Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

3. Fair Value Measurements

Financial assets and liabilities are recorded at fair value. The carrying amounts of certain of our financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, receivables from collaborations, prepaid research and development prepaid expenses and other current assets and accounts payable, accrued research and development, accrued compensation and employee benefits, accrued and other liabilities and deferred revenue, approximate their fair value due to their short maturities. The accounting guidance for fair value provides a framework for measuring fair value, clarifies the definition of fair value and expands disclosures regarding fair value measurements. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the reporting date. The accounting guidance establishes a three-tiered hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies in measuring fair value as follows:

Level 1 – Inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.

Level 2 – Inputs (other than quoted market prices included in Level 1) are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability through correlation with market data at the measurement date and for the duration of the instrument’s anticipated life.

Level 3 – Inputs reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. Consideration is given to the risk inherent in the valuation technique and the risk inherent in the inputs to the model.

A financial instrument’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Where quoted prices are available in an active market, securities are classified as Level 1. We classify money market funds as Level 1. When quoted market prices are not available for the specific security, then we estimate fair value by using quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant inputs are observable in the market or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets. Where applicable, these models project future cash flows and discount the future amounts to a present value using market-based observable inputs obtained from various third party data providers, including but not limited to, benchmark yields, interest rate curves, reported trades, broker/dealer quotes and market reference data. We classify our corporate notes, commercial paper, U.S. Treasuries and government agency securities and foreign currency forward contracts as Level 2. Level 2 inputs for the valuations are limited to quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability. Mid-market pricing is used as a practical expedient for fair value measurements. The fair value measurement of any asset or liability must reflect the non-performance risk of the entity and the counterparty to the transaction. Therefore, the impact of the counterparty’s creditworthiness, when in an asset position, and our creditworthiness, when in a liability position, has also been factored into the fair value measurement of the derivative instruments and did not have a material impact on the fair value of these derivative instruments. Both we and the counterparty are expected to continue to perform under the contractual terms of the instruments.

There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the periods presented.

In certain cases where there is limited activity or less transparency around inputs to valuation, securities are classified as Level 3. Our noncontrolling interest (Development Partner) includes the fair value of the contingent milestone and royalty payments, which is valued based on Level 3 inputs. Please refer to Note 8, "Asset Acquisition and License Agreements," for further information.

The following table sets forth the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities (excluding consolidated VIE’s cash), allocated into Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, that was measured on a recurring basis (in thousands):

	December 31, 2015
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Financial Assets:
Money market funds	$	22,074	$	–	$	–	$	22,074
Corporate notes and commercial paper		–		242,033		–		242,033
U.S. government agency securities		–		180,876		–		180,876
Total financial assets	$	22,074	$	422,909	$	–	$	444,983

	December 31, 2014
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Financial Assets:
Money market funds	$	24,915	$	–	$	–	$	24,915
Corporate notes and commercial paper		–		226,047		–		226,047
U.S. government agency securities		–		120,169		–		120,169
Total financial assets	$	24,915	$	346,216	$	–	$	371,131

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details