Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Stock Based Compensation

v2.4.1.9
Stock Based Compensation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]  
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]
NOTE G - Stock Based Compensation
 
In August 2013, the Company adopted the 2013 Equity Compensation Plan (the “Plan”), which provides for the granting of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, restricted stock units, performance units, and stock purchase rights. Options under the Plan may be granted at prices not less than 100% of the fair value of the shares on the date of grant as determined by the Board Committee. The Board Committee determines the period over which the options become exercisable subject to certain restrictions as defined in the Plan, with the current outstanding options generally vesting over three years. The term of the options is no longer than ten years. The Company currently has reserved 8,250,000 shares of common stock for issuance under the plan.
 
With the approval of the Board of Directors and majority Shareholders, effective May 8, 2014, the Plan was amended and restated. The amendment provides for an automatic increase in the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the Plan each January (with Board approval), commencing January 1, 2015 in an amount up to four percent (4%) of the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on the preceding December 31st.
 
The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense (options, and restricted share grants) in its consolidated statements of operations as follows ($ in thousands):
 
 
 
Year End
December 31,
 
 
 
2014
 
2013
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Research and Development
 
$
397
 
$
82
 
General and Administrative
 
 
1,576
 
 
244
 
Total
 
$
1,973
 
$
326
 
 
In 2014, restricted stock grants totaling $ 616 thousand were granted to consultants and Board members and captured in G&A.
 
Stock Incentive Plans:
 
The following table contains information about the Company’s stock plan at December 31, 2014:
 
 
 
Awards
Reserved
 
 
 
 
 
Awards
 
 
 
for
 
Awards
 
 
Available
 
 
 
Issuance
 
Issued
 
 
for Grant
 
2013 Equity Compensation Plan
 
 
8,250,000
 
 
5,646,067
*
 
 
2,603,933
 
 
* includes both stock grants and option grants
 
The following table summarizes the Company’ stock option activity and related information for the years ended December 31, 2013and 2014 (number of options in thousands):
 
 
 
Number of Options
 
Weighted
average
exercise
price
 
Weighted average
contractual term in
years
 
Outstanding at December 31, 2012
 
 
-
 
$
-
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Granted
 
 
3,160
 
$
0.94
 
 
 
 
Exercised
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Forfeited
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Expired
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Outstanding at December 31, 2013
 
 
3,160
 
$
0.94
 
 
9.7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Granted
 
 
2,413
 
$
1.22
 
 
 
 
Exercised
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Forfeited
 
 
(196)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Expired
 
 
(24)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Outstanding at December 31, 2014
 
 
5,353
 
$
1.06
 
 
9.1
 
 
 
 
 
Year ended December 31,
 
 
 
2014
 
2013
 
Options exercisable at end of year
 
 
2,460
 
 
321
 
Weighted average grant date fair value (per share) of options granted during the period
 
$
0.68
 
$
0.66
 
 
All options expire ten years from date of grant. Except for options granted to consultants, all remaining options vest entirely and evenly over three years. A portion of options granted to consultants vests over four years, with the remaining vesting being based upon the achievement of certain performance milestones, which are tied to either financing or drug development initiatives. No milestones were met as of December 31, 2013.
 
The Company recognizes compensation expense for stock option awards on a straight-line basis over the applicable service period of the award. The service period is generally the vesting period, with the exception of options granted subject to a consulting agreement, whereby the option vesting period and the service period defined pursuant to the terms of the consulting agreement may be different. Stock options issued to consultants are revalued quarterly until fully vested, with any change in fair value expensed. The following weighted-average assumptions were used to calculate share based compensation for the full year ended: 
 
 
 
For the year  ended
December 31,
 
 
 
2014
 
2013
 
Volatility
 
 
68.76
%
 
81.06
%
Risk-free interest rate
 
 
1.65% - 1.93
%
 
1.85% – 2.15
%
Dividend yield
 
 
0.0
%
 
0.0
%
Expected life
 
 
4.75 – 5.5 years
 
 
5.0 – 6.0 years
 
 
The expected term of stock options represents the weighted average period the stock options are expected to remain outstanding and is based on the options vesting term, contractual terms, and industry peers as the Company did not have sufficient historical information to develop reasonable expectations about future exercise patterns and post-vesting employment termination behavior.
 
The expected stock price volatility assumption was determined by examining the historical volatilities for industry peers, as the Company has limited history for the Company’s common stock. The Company will continue to analyze the historical stock price volatility and expected term assumptions as more historical data for the Company’s common stock becomes available.
 
The risk-free interest rate assumption is based on the U.S treasury instruments whose term was consistent with the expected term of the Company’s stock options
 
The expected dividend assumption is based on the Company’s history and expectation of dividend payouts. The Company has never paid dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate paying dividends on its common stock in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the Company has assumed no dividend yield for purposes of estimating the fair value of the Company share-based compensation.
 
The Company estimates the forfeiture rate at the time of grant and revises, if necessary, were estimated based on management’s expectation through industry knowledge and historical data.
 
During the year ended December 31, 2104, the Company issued 292,650 shares of restricted common stock to certain board of directors and consultants. The restricted stock issuances vested immediately and a total of approximately 211,300 was recorded to stock based compensation.
 
During the year ended December 31, 2014, the company met certain clinical milestones upon which 71,750 performance based options vested and the Company recorded approximately $28,000 of stock based compensation.
 
As of December 31, 2014, the aggregate intrinsic value of in the money options was $0. The total intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the Company's stock price on December 31, 2014 and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money options that would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options on the last trading day of the fiscal year. This amount changes based on the fair market value of the Company's shares.
 
As of December 31, 2014, there was approximately $1.9 million of unrecognized compensation costs, net of estimated forfeitures, related to stock option awards to employees, which is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted average period of 2.0 years.