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Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies (Policies)
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and have been prepared by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (“Vertex” or the “Company”) in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
The condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the operations of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Company's condensed consolidated financial statements for the interim period ended September 30, 2018 also include the financial results of BioAxone Biosciences, Inc. (“BioAxone”), a variable interest entity (“VIE”) that the Company consolidated from 2014 through December 31, 2018. All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The Company operates in one segment, pharmaceuticals. The Company has reclassified certain items from the prior year’s condensed consolidated financial statements to conform to the current year’s presentation.
Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K have been condensed or omitted. These interim financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods ended September 30, 2019 and 2018.
The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the full fiscal year. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018, which are contained in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements, and the amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported periods. Significant estimates in these condensed consolidated financial statements have been made in connection with the calculation of revenues, research and development expenses, goodwill, intangible assets, deferred tax asset valuation allowances, fair value of contingent consideration and the provision for income taxes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions, including in certain circumstances future projections that management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Changes in estimates are reflected in reported results in the period in which they become known.
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards and Recently Issued Accounting Standards
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
Leases
In 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASC 842”), which amends a number of aspects of lease accounting and requires entities to recognize right-of-use assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. ASC 842 became effective on January 1, 2019. The Company has finalized its review of its portfolio of existing leases and current accounting policies and has concluded that the amended guidance results in the recognition of additional assets and corresponding liabilities on its balance sheets. The Company also has finalized changes to its controls to address the adoption and ongoing lease accounting and related disclosure requirements of the new standard.
Until December 31, 2018, the Company applied build-to-suit accounting and was the deemed owner of its leased corporate headquarters in Boston and research site in San Diego, for which it was recognizing depreciation expense over the buildings’ useful lives and imputed interest on the corresponding construction financing lease obligations. Under the amended guidance that became effective January 1, 2019, the Company accounts for these buildings as finance leases, resulting in increased depreciation expense over the respective lease terms of approximately 15 years, which are significantly shorter than the buildings’ useful lives of 40 years. The Company also expects a reduction in its imputed interest expense in the initial years of each finance lease term.
In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements (“ASU 2018-11”), which offered a transition option to entities adopting ASC 842. Under ASU 2018-11, entities could elect to apply ASC 842 using a modified-retrospective adoption approach resulting in a cumulative effect adjustment to accumulated deficit at the beginning of the year in which the new lease standard is adopted, rather than adjustments to the earliest comparative period presented in their financial statements. The Company adopted ASC 842 using the modified-retrospective method. As of January 1, 2019, the Company recorded a cumulative effect adjustment to increase its “Accumulated deficit” by $40.3 million related to the adjustments to its build-to-suit leases described in the previous paragraph.
The Company elected the package of transition practical expedients for leases that commenced prior to January 1, 2019, allowing it not to reassess (i) whether any expired or existing contracts contain leases, (ii) the lease classification for any expired or existing leases and (iii) the initial indirect costs for any existing leases.
Additionally, the Company recorded, upon adoption of ASC 842 on January 1, 2019, operating lease assets of $61.7 million and corresponding liabilities of $71.9 million related to its real estate leases that are not treated as finance leases under ASC 842. The difference between these assets and liabilities is primarily attributable to prepaid or accrued lease payments. The Company also reclassified amounts that were recorded as “Capital lease obligations, current portion” and “Capital lease obligations, excluding current portion” as of December 31, 2018 to “Other current liabilities” and “Long-term finance lease liabilities,” respectively, on January 1, 2019. These adjustments had no impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated statement of operations and had no impact on the Company’s accumulated deficit.
The cumulative effect of applying ASC 842 on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet as of January 1, 2019 was as follows:
 
Balance as of
 
 
 
Balance as of
 
December 31, 2018 ^
 
Adjustments
 
January 1, 2019
Assets
(in thousands)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
$
140,819

 
$
(2,930
)
 
$
137,889

Property and equipment, net
812,005

 
(53,920
)
 
758,085

Deferred tax assets
1,499,672

 
11,236

 
1,510,908

Operating lease assets

 
61,674

 
61,674

Total assets
$
6,245,898

 
$
16,060

 
$
6,261,958

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
 
 
 
 
 
Capital lease obligations, current portion
$
9,817

 
$
(9,817
)
 
$

Other current liabilities
40,589

 
34,304

 
74,893

Capital lease obligations, excluding current portion
19,658

 
(19,658
)
 

Construction financing lease obligation, excluding current portion
561,892

 
(561,892
)
 

Long-term finance lease liabilities

 
569,487

 
569,487

Long-term operating lease liabilities

 
64,849

 
64,849

Other long-term liabilities
26,280

 
(20,903
)
 
5,377

Accumulated deficit
(2,989,478
)
 
(40,310
)
 
(3,029,788
)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
$
6,245,898

 
$
16,060

 
$
6,261,958

^ As reported in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Please refer to Note K, “Leases,” for further information regarding the Company’s leases as well as certain disclosures required by ASC 842.
Derivatives and Hedging
In 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815) (“ASU 2017-12”), which helps simplify certain aspects of hedge accounting and enables entities to more accurately present their risk management activities in their financial statements. ASU 2017-12 became effective January 1, 2019. The adoption of ASU 2017-12 did not have a significant effect on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
Internal-Use Software
In 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (“ASU 2018-15”), which clarifies the accounting for implementation costs in cloud computing arrangements.  ASU 2018-15 is effective on January 1, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company currently is evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2018-15 may have on its condensed consolidated financial statements.
Fair Value Measurement
In 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement (“ASU 2018-13”), which modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 is effective on January 1, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company currently is evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2018-13 may have on its disclosures.
Credit Losses
In 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which requires entities to record expected credit losses for certain financial instruments, including trade receivables, as an allowance that reflects the entity's current estimate of credit losses expected to be incurred. For available-for-sale debt securities in unrealized loss positions, ASU 2016-13 requires allowances to be recorded instead of reducing the amortized cost of the investment. ASU 2016-13 is effective on January 1, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company currently is evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-13 may have on its condensed consolidated financial statements.
For a discussion of other recent accounting pronouncements please refer to Note A, “Nature of Business and Accounting Policies—Recent Accounting Pronouncements,” in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The Company’s significant accounting policies are described in Note A, “Nature of Business and Accounting Policies,” in its 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company is disclosing changes in its accounting policies related to guidance that became effective January 1, 2019 in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Specifically, the Company has included its policy pursuant to its adoption of ASC 842 below.
Leases
At the inception of an arrangement, the Company determines whether the arrangement contains a lease. If a lease is identified in an arrangement, the Company recognizes a right-of-use asset and liability on its balance sheet and determines whether the lease should be classified as a finance or operating lease. The Company does not recognize assets or liabilities for leases with lease terms of less than 12 months.
A lease qualifies as a finance lease if any of the following criteria are met at the inception of the lease: (i) there is a transfer of ownership of the leased asset to the Company by the end of the lease term, (ii) the Company holds an option to purchase the leased asset that it is reasonably certain to exercise, (iii) the lease term is for a major part of the remaining economic life of the leased asset, (iv) the present value of the sum of lease payments equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the leased asset, or (v) the nature of the leased asset is specialized to the point that it is expected to provide the lessor no alternative use at the end of the lease term. All other leases are recorded as operating leases.
Finance and operating lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date based on the present value of the lease payments over the lease term using the discount rate implicit in the lease. If the rate implicit is not readily determinable, the Company utilizes its incremental borrowing rate at the lease commencement date. Operating lease assets are further adjusted for prepaid or accrued lease payments. Operating lease payments are expensed using the straight-line method as an operating expense over the lease term. Finance lease assets are amortized to depreciation expense using the
straight-line method over the shorter of the useful life of the related asset or the lease term. Finance lease payments are bifurcated into (i) a portion that is recorded as imputed interest expense and (ii) a portion that reduces the finance liability associated with the lease.
The Company does not separate lease and non-lease components when determining which lease payments to include in the calculation of its lease assets and liabilities. Variable lease payments are expensed as incurred. If a lease includes an option to extend or terminate the lease, the Company reflects the option in the lease term if it is reasonably certain it will exercise the option.
Finance leases are recorded in “Property and equipment, net,” “Other current liabilities” and “Long-term finance lease liabilities” on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet. Operating leases are recorded in “Operating lease assets,” “Other current liabilities” and “Long-term operating lease liabilities” on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheet.