Note 5 - Acquisition
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]  
Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block]

5.      ACQUISITION


On August 8, 2014, the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (Merger Agreement) with Alpine Biosciences, Inc. (Alpine), a privately held biotechnology company developing protocells, a nanoparticle capable of delivery of nucleic acids, proteins, peptides and small molecules. Pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, on August 8, 2014, the Company, through a reverse-triangular merger with Alpine into a fully-owned subsidiary of the Company, known as Protocell Therapeutics Inc, consummated the acquisition of Alpine. The merger consideration received by Alpine stockholders was 10% of the Company’s total capital stock determined on a fully-diluted basis immediately following the closing of the merger (Merger Consideration). The total value of the acquisition was approximately $27.2 million based on the closing price of Oncothyreon’s common stock on the day of the merger, which was $2.93 per share. An amount of stock equal to 12.5% of the Merger Consideration was placed in escrow as security for the indemnification obligations of Alpine’s stockholders. The Company intends to utilize the protocell technology to develop new product candidates for the treatment of cancer and rare diseases, either on its own or with partners.


The transaction has been accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. This method requires, among other things, that assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination be recognized at their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date and that intangible assets with indefinite lives be recorded at fair value on the balance sheet for IPR&D activities, regardless of the likelihood of success of the related product or technology. The excess of the aggregate fair value of consideration exchanged for an acquired business over the fair value of assets acquired including tangible assets and indefinite-lived intangible assets and liabilities assumed is recorded as Goodwill. Goodwill represents the anticipated synergies from combining the acquired assets with the Company.


Recognition and Measurement of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed at Estimated Fair Value


The total purchase consideration has been allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including identifiable intangible assets, based on their respective fair values at the acquisition date. Goodwill was derived from the excess of the aggregate fair value of consideration exchanged for the acquisition of Alpine over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Based upon the fair values determined by the Company, in which the Company considered or relied in part upon a valuation report of a third-party expert. These fair value measurements were based on Level 3 measurements under the fair value hierarchy. The following table summarizes the allocation of the purchase price for the acquisition (in thousands):


Indefinite-lived intangible assets

  $ 19,738  

Goodwill

    14,542  

Net tangible assets

    (139 )

Deferred tax liabilities

    (6,908 )

Total purchase price allocation

  $ 27,233  

Goodwill


The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2014 were as follows (in thousands):


Balance as of December 31, 2013

  $ 2,117  

Goodwill recorded in connection with the acquisition of Alpine

    14,542  

Balance as of December 31, 2014

  $ 16,659  

The goodwill recognized from the acquisition of Alpine is not deductible for tax purposes.


Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets — IPR&D


Intangible assets with indefinite lives represent the value assigned to IPR&D that, as of the acquisition date, the Company determined that technological feasibility had not been established, and the IPR&D had no alternative future use. IPR&D represents a series of awarded patents and filed patent applications that are the basis of the platform which forms a major part of the planned future products. The indefinite-lived intangible assets will be subject to annual impairment testing until completion or abandonment of the projects. Upon completion of the project, the Company will make a separate determination of useful life of the indefinite-lived intangible assets and the related amortization will be recorded as an expense over the estimated useful life.


The fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets of $19.7 million was determined by the Company, which relied upon a valuation report from an independent third party valuation expert using the income approach and estimates and assumptions provided by the Company’s management. The income approach is a valuation technique that provides an estimate of the fair value of an asset based on market participant expectations of the cash flows an asset would generate over its remaining useful life. The rates utilized to discount net cash flows to their present values were based on a range of discount rates of 40% to 60% applied to the intangible assets to reflect the risk of the asset revenues derived from the respective intangible asset. Subsequent to the closing of the merger, research and development cost incurred on the IPR&D and general and administrative expenses associated with salaries and legal costs are expensed as incurred. From August 8, 2014 to December 31, 2014, the Company incurred nominal expenses from Alpine.


Deferred Tax Liabilities


Deferred tax liabilities of $6.9 million were the result of book versus tax difference attributable to the identifiable intangible asset multiplied by the statutory tax rate for the relevant jurisdiction.


Acquisition-Related Expenses


Acquisition-related expenses of $0.5 million, including legal and regulatory costs, were expensed as incurred and recorded in general and administrative expense in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014.


Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information


The following pro forma condensed combined financial information gives effect to the acquisition of Alpine as if it were consummated on January 1, 2013 (the beginning of the comparable prior reporting period), and includes pro forma adjustments related to share-based compensation expense and direct and incremental transaction costs reflected in the historical financial statements. The pro forma condensed combined financial information is presented for informational purposes only. The pro forma condensed combined financial information is not intended to represent or be indicative of the results of operations that would have been reported had the acquisition occurred on January 1, 2013 and should not be taken as representative of future results of operations of the combined company.


The following table presents the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial information (in thousands, except per share amounts):


   

Year Ended December 31,

 
   

2014

   

2013

 

Net loss

  $ (51,297 )   $ (39,287 )

Net loss per share – basic and diluted

  $ (0.66 )   $ (0.63 )