Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and applicable rules and regulations of the SEC regarding interim financial reporting. The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Vir and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation.

The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the annual consolidated financial statements and reflect, in the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal and recurring nature that are necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial information. The condensed consolidated results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021 or for any other future annual or interim period.

Certain information and footnote disclosures typically included in the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements have been condensed or omitted. As such, these interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2021.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting periods. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.

Concentration of Credit Risk, Credit Loss and Other Risks and Uncertainties

With the global spread of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has implemented a number of plans and policies designed to address and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business. The Company anticipates that the COVID-19 pandemic will have an impact on the clinical development timelines for some of its clinical programs. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts the Company’s business, clinical development and regulatory efforts, corporate development objectives and the value of and market for its common stock, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence at this time, such as the ultimate duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing and business closure requirements in the United States, Europe and other countries, and the effectiveness of actions taken globally to contain and treat the disease.

In addition, the Company is subject to a number of other challenges and risks similar to other biopharmaceutical companies in the early stage, including, but not limited to, the need to obtain adequate additional funding, possible failure of preclinical testing or clinical trials, the need to obtain marketing approval for its product candidates, competitors developing new technological innovations, the need to successfully commercialize and gain market acceptance of the Company’s products and protection of proprietary technology. If the Company does not successfully obtain regulatory approval, commercialize or partner any of its product candidates, it will be unable to generate revenue from product sales or achieve profitability. In addition, to the extent the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects the Company’s business and results of operations, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks and uncertainties discussed above.

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and short -term investments. Cash and cash equivalents are deposited in checking and sweep accounts at a financial institution. Such deposits may, at times, exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash and cash equivalents.

The Company’s investment policy limits investments to certain types of securities issued by the U.S. government, its agencies and institutions with investment-grade credit ratings and places restrictions on maturities and concentration by type and issuer. The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of a default by the financial institutions holding its cash, cash equivalents and investments, and issuers of the investments to the extent recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. As of March 31, 2021, the Company has no off-balance sheet concentrations of credit risk.

The Company is exposed to credit losses primarily through receivables from customers and collaborators and through its available-for-sale debt securities. The Company’s expected loss allowance methodology for the receivables is developed using historical collection experience, current and future economic market conditions, a review of the current aging status and financial condition of the entities. Specific allowance amounts are established to record the appropriate allowance for customers that have a higher probability of default. Balances are written off when determined to be uncollectible. The Company’s expected loss allowance methodology for the debt securities is developed by reviewing the extent of the unrealized loss, the size, term, geographical location, and industry of the issuer, the issuers’ credit ratings and any changes in those ratings, as well as reviewing current and future economic market conditions and the issuers’ current status and financial condition. The Company considered the current and expected future economic and market conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and determined that the estimate of credit losses was not significantly impacted. During the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, there was no allowance for losses on available-for-sale debt securities attributable to credit risk.

Investments

Investments include available-for-sale securities and are carried at estimated fair value. The Company’s valuations of marketable securities are generally derived from independent pricing services based on quoted prices in active markets for similar securities at period end. Generally, investments with original maturities beyond three months at the date of purchase and which mature at, or less than 12 months from, the condensed consolidated balance sheet date are considered short-term investments, with all others considered to be long-term investments. Unrealized gains and losses deemed temporary in nature are reported as a component of accumulated comprehensive income (loss). The amortized cost of debt securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity, which is included in interest income on the condensed consolidated statements of operations. The Company’s policy is not to measure an allowance for credit losses for interest receivable and to write off any uncollectible interest receivable as a reversal of interest income in the period in which it determines the interest will not be collected.

The Company, through its investment in Brii Biosciences Limited, holds privately held equity securities in which the Company does not have a controlling interest or significant influence. The Company’s investment in Brii Biosciences Limited is recorded at cost and adjusted for impairments and observable price changes with the same or similar security from the same issuer. The valuation of the Company’s investment in Brii Biosciences Limited utilizes significant unobservable inputs or data in an inactive market and the valuation requires the Company’s judgment due to the absence of market prices and inherent lack of liquidity. Additionally, the determination of whether an orderly transaction is for the same or similar investment requires significant management judgment including the nature of the rights and obligations of its investments, the extent to which differences in those rights and obligations would affect the fair values of those investments, and the impact of any differences based on the stage of operational development of the investee. See Note 6—Collaboration and License Agreements for additional information on the Company’s investment in Brii Biosciences Limited.

Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Restricted cash and cash equivalents represent money market funds to secure standby letters of credit and security deposits with financial institutions, both under office and laboratory space lease agreements. Additionally, funds received from certain grants are restricted as to their use and are therefore classified as restricted cash and cash equivalents.

Revenue Recognition

Grant Revenue

Grants received, including cost reimbursement agreements, are assessed to determine if the agreement should be accounted for as an exchange transaction or a contribution. An agreement is accounted for as a contribution if the resource provider does not receive commensurate value in return for the assets transferred. Contributions are recognized as grant revenue when all donor-imposed conditions have been met.

License and Contract Revenue

In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), the Company recognizes revenue when the Company’s customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods and services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements within the scope of ASC 606, the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when or as the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

For collaborative arrangements that fall within the scope of ASC 808, Collaborative Arrangements (“ASC 808”), the Company first determines which elements of the collaboration are deemed to be a performance obligation with a customer within the scope of ASC 606. For elements of collaboration arrangements that are accounted for pursuant to ASC 808 and are not subject to the guidance in ASC 606, the Company applies the revenue recognition model under ASC 606 or other guidance, as deemed appropriate. The Company has entered into a number of license and collaboration agreements that fall within the scope of ASC 606. The Company evaluates the promised goods or services in these agreements to determine which ones represent distinct performance obligations. These agreements may include the following types of promised goods or services: (i) grants of licenses, (ii) performance of research and development services, and (iii) participation on joint research and/or development committees. They also may include options to obtain licenses to the Company’s intellectual property.

Prior to recognizing revenue, the Company makes estimates of the transaction price, including variable consideration that is subject to a constraint. Amounts of variable consideration are included in the transaction price to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur and when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. These estimates are re-assessed each reporting period as required. These agreements may include the following types of consideration: non-refundable upfront payments, reimbursement for research services, research, development or regulatory milestone payments, and royalty and commercial sales milestone payments.

If there are multiple distinct performance obligations, the Company allocates the transaction price to each distinct performance obligation based on their estimated standalone selling prices (“SSP”). For performance obligations satisfied over time, the Company estimates the efforts needed to complete the performance obligation and recognizes revenue by measuring the progress towards complete satisfaction of the performance obligation using an input measure.

For arrangements that include sales-based royalties, including commercial milestone payments based on pre-specified level of sales, the Company recognizes revenue at the later of (i) when the related sales occur, or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied (or partially satisfied). Achievement of these royalties and commercial milestones may solely depend upon performance of the licensee.

Acquisitions

Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method, assets acquired, including in-process research and development (“IPR&D”) projects, and liabilities assumed are recorded at their respective fair values as of the acquisition date. Any excess fair value of consideration transferred over the fair value of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Contingent consideration obligations incurred in connection with the business combination are recorded at their fair values on the acquisition date and are remeasured each subsequent reporting period until the related contingencies are resolved and are classified as contingent consideration on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The changes in fair values of contingent consideration related to the achievement of various development milestones related to product candidates are recorded within research and development expense.

When the Company determines that entities acquired do not meet the definition of a business, the transaction is accounted for as an acquisition of assets. Therefore, the consideration paid to acquire IPR&D is expensed, and no goodwill is recorded. Any contingent consideration is generally recognized only when it becomes payable or is paid.

Embedded Derivatives

The Company evaluates its acquisitions, collaborative arrangements and other business development transactions to determine if embedded components of these contracts meet the definition of a derivative under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. In general, embedded derivatives are required to be bifurcated from the host instrument if (i) the embedded feature is not clearly and closely related to the host contract and (ii) the embedded feature, if considered a freestanding instrument, meets the definition of a derivative. Embedded derivatives are reported on the condensed consolidated balance sheets at their estimated fair values. Contingent consideration related to asset acquisitions that meet the definition of an embedded derivative is classified as contingent consideration on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Any change in estimated fair values, as determined at each measurement period, are recorded in the condensed consolidated statements of operations based on the nature of the related contingencies. Changes in fair values of embedded derivatives related to the achievement of various development milestones for product candidates are recorded within research and development expense. Otherwise, changes in fair values are recorded within other income (expense), net.