Sophiris Bio (SPHS) 10-Q 13 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_And_Entity_Informatio

Document And Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	1-May-15
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	SOPHIRIS BIO INC.
Document Type	10-Q
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		16,844,736
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Central Index Key	1563855
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Smaller Reporting Company
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$7,994	$4,123
Securities available-for-sale	9,048	18,572
Other receivables	16	16
Prepaid expenses	2,506	2,825
Total current assets	19,564	25,536
Property and equipment, net	31	36
Other long-term assets	19	19
Total assets	19,614	25,591
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	1,548	2,633
Accrued expenses	1,459	2,307
Current portion of promissory notes	1,055	598
Total current liabilities	4,062	5,538
Long-term promissory notes	4,920	5,343
Stock-based compensation liability	33	22
Total liabilities	9,015	10,903
Shareholders’ equity:
Common shares, unlimited authorized shares, no par value; 16,844,736 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014	113,095	113,095
Contributed surplus	17,267	17,053
Accumulated other comprehensive gain	100	99
Accumulated deficit	-119,863	-115,559
Total shareholders’ equity	10,599	14,688
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$19,614	$25,591

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parentheticals) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Common shares, authorized shares
Common shares, shares issued	16,844,736	16,844,736
Common shares, shares outstanding	16,844,736	16,844,736
Common shares, par value (in Dollars per share)	$0	$0

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Operating expenses:
Research and development	$3,081	$6,830
General and administrative	1,048	1,451
Total operating expenses	4,129	8,281
Other income (expense):
Interest expense	-176	-208
Interest income	8	17
Gain on revaluation of warrant liability		29
Other expense	-7	-17
Total other expense	-175	-179
Net loss	-4,304	-8,460
Basic and diluted loss per share (in Dollars per share)	($0.26)	($0.52)
Weighted average number of outstanding shares – basic and diluted (in Shares)	16,845	16,150
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale	1	3
Total other comprehensive loss	($4,303)	($8,457)

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash flows used in operating activities
Net loss for the period	($4,304,000)	($8,460,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used by operating activities:
Stock-based compensation	227,000	609,000
Amortization of debt discount	34,000	68,000
Depreciation of property and equipment	5,000	21,000
Amortization of promissory note issuance costs		17,000
Amortization of discount on securities available-for-sale	2,000	17,000
Change in fair value warrant liability		-29,000
Foreign exchange transaction loss	15,000	16,000
Other	1,000	2,000
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Other receivables		-5,000
Prepaid expenses	319,000	-301,000
Accounts payable	-1,094,000	2,947,000
Accrued expenses	-849,000	-1,036,000
Net cash used in operating activities	-5,644,000	-6,134,000
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Maturities of securities available-for-sale	12,120,000	15,450,000
Purchases of securities available-for-sale	-2,598,000	-3,799,000
Net cash provided by investing activities	9,522,000	11,651,000
Cash flows used in financing activities
Payment of issuance costs in connection with public offering		-53,000
Principal payments on promissory notes		-1,661,000
Net cash used in financing activities		-1,714,000
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	-7,000	-10,000
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	3,871,000	3,793,000
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,123,000	14,839,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	7,994,000	18,632,000
Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Reclassification of fair value of warrant liability to equity as a result of the amendment of the underlying common share purchase warrants		834,000
Change in the fair value of stock-based compensation liability recorded to contributed surplus	$11,000	$20,000

Note_1_Nature_of_the_Business

Note 1 - Nature of the Business	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Nature of Operations [Text Block]	1	Nature of the business
	Company
	Sophiris Bio Inc., or the Company, or Sophiris, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company currently developing PRX302 for treatment of the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, commonly referred to as an enlarged prostate and for the treatment of localized low to intermediate risk prostate cancer. The Company is governed by the British Columbia Business Corporations Act. The Company’s operations were initially located in Vancouver, British Columbia until April 2011, when its core activities and headquarters relocated from Vancouver, British Columbia to San Diego, California.
	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Sophiris Bio Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Sophiris Bio Corp. and Sophiris Bio Holding Corp., both of which are incorporated in the State of Delaware.
	Liquidity
	The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has incurred significant operating losses since inception and has relied on its ability to fund its operations through private and public equity financings and debt financings. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 the Company incurred a net loss of $4.3 million and $8.5 million, respectively, and used $5.6 million and $6.1 million of cash in operations, respectively. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had $17.0 million and $22.7 million, respectively, in cash, cash equivalents and securities available-for-sale. Any clinical development efforts beyond the Company’s ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in BPH and its planned Phase 2a proof of concept clinical trial in localized low to intermediate risk prostate cancer will require additional funding. The Company has historically financed its operations through public or private equity offerings, debt financings or strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements, as well as through interest income earned on cash balances. Subject to limited exceptions, the Company’s Loan and Security Agreement with Oxford Finance LLC, or Oxford, prohibits the Company from incurring indebtedness without the prior written consent of Oxford. If the Company is unable to raise additional capital to fund its development program efforts beyond its ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in BPH and its planned Phase 2a proof of concept clinical trial in localized low to intermediate risk prostate cancer in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to it, the Company may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development and commercialization of PRX302. The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and securities available-for-sale as of March 31, 2015 will be sufficient to fund its operations through the end of April 2016.

Note_2_Summary_of_Significant_

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	2	Summary of significant accounting policies
	Significant accounting policies followed by the Company in the preparation of its condensed consolidated financial statements are as follows:
	Basis of consolidation
	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, Sophiris Bio Corp. and Sophiris Bio Holding Corp. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated for purposes of consolidation.
	Basis of presentation and use of estimates
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP, for the interim financial information and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, related to quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for annual audited financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, or Annual Report, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2015 and the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K on April 27, 2015. The accompanying year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. In the opinion of management, these condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair statement of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the interim periods shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future period, including the full year.
	GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and judgments that may affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and related disclosures. The Company bases estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. The significant estimates in these condensed consolidated financial statements include stock-based compensation expense, warrant liability and accrued research and development expenses, including accruals related to the Company’s ongoing clinical trials. The Company’s actual results may differ from these estimates. The Company evaluates its estimates on an ongoing basis. Changes in estimates are reflected in reported results in the period in which they become known by the Company’s management.
	Foreign currency
	Gains and losses resulting from foreign currency translation are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss), which is a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are recognized as a component of other expense. The Company recorded foreign exchange transaction losses of $7,000 and $16,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	Cash and cash equivalents
	Cash equivalents are short-term, highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase.
	Securities Available-for-Sale
	Investments with an original maturity of more than three months when purchased have been classified by management as securities available-for-sale. Such investments are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss) in shareholders’ equity. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary on available-for-sale securities are included in interest income. No other-than-temporary impairments were identified for the investment securities held by the Company as of March 31, 2015 or December 31, 2014. The cost of investment securities classified as available-for-sale is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity. Such amortization and accretion are included in interest income. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific-identification method. The Company has classified all of its investment securities as available-for-sale, including those with maturities beyond one year, as current assets on the consolidated balance sheets based on the highly liquid nature of the investment securities and because these investment securities are considered available for use in current operations.
	Revenue recognition
	The Company may enter into product development agreements with collaborative partners for the research and development of products for the treatment of urological diseases. The terms of the agreements may include nonrefundable signing and licensing fees, milestone payments and royalties on any product sales derived from collaborations. These multiple element arrangements are analyzed to determine whether the deliverables can be separated or whether they must be accounted for as a single unit of accounting. License fees are recognized as revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the fee is fixed or determinable, delivery or performance has substantially completed and collection is reasonably assured.
	The Company recognizes up front license payments as revenue upon delivery of the license only if the license has stand-alone value to the customer and if the agreement includes a general right of return, the delivery or performance of undelivered items is considered probable and within the control of the Company. The payment is generally allocated to the separate units of accounting based on their relative selling prices. The selling price of each deliverable is determined using vendor specific objective evidence of selling prices, if it exists; otherwise, third-party evidence of selling prices. If neither vendor specific objective evidence nor third-party evidence exists, the Company uses its best estimate of the selling price for each deliverable. The payment allocated is limited to the amount that is not contingent on the delivery of additional items or fulfillment of other performance conditions.
	Whenever the Company determines that an arrangement should be accounted for as a single unit of accounting, it must determine the period over which the performance obligations will be performed and revenue recognized. If the Company cannot reasonably estimate the timing and the level of effort to complete its performance obligations under the arrangement, then revenue under the arrangement is recognized on a straight-line basis over the period the Company is expected to complete its performance obligations.
	The Company evaluates milestone payments on an individual basis and recognizes revenue from non-refundable milestone payments when the earnings process is complete and the payment is reasonably assured. Non-refundable milestone payments related to arrangements under which the Company has continuing performance obligations are recognized as revenue upon achievement of the associated milestone, provided that (i) the milestone event is substantive and its achievability was not reasonably assured at the inception of the agreement and (ii) the amount of the milestone payment is reasonable in relation to the effort expended or the risk associated with the milestone event. Any amounts received under agreements in advance of performance, if deemed substantive, are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized as revenue as the Company completes its performance obligations. A milestone event is considered substantive if (i) the milestone is commensurate with either (a) the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone or (b) the enhancement of the value of the delivered item(s) as a result of a specific outcome resulting from the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone; (ii) it relates solely to past performance and (iii) it is reasonable relative to all of the deliverables and payment terms (including other potential milestone consideration) within the arrangement. If any portion of the milestone payment does not relate to the Company’s performance, does not relate solely to past performance or is refundable or adjustable based on future performance, the milestone is not considered to be substantive. Milestone payments are not bifurcated into substantive and non-substantive components. Payments related to the achievement of non-substantive milestones is deferred and recognized over the Company’s remaining performance period.
	Royalty revenue will be recognized upon the sale of the related products provided the Company has no remaining performance obligations under the arrangement.
	Research and development expenses
	Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. Research and development expenses comprise costs incurred in performing research and development activities, including personnel-related costs, stock-based compensation, facilities, research-related overhead, clinical trial costs, contracted services, manufacturing, license fees and other external costs. The Company accounts for nonrefundable advance payments for goods and services that will be used in future research and development activities as expenses when the service has been performed or when the goods have been consumed rather than when the payment is made.
	Accrued research and development expenses
	Clinical trial costs are recorded as a component of research and development expenses. The Company accrues and expenses clinical trial activities performed by third parties based upon estimates of the percentage of work completed of the total work over the life of the individual study in accordance with agreements established with clinical research organizations and clinical trial sites. The Company determines the estimates through discussions with internal clinical personnel and external service providers as to the progress or stage of completion of trials or services and the agreed-upon fee to be paid for such services based on facts and circumstances known to the Company as of each balance sheet date. However, actual costs and timing of clinical trials are highly uncertain, subject to risks and may change depending upon a number of factors, including the Company’s clinical development plan.
	If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from the estimate, the Company will adjust the accrual accordingly. Adjustments to prior period estimates have not been material.
	Examples of estimated accrued research and development expenses include:
		•	fees paid to clinical research organizations in connection with clinical studies;
		•	fees paid to investigative sites in connection with clinical studies;
		•	fees paid to vendors in connection with preclinical development activities;
		•	fees paid to vendors associated with the development of companion diagnostics; and
		•	fees paid to vendors related to product manufacturing, development and distribution of clinical supplies.
	Nonrefundable advance payments for goods and services that will be used or rendered in future research and development activities, are recorded as a prepaid expense and recognized as expense in the period that the related goods are consumed or services are performed.
	Stock-based compensation
	The Company expenses the fair value of employee stock options over the vesting period. Compensation expense is measured using the fair value of the award at the grant date, net of estimated forfeitures, and is adjusted annually to reflect actual forfeitures. The fair value of each stock-based award is estimated using the Black-Scholes pricing model and is expensed using graded amortization over the vesting period.
	The Company accounts for stock options granted to non-employees, which primarily consist of consultants of the Company, using the fair value approach. Stock options granted to non-employees are subject to revaluation each reporting period over their vesting terms.
	Prior to the Company’s initial public offering, or IPO, the Company had issued its stock options with a Canadian dollar denominated exercise price. Subsequent to the Company’s IPO, the Company issues its stock options with a U.S. dollar denominated exercise price.
	Effective November 13, 2013, the Company voluntarily delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange, or TSX. As a result of the delisting from the TSX and the change in the Company’s functional currency to the U.S. dollar, the stock options granted with exercise prices denominated in Canadian dollars are considered dual indexed as defined in Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, topic 718, “Compensation, Stock Compensation”. As a result, the Company is required to account for these stock options as a liability. Historically these options had been accounted for as equity. The estimated fair value is determined using the Black-Scholes pricing model based on the estimated value of the underlying common shares at the valuation measurement date, the remaining service period of the stock options, risk-free interest rates, expected dividends and expected volatility of the price of the underlying common shares. The fair value of the stock-based compensation liability was $33,000 at March 31, 2015. As the calculated fair value of the stock options at March 31, 2015 was less than the original grant date fair value no additional compensation expense was recorded in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. The change in the fair value of the stock-based compensation liability of $11,000 and $20,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, was recorded as an adjustment to Contributed Surplus.
	Fair value of financial instruments
	The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value based on the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid for to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. The carrying amounts of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents and accounts payable and accrued expenses, approximate fair value due to their short maturities.
	The Company follows ASC 820-10, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” which among other things, defines fair value, establishes a consistent framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure for each major asset and liability category measured at fair value on either a recurring or nonrecurring basis. Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-tier fair value hierarchy has been established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:
	Level 1 – Inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.
	Level 2 – Inputs (other than quoted prices included in Level 1) are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability through correlation with market data at the measurement date and for the duration of the instrument’s anticipated life.
	Level 3 – Inputs reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. Consideration is given to the risk inherent in the valuation technique and the risk inherent in the inputs to the model.
	Recent accounting pronouncements
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. This guidance is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is not permitted. The Company will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2017. Companies may use either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt this guidance. The Company is evaluating which transition approach to use and its impact, if any, on its consolidated financial statements.
	In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern”. The guidance outlines management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and provides guidance on the related footnote disclosure. The amendments are effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this guidance on its consolidated financial statement disclosures.
	In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs”. The guidance requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt, consistent with the presentation of a debt discount. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods thereafter. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2016. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this guidance on its consolidated financial statement disclosures.

Note_3_Net_Loss_Per_Common_Sha

Note 3 - Net Loss Per Common Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share [Text Block]	3	Net loss per common share
	Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the net loss attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, without consideration for common shares equivalents. Diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common share equivalents outstanding for the period determined using the treasury-stock method.
	The following diluted securities have been excluded from the computation of diluted weighted-average shares outstanding as of March 31, 2015 and 2014 as the Company recorded a net loss in all periods and therefore they would be anti-dilutive (in thousands):
			31-Mar-15		31-Mar-14
	Options to purchase common shares			1,639		1,374
	Common share purchase warrants			878		919

Note_4_Securities_Availablefor

Note 4 - Securities Available-for-Sale	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Investments in Debt and Marketable Equity Securities (and Certain Trading Assets) Disclosure [Text Block]	4	Securities Available-for-Sale
	Securities available-for-sale consisted of the following as of March 31, 2015 (in thousands):
			31-Mar-15
			Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
			Cost		Gain		Loss		Fair Value
	Commercial paper		$	2,599	$	—	$	—	$	2,599
	U.S. government sponsored enterprise securities			5,638		1		—		5,639
	Corporate debt securities			810		—		—		810
			$	9,047	$	1	$	—	$	9,048
	The amortized cost and estimated fair value of the Company securities available-for-sale by contractual maturity as of March 31, 2015 are shown below (in thousands):
			31-Mar-15
			Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
			Cost		Gain		Loss		Fair Value
	Within one year		$	9,047	$	1	$	—	$	9,048
	After one year			—		—		—		—
			$	9,047	$	1	$	—	$	9,048
	Securities available-for-sale consisted of the following as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
			31-Dec-14
			Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
			Cost		Gain		Loss		Fair Value
	Commercial paper		$	9,098	$	—	$	—	$	9,098
	U.S. government sponsored enterprise securities			6,308		—		—		6,308
	Corporate debt securities			3,166		—		—		3,166
			$	18,572	$	—	$	—	$	18,572
	The amortized cost and estimated fair value of the Company securities available-for-sale by contractual maturity as of December 31, 2014 are shown below (in thousands):
			31-Dec-14
			Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
			Cost		Gain		Loss		Fair Value
	Within one year		$	18,572	$	—	$	—	$	18,572
	After one year			—		—		—		—
			$	18,572	$	—	$	—	$	18,572

Note_5_Fair_Value_Measurement_

Note 5 - Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]	5	Fair value measurement and financial instruments
	As of March 31, 2015 the Company has $16.5 million of securities consisting of money market funds, commercial paper, U.S. government sponsored enterprise securities and corporate debt securities with maturities that range from one day to five months with an overall average time to maturity of 1.5 months. The Company has the ability to liquidate these investments without restriction. The Company determines fair value for securities with Level 1 inputs through quoted market prices. The Company determines fair value for securities with Level 2 inputs through broker or dealer quotations or alternative pricing sources with reasonable levels of price transparency. The Company’s Level 2 securities have been initially valued at the transaction price and subsequently valued, at the end of each reporting period, typically utilizing third party pricing services or other observable market data. The pricing services utilize industry standard valuation models, including both income and market based approaches and observable market inputs to determine value. These observable market inputs include reportable trades, benchmark yields, credit spreads, broker/dealer quotes, bids, offers, and other industry and economic events. The Company’s Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs based on the Company’s assessment that market participants would use in pricing the instruments.
	The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis for the periods presented (in thousands):
			March 31,			Level 1			Level 2		Level 3
			2015
	Assets:
	Money market funds		$	77		$	77		$	—	$	—
	Commercial paper			8,098			—			8,098		—
	U.S. government sponsored enterprise securities			7,489			—			7,489		—
	Corporate debt securities			810			—			810		—
	Total assets		$	16,474		$	77		$	16,397	$	—
	Liabilities:
	Stock-based compensation liability		$	33			—			—	$	33
	Total liabilities		$	33		$	—		$	—	$	33
			December 31,			Level 1			Level 2		Level 3
			2014
	Assets:
	Money market funds		$	99		$	99		$	—	$	—
	Commercial paper			12,398			—			12,398		—
	U.S. government sponsored enterprise securities			6,308			—			6,308		—
	Corporate debt securities			3,166			—			3,166		—
	Total assets		$	21,971		$	99		$	21,872	$	—
	Liabilities:
	Stock-based compensation liability		$	22			—			—	$	22
	Total liabilities		$	22		$	—		$	—	$	22
	The Company calculates the fair value of the stock-based compensation liability for those stock options with exercise prices denominated in Canadian Dollars (level 3) at each reporting period utilizing a Black-Scholes pricing model. The following inputs were utilized in the Black-Scholes pricing model:
			31-Mar-15			31-Dec-14
	Stock price at the end of each reporting period		$	0.58		$	0.54
	Weighted average exercise price		$	14.5		$	15.83
	Risk-free interest rate			0.65	%		0.88	%
	Volatility			152.21	%		138.38	%
	Dividend yield			0	%		0	%
	Expected life in years			2.25			2.49
	Calculated fair value per stock option		$	0.15		$	0.1
	The following table presents a reconciliation of the stock-based compensation liability measured at fair value using unobservable inputs (Level 3) (in thousands):
			Three Months Ended
			31-Mar-15
	Liabilities:
	Balance at beginning of period:		$	22
	Change in fair value of stock-based compensation liability recorded as an adjustment to contributed surplus			11
	Balance at end of period:		$	33
	The Company recognizes transfers into and out of levels within the fair value hierarchy at the end of the reporting period in which the actual event or change in circumstances that caused the transfer occurs. There were no transfers of assets or liabilities between the fair value measurement classifications.

Note_6_Prepaid_Expenses

Note 6 - Prepaid Expenses	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Prepaid Expenses And Other Assets [Abstract]
Prepaid Expenses And Other Assets [Text Block]	6	Prepaid expenses
	Prepaid expenses as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 consisted of the following (in thousands):
			March 31,		December 31,
			2015		2014
	Prepaid insurance		$	171	$	280
	Prepaid research and development expenses			2,265		2,506
	Other prepaid expenses			70		39
			$	2,506	$	2,825
	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, prepaid research and development expenses includes $2.2 million and $2.5 million, respectively for upfront fees paid to our clinical research organizations assisting with our on-going Phase 3 clinical trial. The upfront fees will be relieved in future periods based upon work completed.

Note_7_Accrued_Expenses

Note 7 - Accrued Expenses	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities Disclosure [Text Block]	7	Accrued expenses
	Accrued expenses as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 consisted of the following (in thousands):
			March 31,		December 31,
			2015		2014
	Accrued personnel related costs		$	339	$	846
	Accrued interest			48		48
	Accrued research and development expenses			933		1,279
	Other accrued expenses			139		134
			$	1,459	$	2,307

Note_8_Promissory_Notes

Note 8 - Promissory Notes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	8	Promissory notes
	On June 30, 2014, we entered into a $6.0 million Loan and Security Agreement with Oxford Finance LLC. The principal borrowed under the loan bears fixed interest of 9.504% per annum. The Company has the option to prepay the outstanding balance of the loan in full, subject to a prepayment fee of 1% to 3% depending upon when the prepayment occurs. Upon the final repayment of the loan on the maturity date, by prepayment, or upon acceleration, the Company shall pay Oxford an additional fee of 5% of the principal amount of $6.0 million. This additional fee is recorded as a debt discount and is being recognized as interest expense over the life of the loan utilizing the effective interest method. The repayment terms are monthly interest only payments through July 1, 2015 followed by 36 equal monthly payments of principal and interest.
	In connection with the loan, the Company granted to Oxford a security interest in all of the Company’s personal property now owned or hereafter acquired, excluding intellectual property and certain other assets.
	As of March 31, 2015, the Company was in compliance with all covenants under the loan.
	As of March 31, 2015, the future contractual principal and final fee payments on our debt obligation are as follows (in thousands):
	Year 1		$	1,190
	Year 2			1,932
	Year 3			2,124
	Year 4			1,054
	Total		$	6,300
	The following table summarizes interest expense (in thousands) for the periods presented:
			Three Months Ended March 31,
			2015		2014
	Simple interest		$	142	$	123
	Amortization of debt discount			34		68
	Amortization of promissory notes issuance costs			-		17
			$	176	$	208
	The Company calculated the fair value of the secured promissory notes as $5.9 million (Level 3) as of March 31, 2015. The fair value of long-term debt is based on the net present value of calculated interest and principal payments, using an interest rate of 9.5%, which takes into consideration the financial position of the Company and the recent interest rate environment for new debt issuances for comparable companies. The fair value of this equity component was derived using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The Company calculated the promissory notes’ fair value by allocating to equity and the debt based on their respective fair values.

Note_9_Common_Stock_Purchase_A

Note 9 - Common Stock Purchase Agreement with Aspire Capital	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]	9.	Common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital
	On May 16, 2014, the Company entered into a common stock purchase agreement, or the Purchase Agreement, with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC, or Aspire Capital, which provides that Aspire Capital is committed to purchase up to an aggregate of $15.0 million of the Company’s common shares over the approximately 30-month term of the Purchase Agreement. In consideration for entering into the Purchase Agreement, concurrently with the execution of the Purchase Agreement, the Company issued to Aspire Capital 90,635 of the Company’s common shares. Upon the execution of the Purchase Agreement, the Company sold to Aspire Capital 604,230 common shares at $3.31 per share for net proceeds of $1.9 million which was recorded as in increase to common shares on the balance sheet. The Company incurred offering costs of $0.1 million associated with this transaction.
	Under the Purchase Agreement, on any trading day on which the closing sale price of the Company’s common shares exceeds $2.00, the Company has the right, in its sole discretion, to present Aspire Capital with a purchase notice, directing Aspire Capital (as principal) to purchase up to 100,000 of the Company’s common shares, per trading day, provided that the aggregate price of each such purchase shall not exceed $1,000,000 per trading day. The Company can direct Aspire Capital to purchase an additional $13 million of the Company’s common shares over the remaining 23 months of the Purchase Agreement. Future purchases under the Purchase Agreement will be at a per share price equal to the lesser of:
		•	the lowest sale price of the Company’s common shares on the purchase date; or
		•	the arithmetic average of the three lowest closing sale prices for the Company’s common shares during the ten consecutive trading days ending on the trading day immediately preceding the purchase date.
	Other than the initial purchase completed under the Purchase Agreement, there were no sales of common shares to Aspire Capital from May 16, 2014 through March 31, 2015. During the quarter ended March 31, 2015 our stock price has been below the $2.00 floor price and therefore as of March 31, 2015 we were unable to sell shares to Aspire Capital.

Note_10_Stockbased_Compensatio

Note 10 - Stock-based Compensation Plan	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]	10	Stock-based compensation plan
	Equity awards
	The Company’s Amended and Restated 2011 Stock Option plan, or the Plan, provides for the granting of options for the purchase of common shares of the Company at the fair value of the Company’s common shares on the date of the option grant. Options are granted to employees, directors and non-employees. The board of directors or a committee appointed by the board of directors administers the Plan and has discretion as to the number, vesting period and expiry date of each option award. Historically the Company granted options to residents of the United States with an exercise price denominated in Canadian dollars, the functional currency of Sophiris Bio Inc. Inc. prior to the Company’s IPO. The Company grants options with an exercise price denominated in U.S. dollars.
	The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense as follows (in thousands):
			Three Months Ended March 31,
			2015			2014
	Research and development		$	82		$	192
	General and administrative			145			417
	Total		$	227		$	609
	As of March 31, 2015 there was $0.6 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested stock awards. As of March 31, 2015 the Company expects to recognize these costs over a weighted average period of approximately 1 year.
	The following table summarizes stock option activity, including options issued to employees, directors and non-employees (in thousands, except per share):
			Options			Weighted			Currency
			outstanding			average
						exercise price
	Outstanding at January 1, 2015			1,378		$	6.65		US
	Options granted			261			0.46		US
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015			1,639		$	5.68		US
	The total amounts of options outstanding at March 31, 2015 include options with exercise prices denominated in Canadian dollars and U.S. dollars. The Canadian dollar amounts have been converted to U.S. dollars for purposes of the weighted average exercise price calculation using the grant date exchange rate for each Canadian dollar denominated option.
	The fair values of options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were estimated at the date of grant using the following weighted-average assumptions:
			Three Months Ended March 31,
			2015			2014
	Expected life of the option term (years)			3.5			3.8
	Risk-free interest rate			0.97	%		1.3	%
	Dividend rate			0	%		0	%
	Volatility			128.2	%		77.3	%
	Forfeiture rate			4.8	%		4.4	%

Accounting_Policies_by_Policy_

Accounting Policies, by Policy (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Basis of consolidation
	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, Sophiris Bio Corp. and Sophiris Bio Holding Corp. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated for purposes of consolidation.
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Basis of presentation and use of estimates
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP, for the interim financial information and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, related to quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for annual audited financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, or Annual Report, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2015 and the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K on April 27, 2015. The accompanying year-end condensed balance sheet data was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. In the opinion of management, these condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair statement of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the interim periods shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future period, including the full year.
	GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and judgments that may affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and related disclosures. The Company bases estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. The significant estimates in these condensed consolidated financial statements include stock-based compensation expense, warrant liability and accrued research and development expenses, including accruals related to the Company’s ongoing clinical trials. The Company’s actual results may differ from these estimates. The Company evaluates its estimates on an ongoing basis. Changes in estimates are reflected in reported results in the period in which they become known by the Company’s management.
Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]	Foreign currency
	Gains and losses resulting from foreign currency translation are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss), which is a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Foreign currency transaction gains and losses are recognized as a component of other expense. The Company recorded foreign exchange transaction losses of $7,000 and $16,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Cash and cash equivalents
	Cash equivalents are short-term, highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase.
Marketable Securities, Available-for-sale Securities, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Securities Available-for-Sale
	Investments with an original maturity of more than three months when purchased have been classified by management as securities available-for-sale. Such investments are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive gain (loss) in shareholders’ equity. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary on available-for-sale securities are included in interest income. No other-than-temporary impairments were identified for the investment securities held by the Company as of March 31, 2015 or December 31, 2014. The cost of investment securities classified as available-for-sale is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity. Such amortization and accretion are included in interest income. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific-identification method. The Company has classified all of its investment securities as available-for-sale, including those with maturities beyond one year, as current assets on the consolidated balance sheets based on the highly liquid nature of the investment securities and because these investment securities are considered available for use in current operations.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Revenue recognition
	The Company may enter into product development agreements with collaborative partners for the research and development of products for the treatment of urological diseases. The terms of the agreements may include nonrefundable signing and licensing fees, milestone payments and royalties on any product sales derived from collaborations. These multiple element arrangements are analyzed to determine whether the deliverables can be separated or whether they must be accounted for as a single unit of accounting. License fees are recognized as revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the fee is fixed or determinable, delivery or performance has substantially completed and collection is reasonably assured.
	The Company recognizes up front license payments as revenue upon delivery of the license only if the license has stand-alone value to the customer and if the agreement includes a general right of return, the delivery or performance of undelivered items is considered probable and within the control of the Company. The payment is generally allocated to the separate units of accounting based on their relative selling prices. The selling price of each deliverable is determined using vendor specific objective evidence of selling prices, if it exists; otherwise, third-party evidence of selling prices. If neither vendor specific objective evidence nor third-party evidence exists, the Company uses its best estimate of the selling price for each deliverable. The payment allocated is limited to the amount that is not contingent on the delivery of additional items or fulfillment of other performance conditions.
	Whenever the Company determines that an arrangement should be accounted for as a single unit of accounting, it must determine the period over which the performance obligations will be performed and revenue recognized. If the Company cannot reasonably estimate the timing and the level of effort to complete its performance obligations under the arrangement, then revenue under the arrangement is recognized on a straight-line basis over the period the Company is expected to complete its performance obligations.
	The Company evaluates milestone payments on an individual basis and recognizes revenue from non-refundable milestone payments when the earnings process is complete and the payment is reasonably assured. Non-refundable milestone payments related to arrangements under which the Company has continuing performance obligations are recognized as revenue upon achievement of the associated milestone, provided that (i) the milestone event is substantive and its achievability was not reasonably assured at the inception of the agreement and (ii) the amount of the milestone payment is reasonable in relation to the effort expended or the risk associated with the milestone event. Any amounts received under agreements in advance of performance, if deemed substantive, are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized as revenue as the Company completes its performance obligations. A milestone event is considered substantive if (i) the milestone is commensurate with either (a) the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone or (b) the enhancement of the value of the delivered item(s) as a result of a specific outcome resulting from the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone; (ii) it relates solely to past performance and (iii) it is reasonable relative to all of the deliverables and payment terms (including other potential milestone consideration) within the arrangement. If any portion of the milestone payment does not relate to the Company’s performance, does not relate solely to past performance or is refundable or adjustable based on future performance, the milestone is not considered to be substantive. Milestone payments are not bifurcated into substantive and non-substantive components. Payments related to the achievement of non-substantive milestones is deferred and recognized over the Company’s remaining performance period.
	Royalty revenue will be recognized upon the sale of the related products provided the Company has no remaining performance obligations under the arrangement.
Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Research and development expenses
	Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. Research and development expenses comprise costs incurred in performing research and development activities, including personnel-related costs, stock-based compensation, facilities, research-related overhead, clinical trial costs, contracted services, manufacturing, license fees and other external costs. The Company accounts for nonrefundable advance payments for goods and services that will be used in future research and development activities as expenses when the service has been performed or when the goods have been consumed rather than when the payment is made.
Accrued Research and Development Expenses Policy [Policy Text Block]	Accrued research and development expenses
	Clinical trial costs are recorded as a component of research and development expenses. The Company accrues and expenses clinical trial activities performed by third parties based upon estimates of the percentage of work completed of the total work over the life of the individual study in accordance with agreements established with clinical research organizations and clinical trial sites. The Company determines the estimates through discussions with internal clinical personnel and external service providers as to the progress or stage of completion of trials or services and the agreed-upon fee to be paid for such services based on facts and circumstances known to the Company as of each balance sheet date. However, actual costs and timing of clinical trials are highly uncertain, subject to risks and may change depending upon a number of factors, including the Company’s clinical development plan.
	If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from the estimate, the Company will adjust the accrual accordingly. Adjustments to prior period estimates have not been material.
	Examples of estimated accrued research and development expenses include:
		•	fees paid to clinical research organizations in connection with clinical studies;
		•	fees paid to investigative sites in connection with clinical studies;
		•	fees paid to vendors in connection with preclinical development activities;
		•	fees paid to vendors associated with the development of companion diagnostics; and
		•	fees paid to vendors related to product manufacturing, development and distribution of clinical supplies.
	Nonrefundable advance payments for goods and services that will be used or rendered in future research and development activities, are recorded as a prepaid expense and recognized as expense in the period that the related goods are consumed or services are performed.
Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]	Stock-based compensation
	The Company expenses the fair value of employee stock options over the vesting period. Compensation expense is measured using the fair value of the award at the grant date, net of estimated forfeitures, and is adjusted annually to reflect actual forfeitures. The fair value of each stock-based award is estimated using the Black-Scholes pricing model and is expensed using graded amortization over the vesting period.
	The Company accounts for stock options granted to non-employees, which primarily consist of consultants of the Company, using the fair value approach. Stock options granted to non-employees are subject to revaluation each reporting period over their vesting terms.
	Prior to the Company’s initial public offering, or IPO, the Company had issued its stock options with a Canadian dollar denominated exercise price. Subsequent to the Company’s IPO, the Company issues its stock options with a U.S. dollar denominated exercise price.
	Effective November 13, 2013, the Company voluntarily delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange, or TSX. As a result of the delisting from the TSX and the change in the Company’s functional currency to the U.S. dollar, the stock options granted with exercise prices denominated in Canadian dollars are considered dual indexed as defined in Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, topic 718, “Compensation, Stock Compensation”. As a result, the Company is required to account for these stock options as a liability. Historically these options had been accounted for as equity. The estimated fair value is determined using the Black-Scholes pricing model based on the estimated value of the underlying common shares at the valuation measurement date, the remaining service period of the stock options, risk-free interest rates, expected dividends and expected volatility of the price of the underlying common shares. The fair value of the stock-based compensation liability was $33,000 at March 31, 2015. As the calculated fair value of the stock options at March 31, 2015 was less than the original grant date fair value no additional compensation expense was recorded in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. The change in the fair value of the stock-based compensation liability of $11,000 and $20,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, was recorded as an adjustment to Contributed Surplus.
Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Fair value of financial instruments
	The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value based on the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid for to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. The carrying amounts of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents and accounts payable and accrued expenses, approximate fair value due to their short maturities.
	The Company follows ASC 820-10, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” which among other things, defines fair value, establishes a consistent framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure for each major asset and liability category measured at fair value on either a recurring or nonrecurring basis. Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-tier fair value hierarchy has been established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:
	Level 1 – Inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.
	Level 2 – Inputs (other than quoted prices included in Level 1) are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability through correlation with market data at the measurement date and for the duration of the instrument’s anticipated life.
	Level 3 – Inputs reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. Consideration is given to the risk inherent in the valuation technique and the risk inherent in the inputs to the model.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Recent accounting pronouncements
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”. This guidance is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption is not permitted. The Company will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2017. Companies may use either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt this guidance. The Company is evaluating which transition approach to use and its impact, if any, on its consolidated financial statements.
	In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern”. The guidance outlines management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and provides guidance on the related footnote disclosure. The amendments are effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this guidance on its consolidated financial statement disclosures.
	In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs”. The guidance requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt, consistent with the presentation of a debt discount. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods thereafter. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2016. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this guidance on its consolidated financial statement disclosures.

Note_3_Net_Loss_Per_Common_Sha1

Note 3 - Net Loss Per Common Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Table Text Block]		31-Mar-15		31-Mar-14
	Options to purchase common shares		1,639		1,374
	Common share purchase warrants		878		919

Note_4_Securities_Availablefor1

Note 4 - Securities Available-for-Sale (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Available-for-sale Securities [Table Text Block]		31-Mar-15
		Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
		Cost		Gain		Loss		Fair Value
	Commercial paper	$	2,599	$	—	$	—	$	2,599
	U.S. government sponsored enterprise securities		5,638		1		—		5,639
	Corporate debt securities		810		—		—		810
		$	9,047	$	1	$	—	$	9,048
		31-Dec-14
		Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
		Cost		Gain		Loss		Fair Value
	Commercial paper	$	9,098	$	—	$	—	$	9,098
	U.S. government sponsored enterprise securities		6,308		—		—		6,308
	Corporate debt securities		3,166		—		—		3,166
		$	18,572	$	—	$	—	$	18,572
Investments Classified by Contractual Maturity Date [Table Text Block]		31-Mar-15
		Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
		Cost		Gain		Loss		Fair Value
	Within one year	$	9,047	$	1	$	—	$	9,048
	After one year		—		—		—		—
		$	9,047	$	1	$	—	$	9,048
		31-Dec-14
		Amortized		Unrealized				Estimated
		Cost		Gain		Loss		Fair Value
	Within one year	$	18,572	$	—	$	—	$	18,572
	After one year		—		—		—		—
		$	18,572	$	—	$	—	$	18,572

Note_5_Fair_Value_Measurement_1

Note 5 - Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Note 5 - Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments (Tables) [Line Items]
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]		March 31,			Level 1			Level 2		Level 3
		2015
	Assets:
	Money market funds	$	77		$	77		$	—	$	—
	Commercial paper		8,098			—			8,098		—
	U.S. government sponsored enterprise securities		7,489			—			7,489		—
	Corporate debt securities		810			—			810		—
	Total assets	$	16,474		$	77		$	16,397	$	—
	Liabilities:
	Stock-based compensation liability	$	33			—			—	$	33
	Total liabilities	$	33		$	—		$	—	$	33
		December 31,			Level 1			Level 2		Level 3
		2014
	Assets:
	Money market funds	$	99		$	99		$	—	$	—
	Commercial paper		12,398			—			12,398		—
	U.S. government sponsored enterprise securities		6,308			—			6,308		—
	Corporate debt securities		3,166			—			3,166		—
	Total assets	$	21,971		$	99		$	21,872	$	—
	Liabilities:
	Stock-based compensation liability	$	22			—			—	$	22
	Total liabilities	$	22		$	—		$	—	$	22
Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Expected life of the option term (years)		3.5			3.8
	Risk-free interest rate		0.97	%		1.3	%
	Dividend rate		0	%		0	%
	Volatility		128.2	%		77.3	%
	Forfeiture rate		4.8	%		4.4	%
Stock-based Compensation Liability [Member]
Note 5 - Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments (Tables) [Line Items]
Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]		31-Mar-15			31-Dec-14
	Stock price at the end of each reporting period	$	0.58		$	0.54
	Weighted average exercise price	$	14.5		$	15.83
	Risk-free interest rate		0.65	%		0.88	%
	Volatility		152.21	%		138.38	%
	Dividend yield		0	%		0	%
	Expected life in years		2.25			2.49
	Calculated fair value per stock option	$	0.15		$	0.1
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Table Text Block]		Three Months Ended
		31-Mar-15
	Liabilities:
	Balance at beginning of period:	$	22
	Change in fair value of stock-based compensation liability recorded as an adjustment to contributed surplus		11
	Balance at end of period:	$	33

Note_6_Prepaid_Expenses_Tables

Note 6 - Prepaid Expenses (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Prepaid Expenses And Other Assets [Abstract]
Schedule of Prepaid Expense and Other Current Assets [Table Text Block]		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Prepaid insurance	$	171	$	280
	Prepaid research and development expenses		2,265		2,506
	Other prepaid expenses		70		39
		$	2,506	$	2,825

Note_7_Accrued_Expenses_Tables

Note 7 - Accrued Expenses (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Schedule of Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities [Table Text Block]		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Accrued personnel related costs	$	339	$	846
	Accrued interest		48		48
	Accrued research and development expenses		933		1,279
	Other accrued expenses		139		134
		$	1,459	$	2,307

Note_8_Promissory_Notes_Tables

Note 8 - Promissory Notes (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt [Table Text Block]	Year 1	$	1,190
	Year 2		1,932
	Year 3		2,124
	Year 4		1,054
	Total	$	6,300
Contractual Interest Expense and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs and Debt Discount [Table Text Block]		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Simple interest	$	142	$	123
	Amortization of debt discount		34		68
	Amortization of promissory notes issuance costs		-		17
		$	176	$	208

Note_10_Stockbased_Compensatio1

Note 10 - Stock-based Compensation Plan (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Schedule of Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Table Text Block]		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Research and development	$	82		$	192
	General and administrative		145			417
	Total	$	227		$	609
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Table Text Block]		Options			Weighted			Currency
		outstanding			average
					exercise price
	Outstanding at January 1, 2015		1,378		$	6.65		US
	Options granted		261			0.46		US
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015		1,639		$	5.68		US
Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Expected life of the option term (years)		3.5			3.8
	Risk-free interest rate		0.97	%		1.3	%
	Dividend rate		0	%		0	%
	Volatility		128.2	%		77.3	%
	Forfeiture rate		4.8	%		4.4	%

Note_1_Nature_of_the_Business_

Note 1 - Nature of the Business (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	($4,304,000)	($8,460,000)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations	-5,644,000	-6,134,000
Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Short-term Investments	$17,000,000		$22,700,000

Note_2_Summary_of_Significant_1

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	($15,000)	($16,000)
Other than Temporary Impairment Losses, Investments	0		0
Fair Value of Stock-based Compensation Liability for Stock Options	33,000
Change in Fair Value of Stock-based Compensation Liability	-11,000	-20,000
Other Income (Expense), Net [Member]
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss), before Tax	$7,000	$16,000

Note_3_Net_Loss_Per_Common_Sha2

Note 3 - Net Loss Per Common Share (Details) - Potentially Dilutive Securities Excluded from Diluted Weighted-average Shares Outstanding	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Equity Option [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of weighted-average shares outstanding	1,639	1,374
Warrant [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of weighted-average shares outstanding	878	919

Note_4_Securities_Availablefor2

Note 4 - Securities Available-for-Sale (Details) - Securities Available-for-Sale (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$9,047	$18,572
Unrealized Gain	1
Estimated Fair Value	9,048	18,572
Commercial Paper, Not Included with Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	2,599	9,098
Estimated Fair Value	2,599	9,098
US Government-sponsored Enterprises Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	5,638	6,308
Unrealized Gain	1
Estimated Fair Value	5,639	6,308
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	810	3,166
Estimated Fair Value	$810	$3,166

Note_4_Securities_Availablefor3

Note 4 - Securities Available-for-Sale (Details) - Amortized Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Securities (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Note 4 - Securities Available-for-Sale (Details) - Amortized Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Securities [Line Items]
Amortized cost	$9,047	$18,572
Unrealized Gain	1
Estimated Fair Value	9,048	18,572
Within One Year [Member]
Note 4 - Securities Available-for-Sale (Details) - Amortized Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Securities [Line Items]
Amortized cost	9,047	18,572
Unrealized Gain	1
Estimated Fair Value	$9,048	$18,572

Note_5_Fair_Value_Measurement_2

Note 5 - Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure, Recurring	$16,474	$21,971

Note_5_Fair_Value_Measurement_3

Note 5 - Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments (Details) - Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value Measured on a Recurring Basis (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	$16,474	$21,971
Liabilities:
Liability Fair Value	33	22
Stock-based Compensation Liability [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Liabilities:
Liability Fair Value	33	22
Stock-based Compensation Liability [Member]
Liabilities:
Liability Fair Value	33	22
Money Market Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	77	99
Money Market Funds [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	77	99
Commercial Paper [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	8,098	12,398
Commercial Paper [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	8,098	12,398
US Government-sponsored Enterprises Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	7,489	6,308
US Government-sponsored Enterprises Debt Securities [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	7,489	6,308
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	810	3,166
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	810	3,166
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	77	99
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Asset Fair Value	16,397	21,872
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Liabilities:
Liability Fair Value	$33	$22

Note_5_Fair_Value_Measurement_4

Note 5 - Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments (Details) - Fair Value Assumptions, Stock-based Compensation Liability (Stock-based Compensation Liability [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Stock-based Compensation Liability [Member]
Note 5 - Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments (Details) - Fair Value Assumptions, Stock-based Compensation Liability [Line Items]
Stock price at the end of each reporting period	$0.58	$0.54
Weighted average exercise price	$14.50	$15.83
Risk-free interest rate	0.65%	0.88%
Volatility	152.21%	138.38%
Dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%
Expected life in years	2 years 3 months	2 years 178 days
Calculated fair value per stock option	$0.15	$0.10

Note_5_Fair_Value_Measurement_5

Note 5 - Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments (Details) - Fair Value Reconciliation of Stock-based Compensation Liability (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Liabilities:
Change in fair value of stock-based compensation liability recorded as an adjustment to contributed surplus	($11,000)	($20,000)
Stock-based Compensation Liability [Member]
Liabilities:
Liabilities, Fair Value	22,000
Change in fair value of stock-based compensation liability recorded as an adjustment to contributed surplus	11,000
Liabilities, Fair Value	$33,000

Note_6_Prepaid_Expenses_Detail

Note 6 - Prepaid Expenses (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Prepaid Expenses And Other Assets [Abstract]
Upfront Fees Included in Prepaid Research and Development Expenses	$2.20	$2.50

Note_6_Prepaid_Expenses_Detail1

Note 6 - Prepaid Expenses (Details) - Components of Prepaid Expenses (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Components of Prepaid Expenses [Abstract]
Prepaid insurance	$171	$280
Prepaid research and development expenses	2,265	2,506
Other prepaid expenses	70	39
	$2,506	$2,825

Note_7_Accrued_Expenses_Detail

Note 7 - Accrued Expenses (Details) - Components of Accrued Expenses (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Components of Accrued Expenses [Abstract]
Accrued personnel related costs	$339	$846
Accrued interest	48	48
Accrued research and development expenses	933	1,279
Other accrued expenses	139	134
	$1,459	$2,307

Note_8_Promissory_Notes_Detail

Note 8 - Promissory Notes (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Minimum [Member] | Oxford New Loan [Member]
Note 8 - Promissory Notes (Details) [Line Items]
Prepayment Fee Rate	1.00%
Maximum [Member] | Oxford New Loan [Member]
Note 8 - Promissory Notes (Details) [Line Items]
Prepayment Fee Rate	3.00%
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Promissory Notes [Member]
Note 8 - Promissory Notes (Details) [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Fair Value (in Dollars)	5.9
Oxford New Loan [Member]
Note 8 - Promissory Notes (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount (in Dollars)		$6
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		9.50%
Additional Fee, Percentage	5.00%
Debt Instrument, Number of Monthly Payments	36
Promissory Notes [Member]
Note 8 - Promissory Notes (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage	9.50%

Note_8_Promissory_Notes_Detail1

Note 8 - Promissory Notes (Details) - Future Contractual and Final Fee Payments (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Future Contractual and Final Fee Payments [Abstract]
Year 1	$1,190
Year 2	1,932
Year 3	2,124
Year 4	1,054
Total	$6,300

Note_8_Promissory_Notes_Detail2

Note 8 - Promissory Notes (Details) - Actual Interest Expense and Amortization of Debt Discount (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Actual Interest Expense and Amortization of Debt Discount [Abstract]
Simple interest	$142	$123
Amortization of debt discount	34	68
Amortization of promissory notes issuance costs		17
	$176	$208

Note_9_Common_Stock_Purchase_A1

Note 9 - Common Stock Purchase Agreement with Aspire Capital (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	10 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	16-May-14	Mar. 31, 2015
Note 9 - Common Stock Purchase Agreement with Aspire Capital (Details) [Line Items]
Minimum Price Per Share To Retain Stock Purchase Direction Right (in Dollars per share)	$2
Aspire Capital [Member]
Note 9 - Common Stock Purchase Agreement with Aspire Capital (Details) [Line Items]
Common Stock, Value, Subscriptions		$15,000,000
Common Stock Purchase Agreement Term		30 months
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Other (in Shares)		90,635
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues (in Shares)		604,230	0
Share Price (in Dollars per share)		$3.31
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock		1,900,000
Issuance Cost for Purchase Agreement		100,000
Minimum Price Per Share To Retain Stock Purchase Direction Right (in Dollars per share)			$2
Maximum Number of Common Shares to Be Purchased (in Shares)			100,000
Maximum Amount of Common Shares to Be Purchased, Per Trading Day			1,000,000
Additional Common Shares To Be Purchased At Reporting Entity's Direction, Value			$13,000,000

Note_10_Stockbased_Compensatio2

Note 10 - Stock-based Compensation Plan (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	$0.60
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	1 year

Note_10_Stockbased_Compensatio3

Note 10 - Stock-based Compensation Plan (Details) - Stock-based Compensation Expense (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$227	$609
Research and Development Expense [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	82	192
General and Administrative Expense [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$145	$417

Note_10_Stockbased_Compensatio4

Note 10 - Stock-based Compensation Plan (Details) - Stock Option Activity (United States of America, Dollars, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
United States of America, Dollars
Note 10 - Stock-based Compensation Plan (Details) - Stock Option Activity [Line Items]
Options outstanding	1,378
Weighted average exercise price - options outstanding	$6.65
Options granted	261
Options granted	$0.46
Options outstanding	1,639
Weighted average exercise price - options outstanding	$5.68

Note_10_Stockbased_Compensatio5

Note 10 - Stock-based Compensation Plan (Details) - Fair Value Assumptions of Options Granted (Black Scholes Pricing Model [Member])	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Black Scholes Pricing Model [Member]
Note 10 - Stock-based Compensation Plan (Details) - Fair Value Assumptions of Options Granted [Line Items]
Expected life of the option term (years)	3 years 6 months	3 years 292 days
Risk-free interest rate	0.97%	1.30%
Dividend rate	0.00%	0.00%
Volatility	128.20%	77.30%
Forfeiture rate	4.80%	4.40%