Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2019
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  
Basis of presentation

(a)          Basis of presentation

The condensed consolidated interim financial statements of Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc and its subsidiaries and other financial information included in this Quarterly Report are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and are presented in U.S. dollars. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries have been eliminated on consolidation.

The unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements presented in this Quarterly Report should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 27, 2019 (the “Annual Report”). The balance sheet as of December 31, 2018 was derived from audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. The Company’s significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 to those consolidated financial statements.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted from these interim financial statements. However, these interim financial statements include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which are, in the opinion of management, necessary to fairly state the results of the interim period. The interim results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year.

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted new guidance on the accounting for leases, which has been codified within Accounting Standard Codification Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”). The Company has adopted the guidance using the modified retrospective approach, with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance of equity at January 1, 2019. Therefore, the comparative financial information for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and as of December 31, 2018 has not been restated and continues to be reported under previous guidance. The effect of adopting ASC 842 on the accumulated deficit, total stockholders’ equity and net assets as at January 1, 2019 was $0.

Use of estimates in financial statements

(b)          Use of estimates in interim financial statements

The preparation of interim financial statements, in conformity with U.S. GAAP and SEC regulations, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates and assumptions are primarily made in relation to the valuation of share options, valuation allowances relating to deferred tax assets, revenue recognition, estimating clinical trial expenses and estimating reimbursements from R&D tax and expenditure credits. If actual results differ from the Company’s estimates, or to the extent these estimates are adjusted in future periods, the Company’s results of operations could either benefit from, or be adversely affected by, any such change in estimate.

(c)          Fair value measurements

The Company is required to disclose information on all assets and liabilities reported at fair value that enables an assessment of the inputs used in determining the reported fair values. The fair value hierarchy prioritizes valuation inputs based on the observable nature of those inputs. The hierarchy defines three levels of valuation inputs:

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that reflect the Company's own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability

The carrying amounts of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value because of the short-term nature of these instruments. The fair value of marketable securities, which are measured at fair value on a recurring basis is detailed in Note 8, Fair value measurements.

Fair value measurements

(c)          Fair value measurements

Leases (d)          Leases
New accounting pronouncements

(e)          New accounting pronouncements

Adopted in the period

Leases

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standard Update 2016-02 – Leases, which is codified in ASC 842. The Company has adopted the guidance using the modified retrospective approach, with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance of equity at January 1, 2019. Therefore, the comparative information has not been adjusted and continues to be reported under previous guidance. The Company elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard, which among other things, allowed it to carry forward the historical lease classification of the Company’s leases as operating leases. The effect on the accumulated deficit, total stockholders’ equity and net assets as at January 1, 2019 was $0.

The adoption of ASC 842 has had a material impact on the Company’s financial statements. At January 1, 2019 the Company recognized right-of-use assets and liabilities for operating leases following the adoption date of $22.2 million and $26.9 million respectively and derecognized $4.7 million of other liabilities and prepayments that had been recognized under previous guidance.

Correction of an immaterial error to the incremental borrowing rate

During the three months ended June 30, 2019, management performed further benchmarking of the incremental borrowing rate used in the determination of the right-of-use asset and the lease liability as more information became publicly available. This has highlighted that the Company is at the lower end of the range for comparable companies and as a result, management performed further analysis of the factors which were considered. Based on this additional analysis, the incremental borrowing rate has increased from a weighted-average of 4.65% to 7.2%. The change in the incremental borrowing rate has reduced the right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability by $2.6 million. There is no impact on the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.

To be adopted in future periods

Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 - Financial Instruments - Credit losses, which replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology for financial instruments in current GAAP with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. The guidance is effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020, including interim periods within that fiscal year. Early application is permitted for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2019, including interim periods within that fiscal year. The guidance must be adopted using a modified-retrospective approach and a prospective transition approach is required for debt securities for which an other-than-temporary impairment had been recognized before the effective date. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15 – Intangibles — Goodwill and Other — Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal use software license). The guidance is effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020, including interim periods within that fiscal year. Early application is permitted for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2019, including interim periods within that fiscal year. The guidance may be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13 – Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) - Disclosure Framework— Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. The guidance is effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020, including interim periods within that fiscal year. Early application is permitted. Certain amendments apply prospectively with the all other amendments applied retrospectively to all periods presented upon their effective date. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the guidance on its consolidated financial statements.