Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

Basis of Presentation — The accompanying Financial Statements are prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”).

Reverse Stock Split

Reverse Stock Split — Effective May 15, 2012, the Company completed a 1-for-7 reverse stock split of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock; no change was made to the per-share par value of the common stock or to the number of shares of authorized common stock. All share and per share amounts in the accompanying financial statements have been adjusted to reflect the reverse stock split as if it had occurred at the beginning of the earliest period presented.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition — Revenue consists of license fees from strategic alliances with pharmaceutical companies.

Monies received for license fees are deferred and recognized ratably over the performance period in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codifications (“ASC”) ASC 605-25, Revenue Recognition – Multiple-Element Arrangements (“ASC 605-25”). Milestone payments will be recognized upon achievement of the milestone as long as the milestone is deemed substantive and the Company has no other performance obligations related to the milestone and collectability is reasonably assured, which is generally upon receipt, or recognized upon termination of the agreement and all related obligations. Deferred revenue represents amounts received prior to revenue recognition.

      Revenues from contract research, government grants, and consulting fees are recognized over the respective contract periods as the services are performed, provided there is persuasive evidence or an arrangement, the fee is fixed or determinable and collection of the related receivable is reasonably assured. Once all conditions of the grant are met and no contingencies remain outstanding, the revenue is recognized as grant fee revenue and an earned but unbilled revenue receivable is recorded. There are no grant revenues earned for 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Other Income

Other Income — The Company realized other income of $0.1 million in 2014, resulting from foreign exchange gains, other income of $0.2 million in 2013 resulting from foreign exchange gains, and other income of $0.2 million in 2012 resulting from the sub-lease of its New York City rental property inherited on the acquisition of Innovive Pharmaceuticals in 2008. The sub-lease expired in August 2012 and was not renewed.

Cash Equivalents

Cash Equivalents — The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments with an original maturity of 90 days or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist primarily of amounts invested in money market accounts.

Short-term Investments

Short-term Investments — Investment securities held by the Company and expected to mature within 12 months are classified as available for sale.

Equipment and Furnishings

Equipment and Furnishings — Equipment and furnishings are stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method based on the estimated useful lives (generally three to five years for equipment and furniture) of the related assets. Whenever there is a triggering event that might suggest impairment, management evaluates the realizability of recorded long-lived assets to determine whether their carrying values have been impaired. The Company records impairment losses on long-lived assets used in operations when events and circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired and the non-discounted cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the carrying amount of those assets. Any impairment loss is measured by comparing the fair value of the asset to its carrying amount. There are no impairment losses recognized in each of 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements — Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on the balance sheets are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure the fair value. Level inputs are as follows:

Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 – other significant observable inputs for the assets or liabilities through corroboration with market data at the measurement date.

Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs that reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use to price the assets or liabilities at the measurement date.

The following table summarizes fair value measurements by level at December 31, 2014 for assets and liabilities measured

at fair value on a recurring basis:

(In thousands)	Level I		Level II		Level III			Total
Cash equivalents	$	31,159	$	—	$	—		$	31,159
Short-term investments		45,622		—		—			45,622
Warrant liability		—		—		(5,131	)		(5,131	)

The following table summarizes fair value measurements by level at December 31, 2013 for assets and liabilities measured

at fair value on a recurring basis:

(In thousands)	Level I		Level II		Level III			Total
Cash equivalents	$	10,281	$	—	$	—		$	10,281
Short-term investments		27,085		—		—			27,085
Warrant liabilities		—		—		(24,182	)		(24,182	)

 The changes in carrying amounts of warrant liabilities for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 were as follows:

(In thousands)	2014			2013
Beginning balance		24,182			3,972
Net changes in valuation		(19,051	)		20,210
Ending balance		5,131			24,182

Liabilities measured at market value on a recurring basis include warrant liabilities resulting from recent debt and equity financing. In accordance with ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (“ASC 815-40”), the warrant liabilities are being marked to fair value each quarter-end until they are completely settled. The warrants are valued using the Black-Scholes method, using assumptions consistent with the Company’s application of ASC 505-50, Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees (“ASC 505-50”). See Warrant Liabilities below.

The Company considers carrying amounts of accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses to approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these financial instruments.

Patents and Patent Application Costs

Patents and Patent Application Costs — Although the Company believes that its patents and underlying technology have continuing value, the amount of future benefits to be derived from the patents is uncertain. Patent costs are therefore expensed as incurred.

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share — Basic net income (loss) per common share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net income (loss) per common share is computed using the weighted-average number of common share and common share equivalents outstanding. Potentially dilutive stock options and warrants to purchase approximately 17.4 million, 14.7 million and 11.0 million shares at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, were excluded from the computation of diluted net income (loss) per share, because the effect would be anti-dilutive.

Warrant Liabilities

Warrant Liabilities —Liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis include warrant liabilities resulting from the Company’s August 2011 equity financings. In accordance with ASC 815-40, the warrant liabilities are being marked to fair value each quarter-end until they are completely settled. The warrants are valued using the Black-Scholes method, using assumptions consistent with our application of ASC 505-50. The gain or loss resulting from the fair value calculation is shown on the Statements of Operations as gain (loss) on warrant liability. See “Note 9 – Warrant Liabilities” for additional information related to the determination of fair value of warrants.

Shares Reserved for Future Issuance

Shares Reserved for Future Issuance — As of December 31, 2014, the Company has reserved approximately 0.7 million of its authorized but unissued shares of common stock for future issuance pursuant to its employee stock option plans issued to employees and consultants.

Stock-based Compensation

Stock-based Compensation — The Company’s stock-based employee compensation plans are described in Note 13. The Company has adopted the provisions of ASC 718, which requires the fair value measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees.

For stock options and stock warrants paid in consideration of services rendered by non-employees, the Company recognizes compensation expense in accordance with the requirements of ASC 505-50, Equity (“ASC 505”), as amended. Non-employee option grants that do not vest immediately upon grant are recorded as an expense over the vesting period. At the end of each financial reporting period prior to performance, the value of these options, as calculated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, is determined, and compensation expense recognized or recovered during the period is adjusted accordingly. Since the fair market value of options granted to non-employees is subject to change in the future, the amount of the future compensation expense is subject to adjustment until the common stock options or warrants are fully vested.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and Development Expenses — Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred for direct and overhead-related research expenses and are expensed as incurred. Costs to acquire technologies, including licenses and drugs, that are utilized in research and development and that have no alternative future use are expensed when incurred. Technology developed for use in its products is expensed as incurred until technological feasibility has been established.

Clinical Trial Expenses

Clinical Trial Expenses — Clinical trial expenses, which are included in research and development expenses, include obligations resulting from the Company’s contracts with various clinical research organizations in connection with conducting clinical trials for its product candidates. The Company recognizes expenses for these activities based on a variety of factors, including actual and estimated labor hours, clinical site initiation activities, patient enrollment rates, estimates of external costs and other activity-based factors. The Company believes that this method best approximates the efforts expended on a clinical trial with the expenses it records. The Company adjusts its rate of clinical expense recognition if actual results differ from its estimates. If its estimates are incorrect, clinical trial expenses recorded in any particular period could vary.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes — The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC 740-10, Income Taxes, (“ASC 740”) which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets for deductible temporary differences and operating loss carry-forwards using enacted tax rates in effect in the years the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred income tax benefit or expense is recognized as a result of changes in net deferred tax assets or deferred tax liabilities. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that some or all of any deferred tax assets will not be realized.

 The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax positon will be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the positon. The Company's policy is to recognize any interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expenses.

Concentrations of Risks

Concentrations of Risks — Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents in large well-capitalized financial institutions and the Company’s investment policy disallows investment in any debt securities rated less than “investment-grade” by national ratings services. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash or cash equivalent or its short-term investments.Cash and cash equivalents are maintained at financial institutions and, at times, balances may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has never experienced any losses related to these balances.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates — The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Significant estimates include the accrual for research and development expenses, the basis for the classification of estimated income taxes and the estimate of expense arising from the common stock options and warrants granted to employees and non-employees. Actual results could materially differ from those estimates.