Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) |
12 Months Ended | |||||||||||||||
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Dec. 31, 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
Accounting Policies [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||
Basis of Consolidation | Basis of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. and our subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. |
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Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent liabilities and the reported amounts of expenses in the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates, including those related to clinical trial accruals, fair value of assets and liabilities, warrants, common stock, income taxes and stock-based compensation. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other market-specific and relevant assumptions that management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates. |
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Cash and Cash Equivalents | Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist primarily of amounts invested in money market accounts and corporate bonds. |
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Investments | Investments All investments have been classified as “available-for-sale” and are carried at estimated fair value as determined based upon quoted market prices or pricing models for similar securities. Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt securities at the time of purchase and reevaluates such designation as of each balance sheet date. Investments with a maturity of one year or less from the balance sheet date are reported as short-term investments and investments with a maturity of greater than one year from the balance sheet date are reported as long-term investments. Unrealized gains and losses are excluded from earnings and are reported as a component of comprehensive loss. Realized gains and losses and declines in fair value judged to be other than temporary, if any, on available-for-sale securities are included in interest income and other expense, net, respectively. The cost of securities sold is based on the specific-identification method. Interest on investments is included in interest income. |
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Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties | Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, and investments. The Company’s cash, cash equivalents, and investments are held by financial institutions that management believes are of high credit quality. The Company’s investment policy limits investments to fixed income securities denominated and payable in U.S. dollars such as U.S. government obligations, money market instruments and funds, corporate bonds, and asset-backed securities and places restrictions on maturities and concentrations by type and issuer. Such deposits may, at times, exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash and cash equivalents and its accounts are monitored by management to mitigate risk. The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of default by the financial institutions holding its cash and cash equivalents, corporate bond issuers and other financial instruments to the extent recorded in the balance sheets. |
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Property and Equipment | Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets. Depreciation and amortization begins at the time the asset is placed in service. Maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred. Upon sale or retirement of assets, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet and the resulting gain or loss, if any, is reflected in operations. The useful lives of the property and equipment are as follows:
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Impairment of Long-Lived Assets |
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets The Company evaluates its long-lived assets, including property and equipment, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of these assets is measured by comparison of the carrying amount of each asset to the future undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. If the asset is considered to be impaired, the amount of any impairment is measured as the difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the impaired asset. The Company has not recorded impairment of any long-lived assets since inception. |
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Restricted Cash | Restricted Cash Restricted cash includes money market accounts with one of the Company’s financial institutions as collateral for its obligations under its facility leases of the Company’s corporate headquarters in Novato, California and for its facilities in Brisbane, California. Restricted cash also includes a savings account associated with a credit card agreement at one of the Company’s financial institutions. |
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Accruals of Research and Development Costs | Accruals of Research and Development Costs The Company records accruals for estimated costs of research, preclinical and clinical studies and manufacturing development. These costs are a significant component of the Company’s research and development expenses. A substantial portion of the Company’s ongoing research and development activities are conducted by third-party service providers, including contract research organizations. The Company accrues the costs incurred under its agreements with these third parties based on actual work completed in accordance with agreements established with these third parties. The Company determines the actual costs through discussions with internal personnel and external service providers as to the progress or stage of completion of the services and the agreed-upon fee to be paid for such services. The Company makes significant judgments and estimates in determining the accrual balance in each reporting period. As actual costs become known, the Company adjusts its accruals. The Company has not experienced any material deviations between accrued clinical trial expenses and actual clinical trial expenses. However, actual services performed, number of patients enrolled, and the rate of patient enrollment may vary from the Company’s estimates, resulting in adjustments to clinical trial expense in future periods. Changes in these estimates that result in material changes to the Company’s accruals could materially affect the Company’s results of operations. |
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Leases | Leases The Company enters into lease agreements for its office and laboratory facilities. These leases are classified as operating leases. Rent expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease and, accordingly, the Company records the difference between cash rent payments and the recognition of rent expense as a deferred rent liability. Incentives granted under the Company’s facilities leases, including allowances to fund leasehold improvements, are deferred and are recognized as adjustments to rental expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. |
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Comprehensive Loss | Comprehensive Loss Comprehensive loss is the change in stockholders’ equity (deficit) from transactions and other events and circumstances other than those resulting from investments by stockholders and distributions to stockholders. The Company’s other comprehensive loss is comprised of unrealized gains and losses on investments in available-for-sale securities. |
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Research and Development | Research and Development Research and development costs are expensed as incurred and consist of salaries and benefits, stock-based compensation expense, lab supplies and facility costs, as well as fees paid to other nonemployees and entities that conduct certain research and development activities on the Company’s behalf. Amounts incurred in connection with license agreements are also included in research and development expense. Nonrefundable advance payments for goods or services to be received in the future for use in research and development activities are deferred and capitalized. The capitalized amounts are expensed as the related goods are delivered or the services are performed. |
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Stock-Based Compensation | Stock-Based Compensation Stock-based awards issued to employees, including stock options, are recorded at fair value as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the employee’s requisite service period (generally the vesting period). Because noncash stock compensation expense is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, it is reduced by an estimate for future forfeitures. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from estimates. |
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Income Taxes | Income Taxes The Company uses the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and the tax bases of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. The Company must then assess the likelihood that the resulting deferred tax assets will be realized. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. Due to the Company’s lack of earnings history, the net deferred tax assets have been fully offset by a valuation allowance. The Company recognizes benefits of uncertain tax positions if it is more likely than not that such positions will be sustained upon examination based solely on their technical merits, as the largest amount of benefit that is more likely than not to be realized upon the ultimate settlement. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to the underpayment of income taxes as a component of income tax expense or benefit. To date, there have been no interest or penalties charged in relation to the unrecognized tax benefits. |
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Net Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders | Net Loss per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders Basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is calculated by dividing the net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, without consideration for common stock equivalents. The net loss attributable to common stockholders is calculated by adjusting the net loss of the Company for the accretion on the Series A convertible preferred stock and cumulative dividends paid on Series A and B convertible preferred stock. Diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is the same as basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, since the effects of potentially dilutive securities are antidilutive. In periods when we have incurred a net loss, convertible preferred stock, options and warrants to purchase common stock and convertible preferred stock warrants are considered common stock equivalents, but have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, as their effect is antidilutive. |
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements | Recent Accounting Pronouncements In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements — Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern, which requires management to evaluate, in connection with preparing financial statements for each annual and interim reporting period, whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued and provide related disclosures. This ASU will be effective for the Company in fiscal year 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the future impact of this ASU in the financial statements. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (“ASU 2015-17”), which amends existing guidance to require that deferred income tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet, and eliminates the prior guidance which required an entity to separate deferred tax liabilities and assets into a current amount and a noncurrent amount in a classified balance sheet. The standard is effective for the Company in fiscal year 2017. Early adoption is permitted. As permitted by ASU 2015-17, the Company early-adopted this standard and applied it retrospectively to all periods of the tax provision presented. As the company has full valuation allowance against the deferred assets, there is no impact to the financial statements. The Company has reflected the change of this pronouncement in Note 10, Income Taxes. |