Significant accounting policies

Notes
Galapagos NV • Q1 Report 2018

There were no significant changes in accounting policies applied by us in these condensed consolidated interim financial statements compared to those used in the most recent annual financial statements of 2017, except for the adoption of new standards and interpretations described below.

  • IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and clarifications on this IFRS (applicable for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018)
  • IFRS 9 Financial Instruments, and subsequent amendments (applicable for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018)

The nature and the effect of these changes were taken into consideration, and the above amendments affected the interim condensed consolidated financial statements as follows:

IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers. As a consequence of the adoption of the new IFRS standard on 1 January 2018, our consolidated accumulated losses and deferred income were both increased for an amount of €83.2 million, reflecting the impact of the new standard on the revenue recognition of the considerations received related to our ongoing license and collaboration agreements. Differences in accounting treatment compared to the former standard were identified for (i) the milestones payments previously received in the scope of our license and collaboration agreement for filgotinib with Gilead, and (ii) the upfront and milestone payments received related to the license and collaboration agreement with AbbVie for cystic fibrosis, which were fully recognized in revenue in the previous years under the former applicable IFRS standard. Finally, the deferred income balance related to the license fee received from Servier in the scope of our license and collaboration agreement in the field of osteoarthritis was fully reclassified to equity as a consequence of the adoption of the new standard. We refer to the revenues disclosure for further detail.

IFRS 9 Financial Instruments. The only financial instrument held by the company subject to change in accounting treatment following the adoption of IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments, was the equity investments in a French biotech company classified as available-for-sale financial asset. At 31 December 2017, our balance sheet held shares of this company which were acquired in 2016. The closing price of the share on Euronext as at the end of the year 2017 led to cumulative fair value loss amounting to €0.6 million recognized in other comprehensive income following the accounting treatment applied under IAS 39. Following the adoption of the new IFRS standard on 1 January 2018, and considering that the financial asset should be classified and measured at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in profit and loss, the cumulative fair value loss of €0.6 million previously recognized in other comprehensive income was reclassified to accumulated losses. Fair value loss amounting to €0.1 million was additionally recognized in profit and loss for the first three months of 2018.

Other new standards and interpretations applicable for the annual period beginning on 1 January 2018 did not have any impact on our consolidated financial statements.

We have not early adopted any other standard, interpretation, or amendment that has been issued but is not yet effective.

Seasonality

The impact of seasonality or cyclicality on our operations is not regarded as applicable to the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements.