Note 1 – Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies



Principles of consolidation and nature of operations:  Veru Inc. is referred to in these notes collectively with its subsidiaries as “we,” “our,” “us,” “Veru” or the “Company.” The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Veru and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Aspen Park Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APP) and The Female Health Company Limited, The Female Health Company Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, The Female Health Company (UK) plc (The Female Health Company Limited and The Female Health Company (UK) plc, collectively, the “U.K. subsidiary”), and The Female Health Company (UK) plc’s wholly owned subsidiary, The Female Health Company (M) SDN.BHD (the “Malaysia subsidiary”). All significant intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company is an oncology biopharmaceutical company with a focus on developing novel medicines for the management of prostate and breast cancers. The Company has multiple drug products under clinical development. The Company’s Sexual Health Business segment includes its commercial product, FC2, an FDA-approved product for the dual protection against unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. During fiscal 2020 and 2019, the Sexual Health Business segment also included PREBOOST® 4% benzocaine medicated individual wipe for the treatment of premature ejaculation. The PREBOOST® business was sold on December 8, 2020. See Note 20 for additional information. Most of the Company’s net revenues during fiscal 2020 and 2019 were derived from sales of FC2.



FC2 has been distributed in either or both commercial (private sector) and public health sector markets in 150 countries. It is marketed to consumers in 22 countries through distributors, public health programs, and/or retailers and in the U.S. by prescription.



Reclassifications:  Certain prior period amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the results of operations or financial position for any period presented.



Use of estimates:  The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.



Cash and cash equivalents and concentration:  Cash and cash equivalents, which primarily consist of cash on deposit with financial institutions and highly liquid money market funds, are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company treats short-term, highly liquid funds that are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have original maturities of three months or less as cash equivalents. The Company’s cash is maintained primarily in three financial institutions, located in Chicago, Illinois; London, England; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.



Accounts receivable and concentration of credit risk:  Accounts receivable are carried at original invoice amount less an estimate made for returns, discounts, and doubtful receivables based on a review of all outstanding amounts on a periodic basis.



Inventory:  Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The cost is determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. Inventories are also written down for management’s estimates of product which will not sell prior to its expiration date. Write-downs of inventories establish a new cost basis which is not increased for future increases in the net realizable value of inventories or changes in estimated obsolescence.



Fixed assets:  We record equipment, furniture and fixtures, and leasehold improvements at historical cost. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are recorded to expense. Depreciation and amortization are primarily computed using the straight-line method, over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the remaining lease term or the estimated useful lives of the assets.



Leases:  Leases are classified as either operating or finance leases at inception. A right-of-use (ROU) asset and corresponding lease liability are established at an amount equal to the present value of fixed lease payments over the lease term at the commencement date. The ROU asset includes any initial direct costs incurred and lease payments made at or before the commencement date and is reduced by lease incentive payments. The Company has elected not to separate the lease and nonlease components for all classes of underlying assets. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate to determine the present value of the lease payments for leases that do not have a readily determinable implicit discount rate. The incremental borrowing rate is the rate of interest that the Company would be charged to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term and amount in a similar economic environment. The Company determines the incremental borrowing rates for its leases by adjusting the risk-free interest rate with a credit risk premium corresponding to the Company’s credit rating.



Operating lease costs are recognized for fixed lease payments on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Finance lease costs are a combination of the amortization expense for the ROU asset and interest expense for the outstanding lease liability using the applicable discount rate. Variable lease payments are recognized when incurred based on occurrence or usage. Short-term leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet; we recognize lease expense for short-term leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term.



Patents and trademarks:  The costs for patents and trademarks are expensed when incurred.



Goodwill and intangible assets:  The Company’s goodwill and intangible assets, primarily developed technology and in-process research and development (IPR&D), arose from the acquisition of APP (the “APP Acquisition”) on October 31, 2016. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized. IPR&D is accounted for as indefinite-lived intangible assets until the underlying project receives regulatory approval, at which point the intangible asset will be accounted for as a finite-lived intangible asset, or discontinuation, at which point the intangible asset will be written off. Goodwill and indefinite-lived assets are subject to an impairment review annually, in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, and more frequently when indicators of impairment exist. An impairment of goodwill could occur if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeded the fair value of that reporting unit. An impairment of indefinite-lived intangible assets would occur if the fair value of the intangible asset is less than the carrying value. Intangible assets with finite lives are tested for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. These intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortization.



Goodwill consists of the cost of an acquired business in excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired. The Company’s goodwill is assigned to the Company’s sole reporting unit in the Company’s Research and Development reporting segment. The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment by first assessing qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value is less than its carrying amount. If the Company concludes it is more likely than not that the fair value is less than its carrying amount, a quantitative impairment test is performed. For its quantitative impairment tests, the Company uses an estimated future cash flow approach that requires significant judgment with respect to future volume, revenue and expense growth rates, changes in working capital use, the selection of an appropriate discount rate, asset groupings and other assumptions and estimates. The estimates and assumptions used are consistent with the Company's business plans and a market participant's views. The use of alternative estimates and assumptions could increase or decrease the estimated fair value of the assets and potentially result in different impacts to the Company's results of operations. Actual results may differ from the Company's estimates.



Regarding goodwill, the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is highly sensitive to changes in projections and assumptions; therefore, in some instances changes in these assumptions could potentially lead to impairment. We perform sensitivity analyses around our assumptions in order to assess the reasonableness of the assumptions and the results of our testing. Changes in these assumptions may impact the estimated fair value of a reporting unit and cause the fair value of the reporting unit to be below its carrying value. We believe that our estimates are consistent with assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value; however, if actual results are not consistent with our estimates and assumptions, we may be exposed to an impairment charge that could be material.



Intangible assets are highly vulnerable to impairment charges, particularly IPR&D. These assets are initially measured at fair value and therefore any reduction in expectations used in the valuations could potentially lead to impairment. Some of the more common potential risks leading to impairment include competition, earlier than expected loss of exclusivity, pricing pressures, adverse regulatory changes or clinical trial results, delay or failure to obtain regulatory approval, additional development costs, inability to achieve expected synergies, higher operating costs, changes in tax laws and other macro-economic changes. The complexity in estimating the fair value of intangible assets in connection with an impairment test is similar to the initial valuation. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $14.1 million related to IPR&D. The charge was primarily a result of deferred development timelines on certain drug candidates due to the prioritization of other drug candidates. See Note 8 for additional information. Considering the high-risk nature of research and development and the industry’s success rate of bringing developmental compounds to market, additional IPR&D impairment charges are likely to occur in future periods.



Deferred financing costs:  Costs incurred in connection with the common stock purchase agreements discussed in Note 10 have been included in other assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at September 30, 2020 and 2019. When shares of the Company’s common stock are sold under the common stock purchase agreement, a pro-rata portion of the deferred costs is recorded to additional paid-in-capital.



Costs incurred in connection with the issuance of debt discussed in Note 9 are presented as a reduction of the debt on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2020 and 2019. These issuance costs are being amortized using the effective interest method over the expected repayment period of the debt, which is currently estimated to occur in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. The amortization is included in interest expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.



Fair value measurements:  Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 820 – Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, 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. FASB ASC Topic 820 requires disclosures about the fair value of all financial instruments, whether or not recognized, for financial statement purposes. Disclosures about the fair value of financial instruments are based on pertinent information available to us as of the reporting dates. Accordingly, the estimates presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that could be realized on disposition of the financial instruments. See Note 3 for a discussion of fair value measurements.



The carrying amounts reported in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets for cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other accrued liabilities approximate their fair value based on the short-term nature of these instruments. The carrying value of long-term debt, taking into consideration debt discounts and related derivative instruments, is estimated to approximate fair value.



Derivative instruments:  The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market or foreign currency risks. The Company reviews the terms of debt instruments it enters into to determine whether there are embedded derivative instruments, which are required to be bifurcated and accounted for separately as derivative financial instruments. Embedded derivatives that are not clearly and closely related to the host contract are bifurcated and are recognized at fair value with changes in fair value recognized as either a gain or loss in earnings. Liabilities incurred in connection with an embedded derivative are discussed in Note 9.



Revenue recognition:  Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods is transferred to the customer in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those products. See Note 4 for further discussion on revenue.



Government grants:  U.S. GAAP for profit-oriented entities does not define government grants nor is there specific guidance applicable to government grants. Under the Company’s accounting policy for government grants and consistent with non-authoritative guidance, government grants are recognized as a reduction of the related expense. Government grants are recognized when there is reasonable assurance that the Company has met the requirements of the grant and there is reasonable assurance that the grant will be received. Grants that compensate the Company for expenses incurred are recognized as a reduction of the related expenses in the same period in which the expenses are recognized. The Company has elected to treat forgivable loans from a government as a government grant when it is probable that the Company will meet the terms for forgiveness of the loan.



Research and development costs:  Research and development costs are expensed as they are incurred and include salaries and benefits, costs to conduct clinical trials, and contract services. Nonrefundable advance payments made for goods or services to be used in research and development activities are deferred and capitalized until the goods have been delivered or the related services have been performed. If the goods are no longer expected to be delivered or the services are no longer expected to be performed, the Company would be required to expense the related capitalized advance payments. The Company did not have any capitalized nonrefundable advance payments as of September 30, 2020 and 2019.  



The Company records estimated costs of research and development activities conducted by third-party service providers, which include the conduct of preclinical studies and clinical trials and contract manufacturing activities. These costs are a significant component of the Company’s research and development expenses. The Company accrues for these costs based on factors such as estimates of the work completed and in accordance with agreements established with its third-party service providers under the service agreements. The Company makes significant judgments and estimates in determining the accrued liabilities balance in each reporting period. As actual costs become known, the Company adjusts its accrued liabilities. The Company has not experienced any material differences between accrued costs and actual costs incurred. However, the status and timing of actual services performed, number of patients enrolled and the rate of patient enrollments may vary from the Company’s estimates, resulting in adjustments to expense in future periods. Changes in these estimates that result in material changes to the Company’s accruals could materially affect the Company’s results of operations.



Share-based compensation:  The Company recognizes share-based compensation expense in connection with its share-based awards, based on the estimated fair value of the awards on the date of grant, on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Calculating share-based compensation expense requires the input of highly subjective judgment and assumptions, including estimates of the expected life of the share-based award, stock price volatility and risk-free interest rate.



Advertising:  The Company's policy is to expense advertising costs as incurred. Advertising costs were immaterial to the Company’s results of operations for the years ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.



Income taxes:  The Company files separate income tax returns for its foreign subsidiaries. FASB ASC Topic 740 requires recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statements and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are also provided for carryforwards for income tax purposes. In addition, the amount of any future tax benefits is reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent such benefits are not expected to be realized.

 

Foreign currency translation and operations:  Effective October 1, 2009, the Company determined that there were significant changes in facts and circumstances, triggering an evaluation of its subsidiaries’ functional currency, resulting in the adoption of the U.S. dollar as the functional currency for all foreign subsidiaries. The consistent use of the U.S. dollar as the functional currency across the Company reduces its foreign currency risk and stabilizes its operating results. The cumulative foreign currency translation loss included in accumulated other comprehensive loss was $0.6 million as of September 30, 2020 and 2019. Assets located outside of the U.S. totaled approximately $9.2 million and $8.2 million at September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

   

Other comprehensive loss:  Accounting principles generally require that recognized revenue, expenses, gains and losses be included in net loss. Although certain changes in assets and liabilities, such as foreign currency translation adjustments, are reported as a separate component of the equity section of the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, these items, along with net loss, are components of other comprehensive loss.



The U.S. parent company and its U.K. subsidiary routinely purchase inventory produced by its Malaysia subsidiary for sale to their respective customers. These intercompany trade accounts are eliminated in consolidation. The Company’s policy and intent is to settle the intercompany trade account on a current basis. Since the U.K. and Malaysia subsidiaries adopted the U.S. dollar as their functional currencies effective October 1, 2009, no foreign currency gains or losses from intercompany trade are recognized. In fiscal 2020 and 2019, comprehensive loss is equivalent to the reported net loss.

 

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements:  In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires that lessees recognize an ROU asset and a lease liability for all leases with lease terms greater than twelve months in the balance sheet. ASU 2016-02 distinguishes leases as either a finance lease or an operating lease, which affects how the leases are measured and presented in the statement of operations and statement of cash flows, and requires disclosure of key information about leasing arrangements. A modified retrospective transition approach is required upon adoption. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-10, Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases to clarify the implementation guidance and ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842) Targeted Improvements. This updated guidance provides an optional transition method, which allows for the initial application of the new accounting standard at the adoption date and the recognition of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. In December 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-20, Leases (Topic 842): Narrow-Scope Improvements for Lessors to address certain implementation issues facing lessors when adopting ASU 2016-02. In March 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-01, Leases (Topic 842): Codification Improvements to address, among other things, certain transition disclosure requirements subsequent to the adoption of ASU 2016-02.



The Company adopted the new lease accounting standard using the modified retrospective approach on October 1, 2019 and elected certain practical expedients, including the optional transition method that allows for the application of the new standard at its adoption date with no restatement of prior period amounts. We elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance, which allowed us to not reassess our prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification, and initial direct costs. Adoption of the new standard resulted in the recording of ROU assets and lease liabilities of approximately $1.2 million and $1.5 million, respectively, and the derecognition of prepaid expenses and operating lease deferred rent liabilities of $23,000 and $247,000, respectively, as of October 1, 2019 with zero cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings. The new standard did not materially impact our consolidated statement of operations or cash flows.



In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The purpose of ASU 2018-07 is to expand the scope of Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (which previously only included share-based payments to employees) to include share-based payments issued to nonemployees for goods or services. Consequently, the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees and employees will be substantially aligned. The Company has issued share-based payments to nonemployees in the past but is not able to predict the amount of future share-based payments to nonemployees, if any. We adopted ASU 2018-07 effective October 1, 2019. The adoption of ASU 2018-07 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.



Recent accounting pronouncements not yet adopted:  In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other Topics (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The purpose of ASU 2017-04 is to reduce the cost and complexity of evaluating goodwill for impairment. It eliminates the need for entities to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill by assigning the fair value of a reporting unit to all of its assets and liabilities as if that reporting unit had been acquired in a business combination. Under this amendment, an entity will perform its goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the reporting unit's fair value. ASU 2017-04 is effective for annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and will be applied on a prospective basis. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. We do not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-04 to have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations.



In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework – Change to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. ASU 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements by adding, removing, and modifying certain required disclosures for fair value measurements for assets and liabilities disclosed within the fair value hierarchy. ASU 2018-13 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019 and will be applied retrospectively for all periods presented. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2018-13 is not expected to have a material effect on our financial position or results of operations as it modifies disclosure requirements only.



In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740). Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The new guidance eliminates certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period, and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. It also clarifies and simplifies other aspects of the accounting for income taxes. ASU 2019-12 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020 and the applicable amendments will be applied on a prospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2019-12 is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.