Quarterly report pursuant to sections 13 or 15(d)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[1]
Basis of Presentation
 
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the consolidated accounts of Matinas BioPharma Holdings Inc. (Holdings) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Matinas BioPharma Inc. Matinas BioPharma Inc. is the operational subsidiary of Holdings. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and reflect the operations of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
 
These interim financial statements do not include all the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013, which are included in the Company’s Special Financial Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on April 11, 2014. In the opinion of management, the interim financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly state the Company’s financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented. The year-end consolidated balance sheet data presented for comparative purposes was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP.
 
The condensed consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2013 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements as of that date. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Special Financial Report on Form 15d2 for the year ended December 31, 2013.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[2]
Use of Estimates
 
The preparation of 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 reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[3]
Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
For purposes of financial statement presentation the Company considers all highly liquid instruments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents to the extent the funds are not being held for investment purposes.
Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[4]
Concentration of Credit Risk
 
The Company's financial instruments that are exposed to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. Cash balances are maintained principally at one major U.S. financial institution and are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) up to regulatory limits. At various times throughout the period ended March 31, 2014, the Company's cash balances exceeded the FDIC insurance limit. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[5]
Property, Plant and Equipment
 
Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The estimated useful lives of the Company property, plant, and equipment range from three to ten years. Capitalized costs associated with leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the useful life of the asset or the remaining life of the lease.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[6]
Income Taxes
 
Deferred taxes are provided on a liability method whereby deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences and operating loss and tax credit carry forwards and deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences. Temporary differences are the differences between the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted for the effects of changes in tax laws and rates.
 
The Company adopted the provisions of ASC 740-10 and has analyzed its filing positions in 2013 and 2012 in jurisdictions where it may be obligated to file returns. The Company believes that its income tax filing position and deductions will be sustained on audit and does not anticipate any adjustments that will result in a material change to its financial position. Therefore, no reserves for uncertain income tax positions have been recorded. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. The Company had no accrual for interest or penalties as of March 31, 2014. In addition, future changes in unrecognized tax benefits will have no impact on the effective tax rate due to the existence of the valuation.
 
Since the Company incurred net operating losses in every tax year since inception, 2012 and 2013 income tax returns are subject to examination and adjustments by the IRS for at least three years following the year in which the tax attributes are utilized.
Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]
[7]
Stock-Based Compensation
 
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation to employees in conformity with the provisions of ASC Topic 718, “Stock Based Compensation”. Stock-based compensation to employees consist of stock options grants and restricted shares that are recognized in the statement of operations based on their fair values at the date of grant.
 
The Company accounts for equity instruments issued to non-employees in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 505, subtopic 50, Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees based upon the fair-value of the underlying instrument. The equity instruments, consisting of stock options granted to consultants, are valued using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The measurement of stock-based compensation is subject to periodic adjustments as the underlying equity instruments vest and is recognized as an expense over the period which services are received.
 
The Company calculates the fair value of option grants utilizing the Black-Scholes pricing model, and estimates the fair value of the restricted stock based upon the estimated fair value or the common stock. The amount of stock-based compensation recognized during a period is based on the value of the portion of the awards that are ultimately expected to vest. The authoritative guidance requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time stock options are granted and warrants are issued and revised. If necessary in subsequent periods, an adjustment will be booked if actual forfeitures differ from those estimated. The term “forfeitures” is distinct from “cancellations” or “expirations” and represents only the unvested portion of the surrendered stock option or warrant. The Company estimates forfeiture rates for all unvested awards when calculating the expense for the period. In estimating the forfeiture rate, the Company monitors both stock option and warrant exercises as well as employee and non-employee termination patterns.
 
The resulting stock-based compensation expense for both employee and non-employee awards is generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[8]
Financial Instruments
 
Accounting considerations
 
The Company evaluates the terms of the equity instruments to determine whether any embedded derivatives or other features required liability classification. The Company’s instruments did not contain any features that would require liability or derivative accounting treatment in 2011 through March 31, 2014.
 
July and August 2013 issuance pursuant to Private Placement
 
The Company allocated the aggregate proceeds of the units sold between the warrants and the common stock based on their relative fair values.
 
The fair value of the warrants issued to unit holders is calculated utilizing the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and similar assumptions as described in Note G.  Since these warrant instruments were considered equity instruments, the allocation did not change the total amount of additional paid in capital.
 
As discussed in Note F, the placement agent was issued warrants as part of their cost of raising the funds in the private placement.  The fair value of the warrants issued to the placement agent was calculated utilizing the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and similar assumptions as described in Note F, and is considered a component of equity (no net effect on Additional Paid In Capital), and amounted to $1,252,111 at the date of issuance.
 
Matinas BioPharma Inc. Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock issuance
 
Prior to the merger transaction described in Note D, Matinas BioPharma Inc. had issued shares of Series A Convertible Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Preferred Stock") to investors in four separate tranches occurring from December 2012 to April 2013. The Preferred shares were converted to common shares of Holdings as part of the Merger transaction. The Preferred Stock entitled the holder to voting rights, and it did not accrue a dividend at a stated rate. The term of the Preferred Stock also had included options for conversion into common stock and potential redemption by the Company if certain conditions were met.
Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[9]
Fair Value Measurements
 
ASC 820 “Fair Value Measurements” defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in GAAP and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity’s own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy under ASC 820 are described below:
 
Level 1 - Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for assets or liabilities. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs.
 
Level 2 - Directly or indirectly observable inputs as of the reporting date through correlation with market data, including quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets and quoted prices in markets that are not active. Level 2 also includes assets and liabilities that are valued using models or other pricing methodologies that do not require significant judgment since the input assumptions used in the models, such as interest rates and volatility factors, are corroborated by readily observable data from actively quoted markets for substantially the full term of the financial instrument.
 
Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and reflect the use of significant management judgment. These values are generally determined using pricing models for which the assumptions utilize management’s estimates of market participant assumptions.
 
In determining fair value, the Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible as well as considers counterparty credit risk in its assessment of fair value.
 
The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, other current assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments.
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[10]
Basic Net Loss per Common Share
 
Basic net loss per common share is computed as net loss divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net loss per common share is the same as basic net loss per common share because the Company incurred a net loss during each period presented, and the potentially dilutive securities from the assumed exercise of all outstanding stock options, warrants would have an antidilutive effect. As of March, 31, 2014 and 2013 the number of shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options, warrants, and shares held in escrow was 18,410,000 and 0, respectively.
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[11]
Revenue Recognition
 
The Company will develop an appropriate revenue recognition policy when planned anticipated future commercial operations commence.
Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]
[12]
Research and Development
 
Research and development costs are charged to operations as they are incurred. Legal fees and other direct costs incurred in obtaining and protecting patents are also expensed as incurred, due to the uncertainty with respect to future cash flows resulting from the patents and our included as part of General and Administrative expenses.