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Significant Accounting Policies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies

1.

Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Operations

FibroGen, Inc. (“FibroGen” or the “Company”) was incorporated in 1993 in Delaware and is a research-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics agents to treat serious unmet medical needs. The Company’s focus in the areas of fibrosis and hypoxia-inducible factor (“HIF”) biology has generated multiple programs targeting various therapeutic areas. The Company’s most advanced product candidate, roxadustat, or FG-4592, is an oral small molecule inhibitor of HIF prolyl hydroxylases (“HIF-PHs”) in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease (“CKD”) and myelodysplastic syndromes (“MDS”). Pamrevlumab, or FG-3019, is the Company’s monoclonal antibody in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (“IPF”), pancreatic cancer and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (“DMD”). The Company is taking a global approach with respect to the development and future commercialization of its product candidates, and this includes development and commercialization in the People’s Republic of China (“China”). The Company is capitalizing on its extensive experience in fibrosis and HIF biology and clinical development to advance a pipeline of innovative medicines for the treatment of anemia, fibrotic disease cancer, corneal blindness and other serious unmet medical needs.

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of FibroGen, its wholly owned subsidiaries and its majority-owned subsidiaries, FibroGen Europe Oy and FibroGen China Anemia Holdings, Ltd. (“FibroGen China”). All inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company operates in one segment — the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics to treat serious unmet medical needs.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) applicable to interim financial reporting and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X of the United States (“U.S.”) Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and, therefore, do not include all information and footnote disclosures normally included in the annual consolidated financial statements. The financial information included herein should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2017 (“2017 Form 10-K”).

The accounting policies used by the Company in its presentation of interim financial results are consistent with those presented in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included in the 2017 Form 10-K, except for the following:

Revenue Recognition

Substantially all of the Company’s revenues to date have been generated from its collaboration agreements.

The Company’s collaboration agreements include multiple performance obligations comprised of promised services, or bundles of services, that are distinct. Services that are not distinct are combined with other services in the agreement until they form a distinct bundle of services. The Company’s process for identifying performance obligations and an enumeration of each obligation for each agreement is outlined in Note 2 “Collaboration Agreements.” Determining the performance obligations within a collaboration agreement often involves significant judgment and is specific to the facts and circumstances contained in each agreement.

The Company identified the following material promises under its collaboration agreements: (1) license of FibroGen technology, (2) the performance of co-development services, including manufacturing of clinical supplies and other services during the development period, and (3) manufacture of commercial supply. The evaluation as to whether these promises are distinct, and therefore represent separate performance obligations, is described in more details in Note 2 “Collaboration Agreements.”

For revenue recognition purposes, the Company determines that the term of its collaboration agreements begin on the effective date and ends upon the completion of all performance obligations contained in the agreements. In each agreement, the contract term is defined as the period in which parties to the contract have present and enforceable rights and obligations. The Company believes that the existence of what it considers to be substantive termination penalties on the part of the counterparty create sufficient incentive for the counterparty to avoid exercising its right to terminate the agreement unless in exceptionally rare situations.

The transaction price for each collaboration agreement is determined based on the amount of consideration the Company expects to be entitled for satisfying all performance obligations within the agreement. The Company’s collaboration agreements include payments to the Company of one or more of the following: non-refundable upfront license fees; co-development billings; development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments; and royalties on net sales of licensed products.

Upfront license fees are non-contingent and non-refundable in nature and are included in the transaction price at the point when the license fees become due to the Company.  The Company does not assess whether a contract has a significant financing component if the expectation at contract inception is such that the period between payment by the customer and the transfer of the promised goods or services to the customer will be one year or less.

Co-development billings resulting from the Company’s research and development efforts, which are reimbursable under its collaboration agreements, are considered variable consideration. Determining the amount of variable consideration from co-development billings requires the Company to make estimates of future research and development efforts, which involves significant judgment. Co-development billings are allocated entirely to the co-development services performance obligation when amounts are related specifically to research and development efforts necessary to satisfy the performance obligation, and such an allocation is consistent with the allocation objective.

Milestone payments are also considered variable consideration, which requires the Company to make estimates of when achievement of a particular milestone becomes probable. Similar to other forms of variable consideration, milestone payments are included in the transaction price when it becomes probable that such inclusion would not result in a significant revenue reversal. Milestone payments are therefore included in the transaction price when achievement of the milestone becomes probable.

For arrangements that include sales-based royalties and for which the license is deemed to be the predominant item to which the royalties relate, the Company recognizes revenue at the later of (i) when the related sales occur, or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied (or partially satisfied). To date, the Company has not recognized any royalty revenue resulting from its collaboration arrangements.

The transaction price is allocated to performance obligations based on their relative standalone selling price (“SSP”), with the exception of co-development billings allocated entirely to co-development services performance obligations. The SSP is determined based on observable prices at which the Company separately sells the products and services. If an SSP is not directly observable, then the Company will estimate the SSP considering marketing conditions, entity-specific factors, and information about the customer or class of customer that is reasonably available. The process for determining SSP involves significant judgment and includes consideration of multiple factors, including assumptions related to the market opportunity and the time needed to commercialize a product candidate pursuant to the relevant license, estimated direct expenses and other costs, which include the rates normally charged by contract research and contract manufacturing organizations for development and manufacturing obligations, and rates that would be charged by qualified outsiders for committee services.  

Significant judgment may be required in determining whether a performance obligation is distinct, determining the amount of variable consideration to be included in the transaction price, and estimating the SSP of each performance obligation. An enumeration of the Company’s significant judgments is outlined in Note 2 “Collaboration Agreements.”

For each performance obligation identified within an arrangement, the Company determines the period over which the promised services are transferred and the performance obligation is satisfied. Service revenue is recognized over time based on progress toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation. The Company uses an input method to measure progress toward the satisfaction of co-development services and certain other related performance obligations, which is based on costs of labor hours or full time equivalents and out-of-pocket expenses incurred relative to total expected costs to be incurred.  The Company believes this measure of progress provides a faithful depiction of the transfer of services because other measures do not measure as accurately how the Company transfers its performance obligations to its collaboration partners.

Investments

The Company’s investments consist of available-for-sale debt investments and marketable equity investments. Those investments with maturities less than 12 months are considered short-term investments. Those investments with maturities greater than 12 months are considered long-term investments. The Company’s investments classified as available-for-sale are recorded at fair value based upon quoted market prices at period end. Unrealized gains and losses for available-for-sale debt investments that are deemed temporary in nature are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as a separate component of stockholder’ equity. Marketable equity securities are equity securities with readily determinable fair value, and are measured and recorded at fair value. Realized and unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in value and sale of the Company’s marketable equity investments are recorded in other income (expenses) in the consolidated statement of operations.

A decline in the fair value of any security below cost that is deemed other than temporary results in a charge to earnings and the corresponding establishment of a new cost basis for the security. Premiums and discounts are amortized (accreted) over the life of the related security as an adjustment to its yield. Dividend and interest income are recognized when earned. Realized gains and losses are included in earnings and are derived using the specific identification method for determining the cost of investments sold.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP 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 reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The more significant areas requiring the use of management estimates and assumptions include valuation and recognition of revenue, estimates of accruals related to clinical trial costs, valuation allowances for deferred tax assets, and valuation and recognition of stock-based compensation. On an ongoing basis, management reviews these estimates and assumptions. Changes in facts and circumstances may alter such estimates and actual results could differ from those estimates. In the Company’s opinion, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of its financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented.

 

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Guidance

New Revenue Standards

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605, Revenue Recognition. ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. Subsequently, the FASB has issued the following standards related to ASU 2014-09: ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations; ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing; ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients; and ASU No. 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (collectively, the “new revenue standards”).

Under ASC 606, the Company recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that the Company determines are within the scope of ASC 606, the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of ASC 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determines those that are performance obligations and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.

The Company adopted the new revenue standards as of January 1, 2018 using the full retrospective method, which required the Company to recast the prior reporting period presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements. The primary impact upon adoption of the new revenue standards relates to the manner in which revenue is recognized for co-development billings and milestone payments under the Company’s collaboration arrangements. Under the new revenue standards, both of these elements of consideration are considered variable consideration which requires the Company to make estimates of when co-development billings become due or when achievement of a particular milestone becomes probable. Payments are included in the transaction price when it becomes probable that inclusion would not lead to a significant revenue reversal.

The Company has recast its condensed consolidated statement of operations and condensed balance sheet from amounts previously reported due to the adoption of the new revenue standards. The adoption of the new revenue standards had no impact to the Company’s previously reported condensed consolidated statement of cash flows.

Select line items from the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of operations and condensed balance sheet, which reflect the adoption of the new revenue standards are as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

Three Months Ended March 31, 2017

 

 

 

As Previously Reported

 

 

New Revenue Standards Adjustment

 

 

As Recast

 

Statement of Operations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

License revenue

 

$

19,581

 

 

$

(19,581

)

 

$

 

Development and other revenue

 

 

7,310

 

 

 

22,132

 

 

 

29,442

 

Total revenue

 

 

26,891

 

 

 

2,551

 

 

 

29,442

 

Net loss

 

 

(33,161

)

 

 

2,551

 

 

 

(30,610

)

Net loss per share - basic and diluted

 

$

(0.52

)

 

$

0.04

 

 

$

(0.48

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

 

As Previously Reported

 

 

New Revenue Standards Adjustment

 

 

As Recast

 

Balance Sheet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred revenue, current

 

$

7,968

 

 

$

8,702

 

 

$

16,670

 

Deferred revenue, net of current

 

 

112,231

 

 

 

26,010

 

 

 

138,241

 

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(595,945

)

 

 

(34,712

)

 

 

(630,657

)

The adoption of the new revenue standards resulted in an increase in revenue of $5.3 million and $3.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and an increase in the opening accumulative deficit of $43.7 million as of January 1, 2016.

ASU 2016-01

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10). This guidance requires equity investments that are not accounted for under the equity method of accounting to be measured at fair value with changes recognized in net income, simplifies the impairment assessment of certain equity investments, and updates certain presentation and disclosure requirements. This guidance was effective for the annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach. The impacts to the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive loss and accumulated deficit upon adoption of this guidance are as follows (in thousands):

 

 

Accumulated

Other

Comprehensive Loss

 

 

Accumulated Deficit

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2017

 

$

(1,795

)

 

$

(630,657

)

*

Impact of change in accounting principle

   upon adoption of ASU 2016-01

 

 

(1,250

)

 

 

1,250

 

 

Opening balance as of January 1, 2018

 

$

(3,045

)

 

$

(629,407

)

 

 

*

Recast to reflect the adoption of the new revenue standards. See above.

The adoption of this guidance had no impact to the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of operations or condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2018.

ASU 2017-09

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting. This guidance provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a stock-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. This guidance was effective for annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018, and the adoption of this guidance had no impact to the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2016-16

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This guidance requires companies to recognize the income tax effects of intercompany sales or transfer of assets, other than inventory, in the income statement as income tax expense (or benefit) in the period the sale or transfer occurs. The exception to recognizing the income tax effects of intercompany sales or transfer sales or transfer of assets remains in place for intercompany inventory sales and transfers.  This guidance was effective for annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The adoption of this guidance did not result in any recognition of previously unrecognized deferred charges using a modified retrospective method, thus had no impact to the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income: Reclassification of Certain Tax effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. This guidance allows for the reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for the stranded tax effects arising from the change in the reduction of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate from 35% to 21%. This guidance is effective for annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt this guidance on January 1, 2019 and does not anticipate a material reclassification between its accumulated other comprehensive loss and accumulated deficit upon adoption.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This guidance requires that financial assets measured at amortized cost be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. The measurement of expected credit losses is based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability. This guidance is effective for the annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within that reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact on its consolidated financial statements upon the adoption of this guidance.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). Under this guidance, an entity is required to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on its balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. This guidance offers specific accounting guidance for a lessee, a lessor and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This guidance is effective for the annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that reporting period, and requires a modified retrospective adoption, with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt this guidance as of January 1, 2019 and is currently evaluating the related accounting, transition, disclosure requirements and the impact on its consolidated financial statements upon the adoption of this guidance.