Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) and US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations for annual reporting. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Nabriva Therapeutics plc and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Functional Currency Transactions and Balances

In preparing the consolidated financial statements, transactions in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are recognized at the exchange rates prevailing at the dates of the transactions. Foreign currency exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions and from the translation at year-end exchange rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss).

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Short-term Investments

The Company has designated its investments in securities as available-for-sale securities and measures these securities at their respective fair values. Investments that mature in one year or less are classified as short-term available-for-sale securities. Investments that are not considered available for use in current operations are classified as long-term available-for-sale securities. Changes in the fair value of available-for-sale investments are recognized in other comprehensive income (loss).

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment are as follows: 3-5 years for IT equipment, 5-10 years for laboratory equipment and 3-10 years for other plant and office equipment. The assets’ residual values and useful lives are reviewed, and adjusted if appropriate, at each reporting date. When assets are sold or otherwise disposed of, the difference between the net proceeds, if any, and the net carrying amount of the asset is recognized as a gain or a loss in other operating income or expenses.

Intangible Assets and Other Long-lived Assets

Intangible assets, such as acquired computer software licenses, are capitalized on the basis of the costs incurred to acquire the software and bring it into use. These costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives (3-10 years).

Long-lived assets are assessed for potential impairment when there is evidence that events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recovered. An impairment loss would be recognized when undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by an asset, is less than its carrying amount. The impairment loss would be measured as the amount by which the asset’s carrying value exceeds its fair value and recognized in these financial statements.

Research Premium and Grant Revenue

Grant revenue comprises (a) the research premium from the Austrian government, (b) grants received from the Vienna Business Promotion Fund (Wiener Wirtschaftsförderungsfonds, or WWFF), (c) grants received from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft, or FFG), and (d) the benefit of government loans at below-market interest rates. Please refer to Note 10 for further details on all forms of grant revenue.

The research premium the Company receives from the Austrian government is calculated at a specified percent of specified research and development cost base. The Company recognizes the research premium as long as it has incurred research and development expenses. The WWFF grant is paid out through the landlord in the form of a monthly reduction in lease payments and is recognized over the period from grant date in March 2010 until end of the lease termination waiver term in December 2017. All grants are non-refundable as long as the conditions of the grant are met. Nabriva is and has been in full compliance with the conditions of the grants and all related regulations.

The benefit of a government loan at a below-market rate of interest is treated as a government grant. The benefit due to the difference between the market rate of interest and the rate of interest charged by the governmental organization is measured as the difference between the initial carrying value of the loan determined and the proceeds received. This benefit is deferred, and recognized through profit and loss over the term of the corresponding liabilities.

Research and Development Expenses

All research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs included direct personnel and material costs, related overheads, depreciation of equipment used for research or development purposes; costs for clinical research; costs for the utilization of third parties’ patents for research and development purposes and other taxes related to research facilities.

Share-Based Payments

The Company measures the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation — Stock Compensation. The fair value of stock options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. All grants under share-based payment programs are accounted for at fair value and that cost is recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award—the requisite service period (vesting period). The Company accounts for forfeitures as incurred. Compensation expense for options granted to non-employees is determined as the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instruments issued, whichever is more reliably measured. The fair value of awards granted to non-employees is re-measured each period until the related service is complete.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, the Company determines deferred tax assets and liabilities on the basis of the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities by using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets to the extent that it believes that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If the Company determines that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, the Company would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.

In recognizing the benefit of tax positions, the Company has taken or expects to take, the Company determines whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority.

The Company’s policy is to record interest and penalties related to tax matters in income tax expense.

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). The Tax Act makes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code, including, but not limited to, reducing the top U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent; eliminating the corporate alternative minimum tax (“AMT”) and changing how existing AMT credits can be realized; creating the base erosion anti-abuse tax (“BEAT”), a new minimum tax; creating a new limitation on deductible interest expense; and, changing rules related to uses and limitations of net operating loss carryforwards created in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017.

The Tax Act reduces the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to reverse. As a result of the reduction in the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% under the Tax Act, the Company revalued the ending net deferred tax assets and liabilities of our U.S. subsidiary at December 31, 2017.

Subsequent Events

Material subsequent events are evaluated and disclosed through the report issuance date.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies that the Company adopts as of the specified effective date.

Adopted as of the current period:

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, an updated standard on revenue recognition. ASU 2014-09 provides enhancements to the quality and consistency of how revenue is reported by companies while also improving comparability in the financial statements of companies reporting using International Financial Reporting Standards or US GAAP. The main purpose of the new standard is for companies to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard also results in enhanced revenue disclosures, guidance for transactions that were not previously addressed comprehensively and improve guidance for multiple-element arrangements. The effective date of ASU 2014-09 for the Company is the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. The Company recognized $1.5 million of revenue related to a contract asset (note 16) upon the adoption of this new standard during 2018 that would not have been recognized under the prior standard.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation: Scope of Modification Accounting. ASU 2017-09 clarifies which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation. ASU 2017-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. An entity should apply the amendments prospectively to a modification that occurs on or after the adoption date. The Company adopted ASU 2017-09 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. The impact of adopting this standard did not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operation or cash flow and related disclosures.

To be adopted in future periods:

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”), which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both lessees and lessors. Originally, entities were required to adopt ASU 2016-02 using a modified retrospective approach at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements and the recognition of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. The FASB subsequently issued ASU 2018-10 and ASU 2018-11 in July 2018, which provide clarifications and improvements and also provides for an optional transition method which allows companies to apply the new lease standard at the adoption date instead of at the earliest comparative period presented and continue to apply the provisions of the previous lease standard in its annual disclosures for the comparative periods. The new lease standard requires lessees to present a right-of-use asset and a corresponding lease liability on the balance sheet.

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted the new lease standard using the optional transition method under which comparative financial information will not be restated. In addition, the new lease standard provides a number of optional practical expedients in transition. The Company elected the package of practical expedients. As such, the Company will not reassess whether expired or existing contracts are or contain a lease; will not need to reassess the lease classifications or reassess the initial direct costs associated with expired or existing leases.

The new lease standard also provides practical expedients for an entity’s ongoing accounting. The Company elected the short-term lease recognition exemption under which the Company will not recognize ROU assets or lease liabilities, and this includes not recognizing ROU assets or lease liabilities for existing short-term leases. The Company elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for certain classes of assets (office buildings).

On January 1, 2019, the Company expects to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities of approximately $2.1 million. The Company does not expect the adoption of the new lease standard to materially impact its consolidated statements of operations or of cash flows.

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): “Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting,” which largely aligns the accounting for share-based payment awards issued to nonemployees with the accounting for share-based payment awards issued to employees. Under previous GAAP, the accounting for nonemployee share-based payments differed from that applied to employee awards, particularly with regard to the measurement date and the impact of performance conditions. Under the new guidance, (i) equity-classified share-based payment awards issued to nonemployees will be measured at the grant date, instead of the previous requirement to remeasure the awards through the performance completion date, (ii) for performance conditions, compensation cost associated with the award will be recognized when the achievement of the performance condition is probable, rather than upon achievement of the performance condition, and (iii) the current requirement to reassess the classification (equity or liability) for nonemployee awards upon vesting will be eliminated, except for awards in the form of convertible instruments. This new guidance will be effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than an entity’s adoption date of Topic 606. The Company does not expect the adoption of the new guidance to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued AS 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework — Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which eliminates, adds and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. Entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but public companies will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. The guidance on fair value disclosures eliminates the following requirements for all entities: the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy; the entity’s policy for the timing of transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy; and, the entity’s valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. The ASU adds the following disclosure requirements, but it exempts nonpublic entities from these requirements: the changes in unrealized gains and losses for the period included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements of instruments held at the end of the reporting period; and, for recurring and nonrecurring Level 3 fair value measurements, the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs and how the weighted average was calculated, with certain exceptions. The guidance is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and for interim periods within those fiscal years, but entities are permitted to early adopt either the entire standard or only the provisions that eliminate or modify the requirements. The Company does not expect the adoption of the new guidance to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.