2. Basis of presentation and summary of significant accounting policies

(a) Basis of presentation

The accompanying consolidated and combined financial statements are presented in United States (“U.S.”) dollars and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). Unless indicated otherwise, all amounts herein are expressed in thousands of dollars.

Through a reorganization on March 12, 2014, AQXP Canada became a wholly owned subsidiary of Aquinox USA (see Note 7(d)). Prior to the reorganization, management determined that AQXP Canada and Aquinox USA were entities under common control as each of AQXP Canada and Aquinox USA were owned beneficially by identical shareholders and as such the basis of presentation of financial results prior to March 12, 2014 was on a combined basis. Subsequent to March 12, 2014, the basis of presentation of the financial results is on a consolidated basis. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated.

Certain presentation related to the effect of foreign exchange on cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated and combined statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 were corrected which resulted in a reclassification from “Foreign exchange loss and others” of $320 and $116, respectively, to “Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents” in the respective consolidated and combined statements of cash flows. The Company concluded that the reclassification and correction were immaterial to the consolidated and combined financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

(b) Capital requirements

The Company operates in a capital intensive business. To finance its operations, the Company is likely to require additional capital. The Company may seek to raise funds through equity or debt financing. There is no assurance that financing will be available to the Company or at terms acceptable to the Company. Failure to obtain sufficient funds on acceptable terms can have a negative impact on the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and future prospects.

(c) Foreign currency translation and transactions

The functional currency of the Company and its subsidiary is the U.S. dollar. Monetary assets and liabilities of the Company’s operations denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar are re-measured into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate prevailing as at the balance sheet date. Non-monetary assets and liabilities are translated at historical exchange rates prevailing at each transaction date.

Income and expenses are re-measured at the average exchange rates prevailing during the period, with the exception of amortization which is translated at historical exchange rates. Exchange gains and losses on translation are included in the consolidated and combined statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

(d) Use of estimates and assumptions

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management 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 and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Significant areas requiring management estimates include whether the use of the going concern assumption is appropriate, valuation of stock options and warrants, amortization and depreciation, accrual of expenses, valuation allowance for deferred income taxes, and contingencies. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

(e) Cash and cash equivalents

All highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the date of acquisition are considered to be cash equivalents.

(f) Short and long term investments

Short-term investments consist of bank term deposits and U.S. government agency securities with initial maturities of less than a year. Long-term investments consist of U.S. treasury securities with initial maturities of greater than a year but less than two years. Short-term investments and long-term investments are both classified as available-for-sale and carried at their estimated fair value with unrealized gains and losses recorded as a component of other comprehensive income. Realized gains and losses are recorded in net loss. The Company periodically reviews its investments for impairment and when a decline in market value is deemed to be other than temporary, the loss is recognized in net loss.

(g) Property and equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost less accumulated amortization. Amortization of property and equipment has been provided using the straight-line basis over a range of five years, except for leasehold improvements which are amortized over the lesser of useful life and term of the lease.

The Company reviews the carrying value of property and equipment for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable from the estimated future cash flows expected to result from its use and eventual disposition. In cases where undiscounted expected future cash flows are less than the carrying value, an impairment loss is recognized equal to an amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of assets. The factors considered by management in performing this assessment include current operating results, trends and prospects, the manner in which the property is used, and the effects of obsolescence, demand, competition, and other economic factors. Based on management’s assessment there was no impairment of property and equipment as at December 31, 2015 and 2014.

(h) Clinical trial accruals

As part of the process of preparing financial statements, the Company is required to estimate expenses resulting from its obligations under contracts with vendors, consultants and clinical site agreements in connection with conducting clinical trials. The financial terms of these contracts are subject to negotiations which vary contract to contract and may result in payment flows that do not match the periods over which materials or services are provided to the Company under such contracts. The Company’s objective is to reflect the appropriate clinical trial expenses in the financial statements by matching those expenses with the period in which services and efforts are expended. The Company accounts for these expenses according to the progress of the trial as measured by patient progression and the timing of various aspects of the trial.

During the course of a clinical trial, the Company adjusts the rate of clinical trial expense recognition if actual results differ from estimates. The Company prepares estimates of accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in the financial statements based on facts and circumstances known at that time. Although the Company does not expect the estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, the Company’s 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 the Company reporting amounts that are too high or too low for any particular period. The Company’s clinical trial accruals are dependent upon the timely and accurate reporting of contract research organizations and other third-party vendors.

(i) Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using ASC 740, Income Taxes which is an asset and liability approach that requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s financial statements or tax returns. In estimating future tax consequences, ASC 740 generally considers all expected future events other than enactments of and changes in the tax law or rates. The measurement of deferred tax assets is reduced, if necessary, by the extent of the valuation allowance. ASC 740 clarifies the criteria that must be met prior to recognition of the financial statement benefit of a position taken in a tax return. ASC 740 provides a benefit recognition model with a two-step approach consisting of a “more-likely-than-not” recognition criteria, and a measurement attribute that measures a given tax position as the largest amount of tax benefits that are more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. ASC 740 also requires the recognition of liabilities created by differences between tax positions taken in a tax return and amounts recognized in the financial statements.

Investment tax credits relating to scientific research and experimental development are accounted for in operating expenses. To the extent there is reasonable assurance the credits will be realized, they are recorded in the period the related expenditure is made as an income tax (provision) recovery. If investment tax credit amounts subsequently received are less or more than originally recorded, the difference is treated as a change in estimate.

Canadian tax rules impose a tax with respect to Canadian corporation taxable preferred stock and their liquidation rights. In prior periods, AQXP Canada has recorded this tax on preferred stock as a non-current accrued tax payable on its balance sheet, on the same basis as it recorded the accretion of preferred stock.

(j) Research and development costs

Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred and include items such as: employee related expenses, including salaries and benefits, expenses incurred under agreements with contract research organizations and investigative sites that conduct clinical trials and preclinical studies, the cost of acquiring, developing and manufacturing clinical trial materials, facilities, and other expenses, which include direct and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities, and other supplies and costs associated with clinical trials, preclinical activities, and regulatory operations.

Development costs are expensed in the period incurred unless management believes a development project meets generally accepted accounting criteria for deferral and amortization. No product development expenditures have been deferred to date. The Company records costs for certain development activities, such as clinical trials, based on management’s evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using data such as patient enrollment, clinical site activations, or information provided to the Company by vendors on their actual costs incurred. Payments for these activities are based on the terms of the individual arrangements, which may differ from the pattern of costs incurred, and are reflected in the consolidated and combined financial statements as prepaid or accrued expense.

(k) Accounting for stock-based compensation

The Company measures the cost of services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award. The cost of such award will be recognized over the period during which services are provided in exchange for the award, generally the vesting period. All share-based payments to employees are recognized in the financial statements based upon their respective grant date fair values.

The Company estimates the fair value of options granted using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. This approximation uses assumptions regarding a number of inputs that requires management to make significant estimates and judgments. Prior to the completion of the IPO in March 2014, the Company’s common stock was not publicly traded. As a result, the expected volatility assumption is based on industry peer information due to insufficient trading history of the Company’s common stock. Additionally, because the Company has no significant history to calculate the expected term, the simplified method calculation was used.

(l) Segment reporting

The Company operates in one segment, the identification and development of therapeutics for inflammatory diseases and cancer. All of the Company’s operations are performed in Canada. Total assets held in the U.S., comprised primarily of cash and cash equivalents, prepayments, short-term investments and long-term investments, were $111,366 as of December 31, 2015 (December 31, 2014 – $33,102).

(m) Net Loss per share

Basic net loss per common share is computed by dividing loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per common share is determined using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, adjusted for the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents, consisting of shares that might be issued upon exercise of common stock options and warrants. In periods where losses are reported, the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding excludes common stock equivalents because their inclusion would be anti-dilutive.

(n) Derivative liabilities and fair value of financial instruments

The Company accounts for currently outstanding detachable warrants to purchase common stock as liabilities as they are freestanding derivative financial instruments. The warrants are recorded as liabilities at fair value, estimated using a Black-Scholes option pricing model, and marked to market at each balance sheet date, with changes in the fair value of the derivative liabilities recorded in the consolidated and combined statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Prior to the Company’s IPO in March 2014, the Company had preferred stock with conversion and redemption features. All shares of preferred stock were converted to common shares upon the Company’s IPO. The Company allocated the total consideration received for issuing preferred stock and warrants based on the relative fair value of each security at the date of issuance. This allocation resulted in a discount to the initial carrying amount of the preferred stock at the date of issuance that was amortized over the life of the preferred stock and was recorded as “amortization of discount on preferred stock” in the consolidated and combined statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company also evaluated and accounted for the conversion and redemption options embedded in these convertible instruments as free standing derivative financial instruments and recorded these as preferred stock embedded derivatives on its consolidated balance sheets at fair value with changes in the fair values of these derivatives recorded in the consolidated and combined statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

The Company applied the residual value method to record the fair value of warrants issued with loans as a discount to the initial carrying amount of loans at the date of issuance. Loans were measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method which is a method of calculating the amortized cost of a financial liability and allocating the effective interest expense over the term of the financial liability. Interest expense was recorded in interest expense and financing costs in the consolidated and combined statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The interest rate was the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash payments throughout the term of the financial instrument to the net carrying amount of the financial liability. Debt issuance costs were capitalized, recorded as deferred financing costs, and were amortized into financing costs in the consolidated and combined statements of operations and comprehensive loss using the effective interest method.

ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements requires disclosures about transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 and separate disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements. It also clarifies existing fair value disclosures regarding the level of disaggregation and the inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value. ASC 820 defines fair value as the amounts that would be received upon sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). The guidance also established a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the use of inputs used in valuation techniques into the following three levels:


Level 1–		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2–		Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
Level 3–		Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

(o) Concentration of credit risk

Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk, consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and long-term investments. Cash, cash equivalents and investments are invested in accordance with the Company’s investment policy. The primary objective for the Company’s investment portfolio is the preservation of capital and maintenance of liquidity and includes guidelines on the quality of financial instruments and defines allowable investments that the Company believes minimizes the exposure to concentration of credit risk.

(p) Recently issued and recently adopted accounting standards

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15 “Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern,” outlining management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, along with the required disclosures. ASU 2014-15 is effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not anticipate a material impact to the Company’s financial statements as a result of this change.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17 “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes,” which requires entities to present deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. It thus simplifies the current guidance, which requires entities to separately present deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as current or noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. ASU 2015-17 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not anticipate a material impact to the Company’s financial statements as a result of this change.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01 “Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities,” which revises an entity’s accounting related to (1) the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities and (2) the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities measured at fair value. The ASU also amends certain disclosure requirements associated with the fair value of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted under certain circumstances. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2016-01 on the Company’s financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 “Leases (Topic 842)”, which requires the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases with a lease term of greater than 12 months. Upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02, leases will be recognized and measured at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach. The modified retrospective approach includes a number of optional practical expedients that companies may elect to apply. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact of ASU 2016-02 on the Company’s financial statements and whether to elect to apply the optional practical expedients under the modified retrospective approach.

(q) Risks and uncertainties

The Company is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. These risks, among others, included the following:

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the Company has no source of revenue, has an accumulated deficit of $111,276 as of December 31, 2015, may never become profitable and may incur substantial and increasing net losses for the foreseeable future as it continues development of, seeks regulatory approvals for, and potentially begins to commercialize AQX-1125, its lead product candidate, and any future product candidates;

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the Company is likely to require additional capital to finance its operations which may not be available to it on acceptable terms, or at all;

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the Company’s success is primarily dependent on the successful development, regulatory approval and commercialization of AQX-1125, its lead product candidate, and any future product candidates;

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SHIP1 has not been validated as a target;

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the Company is subject to regulatory approval processes that are lengthy, time consuming and inherently unpredictable; the Company may not be able to obtain approval for AQX-1125 or any future product candidates from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, or foreign regulatory authorities;

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the Company’s intellectual property rights can be difficult and costly to protect;

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the Company may not be able to recruit or retain key employees, including its senior management team;

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the Company depends on the performance of third parties, including contract research organizations and third-party manufacturers; and

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the Company faces competition from other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, governmental agencies, and public and private research institutions, among others.