SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements represent the consolidation of the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP"). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

In preparing financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, management is required 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, as well as the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Due to inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results reported in future periods may be affected by changes in these estimates. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions include revenue recognition, valuing equity securities in share-based payments, estimating expenses of contracted research organizations, estimating fair value of equity instruments recorded as derivative liabilities, estimating the useful lives of depreciable and amortizable assets, goodwill impairment, estimating the fair value of contingent consideration, estimating of valuation allowances and uncertain tax positions, and estimates associated with the assessment of impairment for long-lived assets.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC"), Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, using the full retrospective transition method. This standard applies to all contracts with customers, except for contracts that are within the scope of other standards, such as leases, insurance, collaboration arrangements and financial instruments. Under Topic 606, an entity recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that an entity determines are within the scope of Topic 606, the entity performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the entity will collect substantially all the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer.

Revenue from product sales is recorded at delivery, net of applicable provisions for rebates under government (including medicaid) programs, commercial rebates, prompt pay discounts, and other sales-related deductions. We review our estimates of rebates and other applicable provisions each period and record any necessary adjustments in the current period.

Patents

The Company expenses external costs, such as filing fees and associated attorney fees, incurred to obtain issued patents and patent applications pending. The Company also expenses costs associated with maintaining and defending patents subsequent to their issuance in the period incurred.

Research and Development Costs

Research and Development Costs

Research and development includes expenses related to sparsentan, fosmetpantotenate and our other pipeline programs. We expense all research and development costs as they are incurred. Our research and development costs are comprised of salaries and bonuses, benefits, non-cash share-based compensation, license fees, milestones under license agreements, costs paid to third-party contractors to perform research, conduct clinical trials, and develop drug materials and delivery devices, and associated overhead expenses and facilities costs. We charge direct internal and external program costs to the respective development programs. We also incur indirect costs that are not allocated to specific programs because such costs benefit multiple development programs and allow us to increase our pharmaceutical development capabilities. These consist of internal shared resources related to the development and maintenance of systems and processes applicable to all of our programs.

Clinical Trial Expenses

Clinical Trial Expenses

We record expenses in connection with our clinical trials under contracts with contract research organizations (CROs) that support conducting and managing clinical trials. The financial terms and activities of these agreements vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven expense levels. Generally, these agreements set forth activities that drive the recording of expenses such as start-up and initiation activities, enrollment and treatment of patients, or the completion of other clinical trial activities.

Expenses related to clinical trials are accrued based on our estimates and/or representations from service providers regarding work performed, including actual level of patient enrollment, completion of patient studies and progress of the clinical trials. Other incidental costs related to patient enrollment or treatment are accrued when reasonably certain. If the amounts we are obligated to pay under our clinical trial agreements are modified (for instance, as a result of changes in the clinical trial protocol or scope of work to be performed), we adjust our accruals accordingly on a prospective basis. Revisions to our contractual payment obligations are charged to expense in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become reasonably certain.

We currently have three Phase 3 clinical trials in process that are in varying stages of activity, with ongoing non-clinical support trials. As such, clinical trial expenses will vary depending on the all the factors set forth above and may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter.

Employee Stock-Based Compensation

Employee Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes all employee share-based compensation as a cost in the financial statements. Equity-classified awards principally related to stock options, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and performance stock units ("PSUs"), are measured at the grant date fair value of the award. The Company determines grant date fair value of stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of RSUs and PSUs are determined using the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. For service based vesting grants, expense is recognized over the requisite service period based on the number of options or shares expected to ultimately vest. For PSUs, expense is recognized over the implicit service period, assuming vesting is probable. No expense is recognized for PSUs if it is not probable the vesting criteria will be satisfied. Forfeitures are accounted for as they occur.

	Vesting Term
Stock Options	3 to 4 years
Restricted Stock Units	1 to 4 years

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

We calculate our basic earnings per share by dividing net income by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. The diluted earnings per share computation includes the effect, if any, of shares that would be issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options, derivative warrant liability, convertible debt and RSUs, reduced by the number of shares which are assumed to be purchased by the Company from the resulting proceeds at the average market price during the year, when such amounts are dilutive to the earnings per share calculation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

We consider all highly liquid marketable securities with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Due to the short-term maturity of such investments, the carrying amounts are a reasonable estimate of fair value.

Marketable Securities

Marketable Securities

The Company accounts for marketable securities held as “available-for-sale” in accordance with ASC 320, “Investments Debt and Equity Securities” (“ASC 320”). The Company classifies these investments as current assets and carries them at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses on debt securities are recorded as a separate component of stockholders’ equity as accumulated other comprehensive loss. Realized gains or losses on marketable security transactions are reported in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss. Marketable securities are maintained at one financial institution and are governed by the Company’s investment policy as approved by the Company's Board of Directors.

Trade Receivables, Net

Trade Receivables, Net

Trade accounts receivable are recorded net of allowances for prompt payment and doubtful accounts. Estimates for allowances for doubtful accounts are determined based on existing contractual obligations, historical payment patterns and individual customer circumstances.

Inventory, Related Reserves and Cost of Goods Sold

Inventory, Related Reserves and Cost of Goods Sold

Inventory, which is recorded at the lower of cost or net realizable value, includes materials, labor, and other direct and indirect costs and is valued using the first-in, first-out method. The Company periodically analyzes its inventory levels to identify inventory that may expire prior to expected sale or has a cost basis in excess of its estimated realizable value, and writes down such inventory as appropriate. In addition, the Company's products are subject to strict quality control and monitoring which the Company’s manufacturers perform throughout their manufacturing process. The Company does not directly manufacture any product.  The Company has single suppliers for products Chenodal and Thiola, and prospectively arranges for manufacture from contract service providers for its product Cholbam.

Segment Information

Segment Information

The Company currently operates in one business segment focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for people with serious and life-threatening rare diseases and medical conditions. The Company is not organized by market and is managed and operated as one business. A single management team reports to the chief operating decision maker who comprehensively manages the entire business. The Company does not operate any separate lines of business or separate business entities with respect to its products. Accordingly, the Company does not accumulate discrete financial information with respect to separate products, other than revenues, and does not have separately reportable segments.

Property and Equipment, net

Property and Equipment, net

Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the related estimated useful lives as presented in the table below. Significant additions and improvements are capitalized, while repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. Property and equipment purchased for specific research and development projects with no alternative use is expensed as incurred.

The major classifications of property and equipment, including their respective expected useful lives, consists of the following:

Computers and equipment	3 years
Furniture and fixtures	7 years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of length of lease or life of the asset

Intangible Assets, Net

Intangible Assets, Net

Our intangible assets consist of licenses and purchased technology. Intangible assets with definite lives are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives and are reviewed periodically for impairment.

Intangible assets related to IPR&D projects are considered to be indefinite-lived until the completion or abandonment of the associated research and development efforts. During the period the assets are considered indefinite-lived, they will not be amortized but will be tested for impairment. If and when development is complete, which generally occurs when regulatory approval to market a product is obtained, the associated assets are deemed finite-lived and are amortized over a period that best reflects the economic benefits provided by these assets.

Goodwill

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over fair value of net assets acquired in a business combination and is not amortized. Goodwill is subject to impairment testing at least annually or when a triggering event occurs that could indicate a potential impairment. The Company has one segment and one reporting unit and as such reviews goodwill for impairment at the consolidated level.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Our long-lived assets are primarily comprised of intangible assets and property and equipment. We evaluate our finite-lived intangible assets, other than goodwill and property and equipment, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset or group of assets may not be recoverable. If these circumstances exist, recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset group to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the use and eventual disposition of the asset group. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets.

In addition, indefinite-lived intangible assets, comprised of IPR&D, are reviewed for impairment annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired by comparing the fair value to the carrying value of the asset. To determine the fair value of the asset, the Company used the multi-period excess earnings method of the income approach. The more significant assumptions inherent in the application of this method include: the amount and timing of projected future cash flows (including revenue, cost of sales, research and development costs, and sales and marketing expenses), and the discount rate selected to measure the risks inherent in the future cash flows.

During the first quarter of 2019, the Company elected to discontinue development of the L-UDCA program, resulting in the write off of the IPR&D intangible asset, see Note 5 for further discussion.

Fair Value Measurements

Contingent Consideration

We record contingent consideration resulting from a business combination at its fair value on the acquisition date. On a quarterly basis, we revalue these obligations and record increases or decreases from their fair value as an adjustment to the consolidated statement of operations. Changes to contingent consideration obligations can result from changes to discount rates, accretion of the liability due to the passage of time, changes in revenue forecasts and changes in our estimates of the likelihood or timing of achieving commercial revenue milestones.

The Company accounts for financial instruments in accordance with ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”). ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value.  The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 measurements).  The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under ASC 820 are described below:

Level 1 – Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities;

Level 2 – Quoted prices in markets that are not active or financial instruments for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly; and

Level 3 – Prices or valuations that require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

The Company acquired two businesses, related to the Cholbam and Chenodal products, whose purchase price included potential future payments that are contingent on the achievement of certain milestones and percentages of future net sales derived from the products acquired. The Company recorded contingent consideration liabilities at their fair value on the acquisition date and revalues them at the end of each reporting period. In estimating the fair value of the Company’s contingent consideration, the Company uses a Monte Carlo Simulation. The determination of the contingent consideration liabilities requires significant judgments including the appropriateness of the valuation model and reasonableness of estimates and assumptions included in the forecasts of future net sales and the discount rates applied to such sales. Changes in these estimates and  assumptions could have a significant impact on the fair value of the contingent consideration liabilities. Based on the fair value hierarchy, the Company classified contingent consideration within Level 3 because valuation inputs are based on projected revenues discounted to a present value

Financial instruments with carrying values approximating fair value include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, notes receivable, deposits on lease agreements, and accounts payable, due to their short-term nature.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company follows ASC 740, Income Taxes, which requires recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are based on the differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent management concludes it is more likely than not that the asset will not be realized.

The standard addresses the determination of whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the financial statements. Under ASC 740, the Company may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the tax authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position should be measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. ASC 740 also provides guidance on de-recognition, classification, interest and penalties on income taxes, accounting in interim periods and requires increased disclosures. The Company’s policy is to record estimated interest and penalty related to the underpayment of income taxes or unrecognized tax benefits as a component of its income tax provision.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications 

Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements in order to conform to the current year’s presentation.

Derivative Financial Instruments, Warrants

Derivative Financial Instruments, Warrants

The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market or foreign currency risks. However, since 2013, the Company has issued five tranches of common stock purchase warrants to secure financing, remediate covenant violations and provide consideration for amendments with respect to a credit facility extinguished in 2015.

Historically, the Company accounted for these instruments, which did not have fixed settlement provisions, as derivative instruments in accordance with FASB ASC 815-40, Derivative and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity. This was due to an anti-dilution provision for the warrants that provided for a reduction to the exercise price if the Company issued equity or equity linked instruments in the future at an effective price per share less than the exercise price then in effect for the warrant ("down round provision"). As such, the warrants were re-measured at each balance sheet date based on estimated fair value. Changes in estimated fair value were recorded as non-cash adjustments within other income (expenses), net, in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

As of January 1, 2018, the Company early adopted ASU 2017-11, which revised the guidance for instruments with down round provisions. As such the Company treats outstanding warrants as free-standing equity linked instruments that will be recorded to equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies. Unless otherwise discussed, the Company believes that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial position or results of operations upon adoption.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. Topic 326 amends guidance on reporting credit losses for assets held at amortized cost basis and available for sale debt securities. For assets held at amortized cost basis, Topic 326 eliminates the probable initial recognition threshold in current GAAP and, instead, requires an entity to reflect its current estimate of all expected credit losses. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial assets to present the net amount expected to be collected. For available for sale debt securities, credit losses should be measured in a manner similar to current GAAP, however Topic 326 will require that credit losses be presented as an allowance rather than as a write-down. This ASU update affects entities holding financial assets and net investment in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through net income. The amendments affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope that have the contractual right to receive cash. This

update is effective for the company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company evaluated the adoption of the new standard and it will not have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.