Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Notes)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation: The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Lexicon” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ended December 31, 2021.

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

For further information, refer to the financial statements and footnotes thereto included in Lexicon’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as filed with the SEC. 

Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent 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, 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 March 31, 2021, short-term investments consisted of U.S. treasury bills and corporate debt securities. As of December 31, 2020, short-term investments consisted of 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.

Accrued liabilities: Accrued liabilities consisted of the following:

	As of March 31,		As of December 31,
	2021		2020
	(in thousands)
Accrued research and development services	$	16,505	$	21,962
Accrued compensation and benefits	3,552		6,200
Short term lease liability	1,026		553
Other	1,326		976
Accrued liabilities	$	22,409	$	29,691

Leases: Lexicon determines if a contract is or contains a lease at inception or upon modification of the contract. A contract is or contains a lease if it conveys the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period in exchange for consideration. Control over the use of the identified asset means the lessee has both (a) the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of the asset and (b) the right to direct the use of the asset. Lexicon does not apply this accounting to those leases with terms of twelve (12) months or less.

Operating lease right-of-use assets and associated lease liabilities are recorded in the balance sheet at the lease commencement date based on the present value of future minimum lease payments to be made over the expected lease term. As the implicit rate is not determinable in its leases, Lexicon uses its incremental borrowing rate of 9% at the commencement date in determining the present value of future payments.

Revenue Recognition:

Product Revenues

Prior to the Company’s sale of XERMELO and related assets to TerSera in September 2020, product revenues consisted of commercial sales of XERMELO in the United States and sales of bulk tablets of XERMELO to Ipsen Pharma SAS (“Ipsen”). Product revenues were recognized when the customer obtained control of XERMELO, which occurred upon delivery to the customer. The Company recognized product revenue net of applicable reserves for variable consideration, including allowances for customer credits, estimated rebates, chargebacks, discounts, returns, distribution service fees, and government rebates, such as Medicare Part D coverage gap reimbursements in the U.S. These estimates were based on the most likely amount method for relevant factors such as current contractual and statutory requirements, industry data and forecasted customer buying and payment patterns. The Company’s net product revenues reflected the Company’s best estimates of the amounts of consideration to which it was entitled based on the terms of the respective underlying contracts. Product shipping and handling costs were considered a fulfillment activity when control transferred to the Company’s customers and such costs were included in cost of sales.

Collaborative Agreements

Revenues under collaborative agreements include both license revenue and contract research revenue. The Company performs the following five steps in determining the amount of revenue to recognize as it fulfills its performance obligations under each of its agreements: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligation in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligation in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies the performance obligation. The Company applies this 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, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract, 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 develops assumptions that require judgment to determine the stand-alone selling price for each performance obligation identified in the contract.

At contract inception, the Company evaluates whether development milestones are considered probable of being reached and estimates the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. If it is probable that a significant revenue reversal will not occur, the associated development milestone value is included in the transaction price. Development milestones that are not within the control of the Company or the licensee, including those requiring regulatory approval, are not considered probable of being achieved until those milestones are achieved. The transaction price is allocated to each performance obligation on a relative stand-alone selling price basis, for which the Company recognizes revenue when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied. At the end of each reporting period, the Company re-evaluates the probability of achievement of the development milestones and any related constraint, and if necessary, adjusts its estimates of the overall transaction price. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which would affect collaboration revenues in the period of adjustment.

In agreements in which a license to the Company’s intellectual property is determined distinct from other performance obligations identified in the agreement, the Company recognizes revenue when the license is transferred to the licensee and the licensee is able to use and benefit from the license.

For agreements that include sales-based royalties, including milestones based on a level of sales, the license is deemed to be the predominant item to which the royalties relate and 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).

The Company may receive payments from its licensees based on billing schedules established in each contract. Upfront payments and fees are recorded as deferred revenue upon receipt or when due, and may require deferral of revenue recognition to a future period until the Company performs its obligations under the relevant agreement. Amounts are recorded as accounts receivable when the Company’s right to consideration is unconditional.

Cost of Sales: Cost of sales consisted of third-party manufacturing costs, freight and indirect overhead costs associated with sales of XERMELO. Product shipping and handling costs were included in cost of sales. Cost of sales also included the amortization of the intangible asset for XERMELO using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of 14 years.

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’s estimates of the clinical study costs and costs to transition activities from Sanofi for the development of sotagliflozin for type 2 diabetes and heart failure, as well as the wind down of those activities, were based on estimates of the services to be received and efforts to be expended pursuant to contracts with multiple vendors and the CRO that conducted and managed the clinical studies on its behalf. 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.

Stock-Based Compensation:  The Company recognizes compensation expense in its condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive loss for share-based payments, including stock options and restricted stock units granted 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.  

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.  Historical data is used to estimate the expected option life for each group. Expected volatility is based on the historical volatility in the Company’s stock price.  The Company utilized the Black-Scholes valuation model for estimating the fair value of the stock option compensation granted, with the following weighted-average assumptions for stock options granted in the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:

	Expected Volatility		Risk-free Interest Rate		Expected Term	Dividend Rate
March 31, 2021:
Employees	105	%	0.4	%	4	—	%
Officers and non-employee directors	90	%	1.0	%	7	—	%
March 31, 2020:
Employees	89	%	1.3	%	4	—	%
Officers and non-employee directors	77	%	1.4	%	8	—	%

The following is a summary of stock option activity under Lexicon’s stock-based compensation plans for the three months ended March 31, 2021:

	Options	Weighted Average Exercise Price
	(in thousands)
Outstanding at December 31, 2020	8,397	$	7.12
Granted	957	8.37
Exercised	(109)	5.03
Expired	(178)	12.55
Forfeited	(31)	10.12
Outstanding at March 31, 2021	9,036	7.16
Exercisable at March 31, 2021	5,183	$	8.63

During the three months ended March 31, 2021, Lexicon also granted its employees annual restricted stock units. Outstanding employee restricted stock units vest in three annual installments. The following is a summary of restricted stock units activity under Lexicon’s stock-based compensation plans for the three months ended March 31, 2021:

	Shares	Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
	(in thousands)
Outstanding at December 31, 2020	2,769	$	4.35
Granted	631	8.38
Vested	(1,154)	5.27
Forfeited	(33)	4.67
Outstanding at March 31, 2021	2,213	$	5.02

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.