NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Organization

Depomed, Inc. (Depomed or the Company) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on pain and other central nervous system (CNS) conditions. The products that comprise the Company’s current specialty pharmaceutical business are (i) NUCYNTA® ER (tapentadol extended release tablets), a product for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long term opioid treatment, including neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in adults, and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate, and NUCYNTA® IR (NUCYNTA) (tapentadol), a product for the management of moderate to severe acute pain in adults, each of which the Company acquired the U.S. rights to in April 2015, (ii) Gralise® (gabapentin), a once-daily product for the management of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) that the Company launched in October 2011, (iii) CAMBIA® (diclofenac potassium for oral solution), a product for the acute treatment of migraine attacks that the Company acquired in December 2013, (iv) Zipsor® (diclofenac potassium) liquid filled capsules, a product for the treatment of mild to moderate acute pain that the Company acquired in June 2012, and (v) Lazanda® (fentanyl) nasal spray, a product for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients 18 years of age and older who are already receiving and who are tolerant to opioid therapy for their underlying persistent cancer pain that the Company acquired in July 2013. We divested our rights to Lazanda to Slán Medicinal Holdings Limited ("Slán") on November 7, 2017.

As of September 30, 2017, the Company has one product candidate, cebranopadol initially for the treatment of chronic lower back pain and potentially for chronic nociceptive and neuropathic pain. The Company is currently evaluating the development plan for cebranopadol, including the timing of potential Phase 3 trials.

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the related footnote information of the Company have been prepared pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for interim reporting. As permitted under those rules and regulations, certain footnotes or other financial information that are normally required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of the Company’s management, the accompanying interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the information for the periods presented. The results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the entire year ending December 31, 2017 or future operating periods.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related financial information should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the related notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2016 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC (the 2016 Form 10-K). The balance sheet as of December 31, 2016 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, as filed in the Company’s 2016 Form 10-K.

See Note 14 herein for information regarding impact of an out of period adjustment related to the Branded Prescription Drug fee (BPD) on our consolidated financial statements.

Principles of Consolidation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Depomed Bermuda Ltd (Depo Bermuda), Depo NF Sub, LLC (Depo NF Sub) and Depo DR Sub, LLC (Depo DR Sub). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation.

On November 17, 2015, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the U.S. and Canadian rights to cebranopadol and its related follow-on compound from Grünenthal GmbH (Grünenthal). The acquisition of these rights closed on December 30, 2015, at which point the Company assigned its rights under the agreement to Depo Bermuda, a Company which was formed in Bermuda on December 22, 2015.

Depo NF Sub was formed on March 26, 2015, in connection with a Note Purchase Agreement dated March 12, 2015 (Note Purchase Agreement) governing the Company’s issuance of $575.0 million aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes on April 2, 2015, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $562.0 million. On April 2, 2015, the Company and Depo NF Sub entered into a Pledge and Security Agreement with the Collateral Agent pursuant to which the Company and Depo NF Sub each granted the Collateral Agent (on behalf of the Purchasers) a security interest in substantially all of their assets, other than specifically excluded assets.

Depo DR Sub was formed in October 2013 for the sole purpose of facilitating the license of certain rights to PDL Biopharma (the PDL Transaction). The Company contributed to Depo DR Sub all of its rights, title and interests in certain license agreements to receive royalty and milestone payments. Immediately following the transaction, Depo DR Sub sold to PDL, among other things, such rights to receive royalty and milestone payments, for an upfront cash purchase price of $240.5 million.

The Company and Depo DR Sub continue to retain certain administrative duties and obligations under the specified license agreements. These include the collection of the royalty and milestone amounts due and enforcement of related provisions under the specified license agreements, among others. In addition, the Company and Depo DR Sub must prepare a quarterly distribution report relating to the specified license agreements, containing, among other items, the amount of royalty payments received by the Company and reimbursable expenses. The Company and Depo DR Sub must also provide PDL with notice of certain communications, events or actions with respect to the specified license agreements and infringement of any underlying intellectual property.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used when accounting for amounts recorded in connection with acquisitions, including initial fair value determinations of assets and liabilities as well as subsequent fair value measurements. Additionally, estimates are used in determining items such as, but not limited to, sales discounts and returns, depreciable and amortizable lives, share-based compensation assumptions, fair value of contingent consideration and taxes on income. Although management believes these estimates are based upon reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of the Company’s business and operations, actual results could differ materially from these estimates.

Change in estimate – During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company established a reserve with respect to a dispute with a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) over rebates relating to NUCYNTA ER, NUCYNTA and Gralise. The dispute relates to rebate claims submitted with respect to the year ended December 31, 2015 and the first half of 2016. As of December 31, 2016, the Company established a reserve for $1.0 million with respect to these claims, and had determined the likely amount payable on settlement would not be material to the consolidated financial statements. However, as a result of further communication with the PBM during the three months ended March 31, 2017, it became clear that the Company’s failure to pay the disputed amount would adversely impact the Company’s ability to maintain a favorable position on the PBM’s formulary. Accordingly, despite the Company’s belief that the claims in dispute are invalid, the Company increased the reserve against this matter by $4.7 million which is an offset to net sales for the three months ended March 31, 2017. The Company will adjust net sales in the future if it resolves this matter for an amount different than currently reserved.

Measuring the Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities associated with Business Combinations

The Company accounts for acquired businesses using the acquisition method of accounting, which requires that assets acquired and liabilities assumed be recorded at the date of acquisition at their respective fair values. The fair value of the consideration paid, including contingent consideration, is assigned to the underlying net assets of the acquired business based on their respective fair values. Any excess or shortfall of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill or bargain purchase, as applicable.

Significant judgments are used in determining the estimated fair values assigned to the assets acquired, liabilities assumed, contingent consideration and in determining estimates of useful lives of long-lived assets. Fair value determinations and useful life estimates are based on, among other factors, estimates of expected future net cash flows, estimates of appropriate discount rates used to calculate present value of expected future net cash flows, the assessment of each asset's life cycle, the impact of competitive trends on each asset's life cycle and other factors. These judgments can materially impact the estimates used to allocate acquisition date fair values to assets acquired and liabilities assumed and the resulting timing and amounts charged to, or recognized in, current and future operating results. For these and other reasons, actual results may vary significantly from estimated results.

Any changes in the fair value of contingent consideration resulting from a change in the underlying inputs are recognized in operating expenses until the contingent consideration arrangement is settled. Changes in the fair value of contingent consideration resulting from the passage of time are recorded within interest expense until the contingent consideration is settled.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue from the sale of its products, royalties and milestones earned under its contractual arrangements.

Revenue is recognized when there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred and title has passed, the price is fixed or determinable and the Company is reasonably assured of collecting the resulting receivable. Revenue arrangements with multiple elements are evaluated to determine whether the multiple elements meet certain criteria for dividing the arrangement into separate units of accounting, including whether the delivered element(s) have stand-alone value to the Company's customer or licensee. Where there are multiple deliverables combined as a single unit of accounting, revenues are deferred and recognized over the period that the Company remains obligated to perform services.

Product Sales—The Company sells commercial products to wholesale distributors and retail pharmacies. Products sales revenue is recognized when title has transferred to the customer and the customer has assumed the risks and rewards of ownership, which typically occurs on delivery to the customer.

Product Sales Allowances—The Company recognizes product sales allowances as a reduction of product sales in the same period the related revenue is recognized. Product sales allowances are based on amounts owed or to be claimed on the related sales. These estimates take into consideration the terms of the Company's agreements with customers, historical product returns, rebates or discounts taken or expected to be taken, estimated levels of inventory in the distribution channel, the shelf life of the product and specific known market events, such as competitive pricing and new product introductions. If actual future results vary from the Company's estimates, the Company may need to adjust these estimates, which could have an effect on product sales and earnings in the period of adjustment. The Company's sales allowances include:

Product Returns—The Company allows customers to return product for credit with respect to product that is within six months before and up to 12 months after its product expiration date. The Company estimates product returns on NUCYNTA ER and NUCYNTA, Gralise, CAMBIA, Zipsor and Lazanda. Under the terms of the Zipsor asset purchase agreement, the Company assumed financial responsibility for returns of Zipsor product previously sold by Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Xanodyne). Under the terms of the CAMBIA asset purchase agreement, the Company also assumed financial responsibility for returns of CAMBIA product previously sold by Nautilus. The Company did not assume financial responsibility for returns of NUCYNTA ER and NUCYNTA previously sold by Janssen Pharma or Lazanda product previously sold by Archimedes Pharma US Inc. See Note 12 for further information on the acquisition of NUCYNTA ER and NUCYNTA, CAMBIA, Lazanda and Zipsor.

The shelf life of NUCYNTA ER is 24 to 36 months and NUCYNTA is 36 months from the date of tablet manufacture, respectively. The shelf life of Gralise is 24 to 36 months from the date of tablet manufacture. The shelf life of CAMBIA is 24 to 48 months from the manufacture date. The shelf life of Zipsor is 36 months from the date of tablet manufacture. The shelf life of Lazanda is 24 to 36 months from the manufacture date. Estimates for returns are based on historical return trends by product or by return trends of similar products, taking into consideration the shelf life of product at the time of shipment, shipment and prescription trends, estimated distribution channel inventory levels and consideration of the introduction of competitive products.

Because of the shelf life of the Company's products and its return policy of issuing credits with respect to product that is returned within six months before and up to 12 months after its product expiration date, there may be a significant period of time between when the product is shipped and when the Company issues credit on a returned product. Accordingly, the Company may have to adjust product return estimates, which could have an effect on product sales and earnings in the period of adjustments.

Wholesaler and Retail Pharmacy Discounts—The Company offers contractually determined discounts to certain wholesale distributors and retail pharmacies that purchase directly from it. These discounts are either taken off-invoice at the time of shipment or paid to the customer on a quarterly basis one to two months after the quarter in which product was shipped to the customer.

Prompt Pay Discounts—The Company offers cash discounts to its customers (generally 2% of the sales price) as an incentive for prompt payment. Based on the Company's experience, the Company expects its customers to comply with the payment terms to earn the cash discount.

Patient Discount Programs—The Company offers patient discount co-pay assistance programs in which patients receive certain discounts off their prescriptions at participating retail pharmacies. The discounts are reimbursed by the Company approximately one month after the prescriptions subject to the discount are filled.

Medicaid Rebates—The Company participates in Medicaid rebate programs, which provide assistance to certain low-income patients based on each individual state's guidelines regarding eligibility and services. Under the Medicaid rebate programs, the Company pays a rebate to each participating state, generally two to three months after the quarter in which prescriptions subject to the rebate are filled.

Chargebacks—The Company provides discounts to authorized users of the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) of the General Services Administration under an FSS contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs. These federal entities purchase products from the wholesale distributors at a discounted price, and the wholesale distributors then charge back to the Company the difference between the current retail price and the price the federal entity paid for the product.

Managed Care Rebates—The Company offers discounts under contracts with certain managed care providers. The Company generally pays managed care rebates one to three months after the quarter in which prescriptions subject to the rebate are filled.

Medicare Part D Coverage Gap Rebates—The Company participates in the Medicare Part D Coverage Gap Discount Program under which it provides rebates on prescriptions that fall within the "donut hole" coverage gap. The Company generally pays Medicare Part D Coverage Gap rebates two to three months after the quarter in which prescriptions subject to the rebate are filled.

Royalties—Royalties are recognized as earned in accordance with the contract terms when royalties from licensees can be reliably measured and collectability is reasonably assured.

License and Collaborative Arrangements—Revenue from license and collaborative arrangements is recognized when the Company has substantially completed its obligations under the terms of the arrangement and the Company's remaining involvement is inconsequential and perfunctory. If the Company has significant continuing involvement under such an arrangement, license and collaborative fees are recognized over the estimated performance period. The Company recognizes milestone payments for its research and development collaborations upon the achievement of specified milestones if (1) the milestone is substantive in nature, and the achievement of the milestone was not reasonably assured at the inception of the agreement, (2) consideration earned relates to past performance and (3) the milestone payment is nonrefundable. A milestone is considered substantive if the consideration earned from the achievement of the milestone is consistent with the Company's performance required to achieve the milestone or consistent with the increase in value to the collaboration resulting from the Company's performance; the consideration earned relates solely to past performance; and the consideration earned is reasonable relative to all of the other deliverables and payments within the arrangement. License, milestones and collaborative fee payments received in excess of amounts earned are classified as deferred revenue until earned.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11 Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. ASU 2015-11 requires an entity to measure inventory, other than inventory accounted for under last-in, first-out method or retail inventory method, at the lower of cost or net realizable value. ASU 2015-11 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016 on a prospective basis. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2017, and the adoption of this guidance did not materially affect our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No 2016-09 “Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting”. This guidance simplifies the accounting for the taxes related to stock based compensation, requiring excess tax benefits and deficiencies to be recognized as a component of income tax expense rather than equity. This guidance also requires excess tax benefits and deficiencies to be presented as an operating activity on the statement of cash flows and allows an entity to make an accounting policy election to either estimate expected forfeitures or to account for them as they occur. The inclusion of excess tax benefits and deficiencies as a component of our income tax expense will increase volatility within our provision for income taxes as the amount of excess tax benefits or deficiencies from stock-based compensation awards are dependent on our stock price at the date the awards vest. The magnitude of such impacts will depend upon future movements in the Company’s share price as well as the timing of stock award exercises, which are both difficult to estimate. The Company adopted this ASU as of January 1, 2017.

As a result of adopting this standard, the Company has made an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur, rather than estimate expected forfeitures. This change has been applied on a modified retrospective basis, resulting in a cumulative-effect adjustment to increase accumulated deficit by $0.3 million as of January 1, 2017, the date of adoption. The adoption of this guidance also requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies be recorded in the income statement as opposed to additional paid-in capital when the awards vest or are settled.

Additionally, the Company has applied the provisions of this ASU on a retrospective basis in our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows, which includes presenting: (i) excess tax benefits as an operating activity, which were previously presented as a financing activity; and (ii) cash payments to tax authorities for employee taxes when shares are withheld to meet statutory withholding requirements as a financing activity, which were previously presented as an operating activity.

The adoption requires recognition through opening retained earnings of any pre-adoption date net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards from non-qualified stock options and other employee share- based payments. As a result, the Company determined the impact of the adoption to be a $5.8 million increase to deferred tax assets related to share-based compensation incurred as of December 31, 2016 with a corresponding increase to the Company's valuation allowance for financial statement purposes since the Company is in a full valuation allowance position.

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU or Update) No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers". This guidance outlines a new, single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. This new revenue recognition model provides a five-step analysis in determining when and how revenue is recognized. The new model will require revenue recognition to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration a company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. On July 9, 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of this Update to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted on the original effective date of fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. This guidance can be adopted on a full retrospective basis or on a modified retrospective basis. The Company plans to adopt this guidance on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective transition method applied to those contracts which were not completed as of that date. Upon adoption, the Company will recognize the cumulative effect of adopting this guidance as an adjustment to its opening balance of accumulated deficit. Prior periods will not be retrospectively adjusted. The Company has substantially completed an analysis of existing contracts with its customers and has assessed the differences in accounting for such contracts under this guidance compared with current revenue accounting standards. Based on its review of current customer contracts, the Company does not expect the implementation of this guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements as the timing of revenue recognition for product sales is not expected to significantly change.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, "Leases". This guidance requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease, respectively. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than twelve months regardless of classification. If the available accounting election is made, leases with a term of twelve months or less can be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases. For a public entity, the amendments in this guidance are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early application of the amendments in this guidance is permitted for all entities. The Company is currently evaluating and has not yet determined the impact implementation will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15 “Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments”. ASU 2016-15 provides guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and will be applied on a retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. The Company early adopted this guidance on January 1, 2017, and the adoption of this guidance did not materially affect the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 (ASU 2016-13) "Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments" which requires the measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized cost. ASU 2016-13 replaces the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected loss methodology, which will result in more timely recognition of credit losses. ASU 2016-13 is effective for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-13 on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.