Note 16 - Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

16.

Commitments and contingencies


Operating leases


The Company leases a facility, comprising the Company’s headquarters, located in San Diego, California under a non-cancelable lease. During September 2013, the Company exercised the first of two 3-year lease extensions on its headquarters in San Diego, California. As a result of this extension, the expiration date for the Company’s headquarters was extended from May 2014 to May 2017. The rent on the Company’s headquarters is currently $8,729 per month.


Total rent expense under operating leases was $0.1 million, $0.1 million and $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.


Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases at December 31, 2014 are as follows (in thousands):


   

Future rent payments

 

2015

  $ 119  

2016

    119  

2017

    51  

Total

  $ 289  

License agreements


The Company has license agreements with third parties that require the Company to make annual license maintenance payments and contingent future payments upon the success of licensed products that include milestone and/or royalties. Minimum future payments over the next five years are not material.


Purchase commitments


The Company is required to schedule its manufacturing activities in advance. If the Company cancels any of these scheduled activities without proper notice the Company would be required to pay penalties equal to the cost of the originally scheduled activity. The Company estimates that the cost of these penalties would be approximately $0.1 million at December 31, 2014 if the Company cancels the scheduled activities. The amounts recorded under this manufacturing contract included in research and development was $3.4 million, $2.8 million and $4.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.