Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation

All inter-company transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Such estimates and assumptions impact, among others, the following: the estimated useful lives for property and equipment, fair value of warrants and stock options granted for services or compensation, respectively, estimates of the probability and potential magnitude of contingent liabilities, and the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets due to continuing and expected future operating losses.

Making estimates requires management to exercise significant judgment. It is at least reasonably possible that the estimate of the effect of a condition, situation or set of circumstances that existed at the date of the consolidated financial statements, which management considered in formulating its estimate could change in the near term due to one or more future confirming events. Accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates.

Premiums Receivable, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Estimation Methodology, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts receivable were reported at realizable value, net of allowances for doubtful accounts, which were estimated and recorded in the period the related revenue was recorded. The Company estimated and reviewed the collectability of its receivables based on a number of factors, including the period they were outstanding. Historical collection and payer reimbursement experience was an integral part of the estimation process related to allowances for doubtful accounts associated with Adeona Clinical Laboratory. In addition, the Company regularly assessed the state of its billing operations in order to identify issues, which impacted the collectability of these receivables or reserve estimates. Revisions to the allowances for doubtful accounts estimates were recorded as an adjustment to bad debt expense. Receivables deemed uncollectible were charged against the allowance for doubtful accounts.

Noncontrolling Interest [Policy Text Block]

Non-controlling Interest

The Company’s non-controlling interest represents the minority shareholder’s ownership interest related to the Company’s subsidiary, Synthetic Biomics, Inc. The Company reports its non-controlling interest in subsidiaries as a separate component of equity in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and reports both net loss attributable to the non-controlling interest and net loss attributable to the Company’s common shareholders on the face of the consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company’s equity interest in Synthetic Biomics, Inc. is 80% and the non-controlling stockholder’s interest is 20%. This is reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Equity.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition

The Company records revenue when all of the following have occurred: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (2) the service is completed without further obligation, (3) the sales price to the customer is fixed or determinable, and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. The Company recognizes milestone payments or upfront payments that have no contingencies as revenue when payment is received. For the years ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 the Company did not report any revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company’s only stream of revenue was laboratory revenue. Laboratory revenues are a component of discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2012. See Note 3 — Discontinued Operations of Adeona Clinical Laboratory and Note Receivable.

License Revenues

The Company’s licensing agreements may contain multiple elements, such as non-refundable up-front fees, payments related to the achievement of particular milestones and royalties. Fees associated with substantive at risk performance-based milestones are recognized as revenue upon completion of the scientific or regulatory event specified in the agreement. When the Company has substantive continuing performance obligations under an arrangement, revenue is recognized over the performance period of the obligations using a time-based proportional performance approach. Under the time-based method, revenue is recognized over the arrangement’s estimated performance period based on the elapsed time compared to the total estimated performance period. Revenue recognized at any point in time is limited to the amount of non-contingent payments received or due. When the Company has no substantive continuing performance obligations under an arrangement, it recognizes revenue as the related fees become due.

Revenues from royalties on third-party sales of licensed technologies are generally recognized in accordance with the contract terms when the royalties can be reliably determined and collectability is reasonably assured. To date, the Company has not received any royalty revenues.

Laboratory Revenues

The Company primarily recognized revenue for services rendered upon completion of the testing process. Billing for services reimbursed by third-party payers, including Medicare and Medicaid, were recorded as revenues, net of allowances for differences between amounts billed and the estimated receipts from such payers.

The Company maintained a sales allowance to compensate for the difference in its billing practices and insurance company reimbursements. In determining this allowance, the Company looked at several factors, the most significant of which was the average difference between the amount charged and the amount reimbursed by insurance carriers over the prior 12 months, otherwise known as the yearly average adjustment amount. The allowance taken was the averaged yearly average adjustment amount for these prior periods multiplied by the period’s actual gross sales to determine the actual sales allowance for each period. See Note 3 — Discontinued Operations of Adeona Clinical Laboratory and Note Receivable.

Risks And Uncertainties [Policy Text Block]

Risks and Uncertainties

The Company’s operations could be subject to significant risks and uncertainties including financial, operational and regulatory risks and the potential risk of business failure. The global economic crisis has caused a general tightening in the credit markets, lower levels of liquidity, increases in the rates of default and bankruptcy, and extreme volatility in credit, equity and fixed income markets. These conditions may not only limit the Company’s access to capital, but also make it difficult for its customers, its vendors and its ability to accurately forecast and plan future business activities.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash and highly liquid short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is recorded at cost and depreciated or amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the asset or the underlying lease term for leasehold improvements, whichever is shorter. The estimated useful life by asset description is noted in the following table.

Asset Description	Estimated Useful Life
Office equipment and furniture	3 – 5 years
Laboratory equipment	7 – 10 years
Manufacturing equipment	10 years
Leasehold improvements and fixtures	Lesser of estimated useful or life of lease

Depreciation expense was approximately $20,000, $43,000 and $63,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. When assets are disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts. Repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred.

The Company reviews property and equipment for impairment to determine if assets are impaired due to obsolescence. As a result of this review, the Company recorded impairment losses of approximately $0, $121,000 and $47,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. If such an event or change in circumstances occurs and potential impairment is indicated because the carrying values exceed the estimated future undiscounted cash flows of the asset, the Company will measure the impairment loss as the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Net Income (Loss) per Share

Net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding including the effect of common share equivalents. All common equivalent shares were anti-dilutive, at December 31, 2014, December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, as such there is no separate computation for diluted loss per share. The number of options and warrants for the purchase of common stock, that were excluded from the computations of net loss per common share for the year ended December 31, 2014 were 5,981,106 and 7,974,794, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2013 were 3,909,580 and 1,632,501, respectively, and for the year ended December 31, 2012 were 4,453,746 and 1,632,501, respectively.

Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Research and Development Costs

The Company expenses research and development costs associated with developmental products not yet approved by the FDA to research and development expense as incurred. Research and development costs consist primarily of license fees (including upfront payments), milestone payments, manufacturing costs, salaries, stock-based compensation and related personnel costs, fees paid to consultants and outside service providers for laboratory development, legal expenses resulting from intellectual property prosecution and other expenses relating to the design, development, testing and enhancement of the Company’s product candidates.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The fair value accounting standards define fair value as the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is determined based upon assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. Fair value measurements are rated on a three-tier hierarchy as follows:

• Level 1 inputs: Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;

• Level 2 inputs: Inputs, other than quoted prices, included in Level 1 that are observable either directly or indirectly; and

• Level 3 inputs: Unobservable inputs for which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

In many cases, a valuation technique used to measure fair value includes inputs from multiple levels of the fair value hierarchy described above. The lowest level of significant input determines the placement of the entire fair value measurement in the hierarchy.

The carrying amounts of the Company’s short-term financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, other current assets, accounts payable, accrued liabilities and warrant liability, approximate fair value due to the relatively short period to maturity for these instruments.

Cash and cash equivalents include money market accounts and mutual funds of $13.6 million and $11.0 million as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively, that are measured using Level 1 inputs. 

The warrants issued in conjunction with the registered direct offering in October 2014 include a provision, that if the Company were to enter into certain transactions, as defined in the agreement, the warrants would be purchased from the holder at a premium. Accordingly, the Company recorded the warrants as liabilities at their fair value upon issuance and re-measures the fair value at each period end with the change in fair value recorded in the Statement of Operations. The Company uses the Black-Scholes options pricing model to estimate the fair value of the warrants. In using this model, the fair value is determined by applying Level 3 inputs for which there is little or no observable market data, requiring the Company to develop its own assumptions. The assumptions used in calculating the estimated fair value of the warrants represent the Company’s best estimates; however, these estimates involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management judgment. As a result, if factors change and different assumptions are used, the warrant liability and the change in estimated fair value could be materially different.

Stock Based Payment Arrangements [Policy Text Block]

Stock-Based Payment Arrangements

Generally, all forms of stock-based payments, including stock option grants, warrants, restricted stock grants and stock appreciation rights are measured at their fair value on the awards’ grant date typically using a Black-Scholes pricing model, based on the estimated number of awards that are ultimately expected to vest. Stock-based compensation awards issued to non-employees for services rendered are recorded at either the fair value of the services rendered or the fair value of the stock-based payment, whichever is more readily determinable and are re-measured over the corresponding vesting period. The expense resulting from stock-based payments is recorded in research and development expense or general and administrative expense in the consolidated statement of operations, depending on the nature of the services provided.

Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Derivative Instruments

The warrants issued in conjunction with the registered direct offering in October 2014 include a provision, that if the Company were to enter into a certain transaction, as defined in the agreement, the warrants would be purchased from the holder at a premium. Effective January 1, 2009, the reset provision of these warrants preclude equity accounting treatment under ASC 815. Accordingly, the Company is required to record the warrants as liabilities at their fair value upon issuance and re-measure the fair value at each period end with the change in fair value recorded in the Statement of Operations. When the warrants are exercised or cancelled, they are reclassified to equity. The Company uses the Black-Scholes options pricing model to estimate the fair value of the warrants. Significant assumptions used at December 31, 2014 include a closing stock price of $1.46, a weighted average term of 4.8 years, a volatility of 90% and a risk-free interest rate of 1.59%.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes deferred tax liabilities and assets based on the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities, using enacted tax rates in effect in the years the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred income tax benefit (expense) results from the change in net deferred tax assets or deferred tax liabilities. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that some or all deferred tax assets will not be realized.

Management assesses the need to accrue or disclose uncertain tax positions for proposed potential adjustments from various federal and state authorities who regularly audit the Company in the normal course of business. In making these assessments, management must often analyze complex tax laws of multiple jurisdictions. The Company records the related interest expense and penalties, if any, as tax expense in the tax provision. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, the Company did not record any liabilities for uncertain tax positions.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued a comprehensive new standard which amends revenue recognition principles and provides a single set of criteria for revenue recognition among all industries. The new standard provides a five step framework whereby revenue is recognized when promised goods or services are transferred to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard also requires enhanced disclosure pertaining to revenue recognition in both the interim and annual periods. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and allows for adoption using a full retrospective method, or a modified retrospective method. The Company is currently assessing the method of adoption and the expected impact the new standard has on its financial position and results of operations.

In August 2014, the FASB issued new guidance for presentation of financial statements for going-concern, which addresses when and how to disclose going-concern uncertainties in the financial statements. The new standard requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued. An entity must provide certain disclosures if conditions or events raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The new guidance applies to all entities and is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods thereafter, with early adoption permitted. The amended guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.