Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 12 Months Ended |
Dec. 31, 2016 |
Accounting Policies [Abstract] | |
Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). |
Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates, including those related to revenue recognition, convertible notes and related warrants up to the date of conversion, common stock and stock-based compensation. The Company bases its estimates on various assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates. |
Cash and Cash Equivalents | Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company invests its excess cash in bank deposits, consisting primarily of money market mutual funds. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. |
Restricted Cash | Restricted Cash Restricted cash consists of certain checking, money market and certificate of deposit accounts that are: (i) pledged to or held in a segregated escrow account by the Company’s correspondent banks for the benefit of the holders of the redeemable convertible notes in order to facilitate the payment of the redeemable convertible notes upon redemption or at maturity as discussed in Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments | Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company applies fair value accounting for all financial assets and liabilities and non-financial assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or an exit price that would be paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy requires that an entity maximize the use of observable inputs when estimating fair value. The fair value hierarchy includes the following three-level classification which is based on the market observability of the inputs used for estimating the fair value of the assets or liabilities being measured: Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 – Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, 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 – Inputs that are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimate of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Fair value accounting is applied for all financial assets and liabilities and non-financial assets and liabilities that are recognized at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least annually). |
Property and Equipment | Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, which are three years for computer equipment and software, and three to seven years for laboratory and office equipment, furniture and leasehold improvements. |
Investments | Investments All investments have been classified as “available-for-sale” and are carried at estimated fair value as determined based upon quoted market prices or pricing models for similar securities. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments at the time of purchase and reevaluates such designation as of each balance sheet date. Unrealized gains and losses are excluded from earnings and are reported as a component of comprehensive loss. Realized gains and losses and declines in fair value determined to be other-than-temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in interest and other income. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific-identification method. Interest on short-term investments is included in interest and other income. |
Derivative Liability | Derivative Liability The embedded redemption feature in the redeemable convertible notes, which are convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock, is accounted for as a derivative liability at its estimated fair value. The derivative is subject to remeasurement at the end of each reporting period, with changes in fair value recognized as a component of interest and other income, in the consolidated statements of operations. The Company will continue to adjust the liability for changes in fair value until the earlier of the conversion, redemption or maturity of the redeemable convertible notes, as of December 31, 2016 the fair value was immaterial. |
Revenue Recognition | Revenue Recognition The Company enters into collaboration arrangements that may include the receipt of payments for up-front license fees, success-based milestone payments, full time equivalent based payments for research services, and royalties on any future sales of commercialized products that result from the collaborations. Revenue is recognized when the four basic criteria for revenue recognition are met: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) transfer of technology has been completed or services have been rendered; (3) the fee is fixed or determinable; and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. Revenue recognition for multiple element revenue arrangements will have deliverables associated with the arrangement divided into separate units of accounting provided that (i) a delivered item has value to the customer on a standalone basis and (ii) if the arrangement includes a general right of return relative to the delivered item, delivery or performance of the undelivered item is considered probable and substantially in the control of the vendor. As a biotechnology company with unique and specialized technological undelivered performance obligations associated with its collaborations, the Company’s multiple element arrangements most often involve deliverables and consideration that do not meet the criteria for having stand-alone value. Deliverables and performance obligations are accounted for under a single unit of accounting when they do not have stand-alone value and the related consideration is recognized as revenue over the estimated period of when the performance obligations are to be performed. The revenue is recognized on a proportional performance basis when the levels of the performance obligations under an arrangement can be reasonably estimated and on a straight-line basis when they cannot. The Company’s collaboration agreements entitle it to additional payments upon the achievement of performance-based milestones related to product development, regulatory actions and commercial events in certain geographic areas. Milestones that are not deemed probable or that are tied to counter-party performance are not included in the Company’s revenue until the performance conditions are met. If a collaborative agreement milestone is deemed to be substantive, as defined in the accounting rules, the Company is permitted to recognize revenue related to the milestone payment in its entirety. In the event milestones are deemed non-substantive, the Company recognizes, and defers if applicable, payments for the achievement of such non-substantive milestones over the estimated period of performance applicable to each collaborative agreement using the proportional performance method or on a straight-line basis, as appropriate. Amounts received under a collaborative agreement prior to satisfying revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Deferred revenue is recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as short-term or long-term based on its best estimate as to when such revenue will be recognized. Short-term deferred revenue consists of amounts that the Company expects to recognize as revenue in the next 12 months. Amounts that the Company expects will not be recognized prior to the next 12 months are classified as long-term deferred revenue. The Company’s performance obligations under its collaboration arrangements also consist of participation on steering committees and the performance of other research and development and business development services. The timing for satisfying these performance obligations can be difficult to estimate and can be subject to change over the course of these agreements. A change in the estimated timing for satisfying the Company’s performance obligations could change the timing and amount of revenue that the Company recognizes and records in future periods. |
Research and Development Expenses | Research and Development Expenses Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs consist of payroll and other personnel-related expenses, laboratory supplies and reagents, contract research and development services, and consulting costs, as well as allocations of facilities and other overhead costs. Under the Company’s collaboration agreements, certain specific expenditures are reimbursed by third parties. During the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded a reduction to research and development expenses of $0.1 million and $0.9 million, respectively related to these reimbursements. |
Concentration of Credit Risk | Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivable. The Company’s investment policy restricts cash investments to high credit quality, investment grade investments. The Company believes that it has established guidelines for investment of its excess cash that maintain safety and liquidity through its policies on diversification and investment maturity. The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of default by the institutions holding the cash and cash equivalents to the extent of the amounts recorded on the balance sheets The Company’s accounts receivable at December 31, 2016 was $0.01 million, due from ISU Abxis. The Company has incurred no credit losses to date. The Company does not require collateral from its collaboration partners. |
Income Taxes | Income Taxes Income taxes are computed using the liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The Company follows the authoritative guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. This guidance prescribes a more-likely-than-not threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken in the Company’s income tax returns. This interpretation also provides guidance on accounting for interest and penalties and associated with tax positions, accounting for income taxes in interim periods and income tax disclosures. The Company’s policy is to include penalties and interest expense related to income taxes as a component of other expense and interest expense, respectively, as necessary. |
Stock-Based Compensation | Stock-Based Compensation The Company measures the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award on the date of grant and recognizes the related expense over the period during which the employee or director is required to provide service in exchange for the award on a straight-line basis. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing valuation model to estimate the grant-date fair value of stock-based awards. The determination of fair value for stock-based awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model requires management to make certain assumptions regarding a number of variables. The Company records stock-based compensation as compensation expense, net of the estimated impact of forfeited awards. The Company applies a forfeiture rate to stock-based compensation expense using historical data to estimate pre-vesting option forfeitures. The Company estimates forfeitures at the time of grant, and revises those estimates in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ materially from those original estimates. As such, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense only for those stock-based awards that are expected to vest, over their requisite service period, based on the vesting provisions of the individual grants. For nonemployee stock-based awards, the measurement date on which the fair value of the stock-based award is calculated is equal to the earlier of (i) the date at which a commitment for performance by the counterparty to earn the equity instrument is reached or (ii) the date at which the counterparty’s performance is complete. The Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense for the fair value-based measurement of the nonemployee awards using the Black Scholes option-pricing valuation model and the awards are typically subject to periodic re-measurement over the period that services are rendered. |
Deferred Rent | Deferred Rent The Company’s facilities lease agreement provides for an escalation of rent payments each year. The Company records rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The difference between the amount of expense recognized and the amount of rent paid is recorded as deferred rent in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. |
Net Loss per Share | Net Loss per Share Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, without consideration for common stock equivalents. Diluted net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share, since the effects of potentially dilutive securities are antidilutive given the net loss of the Company for all periods presented. |