6. Accounting for Share-Based Payments

Stock Options

ASC Topic 718 “Compensation—Stock Compensation” requires companies to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for the award of equity instruments based on the estimated fair value of the award at the date of grant. The expense is to be recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide services in exchange for the award. Synergy accounts for shares of common stock, stock options and warrants issued to non-employees based on the fair value of the stock, stock option or warrant, if that value is more reliably measurable than the fair value of the consideration or services received. The Company accounts for stock options issued and vesting to non-employees in accordance with ASC Topic 505-50 “Equity -Based Payment to Non-Employees” and accordingly the value of the stock compensation to non-employees is based upon the measurement date as determined at either a) the date at which a performance commitment is reached, or b) at the date at which the necessary performance to earn the equity instruments is complete. Accordingly the fair value of these options is being “marked to market” quarterly until the measurement date is determined.

Synergy adopted the 2008 Equity Compensation Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) during the quarter ended September 30, 2008. Stock options granted under the Plan typically vest after three years of continuous service from the grant date and have a contractual term of ten years. Synergy did not issue stock options prior to the quarter ended September 30, 2008.

On January 17, 2013, Synergy amended its 2008 Equity Compensation Incentive Plan and increased the number of shares of its common stock reserved for issuance under the Plan from 7,500,000 to 15,000,000.

On June 8, 2015, our stockholders approved an increase in the number of our common stock shares reserved for issuance under the Plan from 15,000,000 to 30,000,000. As of December 31, 2015, there were 18,869,771 stock options outstanding under the 2008 Equity Compensation Incentive Plan, or Plan, and 323,500 options outstanding under the 2009 Directors Option Plan, or Directors Plan, with 11,130,229 stock options available for future issuance under the Plan and 176,500 stock options available under the Directors Plan.

Stock-based compensation expense related to Synergy options and restricted stock units have been recognized in operating results as follows:

	Year Ended
	December 31,
($ in thousands)	2015		2014		2013
Included in research and development expense	$	2,452	$	1,914	$	1,465
Included in selling, general and administrative	7,272		2,808		3,149

Total stock-based compensation expense	$	9,724	$	4,722	$	4,614

The unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options outstanding at December 31, 2015, net of expected forfeitures, was approximately $17.6 million to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining vesting period of approximately 2.17 years. This unrecognized compensation cost does not include amounts related to 2,159,500 shares of stock options which vest only upon a change of control. At December 31, 2014, the unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options outstanding, net of expected forfeitures, was approximately $9.1 million to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining vesting period of approximately 2 years. This unrecognized compensation cost does not include amounts related to the 2,159,500 shares of stock options which vest only upon a change of control.

The estimated fair value of stock option awards was determined on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option valuation model with the following weighted-average assumptions during the periods indicated.

	Year Ended
	December 31,
($ in thousands)	2015	2014	2013
Risk-free interest rate	1.46%-2.02%	1.78%-2.30%	0.66%-2.75%
Dividend yield	—	—	—
Expected volatility	50%-80%	52%-60%	60	%
Expected term (in years)	6.0 years	6.0 years	6.0 years

Risk-free interest rate —Based on the daily yield curve rates for U.S. Treasury obligations with maturities which correspond to the expected term of the Company’s stock options.

Dividend yield —Synergy has not paid any dividends on common stock since its inception and does not anticipate paying dividends on its common stock in the foreseeable future.

Expected volatility —Based on the historical volatility of Synergy stock.

Expected term —Synergy has had minimal stock options exercised since inception. The expected option term represents the period that stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding based on the simplified method provided in Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 107, Share-Based Payment , (“SAB No. 107”), which averages an award’s weighted-average vesting period and expected term for “plain vanilla” share options. Under SAB No. 107, options are considered to be “plain vanilla” if they have the following basic characteristics: (i) granted “at-the-money”; (ii) exercisability is conditioned upon service through the vesting date; (iii) termination of service prior to vesting results in forfeiture; (iv) limited exercise period following termination of service; and (v) options are non-transferable and non-hedgeable.

In December 2007, the SEC issued SAB No. 110, Share-Based Payment, (“SAB No. 110”). SAB No. 110 was effective January 1, 2008 and expresses the views of the Staff of the SEC with respect to extending the use of the simplified method, as discussed in SAB No. 107, in developing an estimate of the expected term of “plain vanilla” share options in accordance with ASC Topic 718. The Company will continue to use the simplified method until it has the historical data necessary to provide a reasonable estimate of expected life in accordance with SAB No. 107, as amended by SAB No. 110. For the expected term, the Company has “plain-vanilla” stock options, and therefore used a simple average of the vesting period and the contractual term for options granted subsequent to January 1, 2006 as permitted by SAB No. 107.

Forfeitures —ASC Topic 718 requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Synergy estimated future unvested option forfeitures based on its historical experience.

The weighted-average fair value per share of all options granted for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 estimated as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes option valuation model was $3.79, $1.98 and $2.68 per share respectively.

A summary of stock option activity and of changes in stock options outstanding under Synergy’s plans is presented below:

					Weighted Average		Intrinsic		Weighted Average
	Number of		Exercise Price		Exercise Price		Value		Remaining
	Options		Per Share		Per Share		($ in thousands)		Contractual Term
Balance outstanding, December 31, 2012	9,734,268		$	0.50-5.20	$	2.75	$	24,482	8.10 years
Granted	2,545,965		$	0.44 -20.01	$	6.41	—
Exercised	(61,787	)	$	0.50-4.28	$	1.91	$	221
Forfeited	(894,397	)	$	4.42-13.90	$	6.05	—


Balance outstanding, December 31, 2013	11,324,049		$	0.44-20.01	$	3.31	$	37,521	6.94 years
Granted	5,528,000		$	2.83-4.24	$	3.47	—
Exercised	(9,999	)	$	3.40-3.95	$	3.58	$	25
Forfeited	(275,030	)	$	4.24-20.01	$	13.42	—


Balance outstanding, December 31, 2014	16,567,020		$	0.44-17.79	$	3.20	$	8,949	7.29 years
Granted	4,961,112		$	2.94-9.33	$	6.51	—
Exercised	(269,720	)	$	2.98-6.28	$	4.24	$	904
Forfeited	(305,037	)	$	2.98-9.45	$	6.22	—

Balance outstanding, December 31, 2015 (1)	20,953,375		$	0.44-9.12	$	3.86	$	42,438	7.15 years


Exercisable at December 31, 2015	9,858,717		$	0.44-7.91	$	3.28	$	23,668	6.02 years

(1)

The number of options represented above includes 2,159,500 options with vesting contingent upon change of control granted on November 20, 2009. The fair value at the date of grant was approximately $28,564,103 determined using the Black-Scholes option valuation model assumptions discussed above. No stock based compensation expense associated with these options was recognized since the grant date.

ASC Topic 718 requires that cash flows resulting from tax deductions in excess of the cumulative compensation cost recognized for options exercised (excess tax benefits) be classified as cash inflows from financing activities and cash outflows from operating activities. Due to Synergy’s accumulated deficit position, no excess tax benefits have been recognized. Synergy accounts for common stock, stock options, and warrants granted to employees and non-employees based on the fair market value of the instrument, using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on assumptions for expected stock price volatility, term of the option, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend yield, at the grant date.