Key Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Key Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Key Accounting Policies

2. Key Accounting Policies

Revenue recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when all of the following criteria are met: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) shipment has occurred or delivery has occurred if the terms specify destination; (3) the sales price is fixed or determinable; and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. When there are additional performance requirements, revenue is recognized when all such requirements have been satisfied. Under revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables, the Company recognizes each separable deliverable as it is earned.

The Company’s revenue is derived from three primary sources: (1) royalties and license fees from licensing its proprietary drug delivery and surface modification technologies to customers; (2) the sale of polymers and reagent chemicals, stabilization products, antigens, substrates and microarray slides to the diagnostics and biomedical research industries; and (3) research and development fees generated on customer projects.

Royalties and license fees. The Company licenses technology to third parties and collects royalties. Royalty revenue is generated when a customer sells products incorporating the Company’s licensed technologies. Royalty revenue is recognized as licensees report it to the Company, and payment is typically submitted concurrently with the report. For stand-alone license agreements, up-front license fees are recognized over the term of the related licensing agreement. Minimum royalty fees are recognized in the period earned.

Revenue related to a performance milestone is recognized upon the achievement of the milestone, as defined in the respective agreements and provided the following conditions have been met:

• The milestone payment is non-refundable;

• The milestone involved a significant degree of risk, and was not reasonably assured at the inception of the arrangement;

• Accomplishment of the milestone involved substantial effort;

• The amount of the milestone payment is commensurate with the related effort and risk; and

• A reasonable amount of time passed between the initial license payment and the first and subsequent milestone payments.

If these conditions have not been met, the milestone payment is deferred and recognized over the term of the agreement.

Product sales. Product sales to third parties are recognized at the time of shipment, provided that an order has been received, the price is fixed or determinable, collectability of the resulting receivable is reasonably assured and returns can be reasonably estimated. The Company’s sales terms provide no right of return outside of the standard warranty policy. Payment terms are generally set at 30-45 days.

Research and development. The Company performs third party research and development activities, which are typically provided on a time and materials basis. Generally, revenue for research and development is recorded as performance progresses under the applicable contract.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued changes to the presentation of comprehensive income. These changes give an entity the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements; the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders’ equity was eliminated. The items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income were not changed. Additionally, no changes were made to the calculation and presentation of earnings per share. These changes become effective for the Company on October 1, 2012 (fiscal 2013). Management is currently evaluating these changes to determine which option will be chosen for the presentation of comprehensive income. Other than the change in presentation, management has determined these changes will not have an impact on the consolidated financial statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued changes to conform existing guidance regarding fair value measurement and disclosure between GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. These changes both clarify the FASB’s intent about the application of existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements and amend certain principles or requirements for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The clarifying changes relate to the application of the highest and best use and valuation premise concepts, measuring the fair value of an instrument classified in a reporting entity’s shareholders’ equity, and disclosure of quantitative information about unobservable inputs used for Level 3 fair value measurements. The amendments relate to measuring the fair value of financial instruments that are managed within a portfolio; application of premiums and discounts in a fair value measurement; and additional disclosures concerning the valuation processes used and sensitivity of the fair value measurement to changes in unobservable inputs for those items categorized as Level 3, a reporting entity’s use of a nonfinancial asset in a way that differs from the asset’s highest and best use, and the categorization by level in the fair value hierarchy for items required to be measured at fair value for disclosure purposes only. These changes become effective for the Company on January 1, 2012 (fiscal 2012). Management is currently evaluating the potential impact of these changes on the consolidated financial statements.

No other new accounting pronouncement issued or effective has had, or is expected to have, a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.