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Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements  
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
 
Principles of Consolidation
 
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of GeoVax Labs, Inc. together with those of our wholly-owned subsidiary, GeoVax, Inc. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
 
Basis of Presentation
 
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern, which contemplates realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business for the twelve-month period following the date of these consolidated financial statements. We are devoting substantially all of our present efforts to research and development. We have funded our activities to date from government grants and clinical trial assistance, and from sales of our equity securities. We will continue to require substantial funds to continue our research and development activities.
 
We believe that our existing cash resources and grant commitments will be sufficient to fund our planned operations through the second quarter of 2016, but due to our history of operating losses and our continuing need for capital to conduct our research and development activities, there is substantial doubt concerning our ability to operate as a going concern beyond that date. We are currently exploring sources of capital through government grants and clinical trial support and through philanthropic foundation support. We may also secure additional funds through sales of our equity securities or the exercise of currently outstanding stock purchase warrants. Management believes that it will be successful in securing the additional capital required to continue the Company’s planned operations, but that its plans do not fully alleviate the substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to operate as a going concern. Additional funding may not be available on favorable terms or at all. If we fail to obtain additional capital when needed, we may be required to delay, scale back, or eliminate some or all of our research and development programs as well as reduce our general and administrative expenses.
 
Use of Estimates
 
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us 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 revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
 
Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
We consider all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Our cash and cash equivalents consist primarily of bank deposits and money market accounts. The recorded values approximate fair market values due to the short maturities.
 
Fair Value of Financial Instruments and Concentration of Credit Risk
 
Financial instruments that subject us to concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, which are maintained by a high credit quality financial institution. The carrying values reported in the balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents approximate fair values.
 
Property and Equipment
 
Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred, while additions and improvements are capitalized. We calculate depreciation using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets which range from three to five years. We amortize leasehold improvements using the straight-line method over the term of the related lease.
 
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02,
Leases
(ASU 2016-02). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize the assets and liabilities on their balance sheet for the rights and obligations created by most leases and continue to recognize expenses on their income statements over the lease term. It will also require disclosures designed to give financial statement users information on the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2016-02 on our financial statements.
 
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
 
We review long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of the assets to the future net cash flows expected to be generated by such assets. If we consider such assets to be impaired, the impairment to be
recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the expected future net cash flows from the assets.
 
Accrued Liabilities
 
As part of the process of preparing our financial statements, we estimate expenses that we believe we have incurred, but have not yet been billed by our third party vendors. This process involves identifying services and activities that have been performed by such vendors on our behalf and estimating the level to which they have been performed and the associated cost incurred for such service as of each balance sheet date.
 
Net Loss Per Share
 
Basic and diluted loss per common share are computed based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Common share equivalents consist of common shares issuable upon conversion of convertible preferred stock, and upon exercise of stock options and stock purchase warrants. All common share equivalents are excluded from the computation of diluted loss per share since the effect would be anti-dilutive. Common share equivalents which could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future, and which were excluded from the computation of diluted loss per share, totaled approximately 90.3 million, 6.6 million, and 14.4 million at December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
 
Revenue Recognition
 
We recognize revenue in accordance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101,
Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements,
as amended by Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104,
Revenue Recognition,
(SAB 104). SAB 104 provides guidance in applying GAAP to revenue recognition issues, and specifically addresses revenue recognition for upfront, nonrefundable fees received in connection with research collaboration agreements. During 2015, 2014 and 2013, our revenue consisted of grant funding received from the NIH (see Note 5). Revenue from these arrangements is approximately equal to the costs incurred and is recorded as income as the related costs are incurred.
 
In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09,
Revenue from Contracts with Customers
(ASU 2014-09), which creates a new Topic, Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606. The standard is principle-based and provides a five-step model to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The core principle is that an entity should recognize revenue when it transfers promised 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 is effective for the Company beginning in 2017 and allows for either full retrospective adoption or modified retrospective adoption. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on our financial statements.
 
Research and Development Expense
 
Research and development expense primarily consists of costs incurred in the discovery, development, testing and manufacturing of our product candidates. These expenses consist primarily of (i) fees paid to third-party service providers to perform, monitor and accumulate data related to our preclinical studies and clinical trials, (ii) costs related to sponsored research agreements, (iii) the costs to procure and manufacture materials used in clinical trials, (iv) laboratory supplies and facility-related expenses to conduct development, and (v) salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation for personnel. These costs are charged to expense as incurred.
 
Patent Costs
 
Our expenditures relating to obtaining and protecting patents are charged to expense when incurred, and are included in general and administrative expense.
 
 
Period to Period Comparisons
 
Our operating results are expected to fluctuate for the foreseeable future. Therefore, period-to-period comparisons should not be relied upon as predictive of the results for future periods. 
 
Income Taxes
 
We account for income taxes using the liability method. Under this method, 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. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted rates in effect for the year in which temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance unless, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized.
 
Stock-Based Compensation
 
We account for stock-based transactions in which the Company receives services from employees, directors or others in exchange for equity instruments based on the fair value of the award at the grant date. Compensation cost for awards of common stock is estimated based on the price of the underlying common stock on the date of issuance. Compensation cost for stock options or warrants is estimated at the grant date based on each instrument’s fair value as calculated by the Black-Scholes option pricing model. We recognize stock-based compensation cost as expense ratably on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the award. See Note 9 for additional stock-based compensation information.
 
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
 
Except as discussed above, there have been no recent accounting pronouncements or changes in accounting pronouncements which we expect to have a material impact on our financial statements, nor do we believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards if currently adopted would have a material effect on our financial statements.