Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

v2.4.0.8
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]
5.  STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
 
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
 
The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to calculate the grant-date fair value of stock option awards. The resulting compensation expense, net of expected forfeitures, for non-performance based awards is recognized on a straight-line basis over the service period of the award, which is generally three years for stock options. For stock options with performance-based vesting provisions, recognition of compensation expense, net of expected forfeitures, commences if and when the achievement of the performance criteria is deemed probable. The compensation expense, net of expected forfeitures, for performance-based stock options is recognized over the relevant performance period. Evaluation of the probability of meeting performance targets is evaluated at the end of each reporting period. Non-employee stock-based compensation is accounted for in accordance with the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 505, Equity.  As such, the Company recognizes expense based on the estimated fair value of options granted to non-employees over their vesting period, which is generally the period during which services are rendered and deemed completed by such non-employees.
 
The following table summarizes amounts charged to expense for stock-based compensation related to employee and director stock option grants and recorded in connection with stock options granted to non-employee consultants:
 
 
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
Cumulative
Development-
Stage Period
from November
7, 2002 through
March 31,
 
 
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
Employee and director stock option grants:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Research and development
 
$
63,427
 
$
105,838
 
$
1,226,700
 
General and administrative
 
 
184,385
 
 
312,039
 
 
4,572,794
 
Restructuring costs
 
 
 
 
 
 
705,518
 
 
 
 
247,812
 
 
417,877
 
 
6,505,012
 
Non-employee consultant stock option grants:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Research and development
 
 
14,714
 
 
1,011
 
 
152,266
 
General and administrative
 
 
 
 
7,010
 
 
286,651
 
 
 
 
14,714
 
 
8,021
 
 
438,917
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total stock-based compensation
 
$
262,526
 
$
425,898
 
$
6,943,929
 
 
In October 2013, the Company granted options to purchase 5,285,573 shares of common stock in connection with the appointment of its Acting Chief Executive Officer, including options to purchase 1,925,573 shares of common stock at $0.75 per share (the “Anti-dilution Option”), exercisable as shares of the Company’s common stock are issued following the exercise of outstanding warrants to purchase up to 36,585,895 shares of the Company’s common stock, in the ratio of one option share for each 19 shares issued upon warrant exercise. No compensation expense was recognized related to these options as the Company was not able to conclude that the achievement of the performance condition was probable. On February 20, 2014, warrants to purchase 5,500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.50 per share expired unexercised and as a result, the number of shares subject to the Anti-dilution Option was reduced by 289,473 shares, according to its terms.
 
Assumptions Used In Determining Fair Value
 
Valuation and amortization method. The fair value of each stock award is estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model.  The estimated fair value of employee stock options is amortized to expense using the straight-line method over the vesting period. The estimated fair value of the non-employee options is amortized to expense over the period during which a non-employee is required to provide services for the award (usually the vesting period).
 
Volatility. The Company estimates volatility based on an average of (1) the Company’s historical volatility since its common stock has been publicly traded and (2) review of volatility estimates of publicly held drug development companies with similar market capitalizations.
 
Risk-free interest rate. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant commensurate with the expected term assumption.
 
Expected term. The expected term of stock options granted is based on an estimate of when options will be exercised in the future. The Company applied the simplified method of estimating the expected term of the options, as described in the SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletins 107 and 110, as the historical experience is not indicative of the expected behavior in the future. The expected term, calculated under the simplified method, is applied to groups of stock options that have similar contractual terms. Using this method, the expected term is determined using the average of the vesting period and the contractual life of the stock options granted. The Company applied the simplified method to non-employees who have a truncation of term based on termination of service and utilizes the contractual life of the stock options granted for those non-employee grants which do not have a truncation of service.
 
Forfeitures.   The Company records stock-based compensation expense only for those awards that are expected to vest. A forfeiture rate is estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from initial estimates. An annual forfeiture rate of 2% and 0% was applied to all unvested options for employees and directors, respectively for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and for the year ended December 31, 2013.  Ultimately, the actual expense recognized over the vesting period will be for only those shares that vest.
 
The following table summarizes weighted-average values and assumptions used for options granted to employees, directors and consultants in the periods indicated:
 
 
 
Three Months Ended
March 31, 2013
 
Volatility
 
 
109
%
Risk-free interest rate
 
 
0.92
%
Expected life (years)
 
 
6.0
 
Dividend
 
 
0
%
Weighted-average exercise price
 
$
0.74
 
Weighted-average grant-date fair value
 
$
0.61
 
 
Exercise prices for all grants made during the three months ended March 31, 2013 were equal to the market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. There were no stock option grants during the three months ended March 31, 2014.
 
Stock Option Activity
 
A summary of stock option activity is as follows:
 
 
 
Number of
Shares
Issuable Upon
Exercise of
Outstanding
Options
 
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contracted
Term in
Years
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
 
Outstanding at December 31, 2013
 
 
12,693,166
 
$
0.91
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Granted
 
 
 
$
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Canceled
 
 
(324,108)
 
$
1.29
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Forfeited
 
 
(289,473)
 
$
0.75
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Outstanding at March 31, 2014
 
 
12,079,585
 
$
0.90
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vested, March 31, 2014
 
 
4,926,341
 
$
1.51
 
 
4.50
 
$
1,671
 
Unvested, March 31, 2014
 
 
7,153,244
 
$
0.48
 
 
9.42
 
$
218,729
 
Exercisable at March 31, 2014
 
 
4,926,341
 
$
1.51
 
 
4.50
 
$
1,671
 
 
The aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding is calculated based on the positive difference between the estimated per-share fair value of common stock at the end of the respective period and the exercise price of the underlying options.  There have been no option exercises to date. Shares of common stock issued upon the exercise of options are from authorized but unissued shares.
 
As of March 31, 2014, there was $1,592,057 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock-based compensation arrangements.  Of this total amount, the Company expects to recognize $525,652, $541,791, $352,251 and $172,363 during 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively. The Company expects 5,517,144 in unvested options to vest in the future.   In addition, there are outstanding options to purchase 1,636,100 shares of common stock that vest upon the occurrence of future events. The Company was not able to conclude that the achievement of the performance condition is probable. Therefore, the Company has not recognized any expense associated with the $418,187 fair value of this grant. Recognition of expense will begin when and if the Company determines that achievement of the performance condition is probable. The weighted-average grant-date fair value of vested and unvested options outstanding at March 31, 2014 was $0.85 and $0.32, respectively.