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Note 4 - Collaborations, Contracts and Licensing Agreements
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Notes to Financial Statements  
Collaborative Arrangement Disclosure [Text Block]
4.
Collaborations, contracts and licensing agreements
The following tables set forth revenue recognized under collaborations, contracts and licensing agreements, in thousands:
    Three months ended June 30   Six months ended June 30
    2015   2014   2015   2014
Collaborations and contracts                                
DoD (a)   $ 1,862     $ 861     $ 4,907     $ 4,101  
Monsanto (b)     269       283       517       526  
BMS (d)     -       -       -       206  
Dicerna (e)     179       -       406       -  
Total research and development collaborations and contracts     2,310       1,144       5,830       4,833  
                                 
Licensing fees, milestone and royalty payments                                
Monsanto licensing fees and milestone payments (b)     805       626       1,647       1,171  
Acuitas milestone payments (c)     -       -       -       150  
Dicerna licensing fee (e)     263       -       526       -  
Spectrum royalty payments (f)     62       41       119       87  
Total licensing fees, milestone and royalty payments     1,130       667       2,292       1,408  
Total revenue   $ 3,440     $ 1,811     $ 8,122     $ 6,241  
The following table sets forth deferred collaborations and contracts revenue:
    June 30, 2015   December 31, 2014
                 
DoD (a)   $ 563     $ 313  
Monsanto current portion (b)     3,746       4,245  
Dicerna current portion (e)     1,296       1,221  
Deferred revenue, current portion     5,605       5,785  
Monsanto long-term portion (b)     7,336       8,666  
Dicerna long-term portion (e)     709       1,271  
Total deferred revenue   $ 13,650     $ 15,722  
 
(a) Contract with United States Government’s Department of Defense (“DoD”) to develop TKM-Ebola
On July 14, 2010, the Company signed a contract with the DoD to advance TKM-Ebola, an RNAi therapeutic utilizing the Company’s lipid nanoparticle technology to treat Ebola virus infection.
In the initial phase of the contract, funded as part of the Transformational Medical Technologies program, the Company was eligible to receive up to $34,700,000. This initial funding is for the development of TKM-Ebola including completion of preclinical development, filing an Investigational New Drug application with the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and completing a Phase 1 human safety clinical trial. On May 8, 2013, the Company announced that the contract had been modified to support development plans that integrate recent advancements in lipid nanoparticle (“LNP”) formulation and manufacturing technologies. The contract modification increased the stage one targeted funding by an additional $6,970,000. On April 22, 2014, the Company and the DoD signed a contract modification to further increase the stage one targeted funding by $2,100,000 to $43,819,000. The additional funding is to compensate the Company for unrecovered overheads related to the temporary stop-work period that occurred in 2012 and to provide additional overhead funding should it be required. In May 2015, the Company and the DoD signed a contract modification to further increase stage one funding by up to $1,000,000.
 
The DoD has the option of extending the contract beyond the initial funding period to support the advancement of TKM-Ebola through to the completion of clinical development and FDA approval. Based on the contract’s budget this would provide the Company with up to $140,000,000 in funding for the entire program. In October 2014, the Company and the DoD exercised an option to add $7,000,000 for the manufacture of TKM-Ebola-Guinea (the “Ebola-Guinea Amendment”), developed by the Company, targeting the Ebola-Guinea strain responsible for the current outbreak in West Africa.
 
In March 2015, the Company and the DoD signed a contract modification to provide up to $2,250,000 to fund the Company for TKM-Ebola-Guinea IND submission expenses.
 
Under the contract, the Company is reimbursed for costs incurred, including an allocation of overhead costs, and is paid an incentive fee. At the beginning of the fiscal year the Company estimates its labour and overhead rates for the year ahead. At the end of the year the actual labour and overhead rates are calculated and revenue is adjusted accordingly. The Company’s actual labour and overhead rates will differ from its estimated rates based on actual costs incurred and the proportion of the Company’s efforts on contracts and internal products versus indirect activities. Within minimum and maximum collars, the amount of incentive fee the Company can earn under the contract varies based on costs incurred versus budgeted costs. During the contractual period, incentive fee revenue and total costs are impacted by management’s estimate and judgments which are continuously reviewed and adjusted as necessary using the cumulative catch-up method. At June 30, 2015, the Company believes it can reliably estimate the final contract costs so has recognized the portion of expected incentive fee which has been earned to date.
 
On July 20, 2015, the Company announced given the unclear development path for TKM-Ebola, development activities will be suspended and a joint re-evaluation of the development contract with the DoD is underway.
 
(b)
Option and Services Agreements with Monsanto Company (“Monsanto”)
 
On January 13, 2014, the Company and Monsanto signed an Option Agreement and a Services Agreement (together, the “Agreements”). Under the Agreements, Monsanto has an option to obtain a license to use the Company’s proprietary delivery technology and related intellectual property for use in agriculture. Over the option period, which is expected to be approximately four years, the Company will provide lipid formulations for Monsanto’s research and development activities, and Monsanto will make certain payments to the Company to maintain its option rights. The maximum potential value of the transaction, following the successful completion of milestones, is $86,200,000.
 
In May 2015, the arrangement was amended to extend the option period by approximately five months, with payments up to $2,000,000 for the extension period. From inception of the contract to June 30, 2015, the Company had received $18,550,000 from MonsantoThe amounts received relate to research services and use of the Company’s technology over the option period, and are recognized as revenue on a straight-line basis over the extended option period.
 
Under the Agreements, the Company has established a wholly-owned subsidiary, PADCo. The Company has determined that PADCo is a variable interest entity (“VIE”); however, Monsanto is the primary beneficiary of the arrangement. PADCo was established to perform research and development activities, which have been funded by Monsanto in return for a call option to acquire the equity or all of the assets of PADCo. At any time during the option period, Monsanto may choose to exercise its option, in which case Monsanto would pay the Company an option exercise fee and would receive a worldwide, exclusive right to use the Company’s proprietary delivery technology in the field of agriculture. Monsanto may elect to terminate this option at their discretion. The Company retains all rights to therapeutics uses of all current intellectual property and intellectual property developed under the Agreements. The Company’s initial investment is not significant, and has no implied or unfunded commitments and the maximum exposure to loss is limited to the amount of investment in the entity. The Company has included its investment in PADco in Other Assets. There were no significant assets or liabilities for PADCo as at June 30, 2015. There was no equity income or loss with respect to PADCo recorded for the six months ended June 30, 2015.
(c) License and collaboration with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Alnylam”) and Acuitas Therapeutics Inc. (“Acuitas”, formerly AlCana Technologies Inc.)
Milestone receipts and payments
In the six months ended June 30, 2014, the Company earned a $150,000 milestone from Acuitas, subsequent to Acuitas receiving a milestone payment from Alnylam with respect to Alnylam initiating a Phase III trial for ALN-TTR02.
Arbitration with Alnylam and Ascletis Pharmaceuticals (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd. (“Ascletis”)
On June 21, 2013, the Company transferred manufacturing process technology to Ascletis to enable them to produce ALN-VSP, a product candidate licensed to them by Alnylam. The Company believes that under the new licensing agreement with Alnylam, the technology transfer to Ascletis triggers a $5,000,000 milestone obligation from Alnylam to the Company. However, Alnylam has demanded a declaration that the Company has not yet met its milestone obligations. The Company disputes Alnylam’s position. To remedy this dispute, the Company and Alnylam have commenced arbitration proceedings as provided for under the agreement. The hearing date for this arbitration took place in May 2015, and a decision of the arbitrator is pending. The Company has not recorded any revenue in respect of this milestone.
(d) Bristol-Myers Squibb (“BMS”) collaboration
On May 10, 2010 the Company announced the expansion of its research collaboration with BMS. Under the new agreement, BMS uses small interfering RNA (“siRNA”) molecules formulated by the Company in LNP technology to silence target genes of interest. BMS is conducting the preclinical work to validate the function of certain genes and share the data with the Company. The Company could use the preclinical data to develop RNAi therapeutic drugs against the therapeutic targets of interest. The Company received $3,000,000 from BMS concurrent with the signing of the agreement and recorded the amount as deferred revenue. The Company was required to provide a pre-determined number of LNP batches over the four-year agreement. BMS had a first right to negotiate a licensing agreement on certain RNAi products developed by the Company that evolve from BMS validated gene targets.
Revenue from the May 10, 2010 agreement with BMS was being recognized as the Company produces the related LNP batches.
The revenue earned for the six months ended June 30, 2014 was related to BMS batches shipped during the period. In August 2014, the agreement expired and both companies’ obligations under the agreement ended.
 
(e) License and Development and Supply Agreement with Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Dicerna”)
 
On November 16, 2014, the Company signed a License Agreement and a Development and Supply Agreement (together, the “Agreements”) with Dicerna to develop, manufacture, and commercialize products directed to the treatment of Primary Hyperoxaluria 1 (“PH1”). In consideration for the rights granted under the Agreements, Dicerna paid the Company an upfront cash payment of $2,500,000. The Company is also entitled to receive payments from Dicerna on manufacturing and services provided, as well as further payments with the achievement of development and regulatory milestones of up to $22,000,000, in aggregate, and potential commercial royalties. Further, under the Agreements, a joint development committee has been established to provide guidance and direction on the progression of the collaboration.
 
The Company determined the deliverables under the Agreements included the rights granted, participation in the joint development committee, materials manufactured and other services provided, as directed under the joint development committee. The Company has determined that manufacturing services and other services provided have standalone value, as a separate statement of work is executed and invoiced for each manufacturing or service work order. The relative fair values are determined as a batch price or fee is estimated upon the execution of each work order, with actual expenditures charged at comparable market rates with embedded margins on each work order. Manufacturing work orders are invoiced at the time of execution of the work order, at the initiation of manufacture, and at the release of materials. Revenue from service work orders is recognized as the services are performed. The license and participation in the joint development committee have been determined by the Company to not have standalone value due to the uniqueness of the subject matter under the Agreements. Therefore, these deliverables are treated as one unit of accounting and recognized as revenue over the performance period, which the Company has estimated to be approximately 28 months.
 
The Company believes the development and regulatory milestones are substantive, due to the existence of substantive uncertainty upon the execution of the arrangement, and that the achievement of the development and regulatory events are based, in part, on the Company’s performance and the occurrence of a specific outcome resulting from performance. The Company has not received any milestone payments to date.
 
(f) Agreements with Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Spectrum”)
On May 6, 2006, the Company signed a number of agreements with Talon Therapeutics, Inc. (“Talon”, formerly Hana Biosciences, Inc.) including the grant of worldwide licenses (the “Talon License Agreement”) for three of the Company’s chemotherapy products, Marqibo®, Alocrest
TM
(Optisomal Vinorelbine) and Brakiva
TM
(Optisomal Topotecan).
On August 9, 2012, the Company announced that Talon had received accelerated approval for Marqibo from the FDA for the treatment of adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia in second or greater relapse or whose disease has progressed following two or more anti-leukemia therapies. Marqibo is a liposomal formulation of the chemotherapy drug vincristine. There are no further milestones related to Marqibo but the Company is eligible to receive total milestone payments of up to $18,000,000 on Alocrest and Brakiva.
Talon was acquired by Spectrum in July 2013. The acquisition does not affect the terms of the license between Talon and the Company.
On September 3, 2013, Spectrum announced that they had shipped the first commercial orders of Marqibo. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, the Company recorded $62,000 and $119,000 in Marqibo royalty revenue (three and six months ended June 30, 2014 - $41,000 and $87,000 respectively). For the six months ended June 30, 2015, the Company accrued 2.5% in royalties due to TPC in respect of the Marqibo royalty earned by the Company – see note 8, contingencies and commitments.