1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Business Overview

Aratana Therapeutics, Inc., including its subsidiaries (the “Company” or “Aratana”), is a pet therapeutics company focused on licensing, developing and commercializing innovative biopharmaceutical products for companion animals. The Company has one operating segment: pet therapeutics.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2015 and the notes thereto in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2016. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of a normal and recurring nature, considered necessary for a fair presentation, have been included.

The Company has incurred recurring losses and negative cash flows from operations and has an accumulated deficit of $162,260 as of September 30, 2016. The Company expects to continue to generate operating losses for the foreseeable future. The Company believes that its cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments on hand will be sufficient to fund operations at least through September 30, 2017. As disclosed in Note 8 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has a term loan and a revolving credit facility with an aggregate principal balance of $40,000 as of September 30, 2016. The terms of this agreement require the Company to receive unrestricted net cash proceeds of at least $45,000 from partnering transactions and/or the issuance of equity securities from October 16, 2015 to October 16, 2016. The loan agreements also require that the Company have at least three products fully United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) or U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approved for commercialization by December 31, 2016. With the FDA approval of GALLIPRANT in March 2016 and the receipt of the upfront payment of $45,000 under the Elanco Animal Health, Inc. (“Elanco”) agreement (Note 10) entered into in April 2016, the Company has met both conditions. Additionally, the loan agreement requires that the Company maintain certain minimum liquidity at all times, which as of September 30, 2016, was approximately $38,600.

Consolidation

The Company’s consolidated financial statements include its financial statements, and those of its wholly-owned subsidiaries and a consolidated variable interest entity. Intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

To determine if the Company holds a controlling financial interest in an entity, the Company first evaluates if it is required to apply the variable interest entity (“VIE”) model to the entity. Where the Company holds current or potential rights that give it the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance combined with a variable interest that gives it the right to receive potentially significant benefits or the obligation to absorb potentially significant losses, the Company is the primary beneficiary of that VIE. When changes occur to the design of an entity, the Company reconsiders whether it is subject to the VIE model. The Company continuously evaluates whether it is the primary beneficiary of a consolidated VIE.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates are periodically reviewed in light of changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when all of the following conditions are met:

persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;

delivery has occurred or services have been rendered;

the seller’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable; and

collectibility is reasonably assured.

The Company’s principal revenue streams and their respective accounting treatments are discussed below:

(i) Product sales - Revenue for the sale of products is recognized when delivery has occurred and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred to the customer. Revenue for the sale of products are recorded net of sales returns, allowances and discounts.

(ii) Royalty revenue - Royalty revenue relating to the Company’s out-licensed technology is recognized when reasonably estimable. The revenues are recorded based on estimates of the licensee’s sales that occurred during the relevant period. Differences between actual and estimated royalty revenues are adjusted for in the period in which they become known, typically in the following quarter. If the Company is unable to reasonably estimate royalty revenue or does not have access to the information, then the Company records royalty revenue on a cash basis.

(iii) Licensing and collaboration revenues - Revenues derived from product out-licensing arrangements typically consist of an initial up-front payment at inception of the license and subsequent milestone payments contingent on the achievement of certain regulatory, development and commercial milestones.

Product out-licensing arrangements with multiple elements are divided into separate units of accounting if certain criteria are met. The up-front payment received is allocated among the separate units of accounting based on their respective fair values, and the applicable revenue recognition criteria are applied to each of the separate units of accounting. The application of the multiple element guidance requires subjective determinations, and requires the Company to make judgments about the individual deliverables and whether such deliverables are separable from the other aspects of the contractual relationship. Deliverables are considered separate units of accounting provided that:

(1) the delivered item(s) has value to the customer on a stand-alone basis and

(2) if the arrangement includes a general right of return relative to the delivered item(s), delivery or performance of the undelivered item(s) is considered probable and substantially in the Company's control.

In determining the units of accounting, the Company evaluates certain criteria, including whether the deliverables have stand-alone value, based on the consideration of the relevant facts and circumstances for each arrangement. In addition, the Company considers whether the buyer can use the other deliverable(s) for their intended purpose without the receipt of the remaining element(s), whether the value of the deliverable is dependent on the undelivered item(s), and whether there are other vendors that can provide the undelivered element(s).

Arrangement consideration that is fixed or determinable is allocated among the separate units of accounting using the relative selling price method, and the applicable revenue recognition criteria. The Company determines the estimated selling price for deliverables within each agreement using vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) of selling price, if available, third-party evidence (“TPE”) of selling price if VSOE is not available, or management's best estimate of the selling price (“BESP”) if neither VSOE nor TPE is available. Determining the BESP for a unit of accounting requires significant judgment. In developing the BESP for a unit of accounting, the Company considers applicable market conditions and relevant entity-specific factors, including factors that were contemplated in negotiating the agreement with the customer and estimated costs.

If there are deliverables in an arrangement that are not separable from other aspects of the contractual relationship, they are treated as a combined unit of accounting, with the allocated revenue for the combined unit recognized in a manner consistent with the revenue recognition applicable to the final deliverable in the combined unit.

Amounts received prior to satisfying all relevant revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferred revenue in the consolidated balance sheets and recognized as revenue when the related revenue recognition criteria are met. Amounts not expected to be recognized as revenue within the next twelve months of the consolidated balance sheet date are classified as long-term deferred revenue.

The Company recognizes revenue contingent upon the achievement of a milestone in its entirety in the period in which the milestone is achieved only if the milestone meets all the criteria to be considered substantive. At the inception of each arrangement that includes milestone payments, the Company evaluates each contingent payment on an individual basis to determine whether they are considered substantive milestones, specifically reviewing factors such as the degree of certainty in achieving the milestone, the research and development risk and other risks that must be overcome to achieve the milestone, as well as the level of effort and investment required and whether the milestone consideration is reasonable relative to all deliverables and payment terms in the arrangement. This evaluation includes an assessment of whether (a) the consideration is commensurate with either (1) the entity’s performance to achieve the milestone, or (2) the enhancement of the value of the delivered item(s) as a result of a specific outcome resulting from the entity’s performance to achieve the milestone, (b) the consideration relates solely to past performance and (c) the consideration is reasonable relative to all of the deliverables and payment terms within the arrangement.

Milestone payments which are non-refundable and deemed substantive, non-creditable and contingent on achieving certain development, regulatory, or commercial milestones are typically recognized as revenues either on achievement of such milestones or over the period the Company has continuing substantive performance obligations. The Company recognizes revenue associated with the non-substantive milestones upon achievement of the milestone if there are no undelivered elements and the Company has no remaining performance obligations. Revenues from commercial milestone payments are recorded as revenue upon achievement of the milestone, assuming all other revenue recognition criteria are met.

In the event that an agreement is terminated and the Company then has no further performance obligations, the Company recognizes as revenue any amounts that had not previously been recorded as revenue but were classified as deferred revenue at the date of such termination.

Cash considerations (including a sales incentive) given by the Company to a licensee/collaborator/customer is presumed to be a reduction of the selling prices of the Company’s products or services and is recognized as a reduction of revenue unless both of the following conditions are met:

a. The Company receives, or will receive, an identifiable benefit (goods or services) in exchange for the consideration. In order to meet this condition, the identified benefit must be sufficiently separable from the recipient’s purchase of the Company’s products such that the Company could have entered into an exchange transaction with a party other than a purchaser of its products or services in order to receive that benefit.

b. The Company can reasonably estimate the fair value of the benefit identified under the preceding condition. If the amount of consideration paid by the Company exceeds the estimated fair value of the benefit received, that excess amount shall be characterized as a reduction of revenue when recognized in the Company’s income statement.

If both conditions are met, the cash consideration is recognized as a cost incurred.

Pre-Launch Inventory

The Company may scale-up and make commercial quantities of certain of its product candidates prior to the date it anticipates that such products will receive final FDA/USDA approval. The scale-up and commercial production of pre-launch inventories involves the risk that such products may not be approved for marketing by the FDA/USDA on a timely basis, or ever. Inventory costs associated with product candidates that have not yet received regulatory approval are capitalized if the Company believes there is probable future commercial use and future economic benefit. If the probability of future commercial use and future economic benefit cannot be reasonably determined, then pre-launch inventory costs associated with such product candidates are expensed as research and development expense during the period the costs are incurred. Specifically, the Company has determined that for FDA-regulated product candidates there is a probable future commercial use and future economic benefit upon the receipt of the three major technical section complete letters from the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (“CVM”). For USDA product candidates, the Company has determined there is a probable future commercial use and future economic benefit upon the receipt of a conditional license from the USDA’s Center for Veterinary Biologics. The Company makes at least quarterly reassessments of the probability of regulatory approval and useful life of the pre-launch inventory, and determines whether such inventory continues to have a probable future economic benefit.

Property and Equipment, net

Property and equipment is recorded at historical cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $885 and $430 as of September 30, 2016, and December 31, 2015, respectively.

Intangible Assets, net

Beginning in the third quarter of 2016, the Company’s amortized intangible assets of intellectual property rights for currently marketed products include approval/post-approval milestone payments made under the Company’s license agreements. Amortization of intangible assets with finite lives is recognized over the time the intangible assets are estimated to contribute to future cash flows. The Company amortizes finite-lived intangible assets using the straight-line method as revenues cannot be reasonably estimated.

New Accounting Standards

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance on recognizing revenue in contracts with customers. The guidance affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (e.g., insurance contracts or lease contracts). This guidance will supersede the revenue recognition requirements in topic, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance. This guidance also supersedes certain cost guidance included in subtopic, Revenue Recognition – Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts. In addition, the existing requirements for the recognition of a gain or loss on the transfer of nonfinancial assets that are not in a contract with a customer (e.g., assets within the scope of topic, Property, Plant, and Equipment, and tangible assets within the scope of topic, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other) are amended to be consistent with the guidance on recognition and measurement (including the constraint on revenue) in this guidance.

The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.

In July 2015, the FASB approved a one-year delay in the effective date of the new revenue standard. These changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. Early adoption is permitted but not before the original effective date of January 1, 2017. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is currently assessing the impact this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern

In August 2014, the FASB issued guidance on management’s responsibility to evaluate, at each annual and interim reporting period, whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued and to provide related disclosures. The guidance requires management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that are currently in U.S. auditing standards. This guidance is effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that this new guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Inventory

In July 2015, the FASB issued guidance that requires entities to measure most inventory “at lower of cost and net realizable value” thereby simplifying the current guidance under which an entity must measure inventory at the lower of cost or market. This guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted and is to be applied using a prospective basis. The Company does not expect that this new guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that requires, for operating leases, a lessee to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in its balance sheet. The standard also requires a lessee to recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, on a generally straight-line basis. This guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted and is to be applied using a modified retrospective transition method. The Company is currently assessing the effect that adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Compensation – Stock Compensation

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance that simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions including accounting for income taxes, forfeitures and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. This guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the effect that adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flows

In August 2016, the FASB issued guidance on how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. This guidance addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. This guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, provided that all of the amendments are adopted in the same period. The guidance requires application using a retrospective transition method. The Company does not expect that this new guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.