Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Basis of Presentation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Lexicon and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates, Policy

Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U. S. generally accepted accounting principles (“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 the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments: Lexicon considers all highly-liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, short-term investments consist of U.S. treasury bills and corporate debt securities. The Company’s short-term investments are classified as available-for-sale securities and are carried at fair value, based on quoted market prices of the securities. The Company views its available-for-sale securities as available for use in current operations regardless of the stated maturity date of the security. Unrealized gains and losses on such securities are reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Net realized gains and losses, interest and dividends are included in interest income. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method.

Trade and Other Accounts Receivable, Policy

Accounts Receivable: Lexicon records trade accounts receivable in the normal course of business related to the sale of products or services. The allowance for doubtful accounts takes into consideration such factors as historical write-offs, the economic climate and other factors that could affect collectibility. Write-offs are evaluated on a case by case basis.

Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Inventory: Inventories are determined at the lower of cost or market value with cost determined under the specific identification method and may consist of raw materials, work in process and finished goods. The Company began capitalizing inventory during 2017 after the approval of XERMELO by the FDA, as the related costs were expected to be recoverable through the commercialization of the product. Costs incurred prior to approval of XERMELO were recorded as research and development expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. As a result, cost of sales for approximately the next two years will reflect a lower average per unit cost of materials.

Concentration Risk Disclosure

Concentration of Credit Risk: Lexicon’s cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivable represent potential concentrations of credit risk. The Company attempts to minimize potential concentrations of risk in cash equivalents and investments by placing investments in high-quality financial instruments. The Company’s accounts receivable are unsecured and are concentrated in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies located in Europe and the United States. The Company has not experienced any significant credit losses to date.

Segment Reporting Disclosure

Segment Information and Significant Customers: Lexicon operates in one business segment, which primarily focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of human disease. Substantially all of the Company’s revenues have been derived from drug discovery alliances, target validation collaborations for the development and, in some cases, analysis of the physiological effects of genes altered in knockout mice, technology licenses, subscriptions to its databases, product sales, government grants and contracts and compound library sales.

Intangible Assets, Finite-Lived, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Other Intangible Assets: Other intangible assets, net consist of in-process research and development acquired in business combinations, which are reported at fair value, less accumulated amortization. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy

Property and Equipment: Property and equipment that is held and used is carried at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the assets which ranges from three to 40 years. Maintenance, repairs and minor replacements are charged to expense as incurred. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the estimated useful life or the remaining lease term. Significant renewals and betterments are capitalized.

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, Policy

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets: Long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangible assets to be held and used are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount that the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Policy

Indefinite lived intangible assets are also tested annually for impairment and whenever indicators of impairment are present. When performing the impairment assessment, the Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to recalculate the fair value of its intangible assets. If management believes, as a result of the qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the intangible assets is less than its carrying amount, the Company calculates the asset’s fair value. If the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value, then the intangible asset is written down to its fair value.

Goodwill Impairment: Goodwill is not amortized, but is tested at least annually for impairment at the reporting unit level. The Company has determined that the reporting unit is the single operating segment disclosed in its current financial statements. Impairment is the condition that exists when the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value. The first step in the impairment process is to determine the fair value of the reporting unit and then compare it to the carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value exceeds the carrying value, no further action is required and no impairment loss is recognized. Additional impairment assessments may be performed on an interim basis if the Company encounters events or changes in circumstances that would indicate that, more likely than not, the carrying value of goodwill has been impaired.

Revenue Recognition, Policy

Revenue Recognition: Revenues are recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the price is fixed or determinable and collectibility is reasonably assured.

Product Revenues

Product revenues consist of commercial sales of XERMELO in the United States and sales of bulk tablets of XERMELO to Ipsen. Product revenues are recognized once the Company meets all four revenue recognition criteria described above. In March 2017, Lexicon began shipping XERMELO to its customers in the United States. The Company recognizes revenue for product sales of XERMELO at the time the product is received by its specialty pharmacy customers, net of allowances for customer credits, including estimated rebates, chargebacks, discounts, returns, distribution service fees, and government rebates, such as Medicare Part D coverage gap reimbursements in the United States. Product shipping and handling costs are included in cost of sales.

Customer Credits: The Company’s specialty pharmacy customers are offered various forms of consideration, including allowances, service fees and prompt payment discounts. The Company expects the specialty pharmacies will earn prompt payment discounts and, therefore, the Company deducts the full amount of these discounts from total product sales when revenues are recognized. Service fees are also deducted from product sales as they are earned.

Rebates: Allowances for rebates include mandated discounts under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. Rebate amounts are based upon contractual agreements or legal requirements with public sector (e.g. Medicaid) benefit providers. Rebates are amounts owed after the final dispensing of the product to a benefit plan participant and are based upon contractual agreements or legal requirements with public sector benefit providers. The allowance for rebates is based on statutory discount rates and expected utilization. The Company’s estimates for expected utilization of rebates are based in part on third party market research data, and data received from the specialty pharmacies. Rebates are generally invoiced and paid in arrears so that the accrual balance consists of an estimate of the amount expected to be incurred for the current quarter’s activity, plus an accrual balance for known prior quarter’s unpaid rebates. If actual future rebates vary from estimates, the Company may need to adjust prior period accruals, which would affect revenue in the period of adjustment.

Chargebacks: Chargebacks are discounts that occur when contracted customers purchase directly from a specialty pharmacy. Contracted customers, which currently consist primarily of Public Health Service institutions, non-profit clinics, and Federal government entities purchasing via the Federal Supply Schedule, generally purchase the product at a discounted price. The specialty pharmacy, in turn, charges back to Lexicon the difference between the price initially paid by the specialty pharmacy and the discounted price paid to the specialty pharmacy by the customer. The allowance for chargebacks is based on known sales to contracted customers.

Medicare Part D Coverage Gap: Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit mandates manufacturers to fund 50% of the Medicare Part D insurance coverage gap for prescription drugs sold to eligible patients. The Company’s estimates for the expected Medicare Part D coverage gap are based on data received from the specialty pharmacies. Funding of the coverage gap is generally invoiced and paid in arrears so that the accrual balance consists of an estimate of the amount expected to be incurred for the current quarter’s activity, plus an accrual balance for known prior quarters. If actual future funding varies from estimates, the Company may need to adjust prior period accruals, which would affect revenue in the period of adjustment.

Co-payment assistance: Patients who have commercial insurance and meet certain eligibility requirements may receive co-payment assistance. The Company accrues a liability for co-payment assistance based on actual program participation and estimates of program redemption using data provided by third-party administrators.

Collaborative Agreements

Revenues under collaborative agreements include both license revenue and contract research revenue. Activities under collaborative agreements are evaluated to determine if they represent a multiple element revenue agreement. The Company identifies the deliverables included within the agreement and evaluates which deliverables represent separate units of accounting. The Company accounts for those components as separate units of accounting if the following two criteria are met:


•	The delivered item or items have value to the customer on a stand-alone basis; and


•	If there is a general right of return relative to the delivered items, delivery or performance of the undelivered items is considered probable and within the Company’s control.

Factors considered in this determination include, among other things, whether any other vendors sell the items separately and if the licensee could use the delivered item for its intended purpose without the receipt of the remaining deliverables. If multiple deliverables included in an arrangement are separable into different units of accounting, the Company allocates the arrangement consideration to those units of accounting. The amount of allocable arrangement consideration is limited to amounts that are fixed or determinable. Arrangement consideration is allocated at the inception of the arrangement to the identified units of accounting based on their relative estimated selling price. Revenue is recognized for each unit of accounting when the appropriate revenue recognition criteria are met.

Future milestone payments that are contingent upon the achievement of a substantive milestone are recognized in their entirety in the period in which the milestone is achieved. A milestone is substantive if:


•	The consideration payable to the Company is commensurate with the Company’s performance necessary to achieve the milestone or the increase in value to the collaboration resulting from the Company’s performance;


•	The milestone relates solely to the Company’s past performance; and


•	The milestone is reasonable relative to all of the other deliverables and payments within the arrangement.

Commercial milestones will be accounted for as royalties and recorded as revenue upon achievement of the milestone, assuming all other revenue recognition criteria are met. Subscription and license fees are recognized as other revenue upon the grant of the technology license when performance is complete and there is no continuing involvement. Royalty revenues are recognized as earned in accordance with the contract terms at the time the royalty amount is fixed and determinable based on information received from the sublicensees and at the time collectibility is reasonably assured.

Cost of Sales, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cost of Sales: Cost of sales consists of third-party manufacturing costs, freight and indirect overhead costs associated with sales of XERMELO. The Company began capitalizing inventory during 2017 following approval of XERMELO by the FDA, as the related costs were expected to be recoverable through the commercialization of the product. Costs incurred prior to approval of XERMELO have been recorded as research and development expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. As a result, cost of sales for approximately the next two years will reflect a lower average per unit cost of materials. Product shipping and handling costs are included in cost of sales. Cost of sales also includes the amortization of the in-process research and development intangible asset for XERMELO using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of 14 years.

Research and Development Expense, Policy

Research and Development Expenses: Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred for company-sponsored as well as collaborative research and development activities. These costs include direct and research-related overhead expenses and are expensed as incurred. Technology license fees for technologies that are utilized in research and development and have no alternative future use are expensed when incurred. Substantial portions of the Company’s preclinical and clinical trials are performed by third-party laboratories, medical centers, contract research organizations and other vendors. For preclinical studies, the Company accrues expenses based upon estimated percentage of work completed and the contract milestones remaining. For clinical studies, expenses are accrued based upon the number of patients enrolled and the duration of the study. The Company monitors patient enrollment, the progress of clinical studies and related activities to the extent possible through internal reviews of data reported to the Company by the vendors and clinical site visits. The Company’s estimates depend on the timeliness and accuracy of the data provided by the vendors regarding the status of each program and total program spending. The Company periodically evaluates the estimates to determine if adjustments are necessary or appropriate based on information it receives.

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy

Stock-Based Compensation: The Company recognizes compensation expense in its statements of comprehensive loss for share-based payments, including stock options and restricted stock units issued to employees, based on their fair values on the date of the grant, with the compensation expense recognized over the period in which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the stock award. Stock-based compensation expense for awards without performance conditions is recognized on a straight-line basis. Stock-based compensation expense for awards with performance conditions is recognized over the period from the date the performance condition is determined to be probable of occurring through the time the applicable condition is met. As of December 31, 2017, stock-based compensation cost for all outstanding unvested options and restricted stock units was $18.6 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.3 years.

The fair value of stock options is estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes method. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model requires the input of subjective assumptions. Because the Company’s employee stock options have characteristics significantly different from those of traded options, and because changes in the subjective input assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate, in management’s opinion, the existing models do not necessarily provide a reliable single measure of the fair value of its employee stock options. For purposes of determining the fair value of stock options, the Company segregates its options into two homogeneous groups, based on exercise and post-vesting employment termination behaviors, resulting in a change in the assumptions used for expected option lives and forfeitures. Expected volatility is based on the historical volatility in the Company’s stock price.

Earnings Per Share, Policy

Net Loss per Common Share: Net loss per common share is computed using the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding. Shares associated with convertible debt, stock options and restricted stock units are not included because they are antidilutive.