6.    Stock-based Compensation

 

Total stock-based compensation expense related to all of our share-based payments that we recognized for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

In September 2013, we announced that we had reduced our workforce by 18% or 30 positions in connection with efforts to prioritize projects and conserve our working capital. As part of the severance arrangement we offered the terminated employees, we extended the date to which the terminated employees had to exercise their vested options to June 30, 2014, rather than 90 days from the termination date as was stipulated under the employee’s option agreements pursuant to our equity incentive plan.  In addition, we also accelerated the vesting period of certain unvested stock options for one terminated employee. As a result of these modifications, we recorded non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $239,000 in the third quarter of 2013.

 

The fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. We have segregated option awards into the following three homogenous groups for the purposes of determining fair values of options: officers and directors, all other employees, and consultants.

 

We determined weighted-average valuation assumptions separately for each of these groups as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

Pursuant to FASB ASC 718, we are required to estimate the amount of expected forfeitures when calculating compensation costs. We estimated the forfeiture rate using our historical experience with non-vested options. We adjust our stock-based compensation expense as actual forfeitures occur, review our estimated forfeiture rates each quarter and make changes to our estimate as appropriate.

 

The following table summarizes the weighted-average assumptions relating to options granted pursuant to our equity incentive plans for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013:

 

 

The exercise price of stock options is at the market price of our common stock on the date immediately preceding the date of grant. Options become exercisable at varying dates and generally expire 10 years from the date of grant. We granted options to purchase 3,424,510 shares of common stock during the nine months ended September 30, 2014, with a grant-date weighted-average fair value of $2.34 per share. Of the 3,424,510 common stock options granted, 950,000 shares were related to performance-based stock option awards which will vest upon the achievement of certain corporate performance-based milestones related to the progress and success of the Phase 3 clinical program of fostamatinib in immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). We granted options to purchase 3,034,456 shares of common stock during the nine months ended September 30, 2013, with a grant-date weighted-average fair value of $3.40 per share.  As of September 30, 2014, there was approximately $8.7 million of total unrecognized stock-based compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures, related to unvested options granted under our equity incentive plans. At September 30, 2014, there were 7,230,986 shares of common stock available for future grant under our equity incentive plans and 11,219 options to purchase shares were exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2014.

 

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

The fair value of awards granted under our Purchase Plan is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which uses weighted- average assumptions. Our Purchase Plan provides for a twenty-four month offering period comprised of four six-month purchase periods with a look-back option. A look-back option is a provision in our Purchase Plan under which eligible employees can purchase shares of our common stock at a price per share equal to the lesser of 85% of the fair market value on the first day of the offering period or 85% of the fair market value on the purchase date. Our Purchase Plan also includes a feature that provides for a new offering period to begin when the fair market value of our common stock on any purchase date during an offering period falls below the fair market value of our common stock on the first day of such offering period. This feature is called a “reset.” Participants are automatically enrolled in the new offering period. We had a “reset” on January 2, 2014 because the fair market value of our stock on December 31, 2013 was lower than the fair market value of our stock on July 1, 2013, the first day of the offering period. We applied modification accounting in accordance with ASC Topic No. 718, Stock Compensation, to determine the incremental fair value associated with this Purchase Plan “reset” and will recognize the related stock-based compensation expense according to FASB ASC Subtopic No. 718-50, Employee Share Purchase Plan. The total incremental fair value for this Purchase Plan “reset” was approximately $577,000, and is being recognized from January 2, 2014 to December 31, 2015.

 

As of September 30, 2014, there were approximately 3,826,858 shares reserved for future issuance under the Purchase Plan. The following table summarizes the weighted-average assumptions related to our Purchase Plan for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013. Expected volatilities for our Purchase Plan are based on the historical volatility of our stock. Expected term represents the weighted-average of the purchase periods within the offering period. The risk-free interest rate for periods within the expected term is based on U.S. Treasury constant maturity rates.