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The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies[Abstract]  
Description of Business

Description of Business

ARCA biopharma, Inc., or the Company or ARCA, a Delaware corporation, is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado and is a biopharmaceutical company principally focused on developing genetically-targeted therapies for cardiovascular diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate, Gencaro TM (bucindolol hydrochloride), a pharmacologically unique beta-blocker and mild vasodilator, is being developed for the treatment and the prevention of atrial fibrillation, or AF, in patients with heart failure, or HF. The Company has identified common genetic variations in the cardiovascular system that it believes interact with Gencaro’s pharmacology and may predict patient response to Gencaro treatment. The Company has been granted patents in the U.S., Europe, and other jurisdictions for methods of treating AF and HF patients with Gencaro based on genetic testing, which it believes will provide market exclusivity for these uses of Gencaro into at least 2026 in the U.S. and into 2025 in Europe. In addition, the Company believes that if Gencaro is approved, a Gencaro patent will be eligible for patent term extension based on our current clinical trial plans which, if granted may provide market exclusivity for Gencaro into 2029 or 2030 in the US and Europe.

The Company believes that that Gencaro has potential efficacy in reducing or preventing AF, and this efficacy may be genetically regulated. The Company plans to test this hypothesis in a clinical trial of Gencaro, known as GENETIC-AF, which the Company plans to initiate pending receipt of the necessary funding, which it intends to seek through equity financing or a strategic partnership. The Company has created an adaptive design for GENETIC-AF under which the trial is intended to be initiated as a Phase 2b study in approximately 200 patients with heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction, or HFREF. Depending on the results of the Phase 2b portion, the trial may then be expanded to a Phase 3 study by enrolling an estimated additional 420 patients. The Company anticipates that GENETIC-AF could begin approximately 6 months after the Company obtains sufficient funding, which it intends to seek through equity financing or a strategic partnership.

To support the continued development of Gencaro, including the planned GENETIC-AF clinical trial and ongoing operations, the Company will need to raise substantial additional funding through public or private equity transactions or a strategic combination or partnership. If the Company is delayed in obtaining funding or is unable to complete a strategic transaction, it may have to discontinue development activities on Gencaro or discontinue its operations.

Development Stage Risks, Liquidity and Going Concern

Development Stage Risks, Liquidity and Going Concern

The Company is in the development stage and devotes substantially all of its efforts towards obtaining regulatory approval, exploring strategic alternatives for further developing Gencaro, and raising capital necessary to fund its operations. The Company has not generated revenue to date and is subject to a number of risks similar to those of other development stage companies, including dependence on key individuals, the development of and regulatory approval of commercially viable products, the need to raise adequate additional financing necessary to fund the development and commercialization of its products, and competition from larger companies. The Company has historically funded its operations through issuances of convertible promissory notes and shares of its common and preferred stock, as well as through the business combination with Nuvelo, Inc, or Nuvelo.

Since ARCA was founded on December 17, 2001, or Inception, the Company has incurred substantial losses and negative cash flows from operations. Since Inception, the Company incurred a loss from operations of $99.1 million and had negative cash flows from operations of $97.4 million.

In light of the substantial additional time and costs associated with the development of Gencaro and the need to raise a significant amount of capital on acceptable terms to finance the planned clinical trial and the Company’s ongoing operations, the Company is evaluating strategic alternatives for funding continued operations and development programs. The Company will need to complete a substantial equity financing, or a strategic transaction, such as a strategic combination or partnership to support the continued development of Gencaro, including the planned GENETIC-AF clinical trial. In 2012, the Company raised approximately $1.2 million, net of offering costs, through the sales of our common stock and may seek additional funding that could allow it to operate while it continues to pursue financing options, a strategic combination, partnering, and licensing opportunities. If the Company is delayed in completing or is unable to complete additional funding and/or a strategic transaction, the Company may discontinue its development activities or discontinue its operations. The Company currently believes its cash and cash equivalents balance as of December 31, 2012 plus the $1.5 million of new funds raised in the January 2013 (see Note 8) will be sufficient to fund its operations through September 30, 2013. The Company is unable to assert that its current cash and cash equivalents are sufficient to fund operations beyond that date, and as a result, there is substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern beyond September 30, 2013. These consolidated financial statements have been prepared with the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern and will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business and do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the inability of the Company to continue as a going concern. The Company may not be able to raise sufficient capital on acceptable terms, or at all, to continue development of Gencaro or to otherwise continue operations and may not be able to execute any strategic transaction.

The Company’s liquidity, and its ability to raise additional capital or complete any strategic transaction, depends on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

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the costs and timing for the planned GENETIC-AF clinical trial in order to gain possible FDA approval for Gencaro;

 

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the market price of the Company’s stock and the availability and cost of additional equity capital from existing and potential new investors;

 

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the Company’s ability to retain the listing of its common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market;

 

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general economic and industry conditions affecting the availability and cost of capital;

 

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the Company’s ability to control costs associated with its operations;

 

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the costs of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights; and

 

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the terms and conditions of the Company’s existing collaborative and licensing agreements.

The sale of additional equity or convertible debt securities would likely result in substantial additional dilution to the Company’s stockholders. If the Company raises additional funds through the incurrence of indebtedness, the obligations related to such indebtedness would be senior to rights of holders of the Company’s capital stock and could contain covenants that would restrict the Company’s operations. The Company also cannot predict what consideration might be available, if any, to the Company or its stockholders, in connection with any strategic transaction. Should strategic alternatives or additional capital not be available to the Company in the near term, or not be available on acceptable terms, the Company may be unable to realize value from its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business which may, among other alternatives, cause the Company to further delay, substantially reduce or discontinue operational activities to conserve its cash resources.

Merger with Nuvelo, Inc.

Merger with Nuvelo, Inc.

On January 27, 2009, the Company completed a business combination, or the Merger, with ARCA Colorado in accordance with the terms of that Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization, dated September 24, 2008, and amended on October 28, 2008 (as amended, the “Merger Agreement”), in which a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuvelo merged with and into ARCA Colorado, with ARCA Colorado continuing after the Merger as the surviving corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nuvelo. Immediately following the Merger, the Company changed its name from Nuvelo, Inc. to ARCA biopharma, Inc. The business combination is treated as a reverse merger for accounting purposes, and ARCA Colorado is the accounting acquirer, and the entity formerly known as Nuvelo, Inc. is the acquired company (“Nuvelo”). Pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, the historical financial statements of ARCA Colorado replaced the historical financial statements of the acquired company, and the disclosures in this report relating to the pre-Merger business of the Company, unless noted as being the business of Nuvelo prior to the Merger, pertain to the business of ARCA Colorado prior to the Merger. See Note 3 for further discussion of the Merger.

In conjunction with and immediately prior to the Merger, Nuvelo effected a 1 for 20 reverse stock split. As a result, and in accordance with the Merger Agreement, each outstanding common share and warrant or option to purchase ARCA Colorado’s common stock prior to the Merger was converted into the right to receive or purchase 0.16698070, or the Exchange Ratio, shares of the Company’s common stock, which Exchange Ratio incorporates the effect of the reverse stock split. All common shares, options and warrants to purchase common shares and per common share amounts for all periods presented in the accompanying financial statements and notes have been adjusted retroactively to reflect the effect of the Exchange Ratio, except for the par value per share and the number of shares authorized, which are not affected by the Exchange Ratio. The accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes have not been adjusted to retroactively reflect the effect of the Exchange Ratio on preferred shares and per preferred share amounts.

Reverse Stock Split

Reverse Stock Split

On February 25, 2013 the Company’s stockholders approved for the Company to execute a reverse split of the common tock. ARCA’s Board of Directors then approved a 1-for-6 reverse split which became effective on March 4, 2013. All common shares and per common share amounts in the financial statements and footnotes have been adjusted retroactively to reflect the effects of this action.

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The Company has generated no revenue to date and its activities have consisted of seeking regulatory approval, research and development, exploring strategic alternatives for further developing and commercializing Gencaro, and raising capital. Accordingly, the Company is considered to be in the development stage at December 31, 2012.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2011, the FASB issued FASB Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income in U.S. GAAP and IFRS. This ASU provides companies the option to present the components of net income and other comprehensive income either as one continuous statement of comprehensive income or as two separate but consecutive statements. It eliminates the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders’ equity. The provisions of this new guidance were effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company adopted this new guidance effective January 1, 2012 and it did not have a material impact on our results of operations or cash flows. For the periods ending December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company does not any have elements of Comprehensive Income therefore it has not recognized any tax effects of other comprehensive income. The adoption of this new guidance had no impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Accounting Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements

Accounting Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. The Company bases estimates on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Company believes significant judgment was involved in estimating the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the Merger, including in-process research and development, facility exit costs, clinical trial accruals, and in estimating other accrued liabilities, stock-based compensation, and income taxes. Management is continually evaluating and updating these estimates, and it is possible that these estimates will change in the future or that actual results may differ from these estimates.

Cash Equivalents

Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents generally consist of money market funds and debt securities with maturities of 90 days or less at the time of purchase. The Company invests its excess cash in securities with strong ratings and has established guidelines relative to diversification and maturity with the objective of maintaining safety of principal and liquidity.

The Company classifies all cash equivalents as available-for-sale securities, and records investments at fair value. The specific identification method is utilized to calculate the cost to determine realized gains and losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities. Realized gains and losses are included in interest income in the consolidated statements of operations.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. The Company has no off-balance-sheet concentrations of credit risk, such as foreign exchange contracts, option contracts, or foreign currency hedging arrangements. The Company maintains cash and cash equivalent balances in the form of bank demand deposits, money market fund accounts and debt securities with financial institutions that management believes are creditworthy. Such balances may at times exceed the insured amount.

Property and Equipment

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Cost includes expenditures for equipment, leasehold improvements, replacements, and renewals. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. When assets are sold, retired, or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in operations. The cost of property and equipment is depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the life of the lease or the estimated useful life of the assets. Property and equipment acquired in the Merger were recorded at the estimated fair value as of the date of the Merger, and are subsequently depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated remaining useful lives of the related assets.

Long-Lived Assets and Impairments

Long-Lived Assets and Impairments

The Company reviews long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable. As a development stage company, the Company has not generated positive cash flows from operations, and such cash flows may not materialize for a significant period in the future, if ever. Additionally, the Company may make changes to its business plan that would result in changes to expected cash flows from long-lived assets. It is reasonably possible that future evaluations of long-lived assets, including changes from the Company’s current expected use of long-lived assets, may result in impairments.

Accrued Expenses

Accrued Expenses

As part of the process of preparing its financial statements, the Company is required to estimate accrued expenses. This process involves identifying services that third parties have performed on the Company’s behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for these services as of the balance sheet date. Examples of estimated accrued expenses include contract service fees, such as fees payable to contract manufacturers in connection with the production of materials related to the Company’s drug product, and professional service fees, such as attorneys, consultants, and clinical research organizations. The Company develops estimates of liabilities using its judgment based upon the facts and circumstances known at the time.

Segments

Segments

The Company operates in one segment. Management uses one measure of profitability and does not segment its business for internal reporting.

Research and Development

Research and Development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. These consist primarily of salaries, contract services, and supplies.

Costs related to clinical trial and drug manufacturing activities are based upon estimates of the services received and related expenses incurred by contract research organizations, or CROs, clinical study sites, drug manufacturers, collaboration partners, laboratories, consultants, or otherwise. Related contracts vary significantly in length, and could be for a fixed amount, a variable amount based on actual costs incurred, capped at a certain limit, or for a combination of these elements. Activity levels are monitored through communications with the vendors, including detailed invoices and task completion review, analysis of expenses against budgeted amounts, and pre-approval of any changes in scope of the services to be performed. Certain significant vendors may also provide an estimate of costs incurred but not invoiced on a periodic basis. Expenses related to the CROs and clinical studies are primarily based on progress made against specified milestones or targets in each period.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company’s stock-based compensation cost recognized includes: (a) compensation costs for current period vesting of all share-based awards granted prior to January 1, 2006, based on the intrinsic value method, and (b) compensation cost for current period vesting of all share-based awards granted or modified subsequent to January 1, 2006, based on the estimated grant date fair value. The Company recognizes compensation costs for its share-based awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award, as adjusted for expected forfeitures.

From Inception through December 31, 2005, the Company accounted for issuances of stock-based compensation under the intrinsic-value-based method of accounting. Under this method, compensation expense is generally recorded on the date of grant only if the estimated fair value of the underlying stock exceeds the exercise price.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The current benefit for income taxes represents actual or estimated amounts payable or refundable on tax returns filed or to be filed each year. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in the period that includes the enactment date. The overall change in deferred tax assets and liabilities for the period measures the deferred tax expense or benefit for the period. The measurement of deferred tax assets may be reduced by a valuation allowance based on judgmental assessment of available evidence if deemed more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company has recorded a valuation allowance against all of its deferred tax assets, as management has concluded that it is more likely than not that the net deferred tax asset will not be realized through future taxable income, based primarily on the Company’s history of operating losses. The Company has not performed an Internal Revenue Code Section 382 limitation study. Depending on the outcome of such a study, the gross amount of net operating losses recognizable in future tax periods could be limited.