Retention Payments	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Retention Payments [Abstract]
Retention Payments	7. Retention Payments On December 4, 2009, the Company entered into Retention and Separation Agreements and General Release of All Claims (the “Retention Agreements”) with its Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of Finance who has since been appointed as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (the “Officers”). The Retention Agreements superseded the severance provisions of the employment agreements with the Officers that were effective prior to the signing of the Retention Agreements (the “Prior Employment Agreements”), but otherwise the terms of the Prior Employment Agreements remained in full force and effect. The Retention Agreements did not alter the amount of severance that was to be awarded under the Prior Employment Agreements, but rather changed the events that triggered such payments. Pursuant to the Retention Agreements, on December 18, 2009 the Company paid a total of $269,000, less applicable withholding taxes, to the Officers (the “Retention Payments”). If the Officers were to voluntarily resign their employment prior to the earlier to occur of (a) the closing of the proposed Merger and (b) March 31, 2010, they were to immediately repay the Retention Payments to the Company. The date under (a) and (b) is referred to as the “Separation Date.” Neither of the Officers resigned prior to March 31, 2010 and the Merger never closed, so each Officer was entitled to keep the full amount of her respective Retention Payment. Under the Retention Agreements, each of the Officers agreed to execute an amendment to the Retention Agreements (the “Amendment”) on or about the Separation Date to extend and reaffirm the promises and covenants made by them in the Retention Agreements through the Separation Date. The Retention Agreements provided for severance payments totaling $538,000, less applicable withholding taxes (the “Severance Payments”), payable in a lump sum on the eighth day after the Officers signed the Amendment. In April 2010, the Compensation Committee of the Board confirmed that, pursuant to the terms of the Retention Agreements, the Retention Payments and Severance Payments were earned as of March 31, 2010 and agreed that the existing employment terms would remain in effect beyond March 31, 2010. The Retention Payments of $269,000 that were paid in December 2009 were fully earned as of March 31, 2010, of which $222,000 was charged to general and administrative expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. The fully-earned Severance Payments, including related employer taxes, of $550,000, were paid during the quarter ended June 30, 2010. Of the $550,000 that was paid as of June 30, 2010, $456,000 was charged to general and administrative expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. As an incentive to retain the Officers and an additional employee to pursue a strategic transaction such as a financing, merger, license agreement, third party collaboration or wind down of the Company, in April 2010, the Compensation Committee approved retention bonuses for a total of up to approximately $600,000, depending on the type of strategic transaction completed (“Strategic Transaction Bonus”). Upon the closing of the financing in May 2010, the officers and an additional employee were paid a Strategic Transaction Bonus totaling $296,000 which was charged to general and administrative expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.

7. Retention Payments

On December 4, 2009, the Company entered into Retention and Separation Agreements and General Release of All Claims (the “Retention Agreements”) with its Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of Finance who has since been appointed as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (the “Officers”). The Retention Agreements superseded the severance provisions of the employment agreements with the Officers that were effective prior to the signing of the Retention Agreements (the “Prior Employment Agreements”), but otherwise the terms of the Prior Employment Agreements remained in full force and effect. The Retention Agreements did not alter the amount of severance that was to be awarded under the Prior Employment Agreements, but rather changed the events that triggered such payments.

Pursuant to the Retention Agreements, on December 18, 2009 the Company paid a total of $269,000, less applicable withholding taxes, to the Officers (the “Retention Payments”). If the Officers were to voluntarily resign their employment prior to the earlier to occur of (a) the closing of the proposed Merger and (b) March 31, 2010, they were to immediately repay the Retention Payments to the Company. The date under (a) and (b) is referred to as the “Separation Date.” Neither of the Officers resigned prior to March 31, 2010 and the Merger never closed, so each Officer was entitled to keep the full amount of her respective Retention Payment.

Under the Retention Agreements, each of the Officers agreed to execute an amendment to the Retention Agreements (the “Amendment”) on or about the Separation Date to extend and reaffirm the promises and covenants made by them in the Retention Agreements through the Separation Date. The Retention Agreements provided for severance payments totaling $538,000, less applicable withholding taxes (the “Severance Payments”), payable in a lump sum on the eighth day after the Officers signed the Amendment.

In April 2010, the Compensation Committee of the Board confirmed that, pursuant to the terms of the Retention Agreements, the Retention Payments and Severance Payments were earned as of March 31, 2010 and agreed that the existing employment terms would remain in effect beyond March 31, 2010. The Retention Payments of $269,000 that were paid in December 2009 were fully earned as of March 31, 2010, of which $222,000 was charged to general and administrative expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2010. The fully-earned Severance Payments, including related employer taxes, of $550,000, were paid during the quarter ended June 30, 2010. Of the $550,000 that was paid as of June 30, 2010, $456,000 was charged to general and administrative expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.

As an incentive to retain the Officers and an additional employee to pursue a strategic transaction such as a financing, merger, license agreement, third party collaboration or wind down of the Company, in April 2010, the Compensation Committee approved retention bonuses for a total of up to approximately $600,000, depending on the type of strategic transaction completed (“Strategic Transaction Bonus”). Upon the closing of the financing in May 2010, the officers and an additional employee were paid a Strategic Transaction Bonus totaling $296,000 which was charged to general and administrative expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2010.