4. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Company records its financial assets and liabilities at fair value except for its debt, which was recorded at amortized cost.  The carrying amounts of certain financial instruments of the Company, including cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, approximate fair value due to their relatively short maturities.  Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the reporting date.  The accounting guidance establishes a three-tiered hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies in measuring fair value as follows:

 

Level 1: Inputs that include quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.

 

Level 2: Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

 

Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

The following table sets forth the fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis, as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands):

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

 

Fair Value Measured Using

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Level 1)

 

 

(Level 2)

 

 

(Level 3)

 

 

Total

Balance

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Money market funds

 

$

59,471

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

59,471

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common stock warrant liability

 

 

 

 

 

$

10,003

 

 

$

10,003

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

 

Fair Value Measured Using

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Level 1)

 

 

(Level 2)

 

 

(Level 3)

 

 

Total

Balance

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Money market funds

 

$

13,097

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

13,097

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contingent consideration

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

1,672

 

 

$

1,672

 

Common stock warrant liability

 

 

 

 

 

 

18,712

 

 

$

18,712

 

Derivative Liability

 

 

 

 

 

 

14,600

 

 

 

14,600

 

Total liabilities

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

34,984

 

 

$

34,984

 

 

The following table presents the issuances, changes in fair value and classifications of the Company’s Level 3 financial instruments that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):

 

 

 

(Level 3)

 

 

 

Contingent

Consideration

Liability

 

 

Common Stock Warrant Liability

 

 

JGB Debt derivative

Liability

 

 

Perceptive Derivative Liability

 

 

Total

 

Balance as of December 31, 2016

 

$

492

 

 

$

5,208

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

5,700

 

Issuance of JGB Debt and warrants

 

 

 

 

 

900

 

 

 

2,290

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,190

 

Exercise of warrants

 

 

 

 

 

(4,306

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4,306

)

Conversion of JGB Debt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(402

)

 

 

 

 

 

(402

)

Change in estimated fair value

 

 

1,180

 

 

 

16,910

 

 

 

12,712

 

 

 

 

 

 

30,802

 

Balance as of December 31, 2017

 

$

1,672

 

 

$

18,712

 

 

$

14,600

 

 

$

 

 

$

34,984

 

Exercise of warrants

 

 

 

 

 

(27,714

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(27,714

)

Extinguishment of derivative liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(12,066

)

 

 

(202

)

 

 

(12,268

)

Reclassification to equity (Note 2)

 

 

 

 

 

(6,550

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(6,550

)

Issuance of Perceptive derivative liability

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

245

 

 

 

245

 

Issuance of shares of common stock

 

 

(2,689

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2,689

)

Change in estimated fair value

 

 

1,017

 

 

 

25,555

 

 

 

(2,534

)

 

 

(43

)

 

 

23,995

 

Balance as of December 31, 2018

 

$

 

 

$

10,003

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

10,003

 

 

The Company recognizes transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy as of the end of the reporting period. There were no transfers between Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 categories during the periods presented.

In determining fair value, the Company uses various valuation approaches within the fair value measurement framework.  The valuation methodologies used for the Company’s instruments measured at fair value and their classification in the valuation hierarchy are summarized below:

 

Money market funds—Investments in money market funds are classified within Level 1. At December 31, 2018 and 2017, money market funds were included as cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated balance sheets.

 

Contingent consideration liability— As of December 31, 2017, the Company had a contingent obligation to issue 227,845 shares of the Company’s common stock to the former owners of IMX in conjunction with its acquisition of IMX in June 2014.  The shares were issuable upon the Company completing 2,500 commercial tests involving the measurement of dd-cfDNA in organ transplant recipients in the United States by June 10, 2020.  The fair value of the contingent consideration was estimated using the closing market price of the common stock multiplied by management’s estimate of the probability of achievement of the contingency condition disclosed above, as of each period end.  The probability of achievement of a contingency condition was a significant input in the Level 3 measurement and was 100% in presented periods. Increases (decreases) in the estimation of the probability percentage resulted in a directionally similar impact to the fair value of the contingent consideration liability.  The Company achieved the contingent consideration milestone of 2,500 commercial tests and issued the 227,848 shares on May 22, 2018.  There is no contingent consideration outstanding at December 31, 2018.

 

Common stock warrant liability—The Company utilizes a binomial-lattice pricing model (the “Monte Carlo Simulation Model”) that involves a market condition simulation to estimate the fair value of the warrants.  The application of the Monte Carlo Simulation Model requires the use of a number of complex assumptions including the Company’s stock price, expected life of the warrants, stock price volatility determined from the Company’s historical stock prices and stock prices of peer companies in the diagnostics industry, and risk-free rates based on the implied yield currently available in the U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term equal to the expected life of the warrants.  Increases (decreases) in the assumptions discussed above result in a directionally similar impact to the fair value of the common stock warrant liability.

 

JGB Debt derivative liability— The Company utilized the Monte Carlo Simulation Model to estimate the fair value of the compound derivative liability recorded in connection with the JGB Debt.  The Monte Carlo Simulation Model used multiple input assumptions to simulate the likelihood that market conditions will be achieved through 100,000 random trials. These assumptions included the expected term of the embedded derivative, the volatility of the Company’s stock prices and its peers’ stock prices over such expected term, likelihood, timing, and amount of future equity financing rounds, the likelihood of any prepayment or default events, the likelihood of monthly redemptions by the JGB Debt holders, and the likelihood and ability of JGB to convert the debt into equity.  In each iteration of the simulations these assumptions were used to simulate the Company’s stock price drawing from a risk neutral distribution, the occurrence of a conversion event, the occurrence of a prepayment event, the occurrence of a default event, and any resulting payoff from such event. The average present value over all iterations of the simulation was then calculated.  Increases (decreases) in the assumptions discussed above resulted in a directionally similar impact to the fair value of the derivative liability.  The assumptions used in this simulation model were reviewed on a quarterly basis and adjusted, as needed.  For the year ended December 31, 2017 and from January 1, 2018 to March 27, 2018, the Company recorded the changes in fair value of the derivative liability of $12.7 million income and of $2.5 million income, respectively, in the change in estimated value of common stock warrant liability and derivative liability in its consolidated statements of operations.  The derivative liability was remeasured and fully extinguished upon the final JGB Debt conversion on March 27, 2018 (see Note 10).

 

Perceptive Credit Agreement derivative liability – The Company used a net present value analysis to estimate the fair value of the embedded derivative liability recorded in connection with the Perceptive Credit Agreement.  The assumptions used in the analysis were the discount rate, the probability of early repayment during the term of the Perceptive Credit Agreement and the expected term of the derivative.  An increase in the discount rate will result in a decrease in liability and an increase in the probability of early repayment will result in an increase in liability. The assumptions used in this analysis were reviewed on a quarterly basis and adjusted, as needed. The derivative liability was remeasured and fully extinguished upon the repayment of the Perceptive Credit Agreement on November 20, 2018 (see Note 10).

 

Common Stock Warrant and Derivative Liability Valuation Assumptions:

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

Private Placement Common Stock Warrant Liability

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock Price

 

$

25.14

 

 

 

$

7.34

 

 

Exercise Price

 

$

1.12

 

 

 

$

1.12

 

 

Remaining term (in years)

 

 

4.29

 

 

 

 

5.29

 

 

Volatility

 

 

79.00

 

%

 

 

66.00

 

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

2.46

 

%

 

 

2.21

 

%

Subsequent Financing Common Stock Warrant Liability

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock Price

 

$

 

 

 

$

7.34

 

 

Exercise Price

 

$

 

 

 

$

4.00

 

 

Remaining term (in years)

 

 

 

 

 

5.46

 

 

Volatility

 

 

 

%

 

 

65.00

 

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

 

%

 

2.21

 

%

Placement Agent Common Stock Warrant Liability

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock Price

 

$

25.14

 

 

 

$

7.34

 

 

Exercise Price

 

$

1.12

 

 

 

$

1.12

 

 

Remaining term (in years)

 

 

2.29

 

 

 

 

3.29

 

 

Volatility

 

 

86.00

 

%

 

 

82.00

 

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

2.44

 

%

 

 

1.99

 

%

JGB Common Stock Warrant Liability

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock Price

 

$

 

 

 

$

7.34

 

 

Exercise Price

 

$

 

 

 

$

4.67

 

 

Remaining term (in years)

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.71

 

 

Volatility

 

 

 

%

 

 

30.00

 

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

 

%

 

 

1.89

 

%

JGB Derivative Liability

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock Price

 

$

 

 

 

$

7.34

 

 

Remaining term (in years)

 

 

 

 

 

2.16

 

 

Volatility

 

 

 

%

 

 

69.00

 

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

 

 

%

 

2.14

 

%

Warrants liabilities exercised during 2018 were remeasured at the exercise date. Their fair value approximate their intrinsic value, which was recorded to additional paid in capital in the consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity (deficit).

The Company’s liabilities classified as Level 3 were valued based on unobservable inputs and management’s judgment due to the absence of quoted market prices, inherent lack of liquidity and the long-term nature of the financial instruments.

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About Fair Value Disclosures

Fair value disclosures classify all assets and liabilities measured at fair value into a three-level hierarchy: Level 1 (quoted market prices), Level 2 (observable inputs like yield curves), and Level 3 (unobservable inputs requiring management estimates). The proportion of Level 3 assets directly reflects how much of the balance sheet depends on internal models rather than market evidence.

Key signals: a growing Level 3 balance relative to total fair-value assets increases valuation uncertainty and earnings volatility risk. Watch for transfers between levels — assets moving from Level 2 to Level 3 often signal deteriorating market liquidity. Unrealized gains and losses on Level 3 positions flow through earnings or other comprehensive income, so large swings deserve scrutiny. For financial institutions, examine the sensitivity disclosures that show how Level 3 valuations change under alternative assumptions. Compare the fair value of debt against its carrying amount to gauge hidden leverage.