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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements

2.       Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements:

Certain of the Company’s significant accounting policies are described below. All of the Company’s significant accounting policies are disclosed in the notes to the audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2019 included in the Company’s Form 10-K. Since the date of such financial statements, the Company has adopted the new accounting pronouncements which are disclosed further in this note.

Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Meira Holdings and its wholly owned subsidiaries:

MeiraGTx Limited, a limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales;

MeiraGTx, LLC, a Delaware corporation (“Meira LLC”);

MeiraGTx UK II Limited, a limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales (“Meira UK II”);

MeiraGTx Netherlands, B.V., a private company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (“Meira Netherlands”);

BRI-Alzan, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“BRI-Alzan”);

MeiraGTx Bio, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Meira Bio”);

MeiraGTx B.V., a private company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (“Meira B.V.”);

MeiraGTx Ireland DAC, a designated activity company incorporated under the laws of Ireland (“Meira Ireland”);

MeiraGTx Neurosciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Meira Neuro”); and

MeiraGTx UK Limited, a limited company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales (“Meira UK”).

All intercompany balances and transactions between the consolidated companies have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

Management considers many factors in selecting appropriate financial accounting policies and controls, and in developing the estimates and assumptions that are used in the preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements. Management must apply significant judgment in this process. In addition, other factors may affect estimates, including expected business and operational changes, sensitivity and volatility associated with the assumptions used in developing estimates, and whether historical trends are expected to be representative of future trends. The estimation process often may yield a range of potentially reasonable estimates of the ultimate future outcomes and management must select an amount that falls within that range of reasonable estimates. This process may result in actual results differing materially from those estimated amounts used in the preparation of the financial statements if these results differ from historical experience, or other assumptions do not turn out to be substantially accurate, even if such assumptions are reasonable when made. In preparing these condensed consolidated financial statements, management used significant estimates in the following areas, among others: collaboration revenue, the accounting for research and development costs, share-based compensation, leases, asset retirement obligations and tax incentive receivable.

Additionally, the Company has made estimates of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic within the condensed consolidated financial statements and there may be changes to those estimates in future periods. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Foreign Currency Contracts

The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts to protect against changes in anticipated foreign currency cash flows resulting from changes in foreign currency exchange rates, primarily associated with non-functional currency denominated expenses. The foreign currency forward contracts outstanding as of September 30, 2020 had settlement dates within three-months.  The Company does not designate its foreign currency forward contracts as part of a hedging transaction. Changes in the fair value are recorded each period within the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss as a component of net loss. As of September 30, 2020, the Company had £2,000,000 of futures contracts with a settlement value of $2,598,900. The fair market value of these contracts as of September 30, 2020 was $2,581,571 resulting in an unrealized loss of $17,639, which has been recognized on the balance sheet as an other current liability.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon sale of an asset or paid upon transfer of a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date and in the principal or most advantageous market for that asset or liability. The fair value should be calculated based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, not on assumptions specific to the entity. In addition, the fair value of liabilities should include consideration of non-performance risk including the Company’s credit risk.

The Company follows ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, or ASC 820, for application to financial assets and liabilities. In addition to defining fair value, the standard expands the disclosure requirements around fair value and establishes a fair value hierarchy for valuation inputs. The hierarchy prioritizes the inputs into three levels based on the extent to which inputs used in measuring fair value are observable in the market. Each fair value measurement is reported in one of the three levels which are determined by the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. These levels are:

Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets the reporting entity has the ability to access as of the measurement date;
Level 2: Inputs, other than the quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly; and
Level 3: Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

The table below represents the values of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

Fair Value Measurement Using:

    

    

Significant

    

Significant Other

    

Significant

September 30, 

Observable Inputs

Observable Inputs

Unobservable

Description

2020

(Level 1)

(Level 2)

(Level 3)

Restricted cash

$

250,526

$

250,526

$

$

Other current liabilities

$

17,639

$

$

17,639

$

Asset retirement obligations

$

1,741,407

$

$

$

1,741,407

Fair Value Measurement Using:

    

    

Significant

    

Significant Other

    

Significant

December 31, 

Observable Inputs

Observable Inputs

Unobservable

Description

2019

(Level 1)

(Level 2)

(Level 3)

Restricted cash

$

123,376

$

123,376

$

$

Asset retirement obligations

$

1,654,755

$

$

$

1,654,755

Leases

The Company accounts for leases in accordance with ASC 842. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at contract inception. A lease exists when a contract conveys the right to control the use of identified property, plant, or equipment for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The definition of a lease embodies two conditions: (1) there is an identified asset in the contract that is land or a depreciable asset (i.e., property, plant, and equipment), and (2) the Company has the right to control the use of the identified asset. The Company accounts for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component.

From time to time the Company enters into direct financing lease arrangements that include a lessee obligation to purchase the leased asset at the end of the lease term, a bargain purchase option, or provides for minimum lease payments with a present value of 90% or more of the fair value of the leased asset at the date of lease inception.

Operating leases where the Company is the lessee are included in right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and lease obligations are included on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The lease obligations are initially and subsequently measured at the present value of the unpaid lease payments at the lease commencement date and subsequent reporting periods.

Finance leases where the Company is the lessee are included in ROU assets and lease obligations on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The lease obligations are initially measured in the same manner as for operating leases and are subsequently measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method.

Key estimates and judgments include how the Company determined (1) the discount rate used to discount the unpaid lease payments to present value, (2) lease term and (3) lease payments.

ASC 842 requires a lessee to discount its unpaid lease payments using the interest rate implicit in the lease or, if that rate cannot be readily determined, its incremental borrowing rate. As most of the Company’s leases where it is the lessee do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The Company’s incremental borrowing rate for a lease is the rate of interest it would have to pay on a collateralized basis to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments under similar terms. The Company uses the implicit rate when readily determinable.

The lease term for all of the Company’s leases includes the non-cancellable period of the lease plus any additional periods covered by either a lessee option to extend (or not to terminate) the lease that is reasonably certain to be exercised, or an option to extend (or not to terminate) the lease controlled by the lessor.

The ROU asset is initially measured at cost, which comprises the initial amount of the lease liability adjusted for lease payments made at or before the lease commencement date less any lease incentives received.

For operating leases, the ROU asset is subsequently measured throughout the lease term at the carrying amount of the lease liability, minus any accrued lease payments, less the unamortized balance of lease incentives received. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

For finance leases, the ROU asset is subsequently amortized using the straight-line method from the lease commencement date to the earlier of the end of its useful life or the end of the lease term unless the lease transfers ownership of the underlying asset, or the Company is reasonably certain to exercise an option to purchase the underlying asset. In those cases, the ROU asset is amortized over the useful life of the underlying asset. Amortization of the ROU asset is recognized and presented separately from interest expense on the lease liability.

The Company has elected not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for all short-term leases that have a lease term of 12 months or less at lease commencement. Lease payments associated with short-term leases are recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Asset Retirement Obligations

Accounting for asset retirement obligations requires legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets to be recognized at fair value when incurred and capitalized as part of the related long-lived asset. In the absence of quoted market prices, the Company estimates the fair value of its asset retirement obligations using Level 3 present value techniques, in which estimates of future cash flows associated with retirement activities are discounted using a credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Asset retirement obligations currently reported as other liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheet were measured during a period of historically low interest rates. The impact on measurements of new asset retirement obligations using different rates in the future may be significant.

The Company uses estimates to determine the asset retirement obligations at the end of the lease term and discounts such asset retirement obligations using an estimated discount rate. Interest on the discounted asset retirement obligation is amortized over the term of the lease using the effective interest method and is recorded as interest expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

The change in asset retirement obligations is as follows:

For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 

2020

2019

Balance at beginning of period

    

$

1,654,755

    

$

128,119

Amortization of interest

 

100,847

 

7,861

Effects of exchange rate

 

(14,195)

 

(4,767)

Balance at end of period

$

1,741,407

$

131,213

Collaboration Arrangements

The Company evaluates its collaborative arrangements pursuant to ASC 808, Collaborative Arrangements (“ASC 808”) and ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). The Company considers the nature and contractual terms of collaborative arrangements and assesses whether the arrangement involves a joint operating activity pursuant to which the Company is an active participant and is exposed to significant risks and rewards with respect to the arrangement. If the Company is an active participant and is exposed to significant risks and rewards with respect to the arrangement, the Company accounts for the arrangement as a collaboration under ASC 808. To date, the Company has entered into two separate collaboration agreements, both of which are with Janssen, which were determined to be within the scope of ASC 808.

ASC 808 does not address recognition or measurement matters related to collaborative arrangements. Payments between participants pursuant to a collaborative arrangement that are within the scope of other authoritative accounting literature on income statement classification are accounted for using the relevant provisions of that literature. If the payments are not within the scope of other authoritative accounting literature, the income statement classification for the payments is based on an analogy to authoritative accounting literature or if there is no appropriate analogy, a reasonable, rational and consistently applied accounting policy election. Payments received from a collaboration partner to which this policy applies may include upfront payments in respect of a license of intellectual property, development and commercialization-based milestones, and royalties.

Refer to the discussion in Note 8 for further information related to the accounting for the Janssen Collaboration Agreement.

Revenue Recognition

Arrangements with collaborators may include licenses to intellectual property, research and development services, manufacturing services for clinical and commercial supply, and participation on joint steering committees. The Company evaluates the promised goods or services to determine which promises, or group of promises, represent performance obligations. In contemplation of whether a promised good or service meets the criteria required of a performance obligation, the Company considers the stage of development of the underlying intellectual property, the capabilities and expertise of the customer relative to the underlying intellectual property, and whether the promised goods or services are integral to or dependent on other promises in the contract. When accounting for an arrangement that contains multiple performance obligations, the Company must develop judgmental assumptions, which may include market conditions, reimbursement rates for personnel costs, development timelines and probabilities of regulatory success to determine the stand-alone selling price for each performance obligation identified in the contract.

When the Company concludes that a contract should be accounted for as a combined performance obligation and recognized over time, the Company must then determine the period over which revenue should be recognized and the method by which to measure revenue. The Company generally recognizes revenue using a cost-based input method.

The Collaboration Agreement with Janssen is accounted for under ASC 808, however, as ASC 808 does not address recognition or measurement matters such as determining the appropriate unit of accounting or when the recognition criteria are met, the Company accounts for the consideration received from Janssen in accordance with ASC 606. In accordance with ASC 606, the Company recognizes revenue when its customer or collaborator obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that the Company determines are within the scope of ASC 606, it 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 within 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 determines that it is probable it will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer.

At contract inception, once the contract is determined to be by analogy within the scope of ASC 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within the contract to determine whether each promised good or service is a performance obligation. The promised goods or services in the Company’s arrangements typically consist of a license to the Company’s intellectual property and research, development and manufacturing services. The Company may provide options to additional items in such arrangements, which are accounted for as separate contracts when the customer elects to exercise such options, unless the option provides a material right to the customer. Performance obligations are promises in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer that (i) the customer can benefit from on its own or together with other readily available resources, and (ii) is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. Goods or services that are not individually distinct performance obligations are

combined with other promised goods or services until such combined group of promises meet the requirements of a performance obligation.

The Company determines transaction price based on the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive for transferring the promised goods or services in the contract. Consideration may be fixed, variable, or a combination of both. At contract inception for arrangements that include variable consideration, the Company estimates the probability and extent of consideration it expects to receive under the contract utilizing either the most likely amount method or expected amount method, whichever best estimates the amount expected to be received. The Company then considers any constraints on the variable consideration and includes in the transaction price variable consideration to the extent it is deemed probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved.

The Company then allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation based on the relative standalone selling price and recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) control is transferred to the customer and the performance obligation is satisfied. For performance obligations which consist of licenses and other promises, the Company utilizes judgment to assess the nature of the combined performance obligation to determine whether the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time and, if over time, the appropriate method of measuring progress. The Company evaluates the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjusts the measure of performance and related revenue recognition.

The Company records amounts as accounts receivable when the right to consideration is deemed unconditional. When consideration is received, or such consideration is unconditionally due, from a customer prior to transferring goods or services to the customer under the terms of a contract, a contract liability is recorded as deferred revenue.

Amounts received prior to satisfying the revenue recognition criteria are recognized as deferred revenue in the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet. Amounts expected to be recognized as revenue within the 12 months following the balance sheet date are classified as deferred revenue – related party, current. Amounts not expected to be recognized as revenue within the 12 months following the balance sheet date are classified as deferred revenue – related party.

The Company’s collaboration revenue arrangements include the following:

Up-front License Fees: If a license is determined to be distinct from the other performance obligations identified in the arrangement, the Company recognizes revenues from nonrefundable, up-front fees allocated to the license when the license is transferred to the licensee and the licensee is able to use and benefit from the license. For licenses that are bundled with other promises, the Company utilizes judgment to assess the nature of the combined performance obligation to determine whether the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time and, if over time, the appropriate method of measuring progress for purposes of recognizing revenue from non-refundable, up-front fees. The Company evaluates the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjusts the measure of performance and related revenue recognition.

Milestone Payments: At the inception of an agreement that includes research and development milestone payments, the Company evaluates each milestone to determine when and how much of the milestone to include in the transaction price. The Company first estimates the amount of the milestone payment that the Company could receive using either the expected value or the most likely amount approach. The Company primarily uses the most likely amount approach as that approach is generally most predictive for milestone payments with a binary outcome. Then, the Company considers whether any portion of that estimated amount is subject to the variable consideration constraint (that is, whether it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue would not occur upon resolution of the uncertainty.) The Company updates the estimate of variable consideration included in the transaction price at each reporting date which includes updating the assessment of the likely amount of consideration and the application of the constraint to reflect current facts and circumstances.

Royalties: For arrangements that include sales-based royalties, including milestone payments based on a level of sales, and the license is deemed to be the predominant item to which the royalties relate, the Company will recognize revenue at the later of (i) when the related sales occur, or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied (or partially satisfied). To date, the Company has not recognized any revenue related to sales-based royalties or milestone payments based on the level of sales.

Research and Development Services: The Company is incurring research and development costs, with Janssen responsible for up to 100% of the costs, depending on the type of research and development services being performed. The Company records costs associated with the development activities as research and development expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss consistent with ASC 730, Research and Development. The reimbursement of the research and development costs by Janssen is representative of the joint risk sharing nature of the arrangement. The Company considered the guidance in ASC 808 and recognizes the payments received from Janssen as a reduction to research and development expense when the related costs are incurred.

Research and Development

Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. These costs include, but are not limited to, employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and travel of the Company’s research and development personnel; expenses incurred under agreements with contract research organizations and investigative sites that conduct clinical and preclinical studies and for the drug product for the clinical studies and preclinical activities; facilities; supplies; rent, insurance, certain legal fees, share-based compensation, depreciation and other costs associated with clinical and preclinical activities and regulatory operations. Research funding under collaboration agreements and refundable research and development credits / tax credits are recorded as an offset to these costs.

Costs for certain development activities, such as Company funded outside research programs, are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks with respect to their actual costs incurred. Payments for these activities are based on the terms of the individual arrangements, which may differ from the pattern of costs incurred, and are reflected in the condensed consolidated financial statements as prepaid expenses or accrued expenses, as the case may be.

Net Loss per Ordinary Share

Basic net loss per ordinary share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number of shares of the Company’s ordinary shares assumed to be outstanding during the period of computation. Diluted net loss per ordinary share is computed similar to basic net loss per share except that the denominator is increased to include the number of additional ordinary shares that would have been outstanding if the potential ordinary shares had been issued at the beginning of the year and if the additional ordinary shares were dilutive (treasury stock method) or the two-class method, whichever is more dilutive. For all periods presented, basic and diluted net loss per ordinary share are the same, as any additional ordinary share equivalents would be anti-dilutive.

The following securities are considered to be ordinary share equivalents, but were not included in the computation of diluted net loss per ordinary share because to do so would have been anti-dilutive:

    

September 30, 

    

September 30, 

    

2020

    

2019

Restricted share units

545,000

Share options

 

4,970,531

 

3,723,697

Restricted ordinary shares subject to forfeiture

326,588

 

5,515,531

 

4,050,285

Segment Information

Management has concluded it has a single reporting segment for purposes of reporting financial condition and results of operations.

The Company’s license revenue, research funding and deferred revenue from its Collaboration Agreement are generated in the United Kingdom.

The following table summarizes non-current assets by geographical area:

    

September 30, 

    

December 31, 

2020

2019

United States

$

14,299,510

$

14,354,792

United Kingdom

 

39,755,612

 

39,476,700

Ireland

19,752,062

Netherlands

 

1,356,396

 

1,076,286

$

75,163,580

$

54,907,778

Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements, which changes the fair value measurement disclosure requirements of ASC 820. The goal of the ASU is to improve the effectiveness of ASC 820’s disclosure requirements by providing users of the financial statements with better information about assets and liabilities measured at fair value in the financial statements and notes thereto. The guidance is applicable for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those years. The adoption of the provisions of ASU 2018-13 did not have a material impact on the current financial statements.

In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-18, Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808): Clarifying the Interaction between Topic 808 and Topic 606 (“ASU 2018-18”). The standard amends ASC 808, Collaborative Arrangements and ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, to clarify the interaction between collaborative arrangement participants that should be accounted for as revenue under ASC 606. In transactions when the collaborative arrangement participant is a customer in the context of a unit of account, revenue should be accounted for using the guidance in Topic 606. The amendments in ASU 2018-18 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The adoption of ASU 2018-18 did not have a material impact on the current financial statements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which adds a new Topic 326 to the Codification and removes the thresholds that companies apply to measure credit losses on financial instruments measured at amortized cost, such as loans, receivables, and held-to-maturity debt securities. Under current GAAP, companies generally recognize credit losses when it is probable that the loss has been incurred. The revised guidance will remove all recognition thresholds and will require companies to recognize an allowance for credit losses for the difference between the amortized cost basis of a financial instrument and the amount of amortized cost that the company expects to collect over the instrument’s contractual life. ASU 2016-13 also amends the credit loss measurement guidance for available-for-sale debt securities and beneficial interests in securitized financial assets. The guidance is applicable for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those years, however, the FASB extended the effective date for smaller reporting companies to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of the adoption of this standard on its related disclosures.