Heron Therapeutics (HRTX) 10-Q 8 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_And_Entity_Informatio

Document And Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 28, 2015
Entity Registrant Name	HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC. /DE/
Entity Central Index Key	818033
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (in shares)		29,632,533
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Amendment Flag	FALSE

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Current Period Unaudited) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$55,556	$72,675
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	945	1,057
Total current assets	56,501	73,732
Property and equipment, net	2,996	2,820
Other long-term assets	130	130
Total assets	59,627	76,682
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	2,383	2,549
Accrued clinical liabilities	3,518	3,811
Accrued payroll and employee-related liabilities	1,656	2,731
Other accrued expenses	2,320	2,931
Convertible notes payable to related parties, net of discount	1,749	1,598
Total current liabilities	11,626	13,620
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	296	292
Additional paid-in capital	383,512	378,007
Accumulated deficit	-335,807	-315,237
Total stockholders’ equity	48,001	63,062
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$59,627	$76,682

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (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	$14,504	$11,628
General and administrative	5,856	5,694
Total operating expenses	20,360	17,322
Loss from operations	-20,360	-17,322
Interest expense, net	-210	-216
Net loss	($20,570)	($17,538)
Basic and diluted net loss per share (in dollars per share)	($0.70)	($0.74)
Shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share (in shares)	29,392	23,686

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Operating activities:
Net loss	($20,570,000)	($17,538,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used for operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	152,000	114,000
Stock-based compensation expense	2,551,000	2,969,000
Amortization of Debt Discount (Premium)	151,000	139,000
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other assets	112,000	-1,624,000
Accounts payable	-166,000	2,238,000
Accrued clinical liabilities	-293,000	-1,029,000
Accrued payroll and employee-related liabilities	-1,075,000	-1,254,000
Other accrued expenses	-531,000	272,000
Net cash used for operating activities	-19,669,000	-15,713,000
Investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	-328,000	-57,000
Net cash used for investing activities	-328,000	-57,000
Financing activities:
Proceeds from stock option exercises	2,878,000	958,000
Net cash provided by financing activities	2,878,000	958,000
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-17,119,000	-14,812,000
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	72,675,000	72,287,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$55,556,000	$57,475,000

Note_1_Business

Note 1 - Business	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements
Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	1.     Business
	Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (“we,” “us” and “our”) is a biotechnology company using its proprietary technology and innovative efforts to develop products to address unmet medical needs. Our proprietary Biochronomer drug delivery technology is designed to improve the therapeutic profile of injectable pharmaceuticals. Our product development efforts focus on identifying current therapies with the potential to be reformulated to expand or extend therapeutic effect or duration of action, minimize drawbacks or to apply new delivery methods. In addition, we continually evaluate potential development programs, technologies or product candidates that may be complementary to or synergistic with our existing programs and product development goals.
	Our Biochronomer technology, with which our lead investigational product candidate, SUSTOL (granisetron injection, extended release) (or “APF530”), and certain of our other product candidates are formulated, consists of bioerodible polymers designed to release drugs over a defined period of time, depending on the medical need of a given therapeutic target. We have demonstrated that our Biochronomer technology can deliver drugs over periods varying from days to weeks and that the technology is potentially applicable to a range of therapeutic areas, including the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (“CINV”) and pain management, among others. Furthermore, we have completed comprehensive animal and human toxicology studies that have established that our Biochronomer polymer is well tolerated.
	At present, our clinical and preclinical development programs include SUSTOL, in advanced development for the prevention of CINV following administration of chemotherapeutic agents, as well as HTX-011 for the prevention of post-operative pain, HTX-019 for the prevention of CINV and HTX-003 for the management of chronic pain and opioid addiction.
	APF530, which we intend to market as SUSTOL
	subject to regulatory approval, is being developed for the prevention of both acute- and delayed-onset CINV following the administration of moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (“MEC”) or highly emetogenic chemotherapy (“HEC”). Injectable 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (“5-HT3”) receptor antagonists have been shown to be among the most effective and preferred treatments for CINV, however, an unmet need remains for patients suffering from CINV during the delayed-onset phase, which typically occurs 1-5 days following administration of chemotherapy agents. For patients suffering from delayed-onset CINV, only one injectable 5-HT3 receptor antagonist is approved for use following the administration of MEC agents, and none are approved for use following administration of HEC agents. SUSTOL contains the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist granisetron, selected due to its broad use by physicians based on a well-established record of safety and efficacy, and because it is only currently approved for the prevention of CINV during the acute-onset phase. SUSTOL is formulated with our proprietary Biochronomer drug delivery technology, and in clinical studies has been shown to maintain therapeutic drug levels of granisetron for up to five days with a single subcutaneous injection. In 2014, we initiated a Phase 3 clinical study evaluating SUSTOL for the prevention of delayed-onset CINV following the administration of HEC agents (“HEC study”), which, if successful, would differentiate SUSTOL from the other currently approved 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. We completed enrollment of our HEC study in April 2015.
	In May 2009, we filed a New Drug Application (“NDA”) for SUSTOL with the U.S Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) under Section 505(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In March 2010, we received our first Complete Response Letter (“CRL”), which stated that the May 2009 NDA requesting approval for SUSTOL could not be approved as it was initially submitted. The primary points raised in the initial CRL were related to the dosing system, certain identified deficiencies in the chemistry, manufacturing, and control (“CMC”) review, and a request that we perform additional studies showing bioequivalence and metabolic rates, on human factors, and to perform a QT study. We met with the FDA in 2011 to clarify the comments and requests and subsequently performed additional work and data analyses which we believed addressed the concerns raised in the 2010 CRL. In September 2012, we resubmitted the NDA requesting approval for SUSTOL and, in March 2013, the FDA issued a second CRL. The FDA identified several additional issues precluding the approval of the SUSTOL NDA resubmission, including further issues relating to the CMC review and deficiencies at certain of our contract manufacturers, and requested that we repeat human factors testing using commercially equivalent material, as well to provide data to allow reanalysis of our Phase 3 clinical results under the revised American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines for the prevention of CINV following the administration of MEC or HEC agents, published in 2011. We believe that we have substantially addressed the issues raised in the March 2013 CRL, which will be reflected in our upcoming SUSTOL NDA resubmission. We intend to include the results of our Phase 3 HEC study in the resubmission of our NDA for SUSTOL, which we anticipate filing mid-year 2015.
	The lead product candidate in our pain management program is HTX-011. HTX-011, which utilizes our proprietary Biochronomer drug delivery technology, is a long-acting formulation of the local anesthetic bupivacaine in combination with the anti-inflammatory meloxicam for the prevention of post-operative pain. The effective management of pain with a reduction in the use of opioids, which can lead to post-operative complications, extended hospitalization and abuse, remains an important area of unmet medical need, and HTX-011 could potentially provide a differentiated therapeutic profile with advantages compared to currently available pain management options. In a Phase 1 clinical trial, completed in March 2015, HTX-011 achieved the desired pharmacokinetic profile for both bupivacaine and meloxicam. Therapeutically relevant plasma bupivacaine levels were sustained for 2-3 days in the absence of the large initial peak often observed with commercially available formulations of long-acting bupivacaine. The anesthetic effects of HTX-011 persisted through 96 hours, which closely correlated with plasma bupivacaine concentrations, and HTX-011 was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events. We plan to move HTX-011 into Phase 2 clinical development in the second quarter of 2015.
	In November 2014, we announced our development program for HTX-019. HTX-019 is a proprietary injectable formulation of aprepitant, a neurokinin-1 (“NK1”) receptor antagonist for the prevention of CINV. NK1 receptor antagonists are typically used in combination with 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. At present, the only injectable NK1 receptor antagonist approved in the United States contains polysorbate 80, a surfactant, which may cause hypersensitivity reactions or other adverse reactions in some patients. Our formulation for HTX-019 does not contain polysorbate 80, and may have a lower incidence of infusion-site reactions than reported with the commercially available injectable NK1 receptor antagonist. We plan to discuss with the FDA our intent to develop HTX-019 utilizing the 505(b)(2) registration pathway.
	In December 2014, we disclosed a second investigational product in our pain management program. HTX-003, which utilizes our proprietary Biochronomer drug delivery technology, is a long-acting formulation of buprenorphine for the management of chronic pain and opioid addiction. HTX-003 is designed to maintain therapeutic drug levels of buprenorphine for up to 30 days following a single subcutaneous injection with a low potential for patient abuse. We are presently evaluating our plans for further development of HTX-003.
	Liquidity
	We have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from operations, and we had an accumulated deficit of $335.8 million as of March 31, 2015. Since 2011, we have completed a total of five rounds of equity and/or convertible debt financings, which provided us with cash of approximately $194.3 million in the aggregate, net of issuance costs, to fund operations (see Notes 4 and 5). As of March 31, 2015, we had cash and cash equivalents on hand of $55.6 million.
	We believe that our current working capital is sufficient to fund operations through 2015, including pursuing regulatory approval for SUSTOL, completing Phase 1 and Phase 2 human clinical studies expected to commence in the second half of 2015 relative to our HTX-011 product candidate, and engaging in clinical and preclinical activities for our HTX-019 product candidate. In the event we were to pursue clinical product development in other areas, potentially acquire other strategic assets, or begin to make significant investments in preparing for commercialization of SUSTOL, we would need to raise additional capital. If we are unable to obtain sufficient financing on acceptable terms or otherwise, we may be required to reduce or defer our activities. Our capital requirements going forward will depend on numerous factors, including but not limited to: the scope, rate of progress, results and costs of preclinical testing and clinical trials, including completing our Phase 3 HEC study; an approval decision by the FDA with respect to SUSTOL; the timing of and costs associated with the commercial launch of SUSTOL, if approved; the degree of commercial success of SUSTOL; the number and characteristics of product development programs we pursue and the pace of each program, including the timing of clinical trials; the time, cost and outcome involved in seeking other regulatory approvals; scientific progress in our research and development programs; the magnitude and scope of our research and development programs; our ability to establish and maintain strategic collaborations or partnerships for research, development, clinical testing, manufacturing and marketing of our product candidates; the cost and timing of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities if we commercialize products independently; the cost of establishing clinical and commercial supplies of our product candidates and any products that we may develop; and general market conditions.
	We may not be able to raise sufficient additional capital when we need it on favorable terms, or at all. The sale of additional equity in the future may be dilutive to our stockholders. If we are unable to obtain adequate funds on reasonable terms, we may be required to curtail operations significantly or to obtain funds by entering into financing, supply or collaboration agreements on unattractive terms.

Note_2_Basis_of_Presentation

Note 2 - Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements
Basis of Accounting [Text Block]	2
	.     B
	asis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for other quarters or the year ending December 31, 2015. The condensed balance sheet at December 31, 2014 has been derived from the audited financial statements as of that date, but does not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP. For more complete financial information, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form
	10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 13, 2015
	.

Note_3_Accounting_Policies

Note 3 - Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	3.     Accounting Policies
	Principles of Consolidation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Heron Therapeutics, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Heron Therapeutics B.V., which was organized in the Netherlands in March 2015. Heron Therapeutics B.V. has no operations and no material assets or liabilities and there have been no significant transactions related to Heron Therapeutics B.V. since its inception.
	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and disclosures made in the accompanying notes to the financial statements. Our critical accounting policies that involve significant judgment and estimates include accrued clinical liabilities, income taxes and stock-based compensation. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and highly liquid investments with original maturities from purchase date of three months or less. Our bank accounts have been placed under a control agreement in accordance with our Senior Secured Convertible Notes (“Convertible Notes”).
	Earnings Per Share
	Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period, without consideration of common share equivalents. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding for the period determined using the treasury stock method. For purposes of this calculation, stock options, warrants and common stock underlying Convertible Notes are considered to be common stock equivalents and are only included in the calculation of diluted EPS when their effect is dilutive.
	Because we have incurred a net loss for all periods presented in the condensed consolidated statements of operations, outstanding stock options, warrants and common stock underlying Convertible Notes are not included in the computation of net loss per share because their effect would be anti-dilutive.
	The following table includes the number of outstanding stock options, warrants and common stock underlying Convertible Notes not included in the computation as of the dates shown below (in thousands):
		As of March 31
		,
		2015		2014
	Stock options outstanding		7,293		7,273
	Warrants outstanding		3,843		3,825
	Common stock underlying convertible notes outstanding		6,777		6,385
	Comprehensive Income (Loss)
	Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. Our comprehensive net loss for both periods presented was comprised solely of our net loss, and there were no other changes in equity from non-owner sources.
	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In January 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-
	1
	, Income Statement—Extraordinary and Unusual Items (Subtopic 225-20)
	(“ASU 2015-01”). ASU 2015-01 eliminates the concept of extraordinary items from GAAP. FASB concluded that ASU 2015-01 will not result in a loss of information because although ASU 2015-01 will eliminate the requirements in Subtopic 225-20 for reporting entities to consider whether an underlying event or transaction is extraordinary, the presentation and disclosure guidance for items that are unusual in nature or occur infrequently will be retained and will be expanded to include items that are both unusual in nature and infrequently occurring.
	The amendments in
	ASU 2015-01 are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. A reporting entity may apply the amendments prospectively. A reporting entity also may apply the amendments retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Early adoption is permitted provided that the guidance is applied from the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We adopted the provisions of ASU 2015-01 in the first quarter of 2015. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition.
	In August 2014, FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15,
	Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40)
	(“ASU 2014-15”). ASU 2014-15 requires management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that are currently in United States auditing standards. Specifically, the amendments (1) provide a definition of the term substantial doubt, (2) require an evaluation every reporting period
	, including interim periods, (3) provide principles for considering the mitigating effect of management’s plans, (4) require certain disclosures when substantial doubt is alleviated as a result of consideration of management’s plans, (5) require an express statement and other disclosures when substantial doubt is not alleviated, and (6) require an assessment for a period of one year after the date that the financial satements are issued (or available to be issued). The amendments in ASU 2014-15 are effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early adoption is permitted. We plan to adopt the provisions of ASU 2014-15 in 2016. We do not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition.
	In June 2014, FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12,
	Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718)
	(“ASU 2014-12”). ASU 2014-12 requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. ASU 2014-12 is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Earlier adoption is permitted. The amendments in ASU 2014-12 may either be applied (a) prospectively to all awards granted or modified after the effective date or (b) retrospectively to all awards with performance targets that are outstanding as of the beginning of the earlier annual period presented in the financial statements and to all new or modified awards thereafter. We plan to adopt the provisions of ASU 2014-12 in the first quarter of 2016. We do not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition.

Note_4_Convertible_Notes_to_Re

Note 4 - Convertible Notes to Related Parties	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements
Debt Disclosure [Text Block]	4.     Convertible Notes to Related Parties
	In April 2011, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement for a private placement of up to $4.5 million in Convertible Notes. We received a total of $4.3 million, net of issuance costs, from the issuance of these Convertible Notes.
	The Convertible Notes are secured by substantially all of our assets, including placing our bank accounts under a control agreement. The Convertible Notes bear interest at 6% per annum, payable quarterly in cash or in additional principal amount of Convertible Notes, at the election of the purchasers. The Convertible Notes mature on May 2, 2021, however, the holders of the Convertible Notes may require prepayment of the Convertible Notes at any time, at each holder’s option.
	The Convertible Notes are convertible into shares of our common stock at a rate of 1,250 shares for every $1,000 of principal and accrued interest due under the Convertible Notes. There is no right to convert the Convertible Notes to the extent that, after giving effect to such conversion, the holder would beneficially own in excess of 9.99% of our outstanding common stock. Each holder of the Convertible Notes can increase or decrease this beneficial ownership conversion limit by written notice to us, which will not be effective until 61 days after delivery of the notice.
	As of March 31, 2015, we were in compliance with all covenants under the Convertible Notes. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the Convertible Notes, the holders of the Convertible Notes have the right to require us to redeem all or a portion of their Convertible Notes.
	We filed a registration statement with the SEC to register for resale 3.5 million shares underlying the Convertible Notes. The registration statement was declared effective on July 29, 2011. The Note holders have agreed to waive their right to require us to maintain the effectiveness of the registration statement and to register the additional shares underlying the Convertible Notes until they provide notice otherwise.
	The Convertible Notes contain an embedded conversion feature that was in-the-money on the issuance dates. Based on an effective fixed conversion rate of 1,250 shares for every $1,000 of principal and accrued interest due under the Convertible Notes, the total conversion benefit at issuance exceeded the loan proceeds. Therefore, a debt discount was recorded in an amount equal to the face value of the Convertible Notes on the issuance dates and we began amortizing the resultant debt discount over the respective 10-year term of the Convertible Notes. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, accrued interest of approximately $80,000 was paid-in-kind and rolled into the Convertible Note principal balance, which resulted in an additional debt discount of approximately $80,000. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, interest expense relating to the stated rate was approximately $81,000 and $77,000, respectively, and interest expense relating to the amortization of the debt discount was approximately $151,000 and $139,000, respectively.
	As of March 31, 2015, the carrying value of the Convertible Notes was approximately $1,749,000, which is comprised of the $5,421,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes outstanding, less debt discount of $3,672,000. If the $5,421,000 principal amount of Convertible Notes is converted, we would issue 6,776,998 shares of our common stock.

Note_5_Stockholders_Equity

Note 5 - Stockholders' Equity	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]	5.     Stockholders' Equity
	2011 Private Placement
	In June 2011, we sold 8.0 million shares of our common stock for net proceeds of $22.8 million (net of approximately $1.2 million in issuance costs). For each share purchased, the investors received one warrant to purchase 0.5 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.60 per share. The warrants were immediately exercisable and expire on July 1, 2016. The warrants may be exercised for cash only, or, if a registration statement is not then effective and available for the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, by surrender of such warrant, or a portion of such warrant, by way of cashless exercise. There is no right to exercise the warrants to the extent that, after giving effect to such exercise the holder would beneficially own in excess of 9.99% of our outstanding shares of common stock or such other limit as may be designated by any particular purchaser. Each holder of the warrants can amend or waive the foregoing limitation by written notice to us, with such waiver taking effect only upon the expiration of a 61-day notice period.
	On July 29, 2011, we filed a registration statement with the SEC to register for resale the shares and the shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the warrants. The registration statement was declared effective on August 4, 2011. We are obligated to maintain the effectiveness of the registration statement until the investors are able to sell shares and the shares of common stock underlying the warrants without limitation or restriction under Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Rule 144”). There is currently only one investor who is an affiliate of ours and is therefore not able to sell without limitation under Rule 144, and that investor has agreed to waive its right to require us to maintain the effectiveness of the registration statement until it provides notice otherwise.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, warrant holders exercised 66,667 warrants under the cashless exercise provision in the warrant agreement, which resulted in the net issuance of 47,588 shares of common stock and no net cash proceeds to us. During the three months ended March 31, 2014, warrant holders exercised 144,040 warrants under the cashless exercise provision in the warrant agreement, which resulted in the net issuance of 108,409 shares of common stock and no net cash proceeds to us.
	2012 Private Placement
	In July 2012, we sold approximately 5.1 million shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $10.50 per share, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $50.5 million (net of approximately $3.1 million in issuance costs). On August 24, 2012, we filed a registration statement with the SEC to register these shares for resale. The registration statement was declared effective on September 6, 2012.
	2013 Common Stock Offering
	In November 2013, we sold approximately 7.7 million shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $8.00 per share. We received total net proceeds of approximately $57.8 million (net of approximately $3.9 million in issuance costs). The offering was made pursuant to an effective registration statement, which was previously filed with the SEC.
	2014 Common Stock Offering
	In June 2014, we sold approximately 4.8 million shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $11.75 per share. In addition, as a component of the offering, we sold 600,000 pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $11.74 per share. The pre-funded warrants have an exercise price of $0.01 per share and expire on June 30, 2021. We received total net proceeds of approximately $58.9 million (net of approximately $4.0 million in issuance costs) from the sale of the common stock and the pre-funded warrants. The offering was made pursuant to an effective registration statement, which was previously filed with the SEC.
	Stock Option Exercises
	For the three months ended March 31, 2015, 351,698 shares of common stock were issued pursuant to the exercise of stock options, resulting in proceeds to us of approximately $2,878,000. For the three months ended March 31, 2014, option holders exercised 275,352 stock options, a portion of which were exercised under the cashless exercise provision of our 2007 Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan, resulting in the net issuance of 215,350 shares of common stock and cash proceeds to us of approximately $958,000.
	Stock-Based Compensation
	The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense related to stock-based payment awards granted pursuant to all of our equity compensation arrangements for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended
		31-Mar
		,
		2015			2014
	Research and development	$	806		$	1,262
	General and administrative		1,745			1,707
	Stock-based compensation expense included in operating expenses	$	2,551		$	2,969
	Impact on basic and diluted net loss per share	$	0.09		$	0.13
	As of March 31, 2015, there was $29,947,000 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested, stock-based payment awards granted under all of our equity compensation plans and all non-plan option grants. Total unrecognized compensation cost will be adjusted for future changes in estimated forfeitures. We expect to recognize this compensation cost over a weighted-average period of 2.4 years.
	We estimated the fair value of each option grant on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:
		March 31,
		20			20
		15			14
	Risk-free interest rate		1.6	%		2	%
	Dividend yield		0	%		0	%
	Volatility		91.7	%		104.1	%
	Expected life (years)		6.1			6
	We estimated the fair value of each purchase right granted under our 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan at the beginning of each new offering period using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. There were no new offering periods for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	The following table summarizes the stock option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2015:
								Weighted-
								Average
					Weighted-			Remaining
					Average			Contractual
		Shares			Exercise			Term
		(in thousands)			Price			(Years)
	Balance at January 1, 2015		7,918		$	8.69			7.92
	Granted		54		$	11.52
	Exercised		(352	)	$	8.18
	Expired and forfeited		(327	)	$	10.67
	Balance at March 31, 2015		7,293		$	8.65			8.31

Note_6_Income_Taxes

Note 6 - Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]	6.     Income Taxes
	Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for temporary differences between financial statements and income tax carrying values using tax rates in effect for the years such differences are expected to reverse. Due to uncertainties surrounding our ability to generate future taxable income and consequently realize such deferred income tax assets, a full valuation allowance has been established. We continue to maintain a full valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets as of March 31, 2015.
	The impact of an uncertain income tax position on the income tax return must be recognized at the largest amount that is more likely than not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant tax authority. An uncertain income tax position will not be recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained. There have been no material changes in our unrecognized tax benefits since March 31, 2015 and, as such, disclosures included in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 continue to be relevant for the period ended March 31, 2015.

Significant_Accounting_Policie

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Principles of Consolidation
	The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Heron Therapeutics, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Heron Therapeutics B.V., which was organized in the Netherlands in March 2015. Heron Therapeutics B.V. has no operations and no material assets or liabilities and there have been no significant transactions related to Heron Therapeutics B.V. since its inception.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Use of Estimates
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and disclosures made in the accompanying notes to the financial statements. Our critical accounting policies that involve significant judgment and estimates include accrued clinical liabilities, income taxes and stock-based compensation. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and highly liquid investments with original maturities from purchase date of three months or less. Our bank accounts have been placed under a control agreement in accordance with our Senior Secured Convertible Notes (“Convertible Notes”).
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Earnings Per Share
	Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period, without consideration of common share equivalents. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding for the period determined using the treasury stock method. For purposes of this calculation, stock options, warrants and common stock underlying Convertible Notes are considered to be common stock equivalents and are only included in the calculation of diluted EPS when their effect is dilutive.
	Because we have incurred a net loss for all periods presented in the condensed consolidated statements of operations, outstanding stock options, warrants and common stock underlying Convertible Notes are not included in the computation of net loss per share because their effect would be anti-dilutive.
	The following table includes the number of outstanding stock options, warrants and common stock underlying Convertible Notes not included in the computation as of the dates shown below (in thousands):
		As of March 31
		,
		2015		2014
	Stock options outstanding		7,293		7,273
	Warrants outstanding		3,843		3,825
	Common stock underlying convertible notes outstanding		6,777		6,385
Comprehensive Income, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Comprehensive Income (Loss)
	Comprehensive income (loss) is defined as the change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. Our comprehensive net loss for both periods presented was comprised solely of our net loss, and there were no other changes in equity from non-owner sources.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	In January 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-
	1
	, Income Statement—Extraordinary and Unusual Items (Subtopic 225-20)
	(“ASU 2015-01”). ASU 2015-01 eliminates the concept of extraordinary items from GAAP. FASB concluded that ASU 2015-01 will not result in a loss of information because although ASU 2015-01 will eliminate the requirements in Subtopic 225-20 for reporting entities to consider whether an underlying event or transaction is extraordinary, the presentation and disclosure guidance for items that are unusual in nature or occur infrequently will be retained and will be expanded to include items that are both unusual in nature and infrequently occurring.
	The amendments in
	ASU 2015-01 are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. A reporting entity may apply the amendments prospectively. A reporting entity also may apply the amendments retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Early adoption is permitted provided that the guidance is applied from the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We adopted the provisions of ASU 2015-01 in the first quarter of 2015. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition.
	In August 2014, FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15,
	Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40)
	(“ASU 2014-15”). ASU 2014-15 requires management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that are currently in United States auditing standards. Specifically, the amendments (1) provide a definition of the term substantial doubt, (2) require an evaluation every reporting period
	, including interim periods, (3) provide principles for considering the mitigating effect of management’s plans, (4) require certain disclosures when substantial doubt is alleviated as a result of consideration of management’s plans, (5) require an express statement and other disclosures when substantial doubt is not alleviated, and (6) require an assessment for a period of one year after the date that the financial satements are issued (or available to be issued). The amendments in ASU 2014-15 are effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early adoption is permitted. We plan to adopt the provisions of ASU 2014-15 in 2016. We do not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition.
	In June 2014, FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12,
	Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718)
	(“ASU 2014-12”). ASU 2014-12 requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. ASU 2014-12 is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Earlier adoption is permitted. The amendments in ASU 2014-12 may either be applied (a) prospectively to all awards granted or modified after the effective date or (b) retrospectively to all awards with performance targets that are outstanding as of the beginning of the earlier annual period presented in the financial statements and to all new or modified awards thereafter. We plan to adopt the provisions of ASU 2014-12 in the first quarter of 2016. We do not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition.

Note_3_Accounting_Policies_Tab

Note 3 - Accounting Policies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Notes Tables
Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Table Text Block]		As of March 31
		,
		2015		2014
	Stock options outstanding		7,293		7,273
	Warrants outstanding		3,843		3,825
	Common stock underlying convertible notes outstanding		6,777		6,385

Note_5_Stockholders_Equity_Tab

Note 5 - Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Notes Tables
Schedule of Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Table Text Block]		Three Months Ended
		31-Mar
		,
		2015			2014
	Research and development	$	806		$	1,262
	General and administrative		1,745			1,707
	Stock-based compensation expense included in operating expenses	$	2,551		$	2,969
	Impact on basic and diluted net loss per share	$	0.09		$	0.13
Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]		March 31,
		20			20
		15			14
	Risk-free interest rate		1.6	%		2	%
	Dividend yield		0	%		0	%
	Volatility		91.7	%		104.1	%
	Expected life (years)		6.1			6
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Table Text Block]								Weighted-
								Average
					Weighted-			Remaining
					Average			Contractual
		Shares			Exercise			Term
		(in thousands)			Price			(Years)
	Balance at January 1, 2015		7,918		$	8.69			7.92
	Granted		54		$	11.52
	Exercised		(352	)	$	8.18
	Expired and forfeited		(327	)	$	10.67
	Balance at March 31, 2015		7,293		$	8.65			8.31

Note_1_Business_Details_Textua

Note 1 - Business (Details Textual) (USD $)	51 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	($335,807,000)	($315,237,000)
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt and Capital Securities, Net	194,300,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	$55,556,000	$72,675,000	$57,475,000	$72,287,000

Note_3_Accounting_Policies_Equ

Note 3 - Accounting Policies - Equity Excluded From Calculation of Diluted Earnings Per Share (Details)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Equity Option [Member]
Shares excluded (in shares)	7,293	7,273
Warrant [Member]
Shares excluded (in shares)	3,843	3,825
Convertible Debt Securities [Member]
Shares excluded (in shares)	6,777	6,385

Note_4_Convertible_Notes_to_Re1

Note 4 - Convertible Notes to Related Parties (Details Textual) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 29, 2011	Apr. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Convertible Debt Issuable in Connection with Private Placement		$4,500,000
Proceeds from Convertible Debt		4,300,000
Common Shares Registered for Resale in Connection with Convertible Notes	3,500,000
Interest Expense, Debt, Excluding Amortization			81,000	77,000
Amortization of Debt Discount (Premium)			151,000	139,000
Convertible Notes Payable, Related Parties, Current			1,749,000		1,598,000
Convertible Debt Securities [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Debt Instrument Conversion Ratio Shares		1,250
Convertible Debt Securities [Member] | In Case of Debt Conversion [Member]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount			5,421,000
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Number of Equity Instruments			6,776,998
Convertible Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date		2-May-21
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		6.00%
Debt Instrument Conversion Ratio Multiple of Principal		1,000
Beneficial Ownership after Conversion		9.99%
Notice Period Associated with Beneficial Ownership Percentage Limitation Convertible Notes		61 days
Paid-in-Kind Interest			80,000
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Other, Net			80,000
Convertible Notes Payable, Related Parties, Current			1,749,000
Debt Instrument, Face Amount			5,421,000
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount			$3,672,000

Note_5_Stockholders_Equity_Det

Note 5 - Stockholders' Equity (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended				25 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2011	Jul. 31, 2012	Nov. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Net	351,698	215,350
Proceeds from Stock Options Exercised	$2,878,000	$958,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period	352,000	275,352
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	29,947,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	2 years 146 days
Private Placement 2011 [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues	47,588	108,409	8,000,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues			22,800,000
Payments of Stock Issuance Costs			1,200,000
Class of Warrant or Right, Number of Securities Called by Each Warrant or Right			0.5
Private Placement 2011 [Member] | Warrant [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Exercised	66,667	144,040
Private Placement 2011 [Member]
Proceeds from Warrant Exercises	0	0
Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights			$3.60
Private Placement 2012 [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues				5,100,000
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues				50,500,000
Payments of Stock Issuance Costs				3,100,000
Private Placement 2012 [Member]
Sale of Stock, Price Per Share				$10.50
Common Stock [Member] | Jefferies, LLC [Member]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues					7,700,000
Payments of Stock Issuance Costs					3,900,000
Sale of Stock, Price Per Share					$8
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock					57,800,000
Common Stock [Member]
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues						4,800,000
Sale of Stock, Price Per Share						$11.75
Common Stock and Prefunded Warrants [Member]
Payments of Stock Issuance Costs						4,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance or Sale of Equity						$58,900,000
Private Placement 2011 [Member]
Limitation on Exercisable Warrants							9.99%
Pre-funded Warrants[Member]
Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights						$0.01
Class of Warrant or Right, Number of Securities Called by Warrants or Rights						600,000
Share Price						$11.74

Note_5_Stockholders_Equity_All

Note 5 - Stockholders' Equity - Allocation of the Recognized Cost (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Share-based compensation expense	$2,551	$2,969
Impact on basic and diluted net loss per share (in dollars per share)	$0.09	$0.13
Research and Development Expense [Member]
Share-based compensation expense	806	1,262
General and Administrative Expense [Member]
Share-based compensation expense	$1,745	$1,707

Note_5_Stockholders_Equity_Opt

Note 5 - Stockholders' Equity - Option Valuation Assumptions (Details) (Employee Stock Option [Member])	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Risk-free interest rate	1.60%	2.00%
Dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%
Volatility	91.70%	104.10%
Expected life (years)	6 years 36 days	6 years

Note_5_Stockholders_Equity_Opt1

Note 5 - Stockholders' Equity - Option Summary (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Balance at January 1, 2015 (in shares)	7,293,000	7,918,000
Balance at January 1, 2015 (in dollars per share)	$8.65	$8.69
Balance at January 1, 2015	8 years 113 days	7 years 335 days
Granted (in shares)	54,000
Granted (in dollars per share)	$11.52
Exercised (in shares)	-352,000
Exercised (in dollars per share)	$8.18
Expired and forfeited (in shares)	-327,000
Expired and forfeited (in dollars per share)	$10.67