Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

The Company considers assets to be held for sale (i) when management or others having the authority to do so approve a plan to sell the assets, (ii) the assets are available for immediate sale in their present condition, (iii) the Company has initiated an active program to locate a buyer and other actions required to complete the plan to sell the assets, (iv) consummation of the transaction is probable, (v) the assets are being actively marketed for sale at a price that is reasonable in relation to their current fair value, and (vi) the transaction is expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale, within one year. Following the classification of property and equipment as held for sale, the Company discontinues depreciating the assets and writes down the assets to the lower of carrying value or fair market value, if needed. As described in Note 18, on May 4, 2015, actions taken by the Company's board of directors caused the Company to meet the relevant criteria for reporting the Services Business as held for sale within the accompanying balance sheets and the results of associated operating activities as discontinued operations within the accompanying statements of operations.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments, which potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk, consist principally of cash on deposit and cash equivalents held with two banks, which exceed FDIC insured limits, and accounts receivable and unbilled services. Ongoing credit evaluations of customer’s financial condition are performed and independent credit ratings for the associated banks are reviewed by the Company and collateral is not required. The Company's money market fund investment (recognized as cash and cash equivalents) is with what the Company believes to be a high quality issuer. The Company has not experienced any losses in such deposit account.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers any highly liquid investments with a remaining maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash and cash equivalents.

Accounts Receivable and Unbilled Services

Accounts receivable and unbilled services consisted of amounts billed and unbilled under the Company’s Services Business contracts with its Services Business customers included in assets of discontinued operations, net, in the accompanying balance sheets. The Company extended credit to customers without requiring collateral. Accounts receivable were stated at net realizable value. On a periodic basis, the Company evaluated its accounts receivable and established an allowance based on its history of collections and write-offs and the current status of all receivables. The Company did not accrue interest on trade receivables.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is determined on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, which generally range from three to seven years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the useful life of the asset or the term of the related lease. Maintenance and repairs are charged against expense as incurred.

Other Assets

Other assets consist primarily of the refundable long-term deposit on the leased building facility and the restricted cash posted as collateral for the Company's corporate credit card program. These long term deposits and restricted cash outflows are presented as investing activities within the accompanying statements of cash flows.

Deferred Offering Costs

Deferred offering costs are expenses directly related to the IPO, the April 2015 Offering, or the Company's shelf registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC in October 2015 (the "Shelf Registration") (see Note 1). These costs consist of legal, accounting, printing, and filing fees that the Company has capitalized, including fees incurred by the independent registered public accounting firm directly related to the offerings. The IPO deferred offering costs were offset against the IPO proceeds in May 2014 and were reclassified to additional paid-in capital upon completion of the IPO. Deferred costs associated with the April 2015 Offering were offset against the proceeds from the April 2015 Offering and were reclassified to additional paid-in capital upon completion of the April 2015 Offering. Deferred costs associated with the Shelf Registration will be reclassified to additional paid in capital on a pro-rata basis in the event the Company completes an offering under the Shelf Registration, with any remaining deferred offering costs charged to the results of operations at the end of the three-year life of the Shelf Registration.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets to be held and used are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. When such events occur, the Company compares the carrying amounts of the assets to their undiscounted expected future cash flows. If the undiscounted cash flows are insufficient to recover the carrying value, an impairment loss is recorded for the difference between the carrying value and fair value of the asset. To date, no such impairment has occurred.

Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue

Historically, the Company has derived the majority of its revenue from providing contract research and development services under fee for service arrangements, which were provided by the Services Business that was sold in July 2015 (see Note 18). The Company also has entered into collaboration arrangements in exchange for non-refundable upfront payments and consideration as services are performed. These arrangements include multiple elements, such as the sale of licenses and the provision of services. Under these arrangements, the Company also is entitled to receive development milestone payments and royalties in the form of a designated percentage of product sales. The Company classifies non-refundable upfront payments, milestone payments and royalties received under collaboration and licensing agreements as revenues within its statements of operations because the Company views such activities as being central to its business operations.

Revenue is recognized when all of the following conditions are met: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (ii) delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; (iii) fees are fixed or determinable; and (iv) collection of fees is reasonably assured. The Company’s contract research and development services revenue is recognized in the period in which the services are performed.

When entering into an arrangement, the Company first determines whether the arrangement includes multiple deliverables and is subject to accounting guidance in ASC subtopic 605-25, Multiple-Element Arrangements. If the Company determines that an arrangement includes multiple elements, it determines whether the arrangement should be divided into separate units of accounting and how the arrangement consideration should be measured and allocated among the separate units of accounting. An element qualifies as a separate unit of accounting when the delivered element has standalone value to the customer. The Company’s arrangements do not include a general right of return relative to delivered elements. Any delivered elements that do not qualify as separate units of accounting are combined with other undelivered elements within the arrangement as a single unit of accounting. If the arrangement constitutes a single combined unit of accounting, the Company determines the revenue recognition method for the combined unit of accounting and recognizes the revenue over the period from inception through the date the last deliverable within the single unit of accounting is delivered.

Non-refundable upfront license fees are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized into revenue on a straight-line basis over the estimated period of the Company’s substantive performance obligations. If the Company does not have substantive performance obligations, the Company recognizes non-refundable upfront fees into revenue through the date the deliverable is satisfied. Analyzing the arrangement to identify deliverables requires the use of judgment and each deliverable may be an obligation to deliver services, a right or license to use an asset, or another performance obligation. In arrangements that include license rights and other non-contingent deliverables, such as participation in a steering committee, these deliverables do not have standalone value because the non-contingent deliverables are dependent on the license rights. That is, the non-contingent deliverables would not have value without the license rights, and only the Company can perform the related services. Upfront license rights and non-contingent deliverables, such as participation in a steering committee, do not have standalone value as they are not sold separately and they cannot be resold. In addition, when non-contingent deliverables are sold with upfront license rights, the license rights do not represent the culmination of a separate earnings process. As such, the Company accounts for the license and the non-contingent deliverables as a single combined unit of accounting. In such instances, the license revenue in the form of non-refundable upfront payments is deferred and recognized over the applicable relationship period, which historically has been the estimated period of the Company’s substantive performance obligations or the period the rights granted are in effect. The Company recognizes contingent event-based payments under license agreements when the payments are received. The Company has not received any royalty payments to date.

The Company will recognize a milestone payment as revenue when earned if it is substantive and the Company has no ongoing performance obligations related to the milestone. A milestone payment is considered substantive if it: 1) is commensurate with either the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone or the enhanced value of the delivered item as a result of a specific outcome from the Company’s performance to achieve the milestone; 2) relates solely to past performance; and 3) is reasonable relative to all of the deliverables and payment terms, including other potential milestone consideration, within the arrangement.

Amounts received prior to satisfying all revenue recognition criteria are recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying balance sheets.

The Company’s deferred revenue includes non-refundable upfront payments received under certain licensing and collaboration arrangements that contain substantive prospective performance obligations that the Company is providing over respective defined service or estimated relationship periods. Such non-refundable upfront payments are recognized over these defined service or estimated relationship periods.

Collaborative Arrangements

Collaboration Arrangements

The Company assesses its contractual arrangements, and presents costs incurred and payments received under contractual arrangements, in accordance with FASB ASC 808, Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808), when the Company determines that the contractual arrangement incudes a joint operating activity, has active participation by both parties, and both parties are subject to significant risks and rewards under the arrangement. When reimbursement payments are due to the Company under a collaborative arrangement within the scope of Topic 808, the Company determines the appropriate classification for each specific reimbursement payment in the statements of operations by considering (i) the nature of the arrangement, (ii) the nature of the Company’s business operations, and (iii) the contractual terms of the arrangement.

The Company has concluded that the August 2013 development, license, and supply agreement with R-Pharm, combined with the supplemental arrangement in November 2014, is a collaborative arrangement pursuant to Topic 808 and the Company’s previously described accounting policy. This agreement and supplemental arrangement is further described in Note 17. The reimbursements due from R-Pharm for specified research and development costs incurred by the Company are classified as a reduction to research and development expense in the accompanying statements of operations. The reimbursements due to the Company are recorded as a reduction of expense when (i) the reimbursable expenses have been incurred by the Company, (ii) persuasive evidence of a cost reimbursement arrangement exists, (iii) reimbursable costs are fixed or determinable, and (iv) the collection of the reimbursement payment is reasonably assured. Unpaid reimbursement amounts due from R-Pharm at period end are presented as an other current asset in the accompanying balance sheets.

Research and Development

Major components of research and development costs include clinical trial activities and services, including related drug formulation, manufacturing, and other development, preclinical studies, cash compensation, stock-based compensation, fees paid to consultants and other entities that conduct certain research and development activities on the Company’s behalf, materials and supplies, legal services, and regulatory compliance.

The Company is required to estimate its expenses resulting from its obligations under contracts with clinical research organizations, clinical site agreements, vendors, and consultants in connection with conducting SCY-078 clinical trials and preclinical development. The financial terms of these contracts are subject to negotiations which vary from contract to contract, and may result in payment flows that do not match the periods over which materials or services are provided to the Company under such contracts. The Company’s objective is to reflect the appropriate development and trial expenses in its financial statements by matching those expenses with the period in which the services and efforts are expended. For clinical trials, the Company accounts for these expenses according to the progress of the trial as measured by actual hours expended by CRO personnel, investigator performance or completion of specific tasks, patient progression, or timing of various aspects of the trial. For preclinical development services performed by outside service providers, the Company determines accrual estimates through financial models, taking into account development progress data received from outside service providers and discussions with applicable Company and service provider personnel.

Reimbursements of certain research and development costs by parties under collaborative arrangements have been recorded as a reduction of research and development expense presented within the statement of operations. Such reimbursements were made under the collaboration arrangement with R-Pharm, which is further described in Note 17.

Patent Expenses

Costs related to filing and pursuing patent applications, as well as costs related to maintaining the Company's existing patent portfolio, are recorded as expense as incurred since recoverability of such expenditures is uncertain.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date, based on the Company’s principal or, in absence of a principal, most advantageous market for the specific asset or liability.

The Company uses a three-tier fair value hierarchy to classify and disclose all assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis, as well as assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis, in periods subsequent to their initial measurement. The hierarchy requires the Company to use observable inputs when available, and to minimize the use of unobservable inputs when determining fair value. The three tiers are defined as follows:


•	Level 1 — Observable inputs that reflect quoted market prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;


•	Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly in the marketplace for identical or similar assets and liabilities; and


•	Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market data, which require the Company to develop its own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances.

Amortization of Deferred Financing Costs and Debt Discount

Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount includes the amortization of debt discount related to the warrants issued with the convertible notes (see Note 6), the amortization of issuance costs related to the convertible notes, and amortization of the deferred financing costs related to a deemed contribution for a guarantee from a related party.

Comprehensive Loss

The Company has no items of comprehensive income or loss other than net loss.

Income Taxes

The Company provides for deferred income taxes under the asset and liability method, whereby deferred income taxes result from temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that the Company believes is more likely than not to be realized. The Company recognizes uncertain tax positions when the positions will be more likely than not sustained based solely upon the technical merits of the positions.

The Company applies intraperiod tax allocation guidance pursuant to FASB ASC 740, Income Taxes (Topic 740) to allocate income tax (expense) benefit between pre-tax income (loss) from continuing operations and discontinued operations. For periods in which the Company reports pre-tax income from discontinued operations for financial reporting purposes and pre-tax loss from continuing operations, the Company presents income from discontinued operations net of income tax expense attributable to its discontinued operations using the effective tax rate of the Services Business. The Company also recognizes a corresponding income tax benefit on its loss from continuing operations for the same affected period.

Certain modifications made to an outstanding incentive stock option award at any time after the initial grant dates which are considered to be “material modifications”, as defined within the Internal Revenue Code, may result in the affected award being recharacterized as a non-statutory stock option. The effects of any recharacterization modification for purposes of income tax accounting are recognized on a prospective basis.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for all stock-based payment awards made to employees, officers, and directors based on the estimated fair values of the awards as of grant date. The Company values equity instruments and stock options granted to employees and non-employee directors using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recorded as expense over the requisite service periods.

The Company estimated the fair value of common stock warrants granted to lenders at their intrinsic value, which was the estimated fair value of the common stock less the exercise price for the warrant.

Deferred Rent

The Company recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the non-cancelable term of its operating lease and records the difference between cash rent payments and the recognition of rent expense as a deferred rent liability. The Company also records landlord-funded lease incentives, such as reimbursable leasehold improvements, as a deferred rent liability, which is amortized as a reduction of rent expense over the non-cancelable term of its operating lease.

Basic and Diluted Net Loss per Share of Common Stock

The Company uses the two-class method to compute net loss per share because the Company has issued securities, other than common stock, that contractually entitle the holders to participate in dividends and earnings of the Company. The two-class method requires earnings for the period to be allocated between common stock and participating securities based upon their respective rights to receive distributed and undistributed earnings. Holders of each series of the Company’s convertible preferred stock were entitled to participate in dividends, when and if declared by the SCYNEXIS Board of Directors (the "board of directors" or the "board"), that were made to common stockholders, and as a result were considered participating securities.

Under the two-class method, for periods with net income, basic net income per common share is computed by dividing the net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Net income attributable to common stockholders is computed by subtracting from net income the portion of current year earnings that the participating securities would have been entitled to receive pursuant to their dividend rights had all of the year’s earnings been distributed. No such adjustment to earnings is made during periods with a net loss, as the holders of the participating securities have no obligation to fund losses. Diluted net loss per common share is computed under the two-class method by using the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding, plus, for periods with net income attributable to common stockholders, the potential dilutive effects of stock options and warrants. In addition, the Company analyzes the potential dilutive effect of the outstanding participating securities when calculating diluted earnings per share. Under the “treasury stock” method, it is assumed that the warrants and options were exercised at the beginning of the period and that the funds obtained from the exercise were used to reacquire the Company’s common stock at the average market price for the period and includes those securities when they are dilutive. Under the “if-converted” method, it is assumed that the outstanding participating securities convert into common stock at the beginning of the period. The Company reports the more dilutive of the approaches as its diluted net income or net loss per share during the period.

Segment and Geographic Information

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise (business activity from which it earns revenue and incurs expenses) about which discrete financial information is available and regularly reviewed by the chief operating decision maker in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) is the Chief Executive Officer. The CODM reviews consolidated operating results to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance for the entire Company. The Company views its operations and manages its business as one operating segment. All assets of the Company were held in the United States for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.

Although all operations are based in the United States, the Company generated a portion of its revenue, including revenue in discontinued operations, from customers outside of the United States. All of the Company's revenue from continuing operations was generated from non-refundable upfront payments received under certain licensing and collaboration arrangements with partners located in Russia and China.

Effect of Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, or ASU 2014-08. Under ASU 2014-08, only disposals representing a strategic shift in operations that have a major effect on the Company’s operations and financial results should be presented as discontinued operations. Additionally, ASU 2014-08 requires expanded disclosures about discontinued operations that will provide financial statement users with more information about the assets, liabilities, income, and expenses of discontinued operations. The amendments in ASU 2014-08 are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2014. The Company adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2015 and has applied it in the accompanying financial statements for presentation and disclosure of the Services Business as discontinued operations (see Note 18). The Company will also apply, as applicable, the guidance to future dispositions or classifications as held for sale.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Topic 606, or ASU 2014-09. ASU 2014-09 establishes the principles for recognizing revenue and develops a common revenue standard for U.S. GAAP. The standard outlines a 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. In applying the new revenue recognition model to contracts with customers, an entity: (1) identifies the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identifies the performance obligations in the contract(s); (3) determines the transaction price; (4) allocates the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract(s); and (5) recognizes revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The accounting standards update applies to all contracts with customers except those that are within the scope of other topics in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. The accounting standards update also requires significantly expanded quantitative and qualitative disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of ASU 2014-09 will have on the Company’s financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern, or ASU 2014-15. ASU 2014-15 will explicitly require management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, and to provide related footnote disclosure in certain circumstances. The new standard will be effective for all entities in the first annual period ending after December 15, 2016. Earlier adoption is permitted. The Company is not early adopting ASU 2014-15. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of ASU 2014-15 will have on the Company’s financial statements, and the actual impact will be dependent upon the Company’s liquidity and the nature or significance of future events or conditions that exist upon adopting the updated standard.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, or ASU 2015-03. Under ASU 2015-03, the costs of issuing debt will no longer be recorded as an intangible asset, except when incurred before receipt of the funding from the associated debt liability. Rather, debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability will be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the debt liability, similar to the presentation of debt discounts. The costs will continue to be amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method. ASU 2015-03 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. ASU 2015-03 requires retrospective application to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company does not expect that the adoption of ASU 2015-03 will have a material impact on its financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05, Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement, or ASU 2015-05. ASU 2015-05 provides guidance to entities about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. Under ASU 2015-05, if a software cloud computing arrangement contains a software license, entities should account for the license element of the arrangement in a manner consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If the arrangement does not contain a software license, entities should account for the arrangement as a service contract. ASU 2015-05 also removes the requirement to analogize to ASC 840-10, to determine the asset acquired in a software licensing arrangement. For public companies, ASU 2015-05 is effective for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015, and early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of ASU 2015-05 will have a material impact on its financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes, or ASU 2015-17. ASU 2015-17 provides guidance on balance sheet classification of deferred taxes. The new guidance requires that all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet. For public companies, ASU 2015-17 is effective for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of ASU 2015-17 will have a material impact on its financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, or ASU 2016-02. The new guidance requires lessees to recognize the assets and liabilities arising from leases on the balance sheet. For public companies, ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have a material impact on its financial statements.