Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Accounting
Basis of Accounting
 
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Arch Therapeutics and its wholly owned subsidiary, Arch Biosurgery, Inc., a life science medical device company. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
 
The Company is in the development stage and is devoting substantially all of its efforts to developing technologies, raising capital, establishing customer and vendor relationships, and recruiting new employees. Due to the fact that we are a development stage company, we have historically included inception-to-date information, and certain disclosures required under U.S. GAAP in our financial statements. The amendments in this ASU (2014-10) remove all incremental financial reporting requirements, except for certain required incremental disclosures from U.S. GAAP for development stage companies. We have elected to early adopt this ASU. The amendments required in this ASU have been applied retrospectively and all inception to date information has been removed from our financial statements presented within this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The clarification to Topic 275 was applied prospectively to all unrecognized tax benefits that existed at the effective date.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
 
Management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates 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
Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Concentration of Credit Risk
 
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentration of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. The Company maintains its cash in bank deposits accounts, which, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. The Company believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents.
Property and Equipment
Property and Equipment
 
Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the related asset. Upon sale or retirement, the cost and accumulated depreciation are eliminated from their respective accounts, and the resulting gain or loss is included in income or loss for the period. Repair and maintenance expenditures are charged to expense as incurred.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
 
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment when circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable in accordance with ASC 360, Property, Plant and Equipment. For assets that are to be held and used, impairment is recognized when the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated with the asset or group of assets is less than their carrying value. If impairment exists, an adjustment is made to write the asset down to its fair value, and a loss is recorded as the difference between the carrying value and fair value. Fair values are determined based on quoted market values, discounted cash flows or internal and external appraisals, as applicable. Assets to be disposed of are carried at the lower of carrying value or estimated net realizable value. For the years ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 there has not been any impairment of long-lived assets.
Convertible Debt
Convertible Debt
 
The Company records a discount to convertible notes for the intrinsic value of conversion options embedded in debt instruments based upon the differences between the fair value of the underlying preferred stock at the commitment date of the note transaction and the effective conversion price embedded in the note. Debt discounts under these arrangements are amortized to noncash interest expense using the effective interest rate method over the term of the related debt to their date of maturity. If a security or instrument becomes convertible only upon the occurrence of a future event outside the control of the Company, or, is convertible from inception, but contains conversion terms that change upon the occurrence of a future event, then any contingent beneficial conversion feature is measured and recognized when the triggering event occurs and contingency has been resolved.
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
 
In accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, the Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences or events that have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements and/or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are based upon the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of existing assets and liabilities and for loss and credit carryforwards using enacted tax rates expected to be in effect in the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.
 
The Company provides reserves for potential payments of tax to various tax authorities related to uncertain tax positions when management determines that it is probable that a loss will be incurred related to these matters and the amount of the loss is reasonably determinable. The Company has no reserves related to uncertain tax positions as of September 30, 2014 and 2013.
Research and Development
Research and Development
 
The Company expenses internal and external research and development costs, including costs of funded research and development arrangements, in the period incurred.
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
 
The Company accounts for employee stock-based compensation in accordance with the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“FASB ASC Topic 718”) that requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized in the consolidated financial statements based on their fair values. The Company accounts for non-employee stock-based compensation in accordance with the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 505, Equity (“FASB ASC Topic 505”), which requires that companies recognize compensation expense based on the estimated fair value of options granted to non-employees over their vesting period, which is generally the period during which services are rendered by such non-employees. FASB ASC Topic 505 requires the Company to re-measure the fair value of stock options issued to non- employee at each reporting period during the vesting period or until services are complete.
 
In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, the Company has elected to use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of options granted and recognizes the compensation cost of share-based awards on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the award.
 
The determination of the fair value of share-based payment awards utilizing the Black-Scholes model is affected by the fair value of the common stock and a number of other assumptions, including expected volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. The Company does not have a history of market prices of the common stock, and as such volatility is estimated in accordance with ASC 718-10-S99 Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 107, Share-Based Payment (“SAB No. 107”), using historical volatilities of similar public entities. The life term for awards and, therefore, uses simplified method for all “plain vanilla” options, as defined in SAB No. 107 and the contractual term for all other employee and non-employee awards. The risk-free interest rate assumption is based on observed interest rates appropriate for the terms of our awards. The dividend yield assumption is based on history and the expectation of paying no dividends. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Stock-based compensation expense, when recognized in the consolidated financial statements, is based on awards that are ultimately expected to vest.
Fair Value Measurements
Fair Value Measurements
 
The Company measures both financial and nonfinancial assets and liabilities in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, except those that are recognized or disclosed in the consolidated financial statements at fair value on a recurring basis. The standard created a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels as follows: Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; and Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs that reflect the Company’s own assumptions about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.
 
The Company’s financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents. Because of their short maturity, the carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents are considered to approximate fair value.
Subsequent Events
Subsequent Events
 
The Company evaluated all events or transactions that occurred through December 10, 2014 the date which these consolidated financial statements were available to be issued. The Company disclosed material subsequent events in Note 14.
Going Concern Basis of Accounting
Going Concern Basis of Accounting
 
The Company does not currently believe its existing cash resources are sufficient to meet its anticipated needs during the next twelve months. As reflected in the financial statements, the Company has an accumulated deficit, has suffered significant net losses and negative cash flows from operations, and has limited working capital. The continuation of our business as a going concern is dependent upon raising additional capital and eventually attaining and maintaining profitable operations. As of September 30, 2014, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements included in this report do not include any adjustments that might be necessary should operations discontinue. The Company expects to incur substantial expenses for the foreseeable future for the research, development and commercialization of its potential products. In addition, the Company will require additional financing in order to seek to license or acquire new assets, research and develop any potential patents and the related compounds, and obtain any further intellectual property that the Company may seek to acquire. The Company does not have sufficient cash and cash equivalents to support its current operating plan. The Company will be required to raise additional capital, obtain alternative means of financial support, or both, in order to continue to fund operations. Therefore, there exists substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Historically, the Company has funded its operations primarily through equity and debt financings.
 
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from this uncertainty.
 
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company as of September 30, 2014 and 2013. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.