2,480(1,821)4,301
Net loss$(221,863)$(169,069)$(52,794)

Research and Development Expenses

R&D expenses increased $40.1 million to $165.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in R&D expenses was primarily
driven by increases in manufacturing and development costs of $26.3 million, laboratory supplies of $6.6 million, compensation and benefits expense of $11.5 million due to increased R&D headcount, direct materials of $3.6 million, and
consulting and professional fees of $2.7 million. Increases noted were offset by a decrease in license fees of $12.9 million attributable to the expense in connection with warrants to purchase shares of common stock recorded for the year ended
December 31, 2021.

General and Administrative Expenses

G&A expenses increased $17.0 million to $58.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in G&A expenses was primarily
driven by increases in commercial preparation expenses which consists of commercial strategy, medical affairs, market development and pricing analysis of $4.9 million, compensation and benefits of
$4.4 million due to increased G&A headcount and acquisition related expense of $3.2 million.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income, net increased by $4.3 million to $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. The change was primarily driven by decreased
interest expense of $1.1 million associated with the 2022 Convertible Notes which were fully redeemed in April 2021 and the 2021 Convertible Notes which were converted in August 2021, an increase in interest and other income, net, of $0.8
million due to increased interest rates and an increase in investment amortization, net, of $2.9 million.

Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

For the Years Ended December 31,
20212020Change
(in thousands)
Operating expenses:
Research and development$125,476$105,438$20,038
General and administrative41,77228,86512,907
Total operating expenses167,248134,30332,945
Loss from operations(167,248)(134,303)(32,945)
Research and development incentives1,000-1,000
Interest expense(2,977)(6,967)3,990
Interest and other income, net3,0682,150918
Amortization of premium on investments, net(2,912)(580)(2,332)
Total other expense, net(1,821)(5,397)3,576
Net loss$(169,069)$(139,700)$(29,369)

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Research and Development Expenses

R&D expenses increased $20.0 million to $125.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase in manufacturing and
development costs of $14.8 million, an increase in compensation and benefits of $6.6 million due to increased R&D headcount, an increase in non-cash stock compensation expense of $4.8 million, an increase in lab supplies and office expense
of $2.9 million, an increase in depreciation and amortization of $1.9 million, offset by a decrease in new research agreements of $13.8 million in non-cash expenses due to the issuance of warrants in December 2020 and August and December 2021.

General and Administrative Expenses

G&A expenses increased $12.9 million to $41.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increases in G&A expenses were primarily driven by an increase
in non-cash stock compensation expense of $5.8 million, an increase in compensation and benefits of $1.8 million due to increased G&A headcount, an increase in office and administrative costs of $2.5 million due to increased insurance
costs, an increase in commercial preparation expenses of $2.2 million, offset by a decrease in debt conversion expense recorded for the year ended December 31, 2020 of $2.0 million due to the refinancing of the 2021 Convertible Notes in
February 2020. There were no debt conversion expenses recorded for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Other Expense, Net

Other expense, net was $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $5.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The change was primarily due to reduced interest expense associated with
the 2022 Convertible Notes which were fully redeemed in April 2021 and the 2021 Convertible Notes which were converted in August 2021, as well as a decrease of $2.3 million in accretion income related to our investments, due to lower interest
rates for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We have not generated any revenue and have incurred losses since inception. Operations of the Company are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, among others, uncertainty of drug candidate
development, technological uncertainty, uncertainty regarding patents and proprietary rights, having no commercial manufacturing experience, marketing or sales capability or experience, dependency on key personnel, compliance with government
regulations and the need to obtain additional financing. Drug candidates currently under development will require significant additional R&D efforts, including extensive preclinical and clinical testing and regulatory approval, prior to
commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel infrastructure and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities.

Our drug candidates are in the development and clinical stage. There can be no assurance that our R&D will be successfully completed, that adequate protection for our intellectual property will be obtained,
that any products developed will obtain necessary government approval or that any approved products will be commercially viable. Even if our product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, we will generate significant
revenue from product sales. We operate in an environment of rapid change in technology and substantial competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis of continuity of operations, realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. Rocket has
incurred net losses and negative cash flows from its operations each year since inception. Rocket incurred net losses of $221.9 million, $169.1 million, and $139.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. We
have experienced negative cash flows from operations and have an accumulated deficit of $713.8 million as of December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2022, we had $399.7 million of cash, cash equivalents and investments. We expect such resources
would be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through 2024. We have funded our operations primarily through the sale of equity.

On April 30, 2019, CIRM awarded the Company up to $6.6 million under a CLIN2 grant award to support the clinical development of its LV-based gene therapy for RP-L201. Proceeds from the grant will help fund
clinical trial costs as well as manufactured drug product for Phase 1/2 patients enrolled at the U.S. clinical site, University of California, Los Angeles (“UCLA”) Mattel Children’s Hospital, led by principal investigator Donald Kohn, M.D.,
UCLA Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology), Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA. In
2019, the Company received the first two grants from CIRM in the aggregate of $1.2 million which were included as an offset against R&D expenses. In 2020, the Company met additional CIRM milestones and received an additional $1.1 million
milestone which was recorded as a reduction of R&D expenses in 2020. The Company received the additional milestone payments of $1.1 million and $1.0 million in January and April of 2021, respectively. In March 2022, the Company met the next
CIRM milestone and received the $0.9 million milestone payment on April 5, 2022. No additional milestones were achieved as of December 31, 2022.

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In the longer term, our future viability is dependent on our ability to generate cash from operating activities or to raise additional capital to finance our operations. If we raise additional funds by issuing
equity securities, our stockholders will experience dilution. Any future debt financing into which we enter may impose upon us additional covenants that restrict our operations, including limitations on our ability to incur liens or additional
debt, pay dividends, repurchase our common stock, make certain investments and engage in certain merger, consolidation, or asset sale transactions. Any debt financing or additional equity that we raise may contain terms that are not favorable
to us or our stockholders. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed could have a negative impact on our financial condition and ability to pursue our business strategies.

At-the-Market Offering Program

On February 28, 2022, we entered into the Sales Agreement with Cowen and Company LLC (“Cowen”) with respect to an at-the-market offering program pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to time at our
sole discretion, shares through Cowen as our sales agent. The shares to be offered and sold under the Sales Agreement are being offered and sold pursuant to our shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-253756). We filed a
prospectus supplement with the SEC on February 28, 2022 in connection with the offer and sale of the shares and have agreed to pay Cowen a cash commission of 3.0% of gross proceeds from the sale of the shares pursuant to the Sales Agreement. We
also agreed to provide Cowen with customary indemnification and contribution rights and will also reimburse Cowen for certain expenses incurred in connection with the Sales Agreement. Through December 31,
2022, we have sold 3.3 million shares of common stock pursuant to the at-the-market offering program for gross proceeds of $48.0 million, less commissions of $1.4 million for net proceeds of $46.6 million.

Contractual Obligations

In the normal course of business, we enter into contracts and commitments that obligate us to make payments in the future. Information regarding our obligations relating to
income taxes and lease arrangements are provided in “Note 13. Income Taxes” and “Note 14. Commitments and Contingencies” to our consolidated financial statements contained in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that are material or reasonably likely to become material to our financial condition or results of operations.

Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our cash flows for each of the periods presented:

For the Years Ended December 31,
202220212020
Net cash used in operating activities$(178,142)$(121,163)$(74,640)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities(69,326)18,853(96,591)
Net cash provided by financing activities155,28837,681282,989
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash$(92,180)$(64,629)$111,758

Net Cash Used in Operating Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2022, operating activities used $178.1 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $221.9 million and net changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $6.1
million, partially offset by net non-cash charges of $37.6 million, including stock-based compensation expense of $31.0 million and depreciation and amortization expense of $6.3 million. Changes in our operating assets and liabilities for the
year ended December 31, 2022 consisted of an increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $9.7 million and an increase in prepaid expenses and other assets of $3.6 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, operating activities used $121.2 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $169.1 million and net changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $3.4
million, partially offset by net non-cash charges of $51.3 million, including expenses in connection with the issuance of warrant of $12.8 million, stock-based compensation expense of $29.2 million, amortization of premium on investments of
$2.9 million and depreciation and amortization expense of $5.4 million. Changes in our operating assets and liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted of a decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $4.8 million and a
decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets of $1.3 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, operating activities used $74.6 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $139.7 million and net changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $9.9
million, partially offset by net non-cash charges of $55.1 million, including expenses in connection with the issuance of warrants of $26.6 million, stock-based compensation expense of $18.6 million, accretion of discount on convertible notes
of $2.8 million and depreciation and amortization expense of $1.1 million. Changes in our operating assets and liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2020, consisted of an increase in finance lease liability of $0.5 million, an increase in
accounts payable and accrued expenses of $11.0 million and an increase in prepaid expenses and other assets of $1.5 million.

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Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Investing Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash used in investing activities was $69.3 million, consisting of proceeds of $272.9 million from the maturities of investments and proceeds of
$42.7 million from the acquisition of Renovacor, offset by purchases of investments of $376.3 million, purchases of property and equipment of $8.4 million and purchases of right of use assets of $0.3 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash provided by investing activities was $18.9 million, consisting of proceeds of $272.4 million from the maturities of investments, offset by
purchases of investments of $245.9 million, and purchases of property and equipment of $7.6 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used in investing activities was $96.6 million, consisting of proceeds of $141.8 million from the maturities of investments, offset by
purchases of investments of $209.3 million, purchases of property and equipment of $20.6 million, and payments made to acquire right of use asset of $8.5 million.

Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities

During the year ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities was $155.3 million, consisting primarily of proceeds related to the October 2022 Public Offering of $108.1 million and issuance
of common stock in connection with the at-the-market offering program of $46.6 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, net cash provided by financing activities was $37.7 million, consisting of proceeds from the issuance of common stock related to the August 2021 Private Placement of
$11.3 million and issuance of common stock, pursuant to exercises of stock options, of $26.4 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash provided by financing activities was $283.0 million, consisting primarily of proceeds from the issuance of common stock for $280.8 million. On December 14, 2020,
we completed a public offering of 5,339,286 shares of common stock, which included the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase an additional 696,428 shares of our common stock, at a public offering price of $56.00 per share. The
net proceeds to Rocket from the December 2020 public offering were approximately $280.8 million.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect
the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on
our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily
apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We periodically review our estimates as a result of changes in circumstances, facts and experience. The effects of material
revisions in estimates are reflected in the financial statements prospectively from the date of the change in estimate.

For a description of our significant accounting policies, refer to “Note 3 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” included in the notes to our consolidated financial statements appearing
elsewhere in this report. We consider the most critical accounting policies to be those related to our Accrued Research and Development Expenses, Stock-Based-Compensation, Goodwill and Intangible Assets.

Goodwill

Business combinations are accounted for under the acquisition method. The total cost of an acquisition is allocated to the underlying identifiable net assets, based on their respective estimated fair values as
of the acquisition date. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires management’s judgment and often involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including assumptions with respect to future cash
inflows and outflows, discount rates, asset lives and market multiples, among other items. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their estimated fair values. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of
the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Goodwill is tested for impairment annually as of December 31, or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. Examples of such events or
circumstances include, but are not limited to, a significant adverse change in legal or business climate, an adverse regulatory action or unanticipated competition. The Company has one segment and one reporting unit and as such review’s
goodwill for impairment at the consolidated level. When testing goodwill, the Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors for reporting units that carry goodwill. The qualitative assessment includes assessing the totality of
relevant events and circumstances that affect the fair value or carrying value of the reporting unit. These events and circumstances include macroeconomic conditions, industry and competitive environment conditions, overall financial
performance, reporting unit specific events and market considerations. The Company also considers recent valuations of the reporting unit, including the magnitude of the difference between the most recent fair value estimate and the carrying
value, as well as both positive and adverse events and circumstances, and the extent to which each of the events and circumstances identified may affect the comparison of a reporting unit’s fair value with its carrying value. If the qualitative
assessment results in a conclusion that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds the carrying value, then no further testing is performed for that reporting unit.

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The Company performed the qualitative assessment of its goodwill and determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the reporting unit. As a
result, the Company has determined there was no goodwill impairment as of and for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020.

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets related to in process research and development (“IPR&D”) projects are considered to be indefinite-lived until the completion or abandonment of the
associated R&D efforts. If and when development is complete, which generally occurs if and when regulatory approval to market a product is obtained, the associated assets would be deemed finite-lived and would then be amortized based on
their respective estimated useful lives at that point in time. IPR&D intangible assets which are determined to have had a drop in their fair value are adjusted downward and an expense recognized in R&D expenses in the Consolidated
Statements of Operations. These IPR&D intangible assets are tested at least annually or when a triggering event occurs that could indicate a potential impairment based on indicators including progress of R&D activities, changes in
projected development of assets, and changes in regulatory environment and future commercial markets.

Accrued Research and Development Expenses

As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our accrued research and development expenses. This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase
orders, communicating with our personnel to identify services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated costs incurred for the services when we have not yet been invoiced or
otherwise notified of the actual costs. The majority of our service providers invoice us in arrears for services performed, on a pre-determined schedule or when contractual milestones are met; however, some require advanced payments. We make
estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in our consolidated financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to us at that time. Examples of estimated accrued research and development expenses include fees
paid to:

Column 1Column 2Column 3
CROs in connection with performing R&D services on our behalf;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
investigative sites or other providers in connection with clinical trials;
Column 1Column 2Column 3
vendors in connection with non-clinical development activities; and
Column 1Column 2Column 3
vendors related to product manufacturing, development and distribution of clinical supplies.

We base our expenses related to clinical trials on our estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to contracts with multiple CROs that conduct and manage non-clinical studies and clinical
trials on our behalf. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation, vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. There may be instances in which payments made to our vendors will exceed the level
of services provided and result in a prepayment of the clinical expense. Payments under some of these contracts depend on factors such as the successful enrollment of patients and the completion of clinical trial milestones. In accruing service
fees, we estimate the time period over which services will be performed, enrollment of patients, number of sites activated and level of effort to be expended in each period. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of
effort varies from our estimate, we adjust the accrual or prepaid accordingly. Although we do not expect our estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, our understanding of the status and timing of services performed
relative to the actual status and timing of services performed may vary and may result in us reporting expenses that are too high or too low in any particular period.

Stock-Based Compensation

We issue stock-based awards to employees and non-employees, generally in the form of stock options and restricted stock units. We account for stock-based compensation awards in accordance with FASB ASC Topic
718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). ASC 718 requires all stock-based payments, including grants of stock options and restricted stock units and modifications to existing stock options, to be recognized in the consolidated
statements of operations and comprehensive loss based on their fair values. We measure the compensation expense of employee and non-employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award
on the grant date. That cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the period during which the employee and nonemployee is required to provide service in exchange for the award. The fair value of options on the date of grant is calculated
using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on key assumptions such as expected volatility and expected term. These assumptions are primarily based on the trading price of the Company’s stock, historical data, peer company data and
judgment regarding future trends and factors.

We classify stock-based compensation expense in our statements of operations in the same manner in which the award recipient’s payroll costs and services are classified or in which the award recipient’s service
payments are classified. The Company recognizes compensation expense for at least the portion of awards that are vested. Forfeitures are accounted for as they occur.

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

There were no recent accounting pronouncements that impacted the Company or are expected to have a significant effect on the consolidated financial statements.

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