As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 11, 2017
Registration No. 333-213704
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 3
to
Form S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
ENTEROMEDICS INC.
(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)
Delaware | 48-1293684 | 3845 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
2800 Patton Road
St. Paul, Minnesota 55113
(651) 634-3071
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrants principal executive offices)
Dan W. Gladney
Chief Executive Officer
EnteroMedics Inc.
2800 Patton Road
St. Paul, Minnesota 55113
(651) 634-3003
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Timothy S. Hearn Jonathan B. Abram Dorsey & Whitney LLP 50 South Sixth Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 Tel: (612) 340-2600 Fax: (612) 340-2868 |
Michael F. Nertney Ellenoff Grossman & Schole, LLP 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10105 Tel: (212) 370-1300 Fax: (212) 370-7889 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box: ☐
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||||
Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company | ☒ |
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of securities to be registered (1) | Proposed maximum aggregate offering price (1) |
Amount of Registration Fee (2) | ||
Class A Units consisting of: |
$3,450,000 | $399.86 | ||
(i) shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share |
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(ii) Warrants to purchase Common Stock |
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Class B Units consisting of: |
$13,800,000 | $1,599.42 | ||
(i) Series A Convertible Preferred Stock |
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(ii) Common Stock issuable on conversion of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock |
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(iii) Warrants to purchase Common Stock |
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Common Stock issuable on exercise of Warrants |
$17,250,000 | $1,911.88 | ||
Total |
$34,500,000 | $3,911.16 (3) | ||
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(1) | Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act). Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Act, the securities registered also include such indeterminate amounts and numbers of shares of common stock issuable to cover additional securities that may be offered or issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions. Also includes the offering price of additional units that the underwriters have the option to purchase. |
(2) | Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) based on an estimate of the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of all securities being registered. |
(3) | Of this amount, $1,911.88 was previously paid. |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion dated January 11, 2017
PROSPECTUS
ENTEROMEDICS INC.
604,534 Class A Units consisting of shares of common stock and warrants and 9,600 Class B Units consisting of Series A convertible preferred stock and warrants (and shares of common stock underlying shares of Series A convertible preferred stock and warrants)
We are offering 604,534 Class A Units and 9,600 Class B Units, with each Class A Unit consisting of one share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share and one warrant to purchase one share of our common stock (together with the shares of common stock underlying such warrants, the Class A Units) at an assumed public offering price of $3.97 per Class A Unit. Warrants included in the Class A Units have an assumed exercise price of $3.97 per whole share.
We are also offering 9,600 Class B Units to those purchasers whose purchase of Class A Units in this offering would result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, in lieu of the number of Class A Units that would result in ownership in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock. Each Class B Unit will consist of one share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Series A Preferred Stock), convertible at any time at the holders option into a number of shares of common stock equal to $1,000 divided by $3.97 (the Conversion Price) and warrants to purchase a number of shares of our common stock equal to $1,000 divided by the Conversion Price (together with the shares of common stock underlying such shares of Series A Preferred Stock and such warrants, the Class B Units and, together with the Class A Units, the Units) at an assumed public offering price of $1,000 per Class B Unit. Each warrant included in the Class B Units entitles its holder to purchase a number of shares of common stock equal to 100% of the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock included in such units at an assumed exercise price of $3.97 per share.
The Class A Units and Class B Units will not be certificated and the shares of common stock, Series A Preferred Stock and warrants comprising such units are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering.
The price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market during recent periods will only be one of many factors in determining the public offering price. Other factors to be considered in determining the public offering price include our history, our prospects, the industry in which we operate, our past and present operating results, the previous experience of our executive officers and the general condition of the securities markets at the time of this offering. All share numbers included in this prospectus are based upon an assumed public offering price of $3.97, the closing price of our common stock on January 5, 2017.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol ETRM. We do not intend to list the warrants or preferred stock to be sold in this offering on any stock exchange.
Investing in the common stock and warrants involves risks. See Risk Factors beginning on page 12 of this prospectus.
Per Class A Unit |
Per Class B Unit (1) |
Total | ||||||||||
Public offering price |
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Underwriting discounts (2) |
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Proceeds, before expenses, to EnteroMedics Inc. |
(1) | The public offering price and underwriting discount corresponds to (x) in respect of the Class A Units (i) a public offering price per share of common stock of $ and (ii) a public offering price per warrant of $ and (y) in respect of the Class B Units (i) a public offering price per share of Series A Preferred Stock of $ and (ii) a public offering price per warrant of $ . |
(2) | We refer you to Underwriting on page 45 for additional information regarding underwriting compensation. |
Neither the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the common stock that may be offered under this prospectus, nor have any of these regulatory authorities determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The underwriter has the option to purchase up to (i) 453,401 additional shares of common stock, and/or (ii) additional warrants to purchase up to 453,401 additional shares of common stock solely to cover over-allotments, if any, at the public offering price per share of common stock and the public offering price per warrant set forth above less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The over-allotment option may be used to purchase shares of common stock or warrants, or any combination thereof, as determined by the underwriter, but such purchases cannot exceed an aggregate of 15% of the number of shares of common stock (including the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of shares of Series A Preferred Stock) and 15% of the warrants sold in the primary offering. The over-allotment option is exercisable for 45 days from the date of this prospectus.
The underwriter expects to deliver the securities to purchasers on , 2017.
Ladenburg Thalmann
, 2017
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT |
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You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and any free-writing prospectus that we authorize to be distributed to you. We have not, and the underwriter has not, authorized anyone to provide you with information different from or in addition to that contained in this prospectus or any related free-writing prospectus. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are offering to sell, and are seeking offers to buy, the common stock and warrants only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of the common stock and warrants. Our business, financial conditions, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
Registered Trademarks and Trademark Applications: In the United States we have registered trademarks for VBLOC®, ENTEROMEDICS® and MAESTRO®, each registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and trademark applications for VBLOC POWER TO CHOOSE and VBLOC POWER TO CHOOSE AND DESIGN. In addition, some or all of the marks VBLOC, ENTEROMEDICS, MAESTRO, MAESTRO SYSTEM ORCHESTRATING OBESITY SOLUTIONS, VBLOC POWER TO CHOOSE and VBLOC POWER TO CHOOSE AND DESIGN are the subject of either a trademark registration or application for registration in Australia, Brazil, China, the European Community, India, Kuwait, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. This prospectus contains other trade names and trademarks and service marks of EnteroMedics and of other companies.
We obtained industry and market data used throughout and incorporated by reference into this prospectus through our research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties and industry and general publications. We have not independently verified market and industry data from third-party sources.
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This summary highlights selected information contained in greater detail elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This summary may not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in the common stock and warrants. You should carefully read the entire prospectus, including Risk Factors beginning on page 12 and the financial statements and related notes and other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus, before making an investment decision.
Our Business
We are a medical device company focused on the design and development of devices that use neuroblocking technology to treat obesity, metabolic diseases and other gastrointestinal disorders. Our proprietary neuroblocking technology, which we refer to as vBloc Therapy, is designed to intermittently block the vagus nerve using high frequency, low energy, electrical impulses. We have U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to sell our product in the United States and have regulatory approval to sell our product in the European Economic Area and other countries that recognize the European CE Mark.
Our Product
The vBloc Rechargeable System, our initial product, uses vBloc Therapy to limit the expansion of the stomach, help control hunger sensations between meals, reduce the frequency and intensity of stomach contractions and produce a feeling of early and prolonged fullness. We believe the vBloc Rechargeable System offers obese patients a minimally-invasive treatment that can result in significant, durable and sustained weight loss. We believe that our vBloc Rechargeable System allows bariatric surgeons to offer a new option to obese patients who are concerned about the risks and complications associated with currently available anatomy-altering, restrictive or malabsorptive surgical procedures.
The vBloc Rechargeable System
Our vBloc Rechargeable System delivers vBloc Therapy via two small electrodes that are laparoscopically implanted and placed in contact with the trunks of the vagus nerve just above the junction between the esophagus and the stomach, near the diaphragm and connected to a neuroregulator, which is subcutaneously implanted. The vBloc Rechargeable System is powered by an internal rechargeable battery. The vBloc Rechargeable System is implanted by a bariatric surgeon using a procedure that is typically performed within 60-90 minutes. The physician activates the vBloc Rechargeable System after implantation. vBloc Therapy is then delivered intermittently each day as scheduled (recommended during the patients waking hours) through the neuroregulator. The scheduled
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delivery of the intermittent pulses blocking the vagus nerve is customized for each patients weight loss and overall treatment objectives. The physician is able to download reports to monitor patient use and system performance information. This information is particularly useful to physicians to ensure that patients are properly using the system.
We received FDA approval on January 14, 2015 for vBloc Therapy, delivered via the vBloc Rechargeable System, for the treatment of adult patients with obesity who meet certain specifications for Body Mass Index (BMI) with a related health condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels, and who have tried to lose weight in a supervised weight management program and failed within the past five years. Additionally, we obtained European CE Mark approval for our vBloc Rechargeable System in 2011 for the treatment of obesity. The CE Mark approval for our vBloc Rechargeable System was expanded in 2014 to also include use for the management of Type 2 diabetes in obese patients. To date, we have relied on, and anticipate that we will continue to rely on, third-party manufacturers and suppliers for the production of the vBloc Rechargeable System.
Our Market
The Obesity and Metabolic Disease Epidemic. Obesity is a disease that has been increasing at an alarming rate with significant medical repercussions and associated economic costs. Since 1980, the worldwide obesity rate has more than doubled, with about 13% of the worlds adult population now being obese. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently estimates that as many as 600 million people worldwide are estimated to be obese and more than 1.9 billion adults are estimated to be overweight. Being overweight or obese is also the fifth leading risk for global deaths, with approximately 3.4 million adults dying each year as a result.
According to the WHO, there are over 70 progressive obesity-related diseases and disorders associated with obesity, which are also known as comorbidities, including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, infertility and certain cancers. Worldwide, 44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the heart disease burden and between 7% and 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity.
We believe that this epidemic will continue to grow worldwide given dietary trends in developed nations that favor highly processed sugars, larger meals and fattier foods, as well as increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Despite the growing obesity rate, increasing public interest in the obesity epidemic and significant medical repercussions and economic costs associated with obesity, there continues to be a significant unmet need for effective treatments.
The United States Market. Obesity has been identified by the U.S. Surgeon General as the fastest growing cause of disease and death in the United States. Currently, the Center for Disease Control (the CDC) estimates that 35.7% of U.S. adults (or approximately 73,000,000 people) are obese, having a BMI of 30 or higher. BMI is calculated by dividing a persons weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. It is estimated that if obesity rates stay consistent, 51% of the U.S. population will be obese by 2030. According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, almost 80% of adults with a BMI above 30 have a co-morbidity, and almost 40% have two or more of these comorbidities. According to The Obesity Society and the CDC, obesity is associated with many significant weight-related comorbidities including Type 2 diabetes, high blood-pressure, sleep apnea, certain cancers, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis and stroke. According to the American Cancer Society, 572,000 Americans die of cancer each year, about one-third of which are linked to excess body weight, poor nutrition and/or physical inactivity. Over 75% of hypertension cases are directly linked to obesity, and approximately two-thirds of U.S. adults with Type 2 diabetes are overweight or have obesity. Currently, medical costs associated with obesity in the U.S. are estimated to be up to $210 billion per year and nearly 21% of medical costs in the U.S. can be attributed to obesity. Researchers estimate that if obesity trends continue, obesity related medical costs could rise by another $44-$66 billion each year in the U.S.
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by 2030. The medical costs paid by third-party payors for people who are obese were $2,741 per year, or 42% higher than those of people who are normal weight and the average cost to employers is $6,627 to $8,067 per year per obese employee (BMI of 35 to 40 and higher).
Current Treatment Options and Their Limitations. We believe existing options for the treatment of obesity have seen limited adoption to date due to patient concerns and potential side effects including morbidity. The principal treatment alternatives available today for obesity include:
| Behavioral modification. Behavioral modification, which includes diet and exercise, is an important component in the treatment of obesity; however, most obese patients find it difficult to achieve and maintain significant weight loss with a regimen of diet and exercise alone. |
| Pharmaceutical therapy. Pharmaceutical therapies often represent a first option in the treatment of obese patients but carry significant safety risks and may present troublesome side effects and compliance issues. |
| Bariatric surgery. In more severe cases of obesity, patients may pursue more aggressive surgical treatment options such as gastric balloon, gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. These procedures promote weight loss by surgically restricting the stomachs capacity and outlet size. While largely effective, these procedures generally result in major lifestyle changes including dietary restrictions and food intolerances and they may present substantial side effects and carry short- and long-term safety and side effect risks that have limited their adoption. |
Market Opportunity Given the limitations of behavioral modification, pharmaceutical therapy and bariatric surgical approaches, we believe there is a substantial need for a patient-friendly, safer, effective and durable solution that:
| preserves normal anatomy; |
| is non-punitive in that it supports continued ingestion and digestion of foods and micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals found in a typical, healthy diet while allowing the user to modify his or her eating behavior appropriately without inducing punitive physical restrictions that physically force a limitation of food intake; |
| enables non-invasive adjustability while reducing the need for frequent clinic visits; |
| minimizes undesirable side-effects; |
| minimizes the risks of re-operations, malnutrition and mortality; and |
| reduces the natural hunger drive of patients. |
Our Technology
vBloc Therapy is designed to block the gastrointestinal effects of the vagus nerve using high-frequency, low-energy electrical impulses to intermittently interrupt naturally occurring neural impulses on the vagus nerve between the brain and the digestive system. Our therapy controls hunger sensations between meals, limits the expansion of the stomach and reduces the frequency and intensity of stomach contractions, leading to earlier fullness. In addition, vBloc Therapy reduces the absorption of calories by decreasing the secretion of digestive enzymes. The resulting physiologic effects of vBloc Therapy produce a feeling of early and prolonged fullness following smaller meal portions. By intermittently blocking the vagus nerve and allowing it to return to full function between therapeutic episodes, our therapy limits the bodys natural tendency to circumvent the therapy, which can result in long-term weight loss.
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We have designed our vBloc Rechargeable System to address a significant market opportunity that we believe exists for a patient-friendly, safe, effective, less-invasive and durable therapy that is intended to address the underlying causes of hunger and obesity. Our vBloc Rechargeable System offers each of the following benefits, which we believe could lead to the adoption of vBloc Therapy as the surgical therapy of choice for obesity and its comorbidities:
| Preserves Normal Anatomy. The vBloc Rechargeable System is designed to deliver therapy that blocks the neural signals that influence a patients hunger and sense of fullness without altering digestive system anatomy. Accordingly, patients should experience fewer and less severe side effects compared to treatments that incorporate anatomical alterations. |
| Allows Continued Ingestion and Digestion of Foods Found in a Typical, Healthy Diet. Because our therapy leaves the digestive anatomy unaltered, patients are able to maintain a more consistent nutritional balance compared to existing surgical approaches, thus allowing them to effect positive changes in their eating behavior in a non-forced and potentially more consistent way. |
| May be Implanted on an Outpatient Basis and Adjusted Non-Invasively. The vBloc Rechargeable System is designed to be laparoscopically implanted within a 60-90 minute procedure, allowing patients to leave the hospital or clinic on the same day. The implantable system is designed to be turned off and left in place for patients who reach their target weight. When desired, the follow-up physician can simply and non-invasively turn the therapy back on. Alternatively, the implantable system can be removed in a laparoscopic procedure. |
| Offers Favorable Safety Profile. We have designed our ReCharge and EMPOWER clinical trials to demonstrate the safety of the vBloc Rechargeable System. In our clinical trials to date, including the ReCharge and EMPOWER trials, we have not observed any mortality related to our device or any unanticipated adverse device effects. We have also not observed any long-term problematic clinical side effects in any patients, including in those patients who have been using vBloc Therapy for more than one year. |
| Targets Multiple Factors that Contribute to Hunger and Obesity. We designed vBloc Therapy to target the digestive, metabolic and information transmission functions of the vagus nerve and to affect the perception of hunger and fullness, which together contribute to obesity and its metabolic consequences. |
vBloc Therapy, delivered via our vBloc Rechargeable System, is intended to offer patients an effective, safe, outpatient solution that minimizes complications. It enables patients to lose weight and maintain long-term weight loss while enjoying a normal, healthy diet. We also believe that the vBloc Rechargeable System will appeal to physicians based on the inherent physiological approach of vBloc Therapy and its favorable safety profile.
Our Commercialization Strategy
Our goal is to establish vBloc Therapy, delivered via our vBloc Rechargeable System, as the leading obesity management solution. The key business strategies by which we intend to achieve these objectives include:
Commercialize Our Products Using a Geography Focused Direct-to-Patient Marketing Effort Within the United States. We received FDA approval on January 14, 2015 for vBloc Therapy, delivered via the vBloc Rechargeable System. We have begun a controlled commercial launch at select bariatric centers of excellence in the United States and had our first commercial sales in 2015. During 2015, we started the process of building a sales force and a controlled expansion of our operations and hired three new executives in January 2016 to oversee this expansion. The direct sales force is supported by field technical managers who provide training,
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technical and other support services to our customers. Throughout 2015 our sales force called directly on key opinion leaders and bariatric surgeons at commercially-driven bariatric centers of excellence that met our certification criteria, which led to the training and certification of over 50 centers and 75 surgeons in implanting and administering vBloc Therapy. We continued to build on these efforts in 2016 and 2017 through geography and self-pay patient focused direct-to-patient marketing and key opinion leader and center specific partnering.
Our direct sales force is initially targeting outcome-focused, aftercare-based centers in key self-pay markets and will promote the vBloc Rechargeable System to physicians and patients who have concerns with current bariatric surgical procedures. We are calling on physicians, weight-management specialists, nurses and others involved in the obesity management process who influence patient adoption.
Account management and patient registration processes used during the clinical trial are being transitioned to a commercial registration structure. Centers responsible for implanting our product will be expanded and trained to perform patient selection, implant the vBloc Rechargeable System and manage appropriate follow-up procedures.
Our sales representatives are supported by field clinical experts who are responsible for training, technical support, and other support services at various implant centers. Our sales representatives implement consumer marketing programs and provide surgical centers and implanting surgeons with educational patient materials.
We market directly to patients but sell our product to select surgical centers throughout the United States that have patients that would like to use the vBloc Rechargeable System to treat obesity and its comorbidities. The surgical centers then sell our product to the patients and implant and administer vBloc Therapy. In 2015 and 2016, the patients that purchased the vBloc Rechargeable System paid for the therapy themselves and did not receive reimbursement from an insurance provider, and we expect that most of our sales will come from self-pay patients in 2017. Through our agreement with Academy Medical, LLC, the vBloc Rechargeable System was added to Academy Medicals five-year sole source agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that allows any VA surgeon in the U.S. to purchase the vBloc System from Academy Medical. We are working to obtain coverage for our product from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), major insurance carriers, local coverage entities and self-insured plans, including Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs). We received coverage from one significant IDN in the northeast in 2016 and are in active discussions with other IDNs throughout the country.
Identify Appropriate Coding, Obtain Coverage and Payment for the vBloc Rechargeable System. While payors are not our direct customers, their coverage and reimbursement policies influence patient and physician selection of obesity treatment. We are employing a focused campaign to obtain payor support for vBloc Therapy. We plan to seek specific and appropriate coding, coverage and payment for our vBloc Rechargeable System from CMS and from private insurers. We plan to establish a market price for the vBloc Rechargeable System in the United States that is comparable to other active implantable devices such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators, neurostimulation devices for chronic pain and depression, and cochlear implant systems.
CMS issued a national coverage determination for several specific types of bariatric surgery in 2006, which we view as positive potential precedent and guidance factors that CMS might use in deciding to cover our therapy. Although Medicare policies are often emulated or adopted by other third-party payors, other governmental and private insurance coverage currently varies by carrier and geographic location. We have begun to actively work with major insurance carriers, local coverage entities and self-insured plans, as well as CMS, beginning the process to obtain coverage for procedures using our product. Initial coverage for vBloc will likely occur in self-contained healthcare systems that operate as IDNs, as these systems are able to evaluate risk-benefit ratios in a closed environment. For example, we recently announced coverage for its employees from the Winthrop Hospital System in New York, a significant IDN in the northeast. Other similar arrangements are in active discussion.
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Drive the Adoption and Endorsement of vBloc Therapy Through Obesity Therapy Experts and Patient Ambassadors. Our Clinical Development strategy is to collaborate closely with regulatory bodies, obesity therapy experts and others involved in the obesity management process, patients and their advocates and scientific experts. We have established credible and open relationships with obesity therapy experts and have identified vBloc Therapy patient ambassadors and we believe these individuals will be important in promoting patient awareness and gaining widespread adoption of the vBloc Rechargeable System.
Expand and Protect Our Intellectual Property Position. We believe that our issued patents and our patent applications encompass a broad platform of neuromodulation therapies, including vagal blocking and combination therapy focused on obesity, diabetes, hypertension and other gastrointestinal disorders. We intend to continue to pursue further intellectual property protection through U.S. and foreign patent applications.
Leverage our vBloc Technology for Other Disease States. We intend to continue to conduct research and development for other potential applications for our vBloc Therapy and believe we have a broad technology platform that will support the development of additional clinical applications and therapies for other metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders in addition to obesity.
Concentrate Our Resources on the U.S. Market. We intend to devote our near-term efforts toward mounting a successful system launch in the United States. We intend to explore select international markets to commercialize the vBloc Rechargeable System as our resources permit, using direct, dealer and distributor sales models as the targeted market best dictates.
Clinical Experience
We have conducted a series of clinical trials to date, which have shown that vBloc Therapy offers physicians a programmable method to selectively and reversibly block the vagus nerve resulting in clinically and statistically significant excess weight loss. To date, we have not observed any mortality related to our device or any unanticipated adverse device effects in our human clinical trials. We have also not observed any long-term problematic clinical side effects in any patients. In addition, data from our trials outside the United States demonstrate that vBloc Therapy may hold promise in improving obesity-related comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. We are conducting, or plan to conduct, further studies in each of these comorbidities to assess vBloc Therapys potential in addressing multiple indications.
Our Intellectual Property
Our success will depend in part on our ability to obtain and defend patent protection for our products and processes, to preserve our trade secrets and to operate without infringing or violating the proprietary rights of third parties. We own numerous U.S. and foreign patents, and have numerous patent applications pending, most of which pertain to treating gastrointestinal disorders and we believe provide us with broad intellectual property protection covering electrically-induced vagal blocking and methods for treating obesity. Assuming timely payment of maintenance fees as they become due, many of these patents will expire in 2023. We have also received or applied for patents in Europe, Australia, China, India and Japan. These applications primarily pertain to our vagal blocking technology and its application to obesity as well as other gastrointestinal disorders. In addition to our patents and applications, we have a license agreement with the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research for three issued U.S. patents, which are unrelated to our vBloc Therapy.
Risks Associated with Our Business
Our business is subject to numerous risks discussed more fully in the section entitled Risk Factors immediately following this prospectus summary. We are a medical device company with a limited operating history upon which you can evaluate our business. We received FDA approval to sell our product in the United States on
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January 14, 2015. We have also completed the regulatory process required to sell our product in the European Economic Area and other countries that recognize the European CE Mark, but did not recognize any revenue from commercial sales of our product in 2014 or 2013. We completed the first commercial sale of our product outside of the United States in 2012. We recently commenced commercial operations in the United States, and made our first commercial sales in the United States in the second quarter of 2015. The success of our business will depend on our ability to establish a sales force, make sales and control costs, as well as our ability to obtain additional regulatory approvals needed to market new versions of our vBloc Rechargeable System and any other products we may develop in the future, all of which we may be unable to do. Additionally, if third-party payors do not cover and reimburse the cost of our vBloc Rechargeable System and the related surgery and facility costs, or such coverage is limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, market acceptance of our vBloc Rechargeable System will be impaired and our future revenue, if any, will be adversely affected. If we are unable to successfully market our vBloc Rechargeable System for its indicated use or are unable to obtain adequate third-party coverage and reimbursement, we may never be profitable and we may have to cease operations. Our lack of a significant operating history also limits your ability to make a comparative evaluation of us, our products and our prospects.
Our Corporate Information
We were incorporated in Minnesota in December 2002 as two separate legal entities, Alpha Medical, Inc. and Beta Medical, Inc., both of which were owned 100% by a common stockholder. In 2003, the two entities were combined and we changed our name to EnteroMedics Inc. In 2004 we reincorporated in Delaware. Our principal executive offices are located at 2800 Patton Road, St. Paul, Minnesota 55113, and our telephone number is (651) 634-3003. Our website address is www.enteromedics.com. The information on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not a part of, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus supplement. As used in this prospectus, references to we, our, us and EnteroMedics refer to EnteroMedics Inc. and its subsidiary unless the context requires otherwise.
Recent Developments
Nasdaq Compliance
In May 2016, we received written notices from the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) stating that we were not in compliance with the following two Nasdaq listing requirements: (1) the requirement that we have a minimum of $2.5 million stockholders equity (the Stockholders Equity Requirement) and (2) the $1.00 minimum bid price stock price requirement (the Minimum Bid Requirement). We have received an extension until November 14, 2016 from Nasdaq to regain compliance with the Stockholders Equity Requirement. The extension was granted based on a plan we submitted to Nasdaq to regain compliance with the Stockholders Equity Requirement through a combination of note conversions and accelerated principal amortizations and infusions of equity capital prior to the deadline. In connection with the plan submitted to Nasdaq, we entered into an amendment to the securities purchase agreement with the holders of our outstanding convertible notes to facilitate conversions and allow us to incentivize further conversions of our outstanding convertible notes into equity. Since entering into the amendment, we have experienced a significant increase in accelerated principal amortizations and conversions at the election of the holders. Through September 30, 2016, $12.6 million of aggregate principal amount of the Notes was converted or accelerated by the holders into approximately 1.0 million shares, as adjusted, of our common stock. Through December 27, 2016, the remaining $5.7 million of aggregate principal amount of our outstanding convertible notes was converted or accelerated by the holders into approximately 1.7 million shares, as adjusted, of our common stock and all of the convertible notes were fully repaid as of December 27, 2016. Over the term of the convertible notes 2.6 million shares, as adjusted, were issued to the holders of the convertible notes as amortization payments or conversions of principal and interest.
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As we were not in compliance with the Stockholders Equity Requirement on November 14, 2016, we received a notice of delisting on November 16, 2016 related to our failure to comply with the Stockholders Equity Requirement. Previously, on November 9, 2016, we had received a notice of delisting related to our failure to comply with the Minimum Bid rule. We have appealed to Nasdaq for a hearing before a Listing Qualification Panel prior to being delisted, which is currently scheduled for January 12, 2017. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to regain compliance with the Stockholders Equity Requirement or Minimum Bid Rule prior to being delisted, or at all. Any failure to maintain the Nasdaq listing of our common stock could have a material adverse effect on our ability to complete this offering on the terms set forth in this prospectus and on the secondary trading of shares of our common stock.
Reverse Stock Split
Our board of directors and stockholders approved a 1-for-70 reverse split of the Companys outstanding common stock that became effective after trading on December 27, 2016 (the December Reverse Stock Split). The December Reverse Stock Split did not change the par value of our stock or the number of common shares or preferred shares authorized by our Certificate of Incorporation. All share and per share amounts in this Registration Statement have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the December Reverse Stock Split for all periods presented. The financial statements incorporated by reference herein have not been adjusted to reflect the December Reverse Stock Split.
Incentive Awards and Incentive Plan
On December 16, 2016, the board of directors of the Company determined that, after the closing of the offering, it intends to grant stock options to the Companys management team and board of directors under the Companys Second Amended and Restated 2003 Stock Incentive Plan (the Incentive Plan) exercisable, in the aggregate, for up to a number of shares of common stock equal to 20% of the Companys fully diluted shares of common stock outstanding after the offering. Additionally, in connection with such grant and with the Reverse Stock Split, the board of directors intends to, pursuant to the terms of the Incentive Plan, adjust the number of shares available for awards under the Incentive Plan not in direct proportion with the Reverse Stock Split in order to ensure the Company has an adequate number of shares available under the Incentive Plan to attract, motivate, incentivize and retain employees, management personnel and non-employee directors going forward.
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The Offering
Issuer |
EnteroMedics Inc. |
Class A Units Offered |
We are offering Class A Units. Each Class A Unit consists of one share of common stock and a warrant to purchase one share of our common stock (together with the shares of common stock underlying such warrants). |
Offering Price per Class A Unit |
$3.97 combined price for each Class A Unit based upon an assumed offering price of $3.97, the closing price of our common stock on January 5, 2017. |
Class B Units Offered |
We are also offering to those purchasers, whose purchase of Class A Units in this offering would result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, in lieu of the number of Class A Units that would result in ownership in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock, Class B Units. Each Class B Unit will consist of one share of Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, convertible into a number of shares of common stock equal to $1,000 divided by $3.97 (the Conversion Price) and warrants to purchase a number of shares of our common stock equal to $1,000 divided by the Conversion Price (together with the shares of common stock underlying such shares of Series A Preferred Stock and such warrants). |
Offering Price per Class B Unit |
$1,000 combined price for each Class B Unit. |
Description of warrants |
The warrants will be exercisable beginning on the closing date and expire on the fifth anniversary of the closing date and have an initial assumed exercise price per share equal to $3.97 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of recapitalization events, stock dividends, stock splits, stock combinations, reclassifications, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock. |
Description of Series A Preferred Stock |
Each share of Series A Preferred Stock is convertible at any time at the holders option into a number of shares of common stock equal to $1,000 divided by the Conversion Price. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we shall not effect any conversion of Series A Preferred Stock, with certain exceptions, to the extent that, after giving effect to an attempted conversion, the holder of shares of Series A Preferred Stock (together with such holders affiliates, and any persons acting as a group together with such holder or any of such holders affiliates) would beneficially own a number of shares of our common stock in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of the shares of our common stock then outstanding after giving effect to |
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such exercise. For additional information, see Description of SecuritiesPreferred Stock on page 41 of this prospectus. |
Shares of common stock underlying the warrants |
3,022,670 shares. |
Shares of common stock outstanding before this offering(1) |
2,736,621 shares as of January 5, 2017. |
Shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering(1) |
3,341,155 shares, (5,759,291 shares on an as-converted basis, assuming the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock.) |
Shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding before this offering |
None. |
Shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be outstanding after this offering |
9,600 shares. |
Over-allotment option |
We have granted the underwriter an option to purchase additional shares of common stock equal to 15% of the shares (including shares of common stock underlying the Series A Preferred Stock) in the offering and/or additional warrants equal to 15% of the warrants in the offering at the assumed public offering price per share of common stock and the assumed public offering price per warrant set forth on the cover page hereto less the underwriting discounts and commission. This option is exercisable, in whole or in part, for a period of 45 days from the date of this prospectus. |
Market for the Common Stock |
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol ETRM. |
No listing of warrants |
We do not intend to apply for listing of the warrants on any securities exchange or trading system. |
No listing of Series A Preferred Stock |
We do not intend to apply for listing of the Series A Preferred Stock on any securities exchange or trading system. |
Risk Factors |
See Risk Factors beginning on page 12 and other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors that you should consider carefully before deciding to invest this offering. |
(1) | The number of shares of our common stock that will be outstanding immediately before and after this offering is based on 2,736,621 shares outstanding as of January 5, 2017 and excludes: |
| 55,044 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of January 5, 2017 at a weighted average exercise price of $238.90 per share; |
| 19,815 shares issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of January 5, 2017 at a weighted average exercise price of $767.62 per share; |
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| 11,388 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our Amended and Restated 2003 Stock Incentive Plan as of January 5, 2017; |
| 3,022,670 shares of our common stock initially issuable upon the exercise of the warrants to be sold as part of this offering; and |
| 2,418,136 shares of our common stock issuable upon the conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock to be sold as part of this offering. |
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An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this prospectus and other information incorporated by reference herein, before deciding to invest in our securities. The occurrence of any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
We are a medical device company with a limited history of operations, limited history of sales in the United States and a limited history of sales in countries outside of the United States, and we cannot assure you that we will ever generate substantial revenue or be profitable.
We are a medical device company with a limited operating history upon which you can evaluate our business. We received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to sell our product in the United States on January 14, 2015 and we have had commercial sales within the United States in 2015 and 2016. We have also completed the regulatory process required to sell our product in the European Economic Area and other countries that recognize the European CE Mark, and have not generated revenue from commercial sales outside of the United States since 2012 and then only on a limited basis in Australia and the Middle East. We have been engaged in research and development and clinical trials since our inception in 2002 and have invested substantially all of our time and resources in developing our vBloc Therapy, which we have begun to commercialize in the form of our vBloc Rechargeable System. The success of our business will depend on our ability to establish a sales force, make sales and control costs, as well as our ability to obtain additional regulatory approvals needed to market new versions of our vBloc Rechargeable System and any other products we may develop in the future, all of which we may be unable to do. If we are unable to successfully market our vBloc Rechargeable System for its indicated use, we may never become profitable and may have to cease operations as a result. Our lack of a significant operating history also limits your ability to make a comparative evaluation of us, our products and our prospects.
We have incurred losses since inception and we anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future.
We have incurred losses in each year since our formation in 2002. Our net loss applicable to common stockholders for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $18.9 million and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $25.5 million, $26.1 million and $25.8 million, respectively. We have funded our operations to date principally from the sale of securities and the issuance of indebtedness. Development of a new medical device, including conducting clinical trials and seeking regulatory approvals, is a long, expensive and uncertain process. Although we recently received the regulatory approval required to sell our vBloc Rechargeable System in the United States and have the approvals required for sales in the European Economic Area and other countries that recognize the European CE Mark, we have only generated limited revenue from commercial sales in the United States and have not generated revenue from commercial sales outside of the United States since 2012 and then only on a limited basis in Australia and the Middle East. We expect to incur significant sales and marketing expenses prior to recording sufficient revenue to offset these expenses. We expect our general and administrative expenses to increase as we continue to add the infrastructure necessary to support our initial commercial sales, operate as a public company and develop our intellectual property portfolio. For these reasons, we expect to continue to incur significant operating losses for the next several years. These losses, among other things, have had and will continue to have an adverse effect on our stockholders equity and working capital. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing new medical devices, we are unable to predict the extent of any future losses or when we will become profitable, if ever.
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We will need substantial additional funding and may be unable to raise capital when needed, which would force us to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs or liquidate some or all of our assets.
Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception. We expect to continue to spend substantial amounts on the commercialization of our product and on research and development, including conducting current and future clinical trials for our vBloc Rechargeable System and subsequent versions of our product. Cash used in operations was $17.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and $22.6 million, $19.4 million and $18.4 million for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. We expect that our cash used in operations will continue to be significant in the upcoming years, and that we will need to raise additional capital to commercialize our vBloc Rechargeable System in the United States, the European Economic Area, other countries that recognize the European CE Mark and other international markets, to explore other indications for our product, to continue our research and development programs, and to fund our ongoing operations.
Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including:
| the cost and timing of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities; |
| the cost of establishing clinical and commercial supplies of our vBloc Rechargeable System and any products that we may develop; |
| the rate of market acceptance of our vBloc Rechargeable System and vBloc Therapy and any other product candidates; |
| the cost of filing and prosecuting patent applications and defending and enforcing our patent and other intellectual property rights; |
| the cost of defending, in litigation or otherwise, any claims that we infringe third-party patent or other intellectual property rights; |
| the effect of competing products and market developments; |
| the cost of explanting clinical devices; |
| the terms and timing of any collaborative, licensing or other arrangements that we may establish; |
| any revenue generated by sales of our vBloc Rechargeable System or our future products; |
| the scope, rate of progress, results and cost of any clinical trials and other research and development activities; |
| the cost and timing of obtaining any further required regulatory approvals; and |
| the extent to which we invest in products and technologies, although we currently have no commitments or agreements relating to these types of transactions. |
Until the time, if ever, when we can generate a sufficient amount of product revenue, we expect to finance our future cash needs through public or private equity offerings, debt financings or corporate collaboration, licensing arrangements and grants, as well as through interest income earned on cash balances.
We incur significant costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management is required to devote substantial time to compliance initiatives.
As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) have imposed various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and changes in corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations result in increased legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly.
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The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective internal controls for financial reporting and disclosure. In particular, we are required to perform system and process evaluation and testing of our internal controls over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Our testing may reveal deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses. We have incurred and continue to expect to incur significant expense and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with Section 404. Moreover, if we do not comply with the requirements of Section 404, or if we identify deficiencies in our internal controls that are deemed to be material weaknesses, the market price of our stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which would entail expenditure of additional financial and management resources.
We face significant uncertainty in the industry due to government healthcare reform.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended, (the Affordable Care Act) as well as other healthcare reform may have a significant impact on our business. The impact of the Affordable Care Act on the health care industry is extensive and includes, among other things, the federal government assuming a larger role in the health care system, expanding healthcare coverage of United States citizens and mandating basic healthcare benefits. The Affordable Care Act contains many provisions designed to generate the revenues necessary to fund the coverage expansions and to reduce costs of Medicare and Medicaid, including imposing a 2.3% excise tax on domestic sales of many medical devices by manufacturers that began in 2013. Although a moratorium was placed on the medical device excise tax in 2016 and 2017, if it is reinstated, it may adversely affect our sales and the cost of goods sold. In addition, any healthcare reforms enacted in the future may, like the Affordable Care Act, be phased in over a number of years but, if enacted, could reduce our revenue, increase our costs, or require us to revise the ways in which we conduct business or put us at risk for loss of business. In addition, our results of operations, financial position and cash flows could be materially adversely affected by changes under the Affordable Care Act and changes under any federal or state legislation adopted in the future.
We are subject, directly or indirectly, to United States federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse and false claims laws and regulations. Prosecutions under such laws have increased in recent years and we may become subject to such litigation. If we are unable to, or have not fully complied with such laws, we could face substantial penalties.
Our operations are directly, or indirectly through customers, subject to various state and federal fraud and abuse laws, including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and federal False Claims Act. These laws may impact, among other things, our sales, marketing and education programs.
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in exchange for or to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing or arranging for a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Several courts have interpreted the statutes intent requirement to mean that if any one purpose of an arrangement involving remuneration is to induce referrals of federal healthcare covered business, the statute has been violated. The Anti-Kickback Statute is broad and, despite a series of narrow safe harbors, prohibits many arrangements and practices that are lawful in businesses outside of the healthcare industry. Penalties for violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute include criminal penalties and civil sanctions such as fines, imprisonment and possible exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs. Many states have also adopted laws similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, some of which apply to the referral of patients for healthcare items or services reimbursed by any source, not only the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
The federal False Claims Act prohibits persons from knowingly filing, or causing to be filed, a false claim to, or the knowing use of false statements to obtain payment from the federal government. Suits filed under the False Claims Act, known as qui tam actions, can be brought by any individual on behalf of the government and such
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individuals, commonly known as whistleblowers, may share in any amounts paid by the entity to the government in fines or settlement. The frequency of filing qui tam actions has increased significantly in recent years, causing greater numbers of medical device, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies to have to defend a False Claim Act action. When an entity is determined to have violated the federal False Claims Act, it may be required to pay up to three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus civil penalties for each separate false claim. Various states have also enacted laws modeled after the federal False Claims Act.
We are unable to predict whether we could be subject to actions under any of these laws, or the impact of such actions. If we are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or other applicable state and federal fraud and abuse laws, we may be subject to penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from government healthcare reimbursement programs and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.
We operate in a highly competitive industry that is subject to rapid change. If our competitors are able to develop and market products that are safer or more effective than our products, our commercial opportunities will be reduced or eliminated.
The health care industry is highly competitive, subject to rapid change and significantly affected by new product introductions and other market activities of industry participants. The obesity treatment market in which we operate has grown significantly in recent years and is expected to continue to expand as technology continues to evolve and awareness of the need to treat the obesity epidemic grows. Although we are not aware of any competitors in the neuroblocking market, we face potential competition from pharmaceutical and surgical obesity treatments. Many of our competitors in the obesity treatment field have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly if they pursue competing solutions through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies, such as Allergan, Apollo Endosurgery, Boston Scientific, LivaNova PLC, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic or St. Jude Medical. Our competitors may develop and patent processes or products earlier than us, obtain regulatory approvals for competing products more rapidly than we are able to and develop more effective, safer and less expensive products or technologies that would render our products non-competitive or obsolete.
Failure to protect our information technology infrastructure against cyber-based attacks, network security breaches, service interruptions, or data corruption could significantly disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and operating results.
We currently rely on information technology and telephone networks and systems, including the Internet, to process and transmit sensitive electronic information and will rely on such systems to manage or support a variety of business processes and activities, including sales, billing, customer service, procurement and supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution. We use enterprise information technology systems to record, process, and summarize financial information and results of operations for internal reporting purposes and to comply with regulatory financial reporting, legal, and tax requirements.
Our information technology systems, some of which are managed by third-parties, may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns due to computer viruses, attacks by computer hackers, failures during the process of upgrading or replacing software, databases or components thereof, power outages, hardware failures, telecommunication failures, user errors or catastrophic events. We are not aware of any breaches of our information technology infrastructure. Despite the precautionary measures we have taken to prevent breakdowns in our information technology and telephone systems, if our systems suffer severe damage, disruption or shutdown and we are unable to effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, our business and operating results may suffer.
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Risks Associated with Development and Commercialization of the vBloc Rechargeable System
Our efforts to commercialize our vBloc Rechargeable System may not succeed or may encounter delays which could significantly harm our ability to generate revenue.
Our ability to generate revenue will depend upon the successful commercialization of our vBloc Rechargeable System. Our efforts to commercialize this product may not succeed for a number of reasons, including:
| our vBloc Rechargeable System may not be accepted in the marketplace by physicians, patients and third-party payors; |
| the price of our vBloc Rechargeable System, associated costs of the surgical procedure and treatment and the availability of sufficient third-party reimbursement for the system implantation and follow-up procedures; |
| appropriate reimbursement and/or coding options may not exist to enable billing for the system implantation and follow-up procedures; |
| we may not be able to sell our vBloc Rechargeable System at a price that allows us to meet the revenue targets necessary to generate enough revenue for profitability; |
| the frequency and severity of any side effects of our vBloc Therapy; |
| physicians and potential patients may not be aware of the perceived effectiveness and sustainability of the results of vBloc Therapy provided by our vBloc Rechargeable System; |
| we, or the investigators of our product, may not be able to have information on the outcome of the trials published in medical journals; |
| the availability and perceived advantages and disadvantages of alternative treatments; |
| any rapid technological change may make our product obsolete; |
| we may not be able to have our vBloc Rechargeable System manufactured in commercial quantities or at an acceptable cost; |
| we may not have adequate financial or other resources to complete the development and commercialization of our vBloc Rechargeable System or to develop sales and marketing capabilities for our vBloc Rechargeable System; and |
| we may be sued for infringement of intellectual property rights and could be enjoined from manufacturing or selling our products. |
Besides requiring physician adoption, market acceptance of our vBloc Rechargeable System will depend on successfully communicating the benefits of our vBloc Therapy to three additional constituencies involved in deciding whether to treat a particular patient using such therapy: (1) the potential patients themselves; (2) institutions such as hospitals, where the procedure would be performed and opinion leaders in these institutions; and (3) third-party payors, such as private healthcare insurers and governmental payors, such as Medicare and Medicaid in the United States, which would ultimately bear most of the costs of the various providers and equipment involved in our vBloc Therapy. Marketing to each of these constituencies requires a different marketing approach, and we must convince each of these groups of the efficacy and utility of our vBloc Therapy to be successful.
If our vBloc Therapy, or any other neuroblocking therapy for other gastrointestinal diseases and disorders that we may develop, does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by the relevant constituencies, we may not generate significant product revenue and may not become profitable.
After we received FDA approval on January 14, 2015, we began the commercialization process for our vBloc Rechargeable System in the United States, and had our first commercial sales within the United States in 2015.
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Previously, in 2012, we commenced commercial sales of our vBloc Rechargeable System in Australia and the Middle East, but have not generated revenue from commercial sales outside of the United States since 2012 as we focused our resources on the U.S. regulatory approval process and commercialization of our product in the United States and we do not know when, or if, we will have the resources to commercialize our vBloc Rechargeable System internationally. If we are not successful in the commercialization of our vBloc Rechargeable System for the treatment of obesity we may not generate enough revenue to offset our expenses and may be forced to cease operations as a result.
We have not received, and may never receive, approval from the regulatory bodies of any foreign country other than the European Economic Area to market our vBloc Rechargeable System for the treatment of obesity.
We do not have the necessary regulatory approvals to market our vBloc Rechargeable System in any foreign market other than the European Economic Area for which we received CE Mark approval for our vBloc Rechargeable System in March 2011 for the treatment of obesity and other countries which accept these regulatory approvals. Additionally, the vBloc Rechargeable System was previously listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (the ARTG). The CE Mark approval for our vBloc Rechargeable System was expanded in 2014 to also include use for the management of Type 2 diabetes in obese patients. We have not generated revenue from commercial sales outside of the United States since 2012 as we focused our resources on the U.S. regulatory approval process and commercialization of our product in the United States and we do not know when, or if, we will have the resources to commercialize our vBloc Rechargeable System internationally.
In order to market our vBloc Rechargeable System outside of the United States, we will need to establish and comply with the numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding safety and efficacy. Approval procedures vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and additional administrative review periods. The time required to obtain approval in other countries may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. The regulatory approval process in other countries may also include all of the risks detailed below.
Regulatory approval in one country does not ensure regulatory approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country may negatively impact the regulatory process in others. While the vBloc Rechargeable System was previously listed on the ARTG and has received European CE Marking, we cannot assure you when, or if, we will be able to restart sales in Australia or the Middle East, commence sales in the European Economic Area or other countries that recognize the CE Mark or obtain approval to market our vBloc Rechargeable System in other countries outside the United States.
Because vBloc Therapy represents a novel way to effect weight loss in the treatment of obesity, and because there is a large population of obese patients who might be eligible for treatment, it is possible that other regulatory bodies will review an application for approval of our vBloc Rechargeable System with greater scrutiny, which could cause that process to be lengthier and more involved than that for products without such characteristics. Such regulatory bodies can delay, limit or deny approval of our vBloc Rechargeable System for many reasons, including our inability to demonstrate safety or effectiveness to their satisfaction, insufficient or inadequate data from our clinical trials, the facilities of our third-party manufacturers or suppliers may not meet applicable requirements; and changes in the regulatory bodies approval policies, expectations with regard to the type or amount of scientific data required or adoption of new regulations may require additional data or additional clinical studies.
We have limited data and experience regarding the safety and efficacy of the vBloc Rechargeable System. Any long-term data that is generated may not be positive or consistent with our limited short-term data, which would affect market acceptance of these products.
Because our technology is relatively new in the treatment of obesity, we have performed clinical trials only with limited patient populations. The long-term effects of using the vBloc Rechargeable System in a large number of
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patients have not been studied and the results of short-term clinical use of the vBloc Rechargeable System do not necessarily predict long-term clinical benefits or reveal long-term adverse effects.
Clinical trials conducted with the vBloc Rechargeable System have involved procedures performed by physicians who are very technically proficient. Consequently, both short and long-term results reported in these studies may be significantly more favorable than typical results achieved by physicians, which could negatively impact market acceptance of the vBloc Rechargeable System and materially harm our business.
We may be unable to complete our current clinical trials or any additional clinical trials, or we may experience significant delays in completing those clinical trials, which could impact market acceptance of our vBloc Rechargeable System and impair our financial position.
We continue to evaluate vBloc Therapy in human clinical trials, including the EMPOWER trial and ReCharge trial. Conducting a clinical trial, which involves screening, assessing, testing, treating and monitoring patients at several sites across the country and possibly internationally, and coordinating with patients and clinical institutions, is a complex and uncertain process.
The completion of our ongoing and future clinical trials, could be delayed, suspended or terminated for several reasons, including:
| ongoing discussions with regulatory authorities regarding the scope or design of our preclinical results or clinical trial or requests for supplemental information with respect to our preclinical results or clinical trial results; |
| our failure or inability to conduct the clinical trials in accordance with regulatory requirements; |
| sites currently participating in the trial may drop out of the trial, which may require us to engage new sites or petition the FDA for an expansion of the number of sites that are permitted to be involved in the trial; |
| patients may not remain in or complete, clinical trials at the rates we expect; |
| patients may experience serious adverse events or side effects during the trial, which, whether or not related to our product, could cause the FDA or other regulatory authorities to place the clinical trial on hold; |
| clinical investigators may not perform our clinical trials on our anticipated schedule or consistent with the clinical trial protocol and good clinical practices; and |
| we may be unable to obtain a sufficient supply of our vBloc Rechargeable System necessary for the timely conduct of the clinical trials. |
Although we believe that we have adequate personnel and procedures in place to manage the clinical trial process, the complexity of managing this process while also commercializing our vBloc Rechargeable System and fulfilling our disclosure and other obligations to our stockholders, lenders, regulators and other constituents could result in our inadvertently taking actions outside the clinical trial process, which could adversely impact the trial. As is always the case, if the FDA ultimately determined that such actions materially violated the protocol for the trial, the FDA could suspend, terminate or reject the results of the clinical trial and require us to repeat the process.
If our clinical trials are delayed, it will take us longer to ultimately commercialize a product and generate revenue or the delay could result in our being unable to do so. Moreover, our development costs will increase if we have material delays in our clinical trials or if we need to perform more or larger clinical trials than planned.
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We depend on clinical investigators and clinical sites to enroll patients in our clinical trials, and on other third parties to manage the trials and to perform related data collection and analysis, and, as a result, we may face costs and delays that are outside of our control.
We rely on clinical investigators and clinical sites to enroll patients in our clinical trials and other third parties to manage the trials and to perform related data collection and analysis. However, we may not be able to control the amount and timing of resources that clinical sites may devote to our clinical trials. If these clinical investigators and clinical sites fail to enroll a sufficient number of patients in our clinical trials, ensure compliance by patients with clinical protocols or comply with regulatory requirements, we will be unable to complete these trials, which could prevent us from obtaining or maintaining regulatory approvals for our product. Our agreements with clinical investigators and clinical trial sites for clinical testing place substantial responsibilities on these parties and, if these parties fail to perform as expected, our trials could be delayed or terminated. If these clinical investigators, clinical sites or other third parties do not carry out their contractual duties or obligations or fail to meet expected deadlines, or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to their failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, or the clinical data may be rejected by the FDA, adversely affecting our ability to successfully commercialize our product.
Modifications to the vBloc Rechargeable System may require additional approval from regulatory authorities, which may not be obtained or may delay our commercialization efforts.
The FDA and European Notified Body require medical device companies to initially make and document a determination of whether or not a modification requires a new approval, supplement or clearance; however, some of these regulatory authorities can review a companys decision. Any modifications to an approved device that could significantly affect its safety or efficacy, or that would constitute a major change in its intended use could require additional clinical studies and separate regulatory applications. Product changes or revisions will require all the regulatory steps and associated risks discussed above possibly including testing, regulatory filings and clinical study. We may not be able to obtain approval of supplemental regulatory approvals for product modifications, new indications for our product or new products. Delays in obtaining future clearances would adversely affect our ability to introduce new or enhanced products in a timely manner, which in turn would harm our commercialization efforts and future growth.
Our neuroblocking therapy for the treatment of obesity is a unique form of treatment. Physicians may not widely adopt our vBloc Rechargeable System and vBloc Therapy unless they determine, based on experience, long-term clinical data and published peer reviewed journal articles, that vBloc Therapy provides a safe and effective alternative to other existing treatments for obesity.
We believe we are the first and only company currently pursuing neuroblocking therapy for the treatment of obesity. Physicians tend to be slow to change their medical treatment practices because of the time and skill required to learn a new procedure, the perceived liability risks arising from the use of new products and procedures, and the uncertainty of third-party coverage and reimbursement. Physicians may not widely adopt our vBloc Rechargeable System and vBloc Therapy unless they determine, based on experience, long-term clinical data and published peer reviewed journal articles, that the use of our vBloc Therapy provides a safe and effective alternative to other existing treatments for obesity, including pharmaceutical solutions and bariatric surgical procedures.
We cannot provide any assurance that the data collected from our current and planned clinical trials will be sufficient to demonstrate that our vBloc Therapy is an attractive alternative to other obesity treatment procedures. We rely on experienced and highly trained surgeons to perform the procedures in our clinical trials and both short-and long-term results reported in our clinical trials may be significantly more favorable than typical results of practicing physicians, which could negatively impact rates of adoption of our vBloc Rechargeable System and vBloc Therapy. We believe that published peer-reviewed journal articles and recommendations and support by
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influential physicians regarding our vBloc Rechargeable System and vBloc Therapy will be important for market acceptance and adoption, and we cannot assure you that we will receive these recommendations and support, or that supportive articles will be published.
If we fail to obtain adequate coding, coverage or payment levels for our product by governmental healthcare programs and other third-party payors, there may be no commercially viable markets for our vBloc Rechargeable System or other products we may develop or our target markets may be much smaller than expected.
Healthcare providers generally rely on third-party payors, including governmental payors, such as Medicare and Medicaid in the United States, as well as private healthcare insurers, to adequately cover and reimburse the cost of medical devices. Importantly, third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price of medical products and services and instituting cost containment measures to control or significantly influence the purchase of medical products and services. We expect that third-party payors will continue to attempt to contain or reduce the costs of healthcare by challenging the prices charged for healthcare products and services. If reimbursement for our vBloc Rechargeable System and the related surgery and facility costs is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, market acceptance of our vBloc Rechargeable System will be impaired and our future revenue, if any, would be adversely affected. As such, even though we have obtained FDA approval for our vBloc Rechargeable System and began to market it in 2015, the availability and level of third-party coverage and reimbursement could substantially affect our ability to successfully commercialize our vBloc Rechargeable System and other products we may develop.
The efficacy, safety, ease of use and cost-effectiveness of our vBloc Rechargeable System and of any competing products will, in part, determine the availability and level of coverage and payment. In particular, we expect that securing coding, coverage and payment for our vBloc Rechargeable System will be more difficult if healthcare providers and obese individuals do not consider the percentage of EWL from a pre-implementation baseline that our clinical trials have demonstrated to be clinically meaningful, whether or not regulatory agencies consider the improvement of patients treated in clinical trials to have been clinically meaningful.
In some international markets, pricing of medical devices is subject to government control. In the United States and international markets, we expect that both government and third-party payors will continue to attempt to contain or reduce the costs of healthcare by challenging the prices charged for healthcare products and services. If payment for our vBloc Rechargeable System and the related surgery and facility costs is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, market acceptance of our vBloc Rechargeable System will be impaired and our future revenue, if any, would be adversely affected.
We cannot predict the likelihood or pace of any significant regulatory or legislative action in any of these areas, nor can we predict whether or in what form healthcare legislation being formulated by various governments will be passed. We also cannot predict with precision what effect such governmental measures would have if they were ultimately enacted into law. However, in general, we believe that such legislative activity will likely continue. If adopted, such measures can be expected to have an impact on our business.
If we or our suppliers fail to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements, or if we experience unanticipated product problems, our vBloc Rechargeable System could be subject to restrictions or withdrawal from the market.
Completion of our clinical trials and commercialization of our vBloc Rechargeable System will require access to manufacturing facilities that meet applicable regulatory standards to manufacture a sufficient supply of our product. We rely solely on third parties to manufacture and assemble our vBloc Rechargeable System, and do not currently plan to manufacture or assemble our vBloc Rechargeable System ourselves in the future.
Any product for which we obtain marketing approval, along with the manufacturing processes, post-approval clinical data and promotional activities for such product, will be subject to continual review and periodic
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inspections by our European Notified Body and the FDA and other regulatory bodies. In particular we and our manufacturers and suppliers are required to comply with ISO requirements, Good Manufacturing Practices, which for medical devices is called the Quality System Regulation (QSR), and other regulations which cover the methods and documentation of the design, testing, production, control, quality assurance, labeling, packaging, storage and shipping of any product for which we obtain marketing approval. The FDA enforces the QSR through inspections, which may be unannounced, and the CE system enforces its certification through inspections and audits as well. Our quality system has received certification of compliance to the requirements of ISO 13485:2003 and will have to continue to successfully complete such inspections to maintain regulatory approvals for sales outside of the United States. Failure by us or one of our manufacturers or suppliers to comply with statutes and regulations administered by the FDA, CE authorities and other regulatory bodies, or failure to adequately respond to any observations, could result in enforcement actions against us or our manufacturers or suppliers, including, restrictions on our product or manufacturing processes, withdrawal of the product from the market, voluntary or mandatory recall, fines, suspension of regulatory approvals, product seizures, injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
If any of these actions were to occur it would harm our reputation and cause our product sales to suffer. Furthermore, our key component suppliers may not currently be or may not continue to be in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. If the FDA or any other regulatory body finds their compliance status to be unsatisfactory, our commercialization efforts could be delayed, which would harm our business and our results of operations.
Additionally, if the FDA determines that our promotional materials, training or other activities constitute promotion of an unapproved use, we could be subject to significant liability, the FDA could request that we cease, correct or modify our training or promotional materials or subject us to regulatory enforcement actions. It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities might take action if they consider our training or other promotional materials to constitute promotion of an unapproved use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities, such as laws prohibiting false claims for reimbursement.
We are subject to medical device reporting regulations that require us to report to the FDA, TGA, Competent Authorities or other governmental authorities in other countries if our products cause or contribute to a death or serious injury or malfunction in a way that would be reasonably likely to contribute to death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur. The FDA, TGA and similar governmental authorities in other countries have the authority to require the recall of our products in the event of material deficiencies or defects in design or manufacturing. A government mandated, or voluntary, recall by us could occur as a result of component failures, manufacturing errors or design defects, including defects in labeling. Any recall would divert managerial and financial resources and could harm our reputation with customers. There can be no assurance that there will not be product recalls in the future or that such recalls would not have a material adverse effect on our business. Once the product is approved and implanted in a large number of patients, infrequently occurring adverse events may appear that were not observed in the clinical trials. This could cause health authorities in countries where the product is available to take regulatory action, including marketing suspension and recall.
We may not be successful in our efforts to utilize our vBloc Therapy to treat comorbidities associated with obesity and other gastrointestinal diseases and disorders.
As part of our long-term business strategy, we plan to research the application of our vBloc Therapy to treat comorbidities associated with obesity and other gastrointestinal diseases and disorders. Research to identify new target applications requires substantial technical, financial and human resources, whether or not any new applications for our vBloc Therapy are ultimately identified. We may be unable to identify or pursue other applications of our technology. Even if we identify potential new applications for our vBloc Therapy, investigating the safety and efficacy of our therapy requires extensive clinical testing, which is expensive and time-consuming. If we terminate a clinical trial in which we have invested significant resources, our prospects
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will suffer, as we will have expended resources on a program that will not provide a return on our investment and missed the opportunity to allocate those resources to potentially more productive uses. We will also need to obtain regulatory approval for these new applications, as well as achieve market acceptance and an acceptable level of reimbursement.
We depend on a limited number of manufacturers and suppliers of various critical components for our vBloc Rechargeable System. The loss of any of these manufacturer or supplier relationships could prevent or delay commercialization of our vBloc Rechargeable System.
We rely entirely on third parties to manufacture our vBloc Rechargeable System and to supply us with all of the critical components of our vBloc Rechargeable System, including our leads, implantable batteries, neuroregulators, transmit coils and controllers. If any of our existing suppliers were unable or unwilling to meet our demand for product components, or if the components or finished products that they supply do not meet quality and other specifications, completion of our clinical trials or commercialization of our product could be delayed. Alternatively, if we have to switch to a replacement manufacturer or replacement supplier for any of our product components, we may face additional regulatory delays, and the manufacture and delivery of our vBloc Rechargeable System could be interrupted for an extended period of time, which could delay completion of our clinical trials or commercialization of our vBloc Rechargeable System.
If our device manufacturers or our suppliers are unable to provide an adequate supply of our product, our growth could be limited and our business could be harmed.
In order to produce our vBloc Rechargeable System in the quantities that we anticipate will be required to meet anticipated market demand, we will need our manufacturers to increase, or scale-up, the production process by a significant factor over our current level of production. There are technical challenges to scaling-up manufacturing capacity and developing commercial-scale manufacturing facilities that may require the investment of substantial additional funds by our manufacturers and hiring and retaining additional management and technical personnel who have the necessary manufacturing experience. If our manufacturers are unable to do so, we may not be able to meet future demand, if any. We may also represent only a small portion of our suppliers or manufacturers business and if they become capacity constrained they may choose to allocate their available resources to other customers that represent a larger portion of their business. We currently anticipate that we will continue to rely on third-party manufacturers and suppliers for the production of the vBloc Rechargeable System. If we are unable to obtain a sufficient supply of our product, our revenue, business and financial prospects would be adversely affected.
If we are unable to establish sales and marketing capabilities or enter into and maintain arrangements with third parties to market and sell our vBloc Rechargeable System, our business may be harmed.
We have limited experience as a company in sales, marketing and distribution of our product and began the process of developing a sales and marketing organization in 2015. We intend to market our products in the United States through a direct sales force supported by field technical managers who provide training, technical and other support services to our customers. We have begun to develop the necessary sales and marketing infrastructure in order to commercialize our product, but developing a sales force is expensive and time consuming. Additionally, we may be unable to develop an effective sales and marketing organization on a timely basis, if at all, which would delay or prevent us from generating enough revenue to become profitable. If we develop our own sales and marketing capabilities, our sales force will be competing with the experienced and well-funded marketing and sales organizations of our more established competitors. If we are unable to establish our own sales and marketing capabilities, we will need to contract with third parties to market and sell our product. In this event, our profit margins would likely be lower than if we performed these functions ourselves. In addition, we would necessarily be relying on the skills and efforts of others for the successful marketing of our product. If we are unable to establish and maintain effective sales and marketing capabilities, independently or with others, we may not be able to generate product revenue and may not become profitable.
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When we have sufficient resources to commercialize our vBloc Rechargeable System internationally, we intend to use direct, dealer and distributor sales models as the targeted geography best dictates. We have entered into an agreement with Bader Sultan & Brothers, a third-party distributor in Kuwait, to sell our product in the Middle East. To generate sales and launch the commercialization of our product in other geographic regions we may need to identify and enter into other third-party distributor agreements. There is no assurance that we can do so on economically acceptable terms or that if we do so, that a third-party distributor will be successful in selling our product.
The commercialization of our product in countries outside the United States will expose our business to certain risks associated with international operations.
When we have sufficient resources to do so, we intend to commercialize our product in the European Economic Area, Australia and the Middle East and other international markets in which we obtain necessary regulatory approvals. Conducting international operations will subject us to unique risks, including:
| unfamiliar legal requirements with which we would need to comply; |
| fluctuations in currency exchange rates; |
| potentially adverse tax consequences, including the complexities of foreign value added tax systems and restrictions on the repatriation of earnings; |
| increased financial accounting and reporting burdens and complexities; and |
| reduced or varied protection for intellectual property rights in some countries. |
The occurrence of any one of these risks could negatively affect our business and results of operations generally. Additionally, operating in international markets requires significant management attention. We cannot be certain that investments required to establish operations in other countries will produce desired levels of revenues or profitability.
We may be unable to attract and retain management and other personnel we need to succeed.
Our success depends on the services of our senior management and other key employees. The loss of the services of one or more of our officers or key employees could delay or prevent the successful completion of our clinical trials and the commercialization of our vBloc Rechargeable System. Now that we have received regulatory approval for our product in the United States, we have begun a controlled expansion of our operations and have hired three new executives in January 2016 to oversee this expansion. Our continued growth will require hiring a number of qualified clinical, scientific, commercial and administrative personnel. Accordingly, recruiting and retaining such personnel in the future will be critical to our success. There is intense competition from other companies and research and academic institutions for qualified personnel in the areas of our activities. If we fail to identify, attract, retain and motivate these highly skilled personnel, we may be unable to continue our development and commercialization activities.
We may be unable to manage our growth effectively.
Our business strategy entails significant future growth. For example, we will have to expand existing operations in order to conduct additional clinical trials, increase our contract manufacturing capabilities, hire and train new personnel to handle the marketing and sales of our product, assist patients and healthcare providers in obtaining reimbursement for the use of our product and create and develop new applications for our technology. This growth may place significant strain on our management and financial and operational resources. Successful growth is also dependent upon our ability to implement appropriate financial and management controls, systems and procedures. Our ability to effectively manage growth depends on our success in attracting and retaining highly qualified personnel, for which the competition may be intense. If we fail to manage these challenges effectively, our business could be harmed.
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We face the risk of product liability claims that could be expensive, divert managements attention and harm our reputation and business. We may not be able to obtain adequate product liability insurance.
Our business exposes us to a risk of product liability claims that is inherent in the testing, manufacturing and marketing of medical devices. The medical device industry has historically been subject to extensive litigation over product liability claims. We may be subject to product liability claims if our vBloc Rechargeable System, or any other products we may sell, causes, or appears to have caused, an injury. Claims may be made by consumers, healthcare providers, third-party strategic collaborators or others selling our products.
We have product liability insurance, which covers the use of our vBloc Rechargeable System and vBloc Therapy in our clinical trials and any commercial sales, in an amount we believe is appropriate. Our current product liability insurance may not continue to be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all, and, if available, the coverage may not be adequate to protect us against any future product liability claims. If we are unable to obtain insurance at an acceptable cost and on acceptable terms for an adequate coverage amount, or otherwise to protect against potential product liability claims, we could be exposed to significant liabilities, which may harm our business. A product liability claim, recall or other claim with respect to uninsured liabilities or for amounts in excess of insured liabilities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. These liabilities could prevent or interfere with our product commercialization efforts. Defending a suit, regardless of merit, could be costly, could divert management attention and might result in adverse publicity, which could result in the withdrawal of, or inability to recruit, clinical trial volunteers or result in reduced acceptance of our vBloc Rechargeable System and vBloc Therapy in the market.
We may be subject to product liability claims even if it appears that the claimed injury is due to the actions of others. For example, we rely on the expertise of surgeons and other associated medical personnel to perform the medical procedure to implant and remove our vBloc Rechargeable System and to perform the related vBloc Therapy. If these medical personnel are not properly trained or are negligent, the therapeutic effect of vBloc Therapy may be diminished or the patient may suffer critical injury, which may subject us to liability. In addition, an injury that is caused by the negligence of one of our suppliers in supplying us with a defective component that injures a patient could be the basis for a claim against us. A product liability claim, regardless of its merit or eventual outcome, could result in decreased demand for our products; injury to our reputation; diversion of managements attention; withdrawal of clinical trial participants; significant costs of related litigation; substantial monetary awards to patients; product recalls or market withdrawals; loss of revenue; and the inability to commercialize our products under development.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
If we are unable to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights relating to our technology and neuroblocking therapy, the commercial value of our technology and any future products will be adversely affected and our competitive position will be harmed.
Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to obtain protection in the United States and other countries for our vBloc Rechargeable System and vBloc Therapy by establishing and maintaining intellectual property rights relating to or incorporated into our technology and products. We own numerous U.S. and foreign patents and have numerous patent applications pending, most of which pertain to treating gastrointestinal disorders. We have also received or applied for patents in Europe, Australia, China, India and Japan. In addition, we are the exclusive licensee of three U.S. patents owned by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, which are unrelated to our vBloc Therapy. Our pending and future patent applications may not issue as patents or, if issued, may not issue in a form that will provide us any competitive advantage. We expect to incur substantial costs in obtaining patents and, if necessary, defending our proprietary rights. The patent positions of medical device companies, including ours, can be highly uncertain and involve complex and evolving legal and factual questions. We do not know whether we will obtain the patent protection we seek, or that the protection we do obtain will be found valid and enforceable if challenged. If we fail to obtain adequate protection of our intellectual property, or if any protection we obtain is reduced or eliminated, others could use our intellectual
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property without compensating us, resulting in harm to our business. We may also determine that it is in our best interests to voluntarily challenge a third-partys products or patents in litigation or administrative proceedings, including patent interferences, re-examinations or under more recently promulgated Inter Partes Review proceedings, depending on when the patent application was filed. In the event that we seek to enforce any of our owned or exclusively licensed patents against an infringing party, it is likely that the party defending the claim will seek to invalidate the patents we assert, which, if successful could result in the loss of the entire patent or the relevant portion of our patent, which would not be limited to any particular party. Any litigation to enforce or defend our patent rights, even if we were to prevail, could be costly and time-consuming and could divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations. Even if we were to prevail in any litigation, we cannot assure you that we can obtain an injunction that prevents our competitors from practicing our patented technology. Our competitors may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or products without infringing any of our patent or other intellectual property rights, or may design around our proprietary technologies.
We cannot assure you that we will obtain any patent protection that we seek, that any protection we do obtain will be found valid and enforceable if challenged or that it will confer any significant commercial advantage. U.S. patents and patent applications may also be subject to interference proceedings and U.S. patents may be subject to re-examination proceedings in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), or under more recently promulgated Inter Partes Review proceedings, depending on when the patent application was filed, and foreign patents may be subject to opposition or comparable proceedings in the corresponding foreign patent offices, which proceedings could result in either loss of the patent or denial of the patent application, or loss or reduction in the scope of one or more of the claims of, the patent or patent application. In addition, such interference, re-examination and opposition proceedings may be costly. Moreover, the U.S. patent laws have recently changed with the adoption of the America Invents Act, possibly making it easier to challenge patents. Some of our technology was, and continues to be, developed in conjunction with third parties, and thus there is a risk that such third parties may claim rights in our intellectual property. Thus, any patents that we own or license from others may provide limited or no protection against competitors. Our pending patent applications, those we may file in the future, or those we may license from third parties, may not result in patents being issued. If issued, they may not provide us with proprietary protection or competitive advantages against competitors with similar technology.
Non-payment or delay in payment of patent fees or annuities, whether intentional or unintentional, may result in loss of patents or patent rights important to our business. Many countries, including certain countries in Europe, have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against third parties, including government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of the patent. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States, particularly in the field of medical products and procedures.
Many of our competitors have significant resources and incentives to apply for and obtain intellectual property rights that could limit or prevent our ability to commercialize our current or future products in the United States or abroad.
Many of our competitors who have significant resources and have made substantial investments in competing technologies may seek to apply for and obtain patents that will prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use or sell our products either in the United States or in international markets. Our current or future U.S. or foreign patents may be challenged, circumvented by competitors or others or may be found to be invalid, unenforceable or insufficient. In most cases in the United States patent applications are published 18 months after filing the application, or corresponding applications are published in other countries, and since publication of discoveries in the scientific or patent literature often lags behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that we were the first to make the inventions covered by each of our pending patent applications, or that we were the first to file patent applications for such inventions.
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If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information and know-how, the value of our technology and products could be adversely affected.
In addition to patented technology, we rely on our unpatented proprietary technology, trade secrets, processes and know-how. We generally seek to protect this information by confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, scientific advisors and third parties. These agreements may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently developed by competitors. To the extent that our employees, consultants or contractors use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related or resulting know-how and inventions.
Intellectual property litigation is a common tactic in the medical device industry to gain competitive advantage. If we become subject to a lawsuit, we may be required to expend significant financial and other resources and our managements attention may be diverted from our business.
There has been a history of frequent and extensive litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights in the medical device industry, and companies in the medical device industry have employed intellectual property litigation to gain a competitive advantage. Accordingly, we may become subject to patent infringement claims or litigation in a court of law, or interference proceedings declared by the USPTO to determine the priority of inventions or an opposition to a patent grant in a foreign jurisdiction. We may also become subject to claims or litigation seeking payment of royalties based on sales of our product in connection with licensing or similar joint development arrangements with third parties or in connection with claims of patent infringement. The defense and prosecution of intellectual property suits, USPTO interference proceedings, reexamination proceedings, or under more recently promulgated Inter Partes Review proceedings, depending on when the patent application was filed, or opposition proceedings and related legal and administrative proceedings, are both costly and time consuming and could result in substantial uncertainty to us. Litigation or regulatory proceedings may also be necessary to enforce patent or other intellectual property rights of ours or to determine the scope and validity of other parties proprietary rights. Any litigation, opposition or interference proceedings, with or without merit, may result in substantial expense to us, cause significant strain on our financial resources, divert the attention of our technical and management personnel and harm our reputation. We may not have the financial resources to defend our patents from infringement or claims of invalidity. An adverse determination in any litigation could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties, require us to seek licenses from or pay royalties to third parties or prevent us from manufacturing, selling or using our proposed products, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects. We are not currently a party to any patent or other litigation.
Our vBloc Therapy or vBloc Rechargeable System may infringe or be claimed to infringe patents that we do not own or license, including patents that may issue in the future based on patent applications of which we are currently aware, as well as applications of which we are unaware. For example, we are aware of other companies that are investigating neurostimulation, including neuroblocking, and of patents and published patent applications held by companies in those fields. While we believe that none of such patents and patent applications are applicable to our products and technologies under development, third parties who own or control these patents and patent applications in the United States and abroad could bring claims against us that would cause us to incur substantial expenses and, if such claims are successfully asserted against us, they could cause us to pay substantial damages, could result in an injunction preventing us from selling, manufacturing or using our proposed products and would divert managements attention. Because patent applications in many countries such as the United States are maintained under conditions of confidentiality and can take many years to issue, there may be applications now pending of which we are unaware and which may later result in issued patents that our products infringe. If a patent infringement suit were brought against us, we could be forced to stop our ongoing or planned clinical trials, or delay or abandon commercialization of the product that is subject of the suit.
As a result of patent infringement claims, or to avoid potential claims, we may choose or be required to seek a license from a third-party and be required to pay license fees or royalties, or both. A license may not be available
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at all or on commercially reasonable terms, and we may not be able to redesign our products to avoid infringement. Modification of our products or development of new products could require us to conduct additional clinical trials and to revise our filings with the FDA and other regulatory bodies, which would be time-consuming and expensive. Even if we were able to obtain a license, the rights may be nonexclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same intellectual property. Ultimately, we could be forced to cease some aspect of our business operations if, as a result of actual or threatened patent infringement claims, we are unable to enter into licenses on acceptable terms. This could harm our business significantly.
Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Common Stock
The trading price of our common stock has been volatile and is likely to be volatile in the future.
The trading price of our common stock has been highly volatile. Further, our common stock has a limited trading history. Since our public offering in November 2007 through January 5, 2017 our stock price has fluctuated from a low of $1.75 to a high of $67,851.00, as adjusted for the 1-for-70 reverse split of our common stock that was effected after trading on December 27, 2016 and the 1-for-15 reverse split of our common stock that was effected after trading on January 6, 2016. The market price for our common stock will be affected by a number of factors, including:
| the denial or delay of regulatory clearances or approvals of our product or receipt of regulatory approval of competing products; |
| our ability to accomplish clinical, regulatory and other product development milestones and to do so in accordance with the timing estimates we have publicly announced; |
| changes in policies affecting third-party coverage and reimbursement in the United States and other countries; |
| changes in government regulations and standards affecting the medical device industry and our product; |
| ability of our product to achieve market success; |
| the performance of third-party contract manufacturers and component suppliers; |
| our ability to develop sales and marketing capabilities; |
| actual or anticipated variations in our results of operations or those of our competitors; |
| announcements of new products, technological innovations or product advancements by us or our competitors; |
| developments with respect to patents and other intellectual property rights; |
| the issuance of common stock upon the exercise of options or warrants; |
| sales of common stock or other securities by us or our stockholders in the future; |
| additions or departures of key scientific or management personnel; |
| disputes or other developments relating to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent protection for our technologies; |
| the trading volume of our common stock; |
| changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts, failure to obtain or maintain analyst coverage of our common stock or our failure to achieve analyst earnings estimates; |
| public statements by analysts or clinicians regarding their perceptions of our clinical results or the effectiveness of our products; |
| decreases in market valuations of medical device companies; and |
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| general market conditions and other factors unrelated to our operating performance or the operating performance of our competitors. |
The stock prices of many companies in the medical device industry have experienced wide fluctuations that have often been unrelated to the operating performance of these companies. Following periods of volatility in the market price of a companys securities, securities class action litigation often has been initiated against a company. If class action litigation is initiated against us, we may incur substantial costs and our managements attention may be diverted from our operations, which could significantly harm our business.
Our inability to comply with Nasdaqs listing requirements could result in our common stock being delisted, which could affect its market price and liquidity and reduce our ability to raise capital.
We are required to meet certain qualitative and financial tests (including having stockholders equity of at least $2.5 million and a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share for our common stock) to maintain the listing of our common stock on Nasdaq. If we do not maintain compliance with the continued listing requirements for Nasdaq within specified periods and subject to permitted extensions, our common stock may be recommended for delisting (subject to any appeal we would file). If our common stock were delisted, it could be more difficult to buy or sell our common stock and to obtain accurate quotations, and the price of our stock could suffer a material decline. Delisting would also impair our ability to raise capital.
In May 2016, we received written notices from Nasdaq stating that we were not in compliance with the following two Nasdaq listing requirements: (1) the requirement that we have a minimum of $2.5 million stockholders equity (the Stockholders Equity Requirement) and (2) the $1.00 minimum bid price stock price requirement (the Minimum Bid Requirement).
On July 19, 2016, we received a letter from Nasdaq granting us an extension until November 14, 2016 to regain compliance with the Stockholders Equity Requirement. The extension was granted based on the plan we submitted to Nasdaq to regain compliance with the Stockholders Equity Requirement through a combination of note conversions and accelerated principal amortizations and infusions of equity capital prior to the deadline.
As we were not in compliance with the Stockholders Equity Requirement on November 14, 2016, we received a notice of delisting on November 16, 2016 related to our failure to comply with the Stockholders Equity Requirement. Previously, on November 9, 2016, we had received a notice of delisting related to our failure to comply with the Minimum Bid rule. We have appealed to Nasdaq for a hearing before a Listing Qualification Panel prior to being delisted, which is currently scheduled for January 12, 2017. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to regain compliance with the Stockholders Equity Requirement or Minimum Bid Rule prior to being delisted, or at all. Any failure to maintain the Nasdaq listing of our common stock could have a material adverse effect on our ability to complete this offering on the terms set forth in this prospectus and on the secondary trading of shares of our common stock.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market by existing stockholders, or the perception that they may occur, could cause our stock price to decline.
Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock by us or by our stockholders, announcements of the proposed sales of substantial amounts of our common stock or the perception that substantial sales may be made, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. We may issue additional shares of our common stock in follow-on offerings to raise additional capital, upon the exercise of options or warrants, or in connection with acquisitions or corporate alliances. We also plan to issue additional shares to our employees, directors or consultants in connection with their services to us. All of the currently outstanding shares of our common stock are freely tradable under federal and state securities laws, except for shares held by our directors, officers and certain greater than five percent stockholders, which may be subject to volume limitations. Due to these factors, sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could occur at any time and could reduce the market price of our common stock.
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In addition, certain of our stockholders, optionholders and warrantholders have rights, subject to some conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other stockholders. If we were to include in a company-initiated registration statement shares held by those holders pursuant to the exercise of their registration rights, the sale of those shares could impair our ability to raise needed capital by depressing the price at which we could sell our common stock.
You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.
In order to raise additional capital or for other corporate purposes, in the future we may offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may be lower than the current price per share of our common stock. In addition, investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by investors in prior offerings.
Our organizational documents and Delaware law make a takeover of our company more difficult, which may prevent certain changes in control and limit the market price of our common stock.
Our Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (Certificate of Incorporation) and our Amended and Restated Bylaws (Bylaws) and Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law contain provisions that may have the effect of deterring or delaying attempts by our stockholders to remove or replace management, engage in proxy contests and effect changes in control. These provisions include:
| the ability of our board of directors to create and issue preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used to implement anti-takeover devices; |
| the authority for our board of directors to issue without stockholder approval up to the number of shares of common stock authorized in our Certificate of Incorporation, that, if issued, would dilute the ownership of our stockholders; |
| the advance notice requirement for director nominations or for proposals that can be acted upon at stockholder meetings; |
| a classified and staggered board of directors, which may make it more difficult for a person who acquires control of a majority of our outstanding voting stock to replace all or a majority of our directors; |
| the prohibition on actions by written consent of our stockholders; |
| the limitation on who may call a special meeting of stockholders; |
| the prohibition on stockholders accumulating their votes for the election of directors; and |
| the ability of stockholders to amend our Bylaws only upon receiving a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of all outstanding shares then entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. |
In addition, as a Delaware corporation, we are subject to Delaware law, including Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combination with any interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder unless certain specific requirements are met as set forth in Section 203. These provisions, alone or together, could have the effect of deterring or delaying changes in incumbent management, proxy contests or changes in control.
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These provisions also could discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors and take other corporate actions. The existence of these provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. Some provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws may deter third parties from acquiring us, which may limit the market price of our common stock.
We have not paid dividends in the past and do not expect to pay dividends in the future, and any return on investment may be limited to the value of our common stock.
We have never paid dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. The payment of dividends on our common stock will depend on our earnings, financial condition and other business and economic factors affecting us at such time as our board of directors may consider relevant. If we do not pay dividends, our common stock may be less valuable because a return on your investment will only occur if our stock price appreciates.
Risks Relating to this Offering
If you purchase Class A Units in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of your shares.
The assumed public offering price of the Class A Unit is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. Investors purchasing Class A Units in this offering will pay a price per share of common stock that substantially exceeds the book value of our tangible assets after subtracting our liabilities. As a result, investors purchasing Class A Units in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $1.06 per share of common stock, based on an assumed public offering price of $3.97 per Class A Unit. See Dilution.
As a result of the dilution to investors purchasing shares in this offering, investors may receive significantly less than the purchase price paid in this offering, if anything, in the event of a liquidation of our company.
Because our management will have broad discretion and flexibility in how the net proceeds from this offering are used, our management may use the net proceeds in ways with which you disagree or which may not prove effective.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering as discussed under Use of Proceeds in this prospectus. We have not allocated specific amounts of the net proceeds from this offering for any of the foregoing purposes. Accordingly, our management will have significant discretion and flexibility in applying the net proceeds of this offering. You will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of these net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. It is possible that the net proceeds will be invested in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us. The failure of our management to use such funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flow.
The Series A Preferred Stock and the warrants are unlisted securities and there is no public market for them.
There is no established public trading market for the Series A Preferred Stock or the warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, neither the Series A Preferred Stock nor the warrants are listed, and we do not intend to apply for listing of the Series A Preferred Stock or the warrants on any securities exchange or trading system. Without an active market, the liquidity of the Series A Preferred Stock and the warrants is limited, and investors may be unable to liquidate their investments in the Series A Preferred Stock or the warrants.
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The warrants may not have any value.
The warrants will be exercisable for five years from the closing date at an initial assumed exercise price of $3.97 per share. In the event that the price of a share of our common stock does not exceed the exercise price of the warrants during the period when the warrants are exercisable, the warrants may not have any value.
The warrants are subject to an issuer call.
If, after the date that is 180 days after the closing date, (i) the volume weighted average price for each of 30 consecutive trading days (the Measurement Period), which Measurement Period commences after the date that is 180 days after the closing date, exceeds 300% of the exercise price (subject to adjustment for forward and reverse stock splits, recapitalizations, stock dividends and the like after the initial exercise date), (ii) the average daily volume for such Measurement Period exceeds $500,000 per trading day and, (iii) the warrant holder is not in possession of any material non-public information which was provided by the Company, then the Company may, within 1 trading day of the end of such Measurement Period, call for cancellation of all or any portion of the warrants for which an exercise notice has not yet been delivered for consideration equal to $0.001 per warrant share. The Companys right to call the warrants shall be exercised ratably among the holders based on the then outstanding warrants. You may be unable to reinvest your proceeds from the call in an investment with a return that is as high as the return on the warrants would have been if they had not been called.
The warrants purchased in this offering do not entitle the holder to any rights as common stockholders until the holder exercises the warrant for shares of our common stock.
Until you acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise of your warrants purchased in this offering, such warrants will not provide you any rights as a common stockholder, except as set forth in the warrants. Upon exercise of your warrants purchased in this offering, you will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs on or after the exercise date.
Because our management will have broad discretion and flexibility in how the net proceeds from this offering are used, our management may use the net proceeds in ways with which you disagree or which may not prove effective.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering as discussed under Use of Proceeds in this prospectus. We have not allocated specific amounts of the net proceeds from this offering for any of the foregoing purposes. Accordingly, our management will have significant discretion and flexibility in applying the net proceeds of this offering. You will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of these net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. It is possible that the net proceeds will be invested in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us. The failure of our management to use such funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flow.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the information incorporated by reference in it contain forwardlooking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forwardlooking statements can be identified by words such as anticipate, intend, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, estimate, expect, strategy, future, likely, may, should, will and similar references to future periods. Forwardlooking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our businesses, financial condition and results of operations, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forwardlooking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forwardlooking statements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any of these forwardlooking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forwardlooking statements include, but are not limited to, those listed below.
Without limiting the foregoing, all statements relating to our future outlook, anticipated capital expenditures, future cash flows and borrowings, and sources of funding are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions that we believe are reasonable, but they are open to a wide range of uncertainties and business risks and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in these statements.
Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are:
| our limited history of operations; |
| limited cash resources, uncertainty regarding future financing plans and need for substantial capital; |
| our ability to accomplish clinical, regulatory and other product development milestones and to do so in accordance with the timing estimates we have publicly announced; |
| an inability to establish sales and marketing capabilities or enter into and maintain arrangements with third parties to market and sell our vBloc Rechargeable System; |
| physicians may not widely adopt our vBloc Rechargeable System and vBloc Therapy; |
| uncertainty regarding coverage or payment levels for our product by governmental healthcare programs and other third-party payors; |
| issues with manufacturers and suppliers of various critical components of our vBloc Rechargeable System; |
| unanticipated product problems; |
| departures of key scientific or management personnel; |
| uncertainty regarding approval from the regulatory body in any country other than the United States or the European Community; |
| significant delays in completing our clinical trials; |
| complications regarding third parties who manage our trials and perform related data collection and analysis; |
| an inability to be successful in our efforts to utilize our vBloc Therapy to treat comorbidities associated with obesity and other gastrointestinal diseases and disorders; |
| risks associated with international operations; |
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| potential for product liability claims; |
| uncertainty in the industry due to government healthcare reform; |
| United States federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse and false claims laws and regulations; and |
| our competitors ability to develop and market products that are safer or more effective than our products. |
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as may, could, will, should, would, expect, plan, intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, potential, project or continue or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could materially affect results. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under the heading Risk Factors and elsewhere in this prospectus. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking statements.
Any forward-looking statement in this prospectus reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, industry and future growth. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of the securities offered by us in this offering will be approximately $10.7 million, after deducting the commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering to continue our commercialization efforts, for clinical and product development activities and for other working capital and general corporate purposes. We have not yet determined with certainty the manner in which we will allocate these net proceeds. Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds, and investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the proceeds of this offering. The amounts and timing of these expenditures will vary depending upon a number of factors, including our success in implementing our commercialization strategy for our product, the success of our research and product development efforts, future sales growth, cash generated from future operations and actual expenses to operate our business. Pending the uses described above, we intend to invest the net proceeds in United States government securities and other short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments.
Absent this offering, additional capital may not be available on terms favorable to us, or at all. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience dilution. Debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants or additional security interests in our assets. Any additional debt or equity financing that we complete may contain terms that are not favorable to us or our stockholders. If we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements with third parties, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our technologies or products, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. If we are unable to raise adequate funds, we may have to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate some or all of, our development programs or liquidate some or all of our assets.
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The following table sets forth our unaudited actual cash and cash equivalents and our capitalization as of September 30, 2016 adjusted to give effect to the sale of the securities offered hereby and the use of proceeds, as described in the section entitled Use of Proceeds.
You should read this information in conjunction with Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2016, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. The information provided below has been adjusted to reflect our 1-for-70 reverse stock split that was effected after trading on December 27, 2016.
As of September 30, 2016 (in thousands, except share and per share data) |
||||||||
Actual | As Adjusted | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 6,841,547 | $ | 17,577,911 | ||||
Current portion of convertible notes payable (at fair value) |
4,439,133 | 4,439,133 | ||||||
Convertible notes payable, less current portion (net of discounts of $217,306 at September 30, 2016) |
1,236,867 | 1,236,867 | ||||||
Common stock warrant liability |
212,915 | 212,915 | ||||||
Stockholders equity: |
||||||||
Convertible preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized, actual; no shares issued as of September 30, 2016, actual; and 9,600 shares issued and outstanding as adjusted |
0 | 96 | ||||||
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized, actual and as adjusted; 1,063,065 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2016, actual; and 1,667,599 shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted |
10,631 | 16,676 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
297,651,504 | 308,381,727 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(296,506,929 | ) | (296,506,929 | ) | ||||
Total stockholders equity |
1,155,206 | 11,891,570 |
In the discussion and table above, we assume no exercise of outstanding options or warrants. The above discussion and table are based on 1,063,065 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2016 and excludes:
| 56,472 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2016 at a weighted average exercise price of $235.95 per share; |
| 20,213 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2016 at a weighted average exercise price of $1,154.92 per share; |
| 11,388 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our Amended and Restated 2003 Stock Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2016; and |
| 3,022,670 shares of our common stock initially issuable upon the exercise of the warrants to be sold in this offering. |
Market For Our Common Stock
Our common stock has been traded on Nasdaq under the symbol ETRM since our initial public offering (IPO) on November 15, 2007. Prior to that date, there was no public market for our common stock. Our stock
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was traded on the Nasdaq Global Market from its initial listing at the time of our IPO until January 21, 2010. Subsequently, in anticipation of not curing our deficiencies with the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Global Market, we requested and were approved to transfer to the Nasdaq Capital Market, effective January 22, 2010.
As of September 30, 2016, there were approximately 30 holders of record of our common stock and 1,063,065 shares of common stock outstanding. No dividends have been paid on our common stock to date, and we do not anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable future.
The following table sets forth the high and low sales prices of our common stock as quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market for the periods indicated. These prices have been adjusted to reflect the 1-for-70 reverse split of our common stock that was effected after trading on December 27, 2016 and the 1-for-15 reverse split of our common stock that was effected after trading on January 6, 2016.
Price Range of Common Stock
Price Range | ||||||||
High | Low | |||||||
Fiscal 2014 |
||||||||
First Quarter |
$ | 2,793.00 | $ | 1,764.00 | ||||
Second Quarter |
$ | 2,278.50 | $ | 1,480.50 | ||||
Third Quarter |
$ | 1,732.50 | $ | 1,155.00 | ||||
Fourth Quarter |
$ | 1,543.50 | $ | 1,039.50 | ||||
Fiscal 2015 |
||||||||
First Quarter |
$ | 2,152.50 | $ | 955.50 | ||||
Second Quarter |
$ | 1,470.00 | $ | 619.50 | ||||
Third Quarter |
$ | 693.00 | $ | 210.00 | ||||
Fourth Quarter |
$ | 346.50 | $ | 105.00 | ||||
Fiscal 2016 |
||||||||
First Quarter |
$ | 157.50 | $ | 57.40 | ||||
Second Quarter |
$ | 86.80 | $ | 18.90 | ||||
Third Quarter |
$ | 31.50 | $ | 7.70 | ||||
Fourth Quarter |
$ | 9.80 | $ | 1.95 |
The closing price for our common stock as reported by the Nasdaq Capital Market on January 5, 2017 was $3.97 per share.
Dividend Policy
We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock. The board of directors presently intends to retain all earnings for use in our business and does not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We do not have a dividend reinvestment plan or a direct stock purchase plan.
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A purchaser of our securities in this offering will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the price per share of our common stock in this offering and the net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering. As of September 30, 2016, our historical net tangible book value was $1.2 million, or $1.09 per share of common stock, based on 1,063,065 shares of our common stock outstanding at September 30, 2016. Our historical net tangible book value per share represents the amount of our total tangible assets reduced by the amount of our total liabilities, divided by the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2016. The information provided in this section has been adjusted to reflect the 1-for-70 reverse stock split that was effected after trading on December 27, 2016.
After giving effect to our sale in this offering of 3,022,670 shares of common stock, inclusive of the 2,418,136 shares of common stock that the Series A Preferred Stock to be issued is convertible into, at an assumed public offering price of $3.97 per Unit and after excluding shares that may be issued upon exercise of the underwriters overallotment option and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2016 would have been $11.9 million, or $2.91 per share of our common stock. This amount represents an immediate increase of net tangible book value to our existing stockholders of $1.82 per share and an immediate dilution of $1.06 per share to the new investors purchasing securities in this offering. The following table illustrates this per share dilution:
Assumed public offering price per Unit |
$ | 3.97 | ||||||
Historical net tangible book value per share at September 30, 2016 |
$ | 1.09 | ||||||
Increase per share attributable to investors purchasing securities in this offering |
$ | 1.82 | ||||||
Net tangible book value per share, as adjusted to give effect to this offering |
$ | 2.91 | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
Dilution per share to investors in this offering |
$ | 1.06 | ||||||
|
|
The above discussion and table are based on 1,063,065 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2016 and excludes:
| 56,472 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2016 at a weighted average exercise price of $235.95 per share; |
| 20,213 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of options outstanding as of September 30, 2016 at a weighted average exercise price of $1,154.92 per share; |
| 11,388 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our Amended and Restated 2003 Stock Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2016; and |
| 3,022,670 shares of our common stock initially issuable upon the exercise of the warrants to be sold in this offering. |
To the extent that outstanding options or warrants are exercised, you will experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of additional equity, the issuance of these shares could result in further dilution to our stockholders.
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The following table shows the beneficial ownership of our common stock by each person or group who beneficially owned 5% or more of our common stock, each of our directors, each of our executive officers, and our directors and executive officers as a group, as of December 31, 2016. Percentage ownership calculations for beneficial ownership are based on 2,736,571 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2016. The information regarding the beneficial owners of more than 5% of our common stock is based upon information supplied to us by our directors, officers and principal stockholders or on Schedules 13G filed with the SEC. Unless otherwise noted, the stockholders listed in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of common stock owned by them and their address is c/o EnteroMedics Inc., 2800 Patton Road, St. Paul, Minnesota 55113. The information provided in this section has been adjusted to reflect the 1-for-70 reverse stock split effected after trading on December 27, 2016.
Name of Beneficial Owner |
Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership(1) |
Percent of Class |
||||||
Dan W. Gladney |
4,384 | * | ||||||
Scott P. Youngstrom |
| * | ||||||
Paul F. Hickey |
412 | * | ||||||
Naqeeb (Nick) A. Ansari |
412 | * | ||||||
Peter M. DeLange(3) |
1,037 | * | ||||||
Gary D. Blackford(2) |
8 | * | ||||||
Carl Goldfischer, M.D.(2)(4) |
4,781 | * | ||||||
Bobby I. Griffin(2) |
111 | * | ||||||
Lori C. McDougal(2) |
33 | * | ||||||
Nicholas L. Teti, Jr.(2) |
147 | * | ||||||
Jon T. Tremmel(2) |
349 | * | ||||||
All directors and executive officers as a group (11 persons)(5) |
11,674 | * |
* | The percentage of shares of common stock beneficially owned does not exceed one percent of the outstanding shares of common stock. |
(1) | For purposes of this table, a person or group of persons is deemed to have beneficial ownership of any shares of common stock which that person has the right to acquire within 60 days following December 31, 2016. For purposes of computing the percentage of outstanding shares of common stock held by each person or group of persons named above, any shares which that person or persons has or have the right to acquire within 60 days following December 31, 2016, is deemed to be outstanding, but is not deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. |
(2) | Includes the following shares subject to options exercisable currently or within 60 days of December 31, 2016: Mr. Blackford, 8 shares; Dr. Goldfischer, 111 shares; Mr. Griffin, 111 shares; Ms. McDougal, 33 shares; Mr. Teti, 147 shares; and Mr. Tremmel 349 shares. Dr. Goldfischer has assigned the shares underlying his options to Bay City Capital Fund IV, L.P. and Bay City Capital Fund IV Co-Investment Fund, L.P. upon the exercise of these options. |
(3) | Consists of 392 shares owned by Mr. DeLange and 3 shares owned by Mr. DeLanges son. |
(4) | Based on information supplied to us or filed with the SEC by Bay City Capital LLC (BCC) on behalf of Bay City Capital Fund IV, L.P. (Fund IV), Bay City Capital Fund IV Co-Investment Fund, L.P. (Co-Investment IV) and Bay City Capital Management IV LLC (Management IV), each of which has shared voting power and shared dispositive power of 4,671 shares. BCC is the manager of Management IV, which is the general partner of Fund IV and Co-Investment IV. BCC is also an advisor to Fund IV and Co-Investment IV. Carl Goldfischer, a Managing Director of BCC and a member of Management IV, is a member of our Board of Directors. |
(5) | Includes 4,687 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of options currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2016, inclusive of the options exercisable as described in footnote (2). |
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Description of Units
We are offering up to 604,534 Class A Units, with each Class A Unit consisting of one share of common stock and a warrant to purchase one half of one share of our common stock (together with the shares of common stock underlying such warrants) at an assumed public offering price of $3.97 per Class A Unit. Each warrant included in the Class A Units entitles its holder to purchase one share of Common Stock at an assumed exercise price of $3.97.
We are also offering 9,600 Class B Units to those purchasers, whose purchase of Class A Units in this offering would result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, in lieu of Class A Units that would result in ownership in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock, with each Class B Unit consisting of one share of Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, convertible into a number of shares of common stock equal to $1,000 divided by $3.97 (the Conversion Price) and warrants to purchase a number of shares of common stock equal to $1,000 divided by the Conversion Price (together with the shares of common stock underlying such warrants) at an assumed public offering price of $1,000 per Class B Unit. Each warrant included in the Class B Units entitles its holder to purchase a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 100% of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock included in such units at an assumed exercise price of $3.97 per share.
The securities of which the units are composed (the underlying securities) are being sold in this offering only as part of the units. However, the Class A Units and Class B Units will not be certificated and the underlying securities comprising such units are immediately separable. Each underlying security purchased in this offering will be issued independent of each other underlying security and not as part of a unit. Upon issuance, each underlying security may be transferred independent of any other underlying security, subject to applicable law and transfer restrictions.
Description of Warrants Included in the Units
The material terms and provisions of the warrants being offered pursuant to this prospectus are summarized below. This summary of some provisions of the warrants is not complete. For the complete terms of the warrants, you should refer to the form of warrant filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Pursuant to a warrant agency agreement between us and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as warrant agent, the warrants will be issued in book-entry form and shall initially be represented only by one or more global warrants deposited with the warrant agent, as custodian on behalf of The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of DTC, or as otherwise directed by DTC.
Each Class A Unit includes a warrant to purchase one share of our common stock at an assumed exercise price of $3.97 per share at any time for up to five years after the date of the closing of this offering. Each Class B Unit issued in this offering includes a warrant to purchase a number of shares of common stock equal to $1,000 divided by the Conversion Price at any time for up to five years after the date of the closing of this offering. The warrants issued in this offering will be governed by the terms of a global warrant held in book-entry form. The holder of a warrant will not be deemed a holder of our underlying Common Stock until the warrant is exercised, except as set forth in the warrants.
Subject to limited exceptions, a holder of warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its warrants if the holder (together with such holders affiliates, and any persons acting as a group together with such holder or any of such holders affiliates) would beneficially own a number of shares of common stock in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the shares of our common stock then outstanding after giving effect to such exercise (the Beneficial Ownership Limitation); provided, however, that upon notice to the Company, the holder may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, provided that in no event shall the
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Beneficial Ownership Limitation exceed 9.99% and any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until 61 days following notice of such increase from the holder to us.
The exercise price and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of recapitalization events, stock dividends, stock splits, stock combinations, reclassifications, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock. The warrant holders must pay the exercise price in cash upon exercise of the warrants, unless such warrant holders are utilizing the cashless exercise provision of the warrants, which is only available in certain circumstances such as if the underlying shares are not registered with the SEC pursuant to an effective registration statement. We intend to use commercially reasonable efforts to have the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, effective when the warrants are exercised.
In addition, in the event we consummate a merger or consolidation with or into another person or other reorganization event in which our common shares are converted or exchanged for securities, cash or other property, or we sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets or we or another person acquire 50% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock, then following such event, the holders of the warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the warrants the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property which the holders would have received had they exercised the warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction. Any successor to us or surviving entity shall assume the obligations under the warrants.
Upon the holders exercise of a warrant, we will issue the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrant within three trading days following our receipt of a notice of exercise, provided that payment of the exercise price has been made (unless exercised via the cashless exercise provision).
Prior to the exercise of any warrants to purchase common stock, holders of the warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the common stock purchasable upon exercise, including the right to vote, except as set forth therein.
Warrant holders may exercise warrants only if the issuance of the shares of common stock upon exercise of the warrants is covered by an effective registration statement, or an exemption from registration is available under the Securities Act and the securities laws of the state in which the holder resides. We intend to use commercially reasonable efforts to have the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part effective when the warrants are exercised. The warrant holders must pay the exercise price in cash upon exercise of the warrants unless there is not an effective registration statement or, if required, there is not an effective state law registration or exemption covering the issuance of the shares underlying the warrants (in which case, the warrants may only be exercised via a cashless exercise provision).
If a warrant is exercised via the cashless exercise provision, the holder will receive the number of shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the difference between the VWAP (as determined pursuant to the terms of the warrants) and the exercise price of the warrant multiplied by the number of shares issuable under the warrant by (ii) the VWAP.
The warrants are callable by us in certain circumstances. Subject to certain exceptions, in the event that the warrants are outstanding, following the date that is 180 days after the closing date, (i) the volume weighted average price of our common stock for each of 30 consecutive trading days (the Measurement Period), which Measurement Period commences after the date that is 180 days after the closing date, exceeds 300% of the initial exercise price (subject to adjustment for forward and reverse stock splits, recapitalizations, stock dividends and similar transactions), (ii) the average daily trading volume for such Measurement Period exceeds $500,000 per trading day and (iii) the holder is not in possession of any information that constitutes or might constitute, material non-public information which was provided by the Company, and subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then we may, within one trading day of the end of such Measurement Period, upon notice (a Call
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Notice), call for cancellation of all or any portion of the warrants for which a notice of exercise has not yet been delivered (a Call) for consideration equal to $0.001 per share. Any portion of a warrant subject to such Call Notice for which a notice of exercise shall not have been received by the Call Date (as hereinafter defined) will be canceled at 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the tenth trading day after the date the Call Notice is sent by the Company (such date and time, the Call Date). Our right to call the warrants shall be exercised ratably among the holders based on the outstanding warrants.
We do not intend to apply for listing of the warrants on any securities exchange or other trading system.
Description of Capital Stock
We are authorized to issue 300,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share. As of January 5, 2017, after implementing the 1-for-70 reverse stock split effective after trading on December 27, 2016, there were 2,736,621 shares of common stock outstanding, which were held of record by approximately 30 stockholders, no shares of preferred stock outstanding, 19,815 common stock options outstanding and 55,044 common stock warrants outstanding. The following description summarizes the most important terms of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it does not contain all the information that may be important to you. For a complete description you should refer to our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, copies of which have been incorporated by reference herein, and to the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
Common Stock
Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, and do not have cumulative voting rights. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock entitled to vote can elect all of the directors standing for election. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares of preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds legally available for dividend payments. All outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and nonassessable, and the shares of our common stock to be sold pursuant to this prospectus will be fully paid and nonassessable. The holders of common stock have no preferences or rights of conversion, exchange, pre- emption or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our affairs, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in our assets that are remaining after payment or provision for payment of all of our debts and obligations and after liquidation payments to holders of outstanding shares of preferred stock, if any.
Preferred Stock
The preferred stock, if issued, would have priority over our common stock with respect to dividends and other distributions, including the distribution of assets upon liquidation. Our board of directors has the authority, without further stockholder authorization, to issue from time to time shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the terms, limitations, relative rights and preferences and variations of each series. Although we have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock, other than in connection with this offering, the issuance of shares of preferred stock, or the issuance of rights to purchase such shares, could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to the holders of common stock, could adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of the common stock, and could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of us or an unsolicited acquisition proposal.
Series A Preferred Stock. Our board of directors has designated shares of our preferred stock as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (Series A Preferred Stock), none of which are currently issued and outstanding. The preferences and rights of the Series A Preferred Stock will be as set forth in a Certificate of Designation (the Series A Certificate of Designation) filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
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Pursuant to a transfer agency agreement between us and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as transfer agent, the Series A Preferred Stock will be issued in book-entry form and shall initially be represented only by one or more global certificates deposited with The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of DTC, or as otherwise directed by DTC.
In the event of a liquidation, the holders of Series A Preferred Shares are entitled to participate on an as-converted-to-Common Stock basis with holders of the Common Stock in any distribution of assets of the Company to the holders of the Common Stock. The Series A Certificate of Designation provides, among other things, that we shall not pay any dividends on shares of Common Stock (other than dividends in the form of Common Stock) unless and until such time as we pay dividends on each Series A Preferred Share on an as-converted basis. Other than as set forth in the previous sentence, the Series A Certificate of Designation provides that no other dividends shall be paid on Series A Preferred Shares and that we shall pay no dividends (other than dividends in the form of common stock) on shares of common stock unless we simultaneously comply with the previous sentence. The Series A Certificate of Designation does not provide for any restriction on the repurchase of Series A Preferred Shares by us while there is any arrearage in the payment of dividends on the Series A Preferred Shares. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the Series A Preferred Shares.
In addition, in the event we consummate a merger or consolidation with or into another person or other reorganization event in which our common shares are converted or exchanged for securities, cash or other property, or we sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets or we or another person acquire 50% or more of our outstanding shares of common stock, then following such event, the holders of the Series A Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares the same kind and amount of securities, cash or property which the holders would have received had they converted the Series A Preferred immediately prior to such fundamental transaction. Any successor to us or surviving entity shall assume the obligations under the Series A Preferred Shares.
With certain exceptions, as described in the Series A Certificate of Designation, the Series A Preferred Shares have no voting rights. However, as long as any shares of Series A Preferred Shares remain outstanding, the Series A Certificate of Designation provides that we shall not, without the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the then-outstanding Series A Preferred Shares, (a) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series A Preferred Shares or alter or amend the Series A Certificate of Designation, (b) increase the number of authorized shares of Series A Preferred Shares or (c) amend our Certificate of Incorporation or other charter documents in any manner that adversely affects any rights of holders of Series A Preferred Shares.
Each Series A Preferred Share is convertible at any time at the holders option into a number of shares of common stock equal to $1,000 divided by the Series A Conversion Price. The Series A Conversion Price is initially $3.97 and is subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, distributions, subdivisions and combinations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Series A Certificate of Designation further provides that we shall not effect any conversion of Series A Preferred Shares, with certain exceptions, to the extent that, after giving effect to an attempted conversion, the holder of Series A Preferred Shares (together with such holders affiliates, and any persons acting as a group together with such holder or any of such holders affiliates) would beneficially own a number of shares of Common Stock in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, 9.99%) of the shares of our Common Stock then outstanding after giving effect to such exercise (the Preferred Stock Beneficial Ownership Limitation); provided, however, that upon notice to the Company, the holder may increase or decrease the Preferred Stock Beneficial Ownership Limitation, provided that in no event shall the Preferred Stock Beneficial Ownership Limitation exceed 9.99% and any increase in the Preferred Stock Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until 61 days following notice of such increase from the holder to us.
Additionally, subject to certain exceptions, at any time after the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, subject to the Preferred Stock Beneficial Ownership Limitation, we will have the right to cause each holder of the
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Series A Preferred Stock to convert all or part of such holders Series A Preferred Stock in the event that (i) the volume weighted average price of our common stock for 30 consecutive trading days (the Measurement Period) exceeds 300% of the conversion price of the Series A Preferred Stock (subject to adjustment for forward and reverse stock splits, recapitalizations, stock dividends and similar transactions), (ii) the average daily trading volume for such Measurement Period exceeds $500,000 per trading day and (iii) the holder is not in possession of any information that constitutes or might constitute, material non-public information which was provided by the Company and subject to the Preferred Stock Beneficial Ownership Limitation. Our right to cause each holder of the Series A Preferred Stock to convert all or part of such holders Series A Preferred Stock shall be exercised ratably among the holders of the then outstanding preferred stock.
We do not intend to apply for listing of the Series A Preferred Shares on any securities exchange or other trading system.
Warrants
As of January 5, 2017, there were warrants outstanding to purchase a total of 55,044 shares of our common stock, which expire between February 27, 2018 and April 16, 2022. Each of these warrants entitles the holder to purchase one share of common stock at prices ranging from $2.80 to $4,095.00 per common share, with a weighted average exercise price of $238.90 per share. Certain of these warrants have a net exercise provision under which its holder may, in lieu of payment of the exercise price in cash, surrender the warrant and receive a net amount of shares based on the fair market value of our common stock at the time of exercise of the warrant after deduction of the aggregate exercise price. Each of these warrants also contains provisions for the adjustment of the exercise price and the aggregate number of shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrant in the event of dividends, share splits, reorganizations and reclassifications and consolidations. Certain of these warrants contain a provision requiring a reduction to the exercise price in the event we issue common stock, or securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock, at a price per share lower than the warrant exercise price.
Effects of Anti-Takeover Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation, Our Bylaws and Delaware Law
The provisions of (1) Delaware law, (2) our Certificate of Incorporation and (3) our Bylaws discussed below could discourage or make it more difficult to prevail in a proxy contest or effect other change in our management or the acquisition of control by a holder of a substantial amount of our voting stock. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish, or could deter, transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interests or our best interests. These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our board of directors and in the policies formulated by the board of directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change in control of our company. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited acquisition proposal. These provisions also are intended to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. These provisions also may have the effect of preventing changes in our management.
Delaware Statutory Business Combinations Provision. We are subject to the anti-takeover provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is, or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder was, approved in a prescribed manner or another prescribed exception applies. For purposes of Section 203, a business combination is defined broadly to include a merger, asset sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder, and, subject to certain exceptions, an interested stockholder is a person who, together with his or her affiliates and associates, owns (or within three years prior, did own) 15% or more of the corporations voting stock.
Classified Board of Directors; Appointment of Directors to Fill Vacancies; Removal of Directors for Cause. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our board of directors will be divided into three classes as nearly equal
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in number as possible. Each year the stockholders will elect the members of one of the three classes to a three-year term of office. All directors elected to our classified board of directors will serve until the election and qualification of their respective successors or their earlier resignation or removal. The board of directors is authorized to create new directorships and to fill any positions so created and is permitted to specify the class to which any new position is assigned. The person filling any of these positions would serve for the term applicable to that class. The board of directors (or its remaining members, even if less than a quorum) is also empowered to fill vacancies on the board of directors occurring for any reason for the remainder of the term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred. Members of the board of directors may only be removed for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of our outstanding voting stock. These provisions are likely to increase the time required for stockholders to change the composition of the board of directors. For example, in general, at least two annual meetings will be necessary for stockholders to effect a change in a majority of the members of the board of directors.
Advance Notice Provisions for Stockholder Proposals and Stockholder Nominations of Directors. Our Bylaws provide that, for nominations to the board of directors or for other business to be properly brought by a stockholder before a meeting of stockholders, the stockholder must first have given timely notice of the proposal in writing to our Secretary. For an annual meeting, a stockholders notice generally must be delivered not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the anniversary of the mailing date of the proxy statement for the previous years annual meeting. For a special meeting, the notice must generally be delivered no less than ten days following the day on which public announcement of the meeting is first made. Detailed requirements as to the form of the notice and information required in the notice are specified in our Bylaws. If it is determined that business was not properly brought before a meeting in accordance with our bylaw provisions, this business will not be conducted at the meeting.
Special Meetings of Stockholders. Special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by our board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors.
No Stockholder Action by Written Consent. Our Certificate of Incorporation does not permit our stockholders to act by written consent. As a result, any action to be effected by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of the stockholders.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Wells Fargo Bank, National Association.
Listing
Our common stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol ETRM.
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We have entered into an underwriting agreement dated , 2017 with Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., as the representative of the underwriters (the representative) named below and the sole book-running manager of this offering. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters have agreed to purchase the number of our securities set forth opposite its name below.
Underwriter |
Class A Units | Class B Units | ||||||
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. |
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Total |
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|
|
|
|
A copy of the underwriting agreement will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is part.
We have been advised by the underwriters that they propose to offer the units directly to the public at the assumed public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. Any securities sold by the underwriters to securities dealers will be sold at the assumed public offering price less a selling concession not in excess of $ per share. The underwriters may allow and these selected dealers may re-allow a concession of not more than $ per share to other brokers and dealers.
The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters obligation to purchase the securities we are offering is subject to conditions contained in the underwriting agreement.
No action has been taken by us or the underwriters that would permit a public offering of the units, or the shares, of common stock, shares of preferred stock and warrants included in the units, in any jurisdiction outside the United States where action for that purpose is required. None of our securities included in this offering may be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sales of any of the securities offering hereby be distributed or published in any jurisdiction except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons who receive this prospectus are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering of securities and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of any offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction where that would not be permitted or legal.
The underwriters have advised us that they do not intend to confirm sales to any account over which they exercise discretionary authority.
Underwriting Discount and Expenses
The following table summarizes the underwriting discount and commission to be paid to the underwriters by us.
Per Class A Unit(1) | Per Class B Unit(1) | Total | ||||||||||
Public offering price |
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Underwriting discount to be paid to the underwriters by us (8.0%)(2) |
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Proceeds to us (before expenses) |
(1) | The public offering price and underwriting discount corresponds to (x) in respect of the Class A Units (i) a public offering price per share of common stock of $ and (ii) a public offering price per warrant of $ and (y) in respect of the Class B Units (i) a public offering price per share of Series A Preferred Stock of $ and (ii) a public offering price per warrant of $ . |
(2) | We have granted a 45 day option to the underwriter to purchase up to 453,401 additional shares of common stock (up to 15% of the shares of common stock plus the number of shares of common stock issuable upon |
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conversion of shares of Series A Preferred Stock) and/or additional warrants exercisable for up to an additional 453,401 shares of common stock (up to 15% of the warrants sold in this offering) at the assumed public offering price per share of common stock and the assumed public offering price per warrant set forth above less the underwriting discounts and commissions solely to cover over-allotments, if any. |
We estimate the total expenses payable by us for this offering to be approximately $ which amount includes (i) the underwriting discount of $ ($ if the underwriters over-allotment option is exercised in full) and (ii) reimbursement of the accountable expenses of the representative equal to $130,000 including the legal fees of the representative being paid by us and (iii) other estimated company expenses of approximately $ which includes legal accounting printing costs and various fees associated with the registration and listing of our shares.
The securities we are offering are being offered by the underwriters subject to certain conditions specified in the underwriting agreement.
Over-allotment Option
We have granted to the underwriters an option exercisable not later than 45 days after the date of this prospectus to purchase up to a number of additional shares of common stock and/or warrants equal to 15% of the number of shares of common stock sold in the primary offering (including the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of shares of Series A Preferred Stock but excluding any shares of common stock underlying the warrants issued in this offering and any shares of common stock issued upon any exercise of the underwriters over-allotment option) and/or 15% of the warrants sold in the primary offering at the assumed public offering price per share of common stock and the assumed public offering price per warrant set forth on the cover page hereto less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The underwriters may exercise the option solely to cover overallotments, if any, made in connection with this offering. If any additional shares of common stock and/or warrants are purchased, the underwriters will offer these shares of common stock and/or warrants on the same terms as those on which the other securities are being offered.
Determination of Offering Price
Our Common stock is currently traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol ETRM. On , 2017 the closing price of our common stock was $ per share. We do not intend to apply for listing of the Series A Preferred Stock or the warrants on any securities exchange or other trading system.
The public offering price of the securities offered by this prospectus will be determined by negotiation between us and the underwriters among the factors considered in determining the public offering price of the shares were;
| our history and our prospects; |
| the industry in which we operate; |
| our past and present operating results; |
| the previous experience of our executive officers; and |
| the general condition of the securities markets at the time of this offering. |
The offering price stated on the cover page of this prospectus should not be considered an indication of the actual value of the shares of common stock sold in this offering. That price is subject to change as a result of market conditions and other factors and we cannot assure you that the shares of common stock sold in this offering can be resold at or above the public offering price.
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Lock-up Agreements
Our officers, directors and each of their respective affiliates and associated partners have agreed with the representative to be subject to a lock-up period of 90 days following the date of this prospectus. This means that, during the applicable lock-up period, such persons may not offer for sale, contract to sell, sell, distribute, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of our common stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, shares of our common stock. Certain limited transfers are permitted during the lock-up period if the transferee agrees to these lock-up restrictions. We have also agreed, in the underwriting agreement, to similar lock-up restrictions on the issuance and sale of our securities for 90 days following the closing of this offering, although we will be permitted to issue stock options or stock awards to directors, officers and employees under our existing plans. The lock-up period is subject to an additional extension to accommodate for our reports of financial results or material news releases. The representative may, in its sole discretion and without notice, waive the terms of any of these lock-up agreements.
Other Relationships
Upon completion of this offering, we have granted the representative a right of first refusal to act as sole bookrunner or exclusive placement agent in connection with any subsequent public or private offering of equity securities or other capital markets financing by us. This right of first refusal extends for 12 months from the closing date of this offering. The terms of any such engagement of the representative will be determined by separate agreement.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Wells Fargo Bank, National Association.
Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids
The underwriters may engage in syndicate covering transactions stabilizing transactions and penalty bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of our common stock;
| Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of securities in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. Such a naked short position would be closed out by buying securities in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the securities in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. |
| Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specific maximum. |
| Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. |
These syndicate covering transactions, stabilizing transactions, and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market prices of our securities or preventing or retarding a decline in the market prices of our securities. As a result the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. These transactions may be effected on the Nasdaq Capital Market, in the over-the-counter market or on any other trading market and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
In connection with this offering, the underwriters also may engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock in accordance with Regulation M during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of
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shares of our common stock in this offering and extending through the completion of the distribution. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market makers bid that bid must then be lowered when specific purchase limits are exceeded. Passive market making may stabilize the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
Neither we, nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the prices of our securities. In addition, neither we nor the underwriters make any representation that the underwriters will engage in these transactions or that any transactions, once commenced will not be discontinued without notice.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act or to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make for these liabilities.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following is a general discussion of material U.S. federal income considerations relating to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants. This discussion is based on current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Internal Revenue Code), existing and proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated or proposed thereunder and current administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all as in effect as of the date of this prospectus and all of which are subject to change or to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position.
This discussion is limited to U.S. holders and non-U.S. holders who hold our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code (generally, as property held for investment). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation, such as the U.S. alternative minimum income tax and the additional tax on net investment income, nor does it address any aspect of state, local or non-U.S. taxes, or U.S. federal taxes other than income taxes, such as federal estate taxes. This discussion does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a holder and does not address the special tax considerations that may be applicable to particular holders, such as:
| insurance companies; |
| tax-exempt organizations; |
| financial institutions; |
| brokers or dealers in securities; |
| regulated investment companies; |
| pension plans; |
| controlled foreign corporations; |
| passive foreign investment companies; |
| corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; |
| certain U.S. expatriates; |
| persons that have a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar; |
| persons that acquire our common stock as compensation for services; |
| owners that hold our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction, synthetic security or other integrated investment; and |
| partnerships or other entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. |
If any entity taxable as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. A partner in a partnership or other transparent entity that holds our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the applicable tax consequences.
For purposes of this discussion, the term U.S. holder means a beneficial owner of our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or of any political subdivision of the United States; |
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| an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| a trust, if (1) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) the trust has a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations. |
A non-U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants that is not a U.S. holder.
Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and other tax considerations of purchasing, holding and disposing of our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants.
U.S. Holders
Purchase of Units
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the purchase of a Class A Unit will be treated as the purchase of two components: a component consisting of two shares of our common stock and a component consisting of one warrant to purchase one share of our common stock. The purchase of a Class B Unit will be treated as the purchase of two components: a component consisting of one share of our Series A Preferred Stock and a component consisting of warrants to purchase a number of shares of our common stock equal to $1.23 divided by the Conversion Price. The purchase price for each Unit will be allocated between its components in proportion to the relative fair market value of each at the time the Unit is purchased by the holder. This allocation of the purchase price for each Unit will establish a holders initial tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the shares and warrants that compose each Unit.
Exercise of Warrants
A U.S. holder generally will not recognize gain or loss on the exercise of a warrant and related receipt of shares of our common stock (unless cash is received in lieu of the issuance of a fractional share of our common stock). A U.S. holders initial tax basis in the shares of our common stock received upon the exercise of a warrant will be equal to the sum of (a) such U.S. holders tax basis in such warrant plus (b) the exercise price paid by such U.S. holder on the exercise of such warrant. A U.S. holders holding period for the shares of our common stock received upon the exercise of a warrant will begin on the day after the date that the warrant is exercised.
In certain limited circumstances, a U.S. holder may be permitted to undertake a cashless exercise of warrants into shares of our common stock. The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise of warrants into shares of common stock is unclear, and the tax consequences of a cashless exercise could differ from the consequences upon the exercise of a warrant described in the preceding paragraph. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of warrants.
Certain Adjustments to the Warrants or Series A Preferred Stock
An adjustment to the number of shares of our common stock that will be issued upon the exercise of a warrant or conversion of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, or an adjustment to the exercise price of a warrant, may be treated as a constructive distribution to a U.S. holder of the warrant or share depending on the circumstances of such adjustment (for example, if such adjustment is to compensate for a distribution of cash or other property to our shareholders). Adjustments to the exercise price of warrants or conversion price of Series A Preferred Stock made pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula that has the effect of preventing dilution of the interest of the holders thereof generally should not be considered to result in a constructive distribution. Any such constructive distribution would be taxable whether or not there is an actual distribution of cash or other property. See the more detailed discussion of the rules applicable to distributions made by us under the heading Distributions on Common Stock or Series A Preferred Stock below.
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Expiration of the Warrants without Exercise
Upon the lapse or expiration of a warrant, a U.S. holder will recognize a loss in an amount equal to such U.S. holders tax basis in the warrant. Any such loss generally will be a capital loss and will be long-term capital loss if the warrant is held for more than one year. Deductions for capital losses are subject to significant limitations.
Conversion of Series A Preferred Stock
A U.S. holder generally will not recognize gain or loss upon the conversion of a share of Series A Preferred Stock into common stock. A U.S. holders initial tax basis in the shares of our common stock received upon the conversion of a share of Series A Preferred Stock will be equal to such U.S. holders tax basis in the share of Series A Preferred Stock. A U.S. holders holding period for the shares of our common stock received upon the conversion of a share of Series A Preferred Stock will include the U.S. holders holding period in such share of Series A Preferred Stock.
Distributions on Common Stock or Series A Preferred Stock
If we pay distributions of cash or property with respect to our common stock or Series A Preferred Stock (including constructive distributions as described above under the heading Certain Adjustments to the Warrants or Series A Preferred Stock), those distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the U.S. holders investment, up to such holders tax basis in its shares of our common stock or Series A Preferred Stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain, subject to the tax treatment described below under the heading Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition.
Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition
Upon the sale or other taxable disposition of common shares, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants, a U.S. holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (a) the amount of cash plus the fair market value of any property received and (b) such U.S. holders tax basis in such common shares, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants sold or otherwise disposed of. Such gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if, at the time of the sale or other disposition, the common shares, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants have been held by the U.S. holder for more than one year. Preferential tax rates may apply to long-term capital gain of a U.S. holder that is an individual, estate, or trust. Deductions for capital losses are subject to significant limitations.
Non-U.S. Holders
Distributions on Common Stock or Series A Preferred Stock
If we pay distributions of cash or property with respect to our common stock or Series A Preferred Stock (including constructive distributions as described above under the heading Certain Adjustments to the Warrants or Series A Preferred Stock), those distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the non-U.S. holders investment, up to such holders tax basis in its shares of our common stock or Series A Preferred Stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain, subject to the tax treatment described below under the heading Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition. Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holders country of residence. In the case of any constructive distribution, it is possible that this
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tax would be withheld from any amount owed to the non-U.S. holder, including, but not limited to, distributions of cash, common stock or sales proceeds subsequently paid or credited to that holder. If we are unable to determine, at the time of payment of a distribution, whether the distribution will constitute a dividend, we may nonetheless choose to withhold any U.S. federal income tax on the distribution as permitted by U.S. Treasury Regulations.
Distributions that are treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by a non-U.S. holder within the United States are generally not subject to the 30% withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI stating that the distributions are not subject to withholding because they are effectively connected with the non-U.S. holders conduct of a trade or business in the United States. If a non-U.S. holder is engaged in a trade or business in the United States and the distribution is effectively connected with the conduct of that trade or business, the distribution will generally have the consequences described above for a U.S. holder (subject to any modification provided under an applicable income tax treaty). Any U.S. effectively connected income received by a non-U.S. holder that is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty).
A non-U.S. holder who claims the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holders country of residence generally will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, and satisfy applicable certification and other requirements. A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax under an income tax treaty generally may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim with the IRS. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under a relevant income tax treaty.
Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition
Subject to the discussion below in Information Reporting and Backup Withholding and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on a sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants unless:
| the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. holders conduct of a trade or business in the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the United States; in these cases, the non-U.S. holder will be taxed on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates and in the manner applicable to a U.S. holder, and, if the non-U.S. holder is a corporation, an additional branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, or a lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty, may also apply; |
| the non-U.S. holder is an individual present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other conditions are met, in which case the non-U.S. holder will be subject to a 30% tax (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the amount by which such non-U.S. holders capital gains allocable to U.S. sources exceed capital losses allocable to U.S. sources during the taxable year of the disposition; or |
| we are or were a U.S. real property holding corporation during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period that the non-U.S. holder held our common stock. Generally, a corporation is a U.S. real property holding corporation if the fair market value of its U.S. real property interests (within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code) equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. We believe that we are not currently, and we do not anticipate becoming, a U.S. real property holding corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. |
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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Distributions on, and the payment of the proceeds of a disposition of, our common stock, Series A Preferred Stock or warrants generally will be subject to information reporting if made within the United States or through certain U.S.-related financial intermediaries. Information returns are required to be filed with the IRS and copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which a holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement.
Backup withholding may also apply if the holder fails to provide certification of exempt status or a correct U.S. taxpayer identification number and otherwise comply with the applicable backup withholding requirements. Generally, a holder will not be subject to backup withholding if it provides a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-9 or appropriate IRS Form W-8, as applicable. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be refunded or credited against the holders U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided certain information is timely filed with the IRS.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Legislation commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, generally imposes a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% on payments to certain non-U.S. entities (including certain intermediaries) unless such persons comply with FATCAs information reporting and withholding regime. This regime and its requirements are different from, and in addition to, the certification requirements described elsewhere in this discussion. The FATCA withholding rules apply to dividend payments and, in the case of certain sales or other dispositions occurring after December 31, 2018 (including a distribution to the extent it is treated as a return of capital or capital gain), the gross proceeds of such disposition.
The United States has entered into, and continues to negotiate, intergovernmental agreements (each, an IGA) with a number of other jurisdictions to facilitate the implementation of FATCA. An IGA may significantly alter the application of FATCA and its information reporting and withholding requirements with respect to any particular investor. FATCA is particularly complex and its application remains uncertain. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding how these rules may apply in their particular circumstances.
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Dorsey & Whitney LLP will issue a legal opinion as to the validity of the securities offered by this prospectus. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel for Ladenburg Thalmann in connection with certain legal matters in connection with this offering.
The consolidated financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public through the Internet at the SECs web site at www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at the SECs public reference room at 100 F Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information about its public reference facilities and their copy charges.
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities offered by this prospectus. When used in this prospectus, the term registration statement includes amendments to the registration statement as well as the exhibits, schedules, financial statements and notes filed as part of the registration statement. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information in the registration statement. This prospectus omits information contained in the registration statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information with respect to us and the common stock offered by this prospectus, reference is made to the registration statement. Statements herein concerning the contents of any contract or other document are not necessarily complete and in each instance reference is made to the copy of such contract or other document filed with the SEC as an exhibit to the registration statement, each such statement being qualified by and subject to such reference in all respects.
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with them. This allows us to disclose important information to you by referencing those filed documents. We have previously filed the following documents with the SEC and are incorporating them by reference into this prospectus:
| The Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K (including the portions of our Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for our 2016 Annual Meeting filed with the SEC on April 1, 2016 that are incorporated by reference therein) for the year ended December 31, 2015; |
| The Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2016, June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2016; |
| The Companys Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 8, 2016; January 13, 2016; January 22, 2016; February 3, 2016; May 6, 2016 (excluding Item 2.02); May 10, 2016; May 13, 2016; June 28, 2016; July 6, 2016; July 15, 2016; July 20, 2016; August 17, 2016; September 12, 2016; September 20, 2016; September 27, 2016; October 6, 2016; October 11, 2016; October 14, 2016; October 19, 2016; November 1, 2016; November 8, 2016; November 16, 2016; November 22, 2016; December 5, 2016; December 13, 2016; December 20, 2016; December 23, 2016; December 28, 2016; and January 5, 2017; and |
| the description of our common stock contained in any registration statement on Form 8-A that we have filed, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating this description. |
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We also are incorporating by reference any future information filed (rather than furnished) by us with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and before the effective date of the registration statement and after the date of this prospectus until the termination of the offering. The most recent information that we file with the SEC automatically updates and supersedes more dated information.
You can obtain a copy of any documents which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus or prospectus supplement, except for exhibits which are specifically incorporated by reference into those documents, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at:
EnteroMedics Inc.
2800 Patton Road
St. Paul, Minnesota 55113
Attention: Secretary
(651) 634-3003
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INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution |
The following table sets forth the estimated costs and expenses in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, other than underwriting discounts and commissions. All of the amounts shown are estimates, except the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration fee. The expenses listed will be paid by EnteroMedics Inc. (the Company).
SEC registration fee |
$ | 3,911 | ||
FINRA filing fee |
4,312 | |||
Legal fees and expenses |
100,000 | |||
Printing expenses |
10,000 | |||
Accountants fees and expenses |
50,000 | |||
Transfer agent and registrar fees |
15,000 | |||
Miscellaneous expenses |
15,000 | |||
|
|
|||
Total |
$ | 198,223 | ||
|
|
Item 14. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers |
Article 6 of the Companys Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the Certificate of Incorporation), provides that no director of the Company shall be personally liable to us or the Companys stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability, except for liability (i) for any breach of the directors duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
Article 8 of the Companys Amended and Restated Bylaws (the Bylaws) provides that the Company will indemnify each person who was or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person of whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee or agent (all such persons are referred to as an indemnitee), shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company, against all expenses, liability and loss (including attorneys fees, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The Bylaws provide that the Company will indemnify any indemnitee seeking indemnity in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Companys Board of Directors. The Company will indemnify the indemnitee for expenses incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition to the extent not prohibited by law. Such indemnification will only be made if the indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to us, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Expenses must be advanced to an indemnitee under certain circumstances.
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As a condition precedent to the right of indemnification, an indemnitee must give the Company notice of the action for which indemnity is sought and the Company must have the right to participate in such action or assume the defense thereof.
Article 8 of the Bylaws further provides that the indemnification provided therein is not exclusive, and provides that no amendment, termination or repeal of the relevant provisions of the Delaware law statute or any other applicable law will diminish the rights of any Indemnitee to indemnification under the Certificate of Incorporation.
Section 145 of the Delaware law statute provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation and certain other persons serving at the request of the corporation in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlements actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with an action, suit or proceeding to which he or she is or is threatened to be made a party by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses that the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.
The Company has director and officer insurance providing for indemnification for its directors and officers for certain liabilities and such insurance provides for indemnification of the Companys directors and officers for liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Exhibit |
Description of Document | |
1.1* | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
3.1 | Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Companys Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 28, 2016 (File No. 1-33818)). | |
3.2 | Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as currently in effect. (Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.4 to Amendment No. 1 to the Companys Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on July 6, 2007 (File No. 333-143265)). | |
4.1* | Form of Certificate of Designation of Series A Preferred Stock. | |
4.2* | Form of Series A Preferred Stock Certificate. | |
4.3* | Form of Warrant to purchase shares of Common Stock. | |
5.1* | Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney LLP. | |
23.1* | Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. | |
23.2* | Consent of Dorsey & Whitney LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
24.1** | Power of Attorney. |
* | Filed herewith. |
** | Previously Filed. |
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Item 17. Undertakings
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(i) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(ii) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-1 and has duly caused this Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of St. Paul, State of Minnesota, on January 11, 2017.
ENTEROMEDICS INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Dan W. Gladney | |
Dan W. Gladney | ||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
/s/ Dan W. Gladney Dan W. Gladney |
Chairman of the Board and President and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) | January 11, 2017 | ||
/s/ Scott P. Youngstrom Scott P. Youngstrom |
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) | January 11, 2017 | ||
* Gary D. Blackford |
Director | January 11, 2017 | ||
* Carl Goldfischer, M.D. |
Director | January 11, 2017 | ||
* Bobby I. Griffin |
Director | January 11, 2017 | ||
* Lori C. McDougal |
Director | January 11, 2017 | ||
* Nicholas L. Teti, Jr. |
Director | January 11, 2017 | ||
* Jon T. Tremmel |
Director | January 11, 2017 |
* By: | /s/ Dan W. Gladney | |
Dan W. Gladney | ||
Attorney-in-fact |
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Exhibit 1.1
SHARES OF COMMON STOCK, SHARES
OF SERIES A CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK (CONVERTIBLE
INTO SHARES OF COMMON STOCK) AND
WARRANTS (EXERCISABLE FOR SHARES OF COMMON STOCK)
OF
ENTEROMEDICS INC.
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
January , 2017
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.
As the Representative of the
Several underwriters, if any, named in Schedule I hereto
4400 Biscayne Blvd., 14th Floor
Miami, Florida 33137
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, EnteroMedics Inc., a Delaware corporation (collectively with its subsidiaries, including, without limitation, all entities disclosed or described in the Registration Statement as being subsidiaries of EnteroMedics Inc., the Company), hereby confirms its agreement (this Agreement) with the several underwriters (such underwriters, including the Representative (as defined below), the Underwriters and each an Underwriter) named in Schedule I hereto for which Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. is acting as representative to the several Underwriters (the Representative and if there are no Underwriters other than the Representative, references to multiple Underwriters shall be disregarded and the term Representative as used herein shall have the same meaning as Underwriter) on the terms and conditions set forth herein.
It is understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public offering of the Public Securities as soon as the Representative deems it advisable to do so. The Public Securities are to be initially offered to the public at the initial public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. The Representative may from time to time thereafter change the public offering price and other selling terms.
It is further understood that you will act as the Representative for the Underwriters in the offering and sale of the Closing Securities and, if any, the Option Securities in accordance with this Agreement.
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement (a) capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Certificate of Designation (as defined herein) and (b) the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:
Action shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(k).
Affiliate means with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with such Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
Board of Directors means the board of directors of the Company.
Business Day means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
Certificate of Designation means the Certificate of Designation to be filed prior to the Closing by the Company with the Secretary of State of Delaware, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
Closing means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Closing Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
Closing Date means the hour and the date on the Trading Day on which all conditions precedent to (i) the Underwriters obligations to pay the Closing Purchase Price and (ii) the Companys obligations to deliver the Closing Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the third Trading Day following the date hereof or at such earlier time as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company.
Closing Preferred Shares shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(a)(i).
Closing Purchase Price shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(b), which aggregate purchase price shall be net of the underwriting discounts and commissions.
Closing Securities shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(a)(iii).
Closing Shares shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(a)(ii).
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Closing Warrants shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(a)(iii).
Combined Preferred Purchase Price shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(b).
Combined Purchase Price shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(b).
Commission means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Common Stock means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
Common Stock Equivalents means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
Company Auditor means , with offices located at .
Company Counsel means Dorsey & Whitney LLP, with offices located at 50 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402.
Conversion Price shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Certificate of Designation.
Conversion Shares shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Certificate of Designation.
Disclosure Schedules means the Disclosure Schedules of the Company delivered concurrently herewith.
Effective Date shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(f).
EGS means Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, with offices located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Execution Date shall mean the date on which the parties execute and enter into this Agreement.
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Exempt Issuance means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the Company pursuant to any stock or option plan duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any Securities issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities, and (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equity holders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities.
FCPA means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
FINRA means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
GAAP shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(i).
Indebtedness means (a) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (b) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Companys consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (c) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP.
Liens means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
Lock-Up Agreements shall mean the lock-up agreements with a term of 90 days that are delivered on the date hereof by each of the Companys officers and directors, in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto.
Material Adverse Effect means (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Companys ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document.
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Offering shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(c).
Option Closing Date shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(c).
Option Closing Purchase Price shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(b), which aggregate purchase price shall be net of the underwriting discounts and commissions.
Option Securities shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(a).
Option Shares shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(a).
Option Warrants shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(a).
Over-Allotment Option shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2.
Person means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
Preferred Stock means up to shares of the Companys Series A Convertible Preferred Stock issued or issuable pursuant to Section 2.1(a)(i) and having the rights, preferences and privileges set forth in the Certificate of Designation.
Preferred Stock Agency Agreement means with the Transfer Agent, pursuant to which the Transfer Agent agrees to act as transfer agent and conversion agent for the Preferred Stock, in the form of Exhibit E-2 attached hereto.
Preliminary Prospectus means, if any, any preliminary prospectus relating to the Securities included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b).
Proceeding means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
Prospectus means the final prospectus filed for the Registration Statement.
Prospectus Supplement means, if any, any supplement to the Prospectus complying with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act that is filed with the Commission.
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Public Securities means, collectively, the Closing Securities and, if any, the Option Securities.
Registration Statement means, collectively, the various parts of the registration statement prepared by the Company on Form S-1 (File No. 333-213704) with respect to the Securities, each as amended as of the date hereof, including the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement, if any, the Preliminary Prospectus, if any, and all exhibits filed with or incorporated by reference into such registration statement.
Required Approvals shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
Required Minimum means, as of any date, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock then issued or potentially issuable in the future pursuant to the Transaction Documents, including any Underlying Shares issuable upon exercise in full of all Warrants or conversion in full of all shares of Preferred Stock, ignoring any conversion or exercise limits set forth therein.
Rule 424 means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
SEC Reports shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(i).
Securities means the Closing Securities, the Option Securities and the Underlying Shares.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Share Purchase Price shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(b).
Shares means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock delivered to the Underwriters in accordance with Section 2.1(a)(ii) and Section 2.2(a).
Stated Value means $1,000 per share of Preferred Stock.
Subsidiary means any subsidiary of the Company and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.
Trading Day means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
Trading Market means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE MKT, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
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Transaction Documents means this Agreement, the Certificate of Designation, the Warrants, the Warrant Agency Agreement, the Preferred Stock Agency Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreements, and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
Transfer Agent means Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101, Mendota Heights, Minnesota 55120 and a facsimile number of 651-450-4078, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
Underlying Shares means, collectively, the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares.
Warrant Agency Agreement means the warrant agency agreement, dated on or about the date hereof, between the Company and the Transfer Agent pursuant to which the Transfer Agent will act as warrant agent for the Warrants, in the form of Exhibit E-1 attached hereto.
Warrant Purchase Price shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1(b).
Warrant Shares means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
Warrants means, collectively, the Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Underwriters in accordance with Section 2.1(a) and Section 2.2(a), which warrants shall be exercisable immediately and have a term of exercise equal to five (5) years, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.
ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing.
(a) Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell, in the aggregate, shares of Common Stock, shares of Preferred Stock, and Warrants, and each Underwriter agrees to purchase, severally and not jointly, at the Closing, the following securities of the Company:
(i) the number of shares of Preferred Stock (the Closing Preferred Shares) set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereof;
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(ii) the number of shares of Common Stock (the Closing Shares) set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereof; and
(iii) Warrants to purchase up to % of the sum of the number of Closing Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereof plus the aggregate number of Conversion Shares underlying the Closing Preferred Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereof (the Closing Warrants and, collectively with the Closing Shares and the Closing Preferred Shares, the Closing Securities), which Warrants shall have an exercise price of $ , subject to adjustment as provided therein.
(b) The aggregate purchase price for the Closing Securities shall equal the amount set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule I hereto (the Closing Purchase Price). The combined purchase price for one Share and a Warrant to purchase Warrant Share shall be $ (the Combined Purchase Price) which shall be allocated as $ per Share (the Share Purchase Price) and $ per Warrant (the Warrant Purchase Price). The combined purchase price for one Closing Preferred Share and Warrants to purchase Warrant Shares shall be $ (the Combined Preferred Purchase Price) which shall be allocated as $ per Preferred Share and $ per Warrant; and
(c) On the Closing Date, each Underwriter shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, via wire transfer, immediately available funds equal to such Underwriters Closing Purchase Price and the Company shall deliver to, or as directed by, such Underwriter its respective Closing Securities and the Company shall deliver the other items required pursuant to Section 2.3 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.3 and 2.4, the Closing shall occur at the offices of EGS or such other location as the Company and Representative shall mutually agree. The Public Securities are to be offered initially to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus (the Offering).
2.2 Over-Allotment Option.
(a) For the purposes of covering any over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of the Closing Securities, the Representative is hereby granted an option (the Over-Allotment Option) to purchase, in the aggregate, up to shares of Common Stock (the Option Shares) and Warrants to purchase up to shares1 of Common Stock (the Option Warrants and, collectively with the Option Shares, the Option Securities) which may be purchased in any combination of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants at the Share Purchase Price and/or Warrant Purchase Price, respectively.
(b) In connection with an exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, (a) the purchase price to be paid for the Option Shares is equal to the product of the Share
1 | 15% of sum of Closing Shares and Conversion Shares underlying the Closing Preferred Shares and 15% of the Closing Warrants |
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Purchase Price multiplied by the number of Option Shares to be purchased and (b) the purchase price to be paid for the Option Warrants is equal to the product of the Warrant Purchase Price multiplied by the number of Option Warrants (the aggregate purchase price to be paid on an Option Closing Date, the Option Closing Purchase Price).
(c) The Over-Allotment Option granted pursuant to this Section 2.2 may be exercised by the Representative as to all (at any time) or any part (from time to time) of the Option Securities within 45 days after the Execution Date. An Underwriter will not be under any obligation to purchase any Option Securities prior to the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option by the Representative. The Over-Allotment Option granted hereby may be exercised by the giving of oral notice to the Company from the Representative, which must be confirmed in writing by overnight mail or facsimile or other electronic transmission setting forth the number of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants to be purchased and the date and time for delivery of and payment for the Option Securities (each, an Option Closing Date), which will not be later than three (3) full Business Days after the date of the notice or such other time as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative, at the offices of EGS or at such other place (including remotely by facsimile or other electronic transmission) as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representative. If such delivery and payment for the Option Securities does not occur on the Closing Date, each Option Closing Date will be as set forth in the notice. Upon exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, the Company will become obligated to convey to the Underwriters, and, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Underwriters will become obligated to purchase, the number of Option Shares and/or Option Warrants specified in such notice. The Representative may cancel the Over-Allotment Option at any time prior to the expiration of the Over-Allotment Option by written notice to the Company.
2.3 Deliveries. The Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Underwriter (if applicable) the following:
(i) At the Closing Date, the Closing Shares and, as to each Option Closing Date, if any, the applicable Option Shares, which shares shall be delivered via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system for the accounts of the several Underwriters;
(ii) At the Closing Date, the Closing Preferred Shares shall be delivered via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system for the accounts of the several Underwriters;
(iii) At the Closing Date, the Closing Warrants and, as to each Option Closing Date, if any, the applicable Option Warrants, via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system for the accounts of the several Underwriters;
(iv) At the Closing Date, evidence of the filing and acceptance of the Certificate of Designation from the Secretary of State of Delaware;
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(v) At the Closing Date, the Warrant Agency Agreement duly executed by the parties thereto;
(vi) At the Closing Date, the Preferred Stock Agency Agreement duly executed by the parties thereto;
(vii) At the Closing Date, a legal opinion of Company Counsel addressed to the Underwriters, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative and as to each Option Closing Date, if any, a bring-down opinion, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter, from Company Counsel in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative;
(viii) Contemporaneously herewith, a cold comfort letter, addressed to the Underwriters and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to the Representative from the Company Auditor dated, respectively, as of the date of this Agreement and a bring-down letter dated as of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any;
(ix) On the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date, the duly executed and delivered Officers Certificate, substantially in the form set forth on Exhibit F attached hereto;
(x) On the Closing Date and on each Option Closing Date, the duly executed and delivered Secretarys Certificate, substantially in the form set forth on Exhibit G attached hereto; and
(xi) Contemporaneously herewith, the duly executed and delivered Lock-Up Agreements.
2.4 Closing Conditions. The respective obligations of each Underwriter hereunder in connection with the Closing and each Option Closing Date are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects when made and on the date in question (other than representations and warranties of the Company already qualified by materiality, which shall be true and correct in all respects) of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the date in question shall have been performed;
(iii) the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.3 of this Agreement;
(iv) the Registration Statement shall be effective on the date of this Agreement and at each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or contemplated by the Commission and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representative;
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(v) by the Execution Date, if required by FINRA, the Underwriters shall have received clearance from FINRA as to the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriters as described in the Registration Statement;
(vi) the Closing Shares, Option Shares, Underlying Shares, and Warrants have been approved for listing on the Trading Market; and
(vii) prior to and on each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any: (i) there shall have been no material adverse change or development involving a prospective material adverse change in the condition or prospects or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus; (ii) no action suit or proceeding, at law or in equity, shall have been pending or threatened against the Company or any Affiliate of the Company before or by any court or federal or state commission, board or other administrative agency wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding may materially adversely affect the business, operations, prospects or financial condition or income of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus; (iii) no stop order shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings therefor shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and (iv) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all material statements which are required to be stated therein in accordance with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and shall conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and neither the Registration Statement nor the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto shall contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation or otherwise made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in the corresponding section of the Disclosure Schedules, the Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as of the Execution Date, as of the Closing Date and as of each Option Closing Date, if any, as follows:
(a) Subsidiaries. The Company does not have any Subsidiaries of the Company that individually or considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary are required to be named in the SEC Reports. All references to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be disregarded.
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(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Companys stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Companys or any Subsidiarys certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the
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Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject, or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus and (ii) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the Required Approvals).
(f) Registration Statement. The Company has filed with the Commission the Registration Statement, including any related Prospectus or Prospectuses, for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act, which Registration Statement has been prepared by the Company in all material respects in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission on January , 2017 (the Effective Date). The Company has advised the Representative of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein in the Registration Statement and Prospectus. Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein; and any reference in this Agreement to the terms amend, amendment or supplement with respect to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Prospectus as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is contained, included, described, referenced, set forth or stated in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus, as the case may be. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Prospectus has been issued, and no proceeding for any such purpose is pending or has been initiated or, to the Companys knowledge, is threatened by the Commission. For purposes of this Agreement, free writing prospectus has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. The Company will not, without the prior consent of the Representative, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.
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(g) Issuance of Securities. The Securities are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Underlying Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock a number of shares of Common Stock for issuance of the Underlying Shares at least equal to the Required Minimum and the Option Shares issuable pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option on the date hereof. The holder of the Securities will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders. The Securities are not and will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. All corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities has been duly and validly taken. The Securities conform in all material respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement.
(h) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the SEC Reports. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic or current report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Companys stock option plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Companys employee stock purchase plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, except for such rights as have been waived. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities and as set forth in the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Underwriters) and will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities to adjust the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. The authorized shares of the Company conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration
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Statement and the Prospectus. The offers and sales of the Companys securities were at all relevant times either registered under the Securities Act and the applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers, exempt from such registration requirements. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, Prospectus and SEC Reports, there are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Companys capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Companys stockholders.
(i) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and any Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the SEC Reports) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (GAAP), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement and the SEC Reports conform to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder to be described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the SEC Reports or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or the SEC Reports, or (ii) is material to the Companys business, has been duly authorized and
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validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Companys knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefore may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the best of the Companys knowledge, any other party is in default thereunder and, to the best of the Companys knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default thereunder. To the best of the Companys knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses, including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations.
(j) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Companys financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock, (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans and (vi) no officer or director of the Company has resigned from any position with the Company. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement, no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made. Unless otherwise disclosed in an SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, the Company has not: (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital stock.
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(k) Litigation. There is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an Action) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(l) Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Companys or its Subsidiaries employees is a member of a union that relates to such employees relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(n) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (each, a Material Permit), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit. The disclosures in the Registration Statement concerning the effects of Federal, State, local and all foreign regulation on the Companys business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects.
(o) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid and marketable rights to lease or otherwise use, all real property and all personal property that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.
(p) Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights as described in the SEC Reports as necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses and which the failure to do so could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the Intellectual Property Rights). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(q) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.
(r) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from, any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
(s) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commissions rules and forms. The Companys certifying officers have evaluated the
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effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the Evaluation Date). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(t) Certain Fees. Except as set forth in the Prospectus, no brokerage or finders fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company, any Subsidiary or any Affiliate of the Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. To the Companys knowledge, there are no other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company or, to the Companys knowledge, any of its stockholders that may affect the Underwriters compensation, as determined by FINRA. The Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) to: (i) any person, as a finders fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) any FINRA member; or (iii) any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the twelve months prior to the Execution Date, other than a payment of $25,000 to the Representative as provided in the Investment Banking Agreement (as defined in Section 7.2 herein) in connection with the Offering. None of the net proceeds of the Offering will be paid by the Company to any participating FINRA member or its affiliates, except as specifically authorized herein.
(u) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities will not be or be an Affiliate of, an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an investment company subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(v) Registration Rights. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, Registration Statement and Prospectus, no Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(w) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock and Warrants are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock or the Warrants under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is
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contemplating terminating such registration. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, Registration Statement or Prospectus, the Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, Registration Statement or Prospectus, the Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees of the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.
(x) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Companys certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable as a result of the Underwriters and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents.
(y) Disclosure; 10b-5. The Registration Statement (and any further documents to be filed with the Commission) contains all exhibits and schedules as required by the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, if any, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations under the Securities Act and did not and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The preliminary and final Prospectus, each as of its respective date, comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, did not and will not contain as of the date thereof any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The SEC Reports, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations, and none of such documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (with respect to the SEC Reports incorporated by reference in the Prospectus), in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
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material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or events arising after the date thereof which represent, individually or in the aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required to be filed with the Commission. There are no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby that (x) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which have not been described or filed as required.
(z) No Integrated Offering. Neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(aa) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Companys assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Companys existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Companys assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. The SEC Reports sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments.
(bb) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or
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determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim. The provisions for taxes payable, if any, shown on the financial statements filed with or as part of the Registration Statement are sufficient for all accrued and unpaid taxes, whether or not disputed, and for all periods to and including the dates of such consolidated financial statements. The term taxes mean all federal, state, local, foreign, and other net income, gross income, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem, transfer, franchise, profits, license, lease, service, service use, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property, windfall profits, customs, duties or other taxes, fees, assessments, or charges of any kind whatsoever, together with any interest and any penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts with respect thereto. The term returns means all returns, declarations, reports, statements, and other documents required to be filed in respect to taxes.
(cc) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of FCPA. The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the FCPA.
(dd) Accountants. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, the Company Auditor (i) is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Companys Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company Auditor has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included in the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is used in Section 10A(g) of the Exchange Act.
(ee) FDA. As to each product subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended, and the regulations thereunder (FDCA) that is manufactured, packaged, labeled, tested, distributed, sold, and/or marketed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (each such product, a Pharmaceutical Product), such Pharmaceutical Product is being manufactured, packaged, labeled, tested, distributed, sold and/or marketed by the Company in compliance with all applicable requirements under FDCA
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and similar laws, rules and regulations relating to registration, investigational use, premarket clearance, licensure, or application approval, good manufacturing practices, good laboratory practices, good clinical practices, product listing, quotas, labeling, advertising, record keeping and filing of reports, except where the failure to be in compliance would not have a Material Adverse Effect. There is no pending, completed or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened, action (including any lawsuit, arbitration, or legal or administrative or regulatory proceeding, charge, complaint, or investigation) against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice, warning letter or other communication from the FDA or any other governmental entity, which (i) contests the premarket clearance, licensure, registration, or approval of, the uses of, the distribution of, the manufacturing or packaging of, the testing of, the sale of, or the labeling and promotion of any Pharmaceutical Product, (ii) withdraws its approval of, requests the recall, suspension, or seizure of, or withdraws or orders the withdrawal of advertising or sales promotional materials relating to, any Pharmaceutical Product, (iii) imposes a clinical hold on any clinical investigation by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (iv) enjoins production at any facility of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (v) enters or proposes to enter into a consent decree of permanent injunction with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (vi) otherwise alleges any violation of any laws, rules or regulations by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and which, either individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect. The properties, business and operations of the Company have been and are being conducted in all material respects in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the FDA. The Company has not been informed by the FDA that the FDA will prohibit the marketing, sale, license or use in the United States of any product proposed to be developed, produced or marketed by the Company nor has the FDA expressed any concern as to approving or clearing for marketing any product being developed or proposed to be developed by the Company.
(ff) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Companys knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department.
(gg) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon the Representatives request.
(hh) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the BHCA) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
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(ii) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
(jj) D&O Questionnaires. To the Companys knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires completed by each of the Companys directors and officers immediately prior to the Offering as well as in the Lock-Up Agreement provided to the Underwriters is true and correct in all respects and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in such questionnaires become inaccurate and incorrect.
(kk) FINRA Affiliation. No officer, director or any beneficial owner of 5% or more of the Companys unregistered securities has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA) that is participating in the Offering. The Company will advise the Representative and EGS if it learns that any officer, director or owner of 5% or more of the Companys outstanding shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member firm.
(ll) Officers Certificate. Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to you or to EGS shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.
(mm) Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is comprised of the persons set forth under the heading of the Prospectus captioned Management. The qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the Board of Directors comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company and the rules of the Trading Market. At least one member of the Board of Directors qualifies as a financial expert as such term is defined under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder and the rules of the Trading Market. In addition, at least a majority of the persons serving on the Board of Directors qualify as independent as defined under the rules of the Trading Market.
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ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Amendments to Registration Statement. The Company has delivered, or will as promptly as practicable deliver, to the Underwriters complete conformed copies of the Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts, as applicable, filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits), the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as an Underwriter reasonably requests. Neither the Company nor any of its directors and officers has distributed and none of them will distribute, prior to the Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Registration Statement, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, and copies of the documents incorporated by reference therein. The Company shall not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative shall reasonably object in writing.
4.2 Federal Securities Laws.
(a) Compliance. During the time when a Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, the Company will use its best efforts to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Securities in accordance with the provisions hereof and the Prospectus. If at any time when a Prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, any event shall have occurred as a result of which, in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act, the Company will notify the Underwriters promptly and prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 4.1 hereof, an appropriate amendment or supplement in accordance with Section 10 of the Securities Act.
(b) Filing of Final Prospectus. The Company will file the final Prospectus (in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative) with the Commission pursuant to the requirements of Rule 424.
(c) Exchange Act Registration. For a period of three years from the Execution Date, the Company will use its best efforts to maintain the registration of the Common Stock and the Warrants under the Exchange Act. The Company will not deregister the Common Stock or the Warrants under the Exchange Act without the prior written consent of the Representative.
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(d) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 of the rules and regulations under the Securities Act, without the prior written consent of the Representative. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative is herein referred to as a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an issuer free writing prospectus as defined in rule and regulations under the Securities Act, and has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 of the Securities Act, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping.
4.3 Delivery to the Underwriters of Prospectuses. The Company will deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, from time to time during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act such number of copies of each Prospectus as the Underwriters may reasonably request and, as soon as the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto becomes effective, deliver to you two original executed Registration Statements, including exhibits, and all post-effective amendments thereto and copies of all exhibits filed therewith or incorporated therein by reference and all original executed consents of certified experts.
4.4 Effectiveness and Events Requiring Notice to the Underwriters. The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Registration Statement to remain effective with a current prospectus until the later of nine (9) months from the Execution Date and the date the Warrants are no longer outstanding, and will notify the Underwriters and holders of the Warrants immediately and confirm the notice in writing: (i) of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto; (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iii) of the issuance by any state securities commission of any proceedings for the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation, or the threatening, of any proceeding for that purpose; (iv) of the mailing and delivery to the Commission for filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus; (v) of the receipt of any comments or request for any additional information from the Commission; and (vi) of the happening of any event during the period described in this Section 4.4 that, in the judgment of the Company, makes any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus untrue or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Commission or any state securities commission shall enter a stop order or suspend such qualification at any time, the Company will make every reasonable effort to obtain promptly the lifting of such order.
4.5 Expenses.
(a) General Expenses Related to the Offering. The Company hereby agrees to pay on each of the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, to the extent not paid at the Closing Date, all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including, but not limited to: (a) all filing fees and
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communication expenses relating to the registration of the Securities to be sold in the Offering (including the Option Securities) with the Commission; (b) all FINRA Public Offering Filing System fees associated with the review of the Offering by FINRA; all fees and expenses relating to the listing of such Closing Shares, Option Shares, Underlying Shares and Warrants on the Trading Market and such other stock exchanges as the Company and the Representative together determine; (c) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to the registration or qualification of such Securities under the blue sky securities laws of such states and other foreign jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate; (d) the costs of all mailing and printing of the underwriting documents (including, without limitation, the Underwriting Agreement, and, if appropriate, any Agreement Among Underwriters, Selected Dealers Agreement, Underwriters Questionnaire and Power of Attorney), Registration Statements, Prospectuses and all amendments, supplements and exhibits thereto and as many preliminary and final Prospectuses as the Representative may reasonably deem necessary; (e) the costs and expenses of the Companys public relations firm; (f) the costs of preparing, printing and delivering the Securities; (g) fees and expenses of the Transfer Agent for the Securities (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company), including, without limitation, fees and expenses pursuant to the Warrant Agency Agreement and the Preferred Stock Agency Agreement; (h) stock transfer and/or stamp taxes, if any, payable upon the transfer of securities from the Company to the Underwriters; (i) the fees and expenses of the Companys accountants; (j) the fees and expenses of the Companys legal counsel and other agents and representatives; (k) the Underwriters costs of mailing prospectuses to prospective investors; (l) the costs associated with advertising the Offering in the national editions of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times after the Closing Date; (m) the Underwriters use of i-Deals book-building, prospectus tracking and compliance software (or other similar software) for the Offering; and (n) the Underwriters actual road show expenses for the Offering. The Underwriters may also deduct from the net proceeds of the Offering payable to the Company on the Closing Date, or each Option Closing Date, if any, the expenses set forth herein to be paid by the Company to the Underwriters.
(b) Expenses of the Representative. The Company further agrees that, in addition to the expenses payable pursuant to Section 4.5(a), on the Closing Date, the Company will reimburse the Representative for its out-of-pocket expenses related to the Offering up to an aggregate of $130,000 (which shall include any expenses incurred under clauses (m) and (n) of Section 4.5(a) herein), $25,000 of which has been paid prior to the date hereof, which shall be paid by deduction from the proceeds of the Offering contemplated herein.
4.6 Application of Net Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the Offering received by it in a manner consistent with the application described under the caption Use Of Proceeds in the Prospectus.
4.7 Delivery of Earnings Statements to Security Holders. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but not later than the first day of
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the fifteenth full calendar month following the Execution Date, an earnings statement (which need not be certified by independent public or independent certified public accountants unless required by the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act, but which shall satisfy the provisions of Rule 158(a) under Section 11(a) of the Securities Act) covering a period of at least twelve consecutive months beginning after the Execution Date.
4.8 Stabilization. Neither the Company, nor, to its knowledge, any of its employees, directors or shareholders (without the consent of the Representative) has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act, or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
4.9 Internal Controls. The Company will maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary in order to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
4.10 Accountants. The Company shall continue to retain a nationally recognized independent certified public accounting firm for a period of at least three years after the Execution Date. The Underwriters acknowledge that the Company Auditor is acceptable to the Underwriters.
4.11 FINRA. The Company shall advise the Underwriters (who shall make an appropriate filing with FINRA) if it is aware that any 5% or greater shareholder of the Company becomes an affiliate or associated person of an Underwriter.
4.12 No Fiduciary Duties. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters responsibility to the Company is solely contractual and commercial in nature, based on arms-length negotiations and that neither the Underwriters nor their affiliates or any selected dealer shall be deemed to be acting in a fiduciary capacity, or otherwise owes any fiduciary duty to the Company or any of its affiliates in connection with the Offering and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may have financial interests in the success of the Offering that are not limited to the difference between the price to the public and the purchase price paid to the Company by the Underwriters for the shares and the Underwriters have no obligation to disclose, or account to the Company for, any of such additional financial interests. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of fiduciary duty.
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4.13 Underlying Shares. The shares of Common Stock underlying the Preferred Stock shall be issued free of legends. If all or any portion of a Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance of the Warrant Shares or if the Warrant is exercised via cashless exercise at a time when such Warrant Shares would be eligible for resale under Rule 144 by a non-affiliate of the Company, the Warrant Shares issued pursuant to any such exercise shall be issued free of all restrictive legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement (or any subsequent registration statement registering the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares) is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale of the Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Warrants in writing that such registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and available for the sale of the Warrant Shares (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any holder thereof to sell, any of the Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).
4.14 Board Composition and Board Designations. The Company shall ensure that: (i) the qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the Board of Directors comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder and with the listing requirements of the Trading Market and (ii) if applicable, at least one member of the Board of Directors qualifies as a financial expert as such term is defined under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules promulgated thereunder.
4.15 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. By 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof, the Company shall issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the Offering. The Company and the Representative shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the Offering, and neither the Company nor any Underwriter shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of such Underwriter, or without the prior consent of such Underwriter, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. The Company will not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without the Representatives prior written consent, for a period ending at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the first business day following the 40th day following the Closing Date, other than normal and customary releases issued in the ordinary course of the Companys business.
4.16 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Underwriter of the Securities is an Acquiring Person under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Underwriter of Securities could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities.
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4.17 Reservation of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue the Required Minimum plus the number of Option Shares issuable pursuant to the Over-Allotment Option.
4.18 Listing of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which such are currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Closing Shares, Option Shares, Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the Closing Shares, Option Shares, Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock or Warrants traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Closing Shares, Option Shares, Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Closing Shares, Option Shares, Conversion Shares and Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Companys reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market.
4.19 Subsequent Equity Sales.
(a) From the date hereof until ninety (90) days following the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents.
(b) From the date hereof until the date on which no Warrants remain outstanding, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction. Variable Rate Transaction means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive, additional shares of Common Stock either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon, and/or varies with, the trading prices of or quotations for the shares of Common Stock at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit, whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price. Any Underwriter shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.
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(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.19 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.
4.20 Research Independence. The Company acknowledges that each Underwriters research analysts and research departments, if any, are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters research analysts may hold and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of its investment bankers. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against such Underwriter with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by such Underwriters investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that the Representative is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short position in debt or equity securities of the Company.
ARTICLE V.
DEFAULT BY UNDERWRITERS
If on the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, if any, any Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the portion of the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, which such Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than by reason of any default on the part of the Company), the Representative, or if the Representative is the defaulting Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters, shall use their reasonable efforts to procure within 36 hours thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase from the Company such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms set forth herein, the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such 36 hours the Representative shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then (a) if the aggregate number of Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, with respect to which such default shall occur does not exceed 10% of the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, covered hereby, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective numbers of Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase, or (b) if the aggregate number of Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds 10% of the Closing Securities or Option Securities, as the case may be, covered hereby, the Company or the Representative will have the right to terminate this Agreement without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the Company except to the extent provided in Article VI hereof. In the event of a default by any Underwriter or Underwriters, as set forth in this Article
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V, the applicable Closing Date may be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as the Representative, or if the Representative is the defaulting Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters, may determine in order that the required changes in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. The term Underwriter includes any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Section shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
ARTICLE VI.
INDEMNIFICATION
6.1 Indemnification of the Underwriters. Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters, and each dealer selected by each Underwriter that participates in the offer and sale of the Securities (each a Selected Dealer) and each of their respective directors, officers and employees and each Person, if any, who controls such Underwriter or any Selected Dealer (Controlling Person) within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including but not limited to any and all legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever, whether arising out of any action between such Underwriter and the Company or between such Underwriter and any third party or otherwise) to which they or any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other statute or at common law or otherwise or under the laws of foreign countries, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (i) any Preliminary Prospectus, if any, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as from time to time each may be amended and supplemented); (ii) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including any road show or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); or (iii) any application or other document or written communication (in this Article VI, collectively called application) executed by the Company or based upon written information furnished by the Company in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Securities under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, any state securities commission or agency, Trading Market or any securities exchange; or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, unless such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company with respect to the applicable Underwriter by or on behalf of such Underwriter expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, if any, the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any application, as the case may be. With respect to any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Preliminary Prospectus, if any, the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 6.1 shall not inure to the benefit of an Underwriter to the extent that any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense of such Underwriter results from the fact that a copy of the Prospectus was not given or sent to the Person asserting any such loss, liability, claim or damage at or prior to the written confirmation of sale of the Securities to such Person as required by the Securities Act and the rules and
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regulations thereunder, and if the untrue statement or omission has been corrected in the Prospectus, unless such failure to deliver the Prospectus was a result of non-compliance by the Company with its obligations under this Agreement. The Company agrees promptly to notify each Underwriter of the commencement of any litigation or proceedings against the Company or any of its officers, directors or Controlling Persons in connection with the issue and sale of the Public Securities or in connection with the Registration Statement or Prospectus.
6.2 Procedure. If any action is brought against an Underwriter, a Selected Dealer or a Controlling Person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to Section 6.1, such Underwriter, such Selected Dealer or Controlling Person, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such action and the Company shall assume the defense of such action, including the employment and fees of counsel (subject to the reasonable approval of such Underwriter or such Selected Dealer, as the case may be) and payment of actual expenses. Such Underwriter, such Selected Dealer or Controlling Person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter, such Selected Dealer or Controlling Person unless (i) the employment of such counsel at the expense of the Company shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense of such action, or (ii) the Company shall not have employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such action, or (iii) such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events the reasonable fees and expenses of not more than one additional firm of attorneys selected by such Underwriter (in addition to local counsel), Selected Dealer and/or Controlling Person shall be borne by the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if any Underwriter, Selected Dealer or Controlling Person shall assume the defense of such action as provided above, the Company shall have the right to approve the terms of any settlement of such action which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
6.3 Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers and employees and agents who control the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions made in any Preliminary Prospectus, if any, the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any application, in reliance upon, and in strict conformity with, written information furnished to the Company with respect to such Underwriter by or on behalf of such Underwriter expressly for use in such Preliminary Prospectus, if any, the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or in any such application. In case any action shall be brought against the Company or any other Person so indemnified based on any Preliminary Prospectus, if any, the Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or any application, and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against such Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Company, and the Company and each other Person so indemnified shall have
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the rights and duties given to such Underwriter by the provisions of this Article VI. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6.3, no Underwriter shall be required to indemnify the Company for any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter. The Underwriters obligations in this Section 6.3 to indemnify the Company are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
6.4 Contribution.
(a) Contribution Rights. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution under the Securities Act in any case in which (i) any Person entitled to indemnification under this Article VI makes a claim for indemnification pursuant hereto but it is judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case notwithstanding the fact that this Article VI provides for indemnification in such case, or (ii) contribution under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise may be required on the part of any such Person in circumstances for which indemnification is provided under this Article VI, then, and in each such case, the Company and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses of the nature contemplated by said indemnity agreement incurred by the Company and such Underwriter, as incurred, in such proportions that such Underwriter is responsible for that portion represented by the percentage that the underwriting discount appearing on the cover page of the Prospectus bears to the initial offering price appearing thereon and the Company is responsible for the balance; provided, that, no Person guilty of a fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section, each director, officer and employee of such Underwriter or the Company, as applicable, and each Person, if any, who controls such Underwriter or the Company, as applicable, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter or the Company, as applicable. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6.4, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter. The Underwriters obligations in this Section 6.4 to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(b) Contribution Procedure. Within fifteen days after receipt by any party to this Agreement (or its representative) of notice of the commencement of any action, suit or proceeding, such party will, if a claim for contribution in respect thereof is to be made against another party (contributing party), notify the contributing party of the commencement thereof, but the failure to so notify the contributing party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any other party other than for contribution hereunder. In case any such action, suit or proceeding is brought against any party, and such party notifies a contributing party or its representative of the commencement thereof within the aforesaid fifteen days, the contributing party will be entitled to participate
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therein with the notifying party and any other contributing party similarly notified. Any such contributing party shall not be liable to any party seeking contribution on account of any settlement of any claim, action or proceeding affected by such party seeking contribution without the written consent of such contributing party. The contribution provisions contained in this Section 6.4 are intended to supersede, to the extent permitted by law, any right to contribution under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise available.
ARTICLE VII.
MISCELLANEOUS
7.1 Termination.
(a) Termination Right. The Representative shall have the right to terminate this Agreement at any time prior to any Closing Date, (i) if any domestic or international event or act or occurrence has materially disrupted, or in its opinion will in the immediate future materially disrupt, general securities markets in the United States; or (ii) if trading on any Trading Market shall have been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required by FINRA or by order of the Commission or any other government authority having jurisdiction, or (iii) if the United States shall have become involved in a new war or an increase in major hostilities, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by a New York State or federal authority, or (v) if a moratorium on foreign exchange trading has been declared which materially adversely impacts the United States securities markets, or (vi) if the Company shall have sustained a material loss by fire, flood, accident, hurricane, earthquake, theft, sabotage or other calamity or malicious act which, whether or not such loss shall have been insured, will, in the Representatives opinion, make it inadvisable to proceed with the delivery of the Securities, or (vii) if the Company is in material breach of any of its representations, warranties or covenants hereunder, or (viii) if the Representative shall have become aware after the date hereof of such a material adverse change in the conditions or prospects of the Company, or such adverse material change in general market conditions as in the Representatives judgment would make it impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale and/or delivery of the Securities or to enforce contracts made by the Underwriters for the sale of the Securities.
(b) Expenses. In the event this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 7.1(a), within the time specified herein or any extensions thereof pursuant to the terms herein, the Company shall be obligated to pay to the Representative its actual and accountable out of pocket expenses related to the transactions contemplated herein then due and payable, including the fees and disbursements of EGS up to $40,000 (provided, however, that such expense cap in no way limits or impairs the indemnification and contribution provisions of this Agreement).
(c) Indemnification. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Agreement, any election hereunder or any termination of this Agreement, and whether or not this Agreement is otherwise carried out, the provisions of Article VI shall not be in any way effected by such election or termination or failure to carry out the terms of this Agreement or any part hereof.
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7.2 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, and the Prospectus, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Investment Banking Agreement, dated August 1, 2016 (the Investment Banking Agreement), by and between the Company and the Representative shall continue to be effective during its term pursuant to its terms, including, without limitation, Section 4(c) and Section 5 therein, which shall continue to survive any termination of the Investment Banking Agreement and be enforceable by the Representative in accordance with its terms, provided that, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the Investment Banking Agreement and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.
7.3 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto.
7.4 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and the Representative. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.
7.5 Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
7.6 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns.
7.7 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and
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enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any action, suit or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Article VI, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorneys fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
7.8 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the Option Closing, if any, and the delivery of the Securities.
7.9 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a .pdf format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or .pdf signature page were an original thereof.
7.10 Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
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7.11 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, the Underwriters and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
7.12 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
7.13 Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and shares of Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
7.14 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVE FOREVER ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature Pages Follow)
39
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Underwriters and the Company, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
ENTEROMEDICS INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
Address for Notice:
Copy to: | ||
Accepted on the date first above written. | ||
LADENBURG THALMANN & CO. INC. | ||
As the Representative of the several | ||
Underwriters listed on Schedule I | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
Address for Notice:
4400 Biscayne Blvd., 14th Floor
Miami, Florida 33137
Attention: General Counsel
Copy to:
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
Facsimile: (212) 401-4741
Attention: Joseph Smith
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SCHEDULE I
SCHEDULE OF UNDERWRITERS
Underwriters |
Closing Shares |
Closing Preferred Shares |
Closing Warrants |
Closing Purchase Price |
||||||||||||
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. |
$ | |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
Total |
$ |
41
Exhibit 4.1
ENTEROMEDICS INC.
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION OF PREFERENCES,
RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS
OF
SERIES A CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
PURSUANT TO SECTION 151 OF THE
DELAWARE GENERAL CORPORATION LAW
JANUARY , 2017
The undersigned, Dan W. Gladney and Scott P. Youngstrom, do hereby certify that:
1. They are the President and Secretary, respectively, of EnteroMedics Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Corporation).
2. The Corporation is authorized to issue 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, none of which have been issued.
3. The following resolutions were duly adopted by the board of directors of the Corporation (the Board of Directors):
WHEREAS, the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation provides for a class of its authorized stock known as preferred stock, consisting of 5,000,000 shares, $0.01 par value per share, issuable from time to time in one or more series;
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors is authorized to fix the dividend rights, dividend rate, voting rights, conversion rights, rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences of any wholly unissued series of preferred stock and the number of shares constituting any series and the designation thereof, of any of them; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Board of Directors, pursuant to its authority as aforesaid, to fix the rights, preferences, restrictions and other matters relating to a series of the preferred stock, which shall consist of, except as otherwise set forth in the Underwriting Agreement, up to shares of the preferred stock which the Corporation has the authority to issue, as follows:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors does hereby provide for the issuance of a series of preferred stock for cash or exchange of other securities, rights or property and does hereby fix and determine the rights, preferences, restrictions and other matters relating to such series of preferred stock as follows:
1
TERMS OF PREFERRED STOCK
Section 1. Definitions. For the purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
Affiliate means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Alternate Consideration shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(e).
Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d).
Business Day means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
Buy-In shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c)(iv).
Commission means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Common Stock means the Corporations common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and stock of any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
Common Stock Equivalents means any securities of the Corporation or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, rights, options, warrants or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
Conversion Amount means the sum of the Stated Value at issue.
Conversion Date shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).
Conversion Price shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(b).
Conversion Shares means, collectively, the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares of Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof.
Equity Conditions means, during the period in question, (a) the Corporation shall have duly honored all conversions scheduled to occur or occurring by virtue of one or more Notices of Conversion of the applicable Holder on or prior to the dates so
2
requested or required, if any, (b) the Corporation shall have paid all liquidated damages and other amounts owing to the applicable Holder in respect of the Preferred Stock, (c)(i) there is an effective registration statement pursuant to which the Corporation may issue Conversion Shares or (ii) all of the Conversion Shares may be issued to the Holder pursuant to Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and immediately resold without restriction, (d) the Common Stock is trading on a Trading Market and all of the Conversion Shares are listed or quoted for trading on such Trading Market (and the Corporation believes, in good faith, that trading of the Common Stock on a Trading Market will continue uninterrupted for the foreseeable future), (e) there is a sufficient number of authorized, but unissued and otherwise unreserved, shares of Common Stock for the issuance of all of the shares then issuable pursuant to the Preferred Stock then outstanding, (f) the issuance of the shares in question to the applicable Holder would not violate the limitations set forth in Section 6(d) herein, (g) there has been no public announcement of a pending or proposed Fundamental Transaction that has not been consummated and (h) the applicable Holder is not in possession of any information provided by the Corporation, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their officers, directors, employees, agents or Affiliates, that constitutes, or may constitute, material non-public information.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Fundamental Transaction shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(e).
GAAP means United States generally accepted accounting principles.
Holder shall have the meaning given such term in Section 2.
Liquidation shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.
New York Courts shall have the meaning set forth in Section 8(d).
Notice of Conversion shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(a).
Original Issue Date means the date of the first issuance of any shares of the Preferred Stock regardless of the number of transfers of any particular shares of Preferred Stock and regardless of the number of certificates which may be issued to evidence such Preferred Stock.
Person means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
Preferred Stock shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.
Representative means Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.
3
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Share Delivery Date shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(c).
Stated Value shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2, as the same may be increased pursuant to Section 3.
Subsidiary means any subsidiary of the Corporation and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation formed or acquired after the date hereof.
Successor Entity shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(e).
Trading Day means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for business.
Trading Market means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE MKT, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
Transfer Agent means Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., the current transfer agent of the Corporation, with a mailing address 1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101, Mendota Heights, Minnesota 55120 and a facsimile number of (651) 450-4078, and any successor transfer agent of the Corporation.
Underwriting Agreement means the underwriting agreement, dated as of January __, 2017, among the Corporation and the Representative as representative of the underwriters named therein, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time in accordance with its terms.
VWAP means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the principal Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the Pink Sheets published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Corporation, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Corporation.
4
Section 2. Designation, Amount and Par Value. The series of preferred stock shall be designated as the Corporations Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the Preferred Stock) and the number of shares so designated shall be up to (which shall not be subject to increase without the written consent of all of the holders of the Preferred Stock (each, a Holder and collectively, the Holders)). Each share of Preferred Stock shall have a par value of $0.01 per share and a stated value equal to $1,000 (the Stated Value). The shares of Preferred Stock shall initially be issued and maintained in the form of securities held in book-entry form and the Depository Trust Company or its nominee (DTC) shall initially be the sole registered holder of the shares of Preferred Stock.
Section 3. Dividends. Except for stock dividends or distributions for which adjustments are to be made pursuant to Section 7, Holders shall be entitled to receive, and the Corporation shall pay, dividends on shares of Preferred Stock equal (on an as-if-converted-to-Common-Stock basis) to and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of the Common Stock when, as and if such dividends are paid on shares of the Common Stock. No other dividends shall be paid on shares of Preferred Stock.
Section 4. Voting Rights. Except as otherwise provided herein or as otherwise required by law, the Preferred Stock shall have no voting rights. However, as long as any shares of Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Preferred Stock, (a) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Preferred Stock or alter or amend this Certificate of Designation, (b) amend its certificate of incorporation or other charter documents in any manner that adversely affects any rights of the Holders, (c) increase the number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock, or (d) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing.
Section 5. Liquidation. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary (a Liquidation), the Holders shall be entitled to receive out of the assets, whether capital or surplus, of the Corporation an amount equal to the par value, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon, for each share of Preferred Stock before any distribution or payment shall be made to the holders of the Common Stock, and if the assets of the Corporation shall be insufficient to pay in full such amounts, then the entire assets to be distributed to the Holders shall be ratably distributed among the Holders in accordance with the respective amounts that would be payable on such shares if all amounts payable thereon were paid in full; and thereafter, the Holders shall be entitled to receive out of the assets, whether capital or surplus, of the Corporation the same amount that a holder of Common Stock would receive if the Preferred Stock were fully converted (disregarding for such purposes any conversion limitations hereunder) to Common Stock which amounts shall be paid pari passu with all holders of Common Stock. The Corporation shall mail written notice of any such Liquidation, not less than 45 days prior to the payment date stated therein, to each Holder.
Section 6. Conversion.
a) Conversions at Option of Holder. Each share of Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at any time and from time to time from and after the Original Issue Date at
5
the option of the Holder thereof, into that number of shares of Common Stock (subject to the limitations set forth in Section 6(d)) determined by dividing the Stated Value of such share of Preferred Stock by the Conversion Price. Holders shall effect conversions by providing the Corporation with the form of conversion notice attached hereto as Annex A (a Notice of Conversion). Each Notice of Conversion shall specify the number of shares of Preferred Stock to be converted, the number of shares of Preferred Stock owned prior to the conversion at issue, the number of shares of Preferred Stock owned subsequent to the conversion at issue and the date on which such conversion is to be effected, which date may not be prior to the date the applicable Holder delivers by facsimile such Notice of Conversion to the Corporation (such date, the Conversion Date). Upon delivery of the Notice of Conversion, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Conversion Shares with respect to which the shares of Preferred Stock have been converted irrespective of the date of delivery of the Conversion Shares, provided that the Holder shall deliver such converted shares of Preferred Stock to the Transfer Agent via the DTCs Deposit/Withdrawal at Custodian system within two Trading Days of delivery of the Notice of Conversion. If no Conversion Date is specified in a Notice of Conversion, the Conversion Date shall be the date that such Notice of Conversion to the Corporation is deemed delivered hereunder. No ink-original Notice of Conversion shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Conversion form be required. The calculations and entries set forth in the Notice of Conversion shall control in the absence of manifest or mathematical error. To effect conversions of shares of Preferred Stock, a Holder shall not be required to surrender the certificate(s) representing the shares of Preferred Stock to the Corporation unless all of the shares of Preferred Stock represented thereby are so converted, in which case such Holder shall deliver the certificate representing such shares of Preferred Stock promptly following the Conversion Date at issue. Shares of Preferred Stock converted into Common Stock or redeemed in accordance with the terms hereof shall be canceled and shall not be reissued.
Without limiting the rights and remedies of a holder of Preferred Stock hereunder and without limiting the right of a Holder to deliver a Notice of Conversion to the Corporation, a holder whose interest in the shares of Preferred Stock is a beneficial interest in certificate(s) representing the shares of Preferred Stock held in book-entry form through DTC (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), may effect conversions made pursuant to this Section 6(a) by delivering to DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable) the appropriate instruction form for conversion, complying with the procedures to effect conversions that are required by DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable).
b) Conversion Price. The conversion price for the Preferred Stock shall equal $ , subject to adjustment herein (the Conversion Price).
c) Mechanics of Conversion
i. Delivery of Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. Not later than the earlier of (i) three (3) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined below) after each Conversion Date (the Share Delivery Date), the Corporation shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the converting Holder (A) the number of Conversion Shares being acquired upon the conversion of the Preferred Stock, which Conversion Shares shall be free of restrictive legends and trading restrictions and (B) a bank check in the amount of accrued and unpaid dividends, if any. The Corporation shall use its best efforts to deliver the Conversion Shares required to be delivered by the Corporation under this Section 6 electronically through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions. As used herein, Standard Settlement Period means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Corporations primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Conversion.
6
ii. Failure to Deliver Conversion Shares. If, in the case of any Notice of Conversion, such Conversion Shares are not delivered to or as directed by the applicable Holder by the Share Delivery Date, the Holder shall be entitled to elect by written notice to the Corporation at any time on or before its receipt of such Conversion Shares, to rescind such Conversion, in which event the Corporation shall promptly return to the Holder any original Preferred Stock certificate delivered to the Corporation and the Holder shall promptly return to the Corporation the Conversion Shares issued to such Holder pursuant to the rescinded Notice of Conversion.
iii. Obligation Absolute; Partial Liquidated Damages. The Corporations obligation to issue and deliver the Conversion Shares upon conversion of Preferred Stock in accordance with the terms hereof are absolute and unconditional, irrespective of any action or inaction by a Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision hereof, the recovery of any judgment against any Person or any action to enforce the same, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by such Holder or any other Person of any obligation to the Corporation or any violation or alleged violation of law by such Holder or any other person, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of the Corporation to such Holder in connection with the issuance of such Conversion Shares; provided, however, that such delivery shall not operate as a waiver by the Corporation of any such action that the Corporation may have against such Holder. In the event a Holder shall elect to convert any or all of the Stated Value of its Preferred Stock, the Corporation may not refuse conversion based on any claim that such Holder or any one associated or affiliated with such Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, agreement or for any other reason, unless an injunction from a court, on notice to Holder, restraining and/or enjoining conversion of all or part of the Preferred Stock of such Holder shall have been sought and obtained, and the Corporation posts a surety bond for the benefit of such Holder in the amount of 150% of the Stated Value of Preferred Stock which is subject to the injunction, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the underlying dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to such Holder to the extent it obtains judgment. In the absence of such injunction, the Corporation shall issue Conversion Shares and, if applicable, cash, upon a properly noticed conversion. If the Corporation fails to deliver to a Holder such Conversion Shares pursuant to Section 6(c)(i) by the Share Delivery Date applicable to such conversion, the Corporation shall pay to such Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $5,000 of Stated Value of Preferred Stock being converted, $50 per Trading Day (increasing to $100 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day and increasing to $200 per Trading Day on the sixth Trading Day after such damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after the Share Delivery Date until such Conversion Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such conversion. Nothing herein shall limit a Holders right to pursue actual damages for the Corporations failure to deliver Conversion Shares within the period specified herein and such Holder
7
shall have the right to pursue all remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief. The exercise of any such rights shall not prohibit a Holder from seeking to enforce damages pursuant to any other Section hereof or under applicable law.
iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Conversion Shares Upon Conversion. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Corporation fails for any reason to deliver to a Holder the applicable Conversion Shares by the Share Delivery Date pursuant to Section 6(c)(i), and if after such Share Delivery Date such Holder is required by its brokerage firm to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise), or the Holders brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by such Holder of the Conversion Shares which such Holder was entitled to receive upon the conversion relating to such Share Delivery Date (a Buy-In), then the Corporation shall (A) pay in cash to such Holder (in addition to any other remedies available to or elected by such Holder) the amount, if any, by which (x) such Holders total purchase price (including any brokerage commissions) for the Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the product of (1) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that such Holder was entitled to receive from the conversion at issue multiplied by (2) the actual sale price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed (including any brokerage commissions) and (B) at the option of such Holder, either reissue (if surrendered) the shares of Preferred Stock equal to the number of shares of Preferred Stock submitted for conversion (in which case, such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if the Corporation had timely complied with its delivery requirements under Section 6(c)(i). For example, if a Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted conversion of shares of Preferred Stock with respect to which the actual sale price of the Conversion Shares (including any brokerage commissions) giving rise to such purchase obligation was a total of $10,000 under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Corporation shall be required to pay such Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Corporation written notice indicating the amounts payable to such Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Corporation, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holders right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Corporations failure to timely deliver Conversion Shares upon conversion of the shares of Preferred Stock as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. Reservation of Shares Issuable Upon Conversion. The Corporation covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Preferred Stock as herein provided, free from preemptive rights
8
or any other actual contingent purchase rights of Persons other than the Holder (and the other holders of the Preferred Stock), not less than such aggregate number of shares of the Common Stock as shall be issuable (taking into account the adjustments and restrictions of Section 7) upon the conversion of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
vi. Fractional Shares. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the conversion of the Preferred Stock. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such conversion, the Corporation shall at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Conversion Price or round up to the next whole share.
vii. Transfer Taxes and Expenses. The issuance of Conversion Shares on conversion of this Preferred Stock shall be made without charge to any Holder for any documentary stamp or similar taxes that may be payable in respect of the issue or delivery of such Conversion Shares, provided that the Corporation shall not be required to pay any tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any such Conversion Shares upon conversion in a name other than that of the Holders of such shares of Preferred Stock and the Corporation shall not be required to issue or deliver such Conversion Shares unless or until the Person or Persons requesting the issuance thereof shall have paid to the Corporation the amount of such tax or shall have established to the satisfaction of the Corporation that such tax has been paid. The Corporation shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Conversion and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Conversion Shares.
d) Beneficial Ownership Limitation. The Corporation shall not effect any conversion of the Preferred Stock, and a Holder shall not have the right to convert any portion of the Preferred Stock, to the extent that, after giving effect to the conversion set forth on the applicable Notice of Conversion, such Holder (together with such Holders Affiliates, and any Persons acting as a group together with such Holder or any of such Holders Affiliates (such Persons, Attribution Parties)) would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which are issuable upon (i) conversion of the remaining, unconverted Stated Value of Preferred Stock beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Corporation subject to a limitation on conversion or
9
exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein (including, without limitation, the Preferred Stock) beneficially owned by such Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 6(d), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 6(d) applies, the determination of whether the Preferred Stock is convertible (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of how many shares of Preferred Stock are convertible shall be in the sole discretion of such Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Conversion shall be deemed to be such Holders determination of whether the shares of Preferred Stock may be converted (in relation to other securities owned by such Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and how many shares of the Preferred Stock are convertible, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation. To ensure compliance with this restriction, each Holder will be deemed to represent to the Corporation each time it delivers a Notice of Conversion that such Notice of Conversion has not violated the restrictions set forth in this paragraph and the Corporation shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 6(d), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as stated in the most recent of the following: (i) the Corporations most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (ii) a more recent public announcement by the Corporation or (iii) a more recent written notice by the Corporation or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request (which may be via email) of a Holder, the Corporation shall within two (2) Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to such Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock, by such Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any shares of Preferred Stock, up to 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of Preferred Stock held by the applicable Holder. A Holder, upon notice to the Corporation, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 6(d) applicable to its Preferred Stock provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of this Preferred Stock held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 6(d) shall continue to apply. Any such increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Corporation and shall only apply to such Holder and no other Holder. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner
10
otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 6(d) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation contained herein or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of Preferred Stock.
e) Forced Conversion. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if after the Original Issue Date, the VWAP for each of any thirty (30) consecutive Trading Day period, which thirty (30) consecutive Trading Day period shall have commenced only after the Original Issue Date (the Threshold Period), exceeds $ 1 (subject to adjustment for forward and reverse stock splits, recapitalizations, stock dividends and the like after the Original Issue Date) and (ii) the average daily dollar trading volume for such Threshold Period exceeds $500,000 per Trading Day, the Corporation may, within one (1) Trading Day after the end of any such Threshold Period, deliver a written notice to all Holders (a Forced Conversion Notice and the date such notice is delivered to all Holders, the Forced Conversion Notice Date) to cause each Holder to convert all or part of such Holders Preferred Stock (as specified in such Forced Conversion Notice) pursuant to Section 6, it being agreed that the Conversion Date for purposes of Section 6 shall be deemed to occur on the third Trading Day following the Forced Conversion Notice Date (such third Trading Day, the Forced Conversion Date). The Corporation may not deliver a Forced Conversion Notice, and any Forced Conversion Notice delivered by the Corporation shall not be effective, unless all of the Equity Conditions have been met on each Trading Day during the applicable Threshold Period through and including the later of the Forced Conversion Date and the Trading Day after the date that the Conversion Shares issuable pursuant to such conversion are actually delivered to the Holders pursuant to the Forced Conversion Notice. Any Forced Conversion Notices shall be applied ratably to all of the Holders based on the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock. For purposes of clarification, a Forced Conversion shall be subject to all of the provisions of Section 6, including, without limitation, the provisions requiring payment of liquidated damages and limitations on conversions.
Section 7. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If the Corporation, at any time while this Preferred Stock is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions payable in shares of Common Stock on shares of Common Stock or any other Common Stock Equivalents (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Corporation upon conversion of, or payment of a dividend on, this Preferred Stock), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of a reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues, in the event of a reclassification of shares of the Common Stock, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation, then the Conversion Price shall be multiplied by a
1 | 300% of the Conversion Price |
11
fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) outstanding immediately before such event, and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 7(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) [RESERVED]
c) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 7(a) above, if at any time the Corporation grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the Purchase Rights), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of such Holders Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holders right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Preferred Stock is outstanding, if the Corporation declares or makes any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a Distribution), at any time after the issuance of this Preferred Stock, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete conversion of this Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on conversion hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holders right
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to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Preferred Stock is outstanding, (i) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another Person, (ii) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Corporation or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Corporation, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a Fundamental Transaction), then, upon any subsequent conversion of this Preferred Stock, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Conversion Share that would have been issuable upon such conversion immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 6(d) on the conversion of this Preferred Stock), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Corporation, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the Alternate Consideration) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Preferred Stock is convertible immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 6(d) on the conversion of this Preferred Stock). For purposes of any such conversion, the determination of the Conversion Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Corporation shall apportion the Conversion Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any
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conversion of this Preferred Stock following such Fundamental Transaction. To the extent necessary to effectuate the foregoing provisions, any successor to the Corporation or surviving entity in such Fundamental Transaction shall file a new Certificate of Designation with the same terms and conditions and issue to the Holders new preferred stock consistent with the foregoing provisions and evidencing the Holders right to convert such preferred stock into Alternate Consideration. The Corporation shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Corporation is not the survivor (the Successor Entity) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate of Designation in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the holder of this Preferred Stock, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Preferred Stock a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Preferred Stock which is convertible for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon conversion of this Preferred Stock (without regard to any limitations on the conversion of this Preferred Stock) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with a conversion price which applies the conversion price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such conversion price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Preferred Stock immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Certificate of Designation referring to the Corporation shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Corporation and shall assume all of the obligations of the Corporation under this Certificate of Designation with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Corporation herein.
f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 7 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 7, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding any treasury shares of the Corporation) issued and outstanding.
g) Notice to the Holders.
i. Adjustment to Conversion Price. Whenever the Conversion Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 7, the Corporation shall promptly deliver to each Holder a notice setting forth the Conversion Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
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ii. Notice to Allow Conversion by Holder. If (A) the Corporation shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Corporation shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Corporation shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock of rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Corporation shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Corporation is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property or (E) the Corporation shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation, then, in each case, the Corporation shall cause to be filed at each office or agency maintained for the purpose of conversion of this Preferred Stock, and shall cause to be delivered to each Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the stock books of the Corporation, at least twenty (20) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange, provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Corporation or any of the Subsidiaries, the Corporation shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to convert the Conversion Amount of this Preferred Stock (or any part hereof) during the 20-day period commencing on the date of such notice through the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
Section 8. Miscellaneous.
a) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Conversion, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Corporation, at the address set forth above Attention: Chief Financial Officer, facsimile: (651) 634-3212,
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email: syoungstrom@enteromedics.com or such other facsimile number, e-mail address or address as the Corporation may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders delivered in accordance with this Section 11. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Corporation hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile, by email, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the facsimile number or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Corporation. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email at the email address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email at the email address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given.
b) Absolute Obligation. Except as expressly provided herein, no provision of this Certificate of Designation shall alter or impair the obligation of the Corporation, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay liquidated damages and accrued dividends, as applicable, on the shares of Preferred Stock at the time, place, and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
c) Lost or Mutilated Preferred Stock Certificate. If a Holders Preferred Stock certificate shall be mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Corporation shall execute and deliver, in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of a mutilated certificate, or in lieu of or in substitution for a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, a new certificate for the shares of Preferred Stock so mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, but only upon receipt of evidence of such loss, theft or destruction of such certificate, and of the ownership hereof reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation.
d) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Certificate of Designation shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretation, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Certificate of Designation (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective Affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents) shall be commenced in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan (the New York Courts). Each party hereto hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New York Courts for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of such New York Courts, or such New York Courts are improper or inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal
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service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Certificate of Designation and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by applicable law. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Certificate of Designation or the transactions contemplated hereby. If any party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Certificate of Designation, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorneys fees and other costs and expenses incurred in the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
e) Waiver. Any waiver by the Corporation or a Holder of a breach of any provision of this Certificate of Designation shall not operate as or be construed to be a waiver of any other breach of such provision or of any breach of any other provision of this Certificate of Designation or a waiver by any other Holders. The failure of the Corporation or a Holder to insist upon strict adherence to any term of this Certificate of Designation on one or more occasions shall not be considered a waiver or deprive that party (or any other Holder) of the right thereafter to insist upon strict adherence to that term or any other term of this Certificate of Designation on any other occasion. Any waiver by the Corporation or a Holder must be in writing.
f) Severability. If any provision of this Certificate of Designation is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the balance of this Certificate of Designation shall remain in effect, and if any provision is inapplicable to any Person or circumstance, it shall nevertheless remain applicable to all other Persons and circumstances. If it shall be found that any interest or other amount deemed interest due hereunder violates the applicable law governing usury, the applicable rate of interest due hereunder shall automatically be lowered to equal the maximum rate of interest permitted under applicable law.
g) Next Business Day. Whenever any payment or other obligation hereunder shall be due on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day.
h) Headings. The headings contained herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Certificate of Designation and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
i) Status of Converted or Redeemed Preferred Stock. If any shares of Preferred Stock shall be converted, redeemed or reacquired by the Corporation, such shares shall resume the status of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock and shall no longer be designated as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock.
*********************
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RESOLVED, FURTHER, that the Chairman, the president or any vice-president, and the secretary or any assistant secretary, of the Corporation be and they hereby are authorized and directed to prepare and file this Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations in accordance with the foregoing resolution and the provisions of Delaware law.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Certificate as of the date first set forth above.
By: | By: | |||||||||||
Name: | Dan W. Gladney | Name: | Scott P. Youngstrom | |||||||||
Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | Title: | Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer |
[Signature Page to EnteroMedics Series A Convertible Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation]
ANNEX A
NOTICE OF CONVERSION
[TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER IN ORDER TO CONVERT SHARES OF PREFERRED STOCK]
The undersigned hereby elects to convert the number of shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock indicated below into shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock), of EnteroMedics Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Corporation), according to the conditions hereof, as of the date written below. If shares of Common Stock are to be issued in the name of a Person other than the undersigned, the undersigned will pay all transfer taxes payable with respect thereto. No fee will be charged to the Holders for any conversion, except for any such transfer taxes.
Conversion calculations:
Date to Effect Conversion: |
Number of shares of Preferred Stock owned prior to Conversion: |
Number of shares of Preferred Stock to be Converted: |
Stated Value of shares of Preferred Stock to be Converted: |
Number of shares of Common Stock to be Issued: |
Applicable Conversion Price: |
Number of shares of Preferred Stock subsequent to Conversion: |
Address for Delivery: |
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or DWAC Instructions: |
Broker no: |
|
Account no: |
|
[HOLDER] | ||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: |
Exhibit 4.2
[Form of Preferred Stock Certificate]
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (DTC), TO THE CORPORATION OR THE TRANSFER AGENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF [ ] OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO [ ], OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, [ ] HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN. TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL SECURITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSORS NOMINEE.
THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE MORE THAN ONE CLASS OF STOCK AND MORE THAN ONE SERIES OF ITS CLASS OF PREFERRED STOCK. THE CORPORATION WILL FURNISH WITHOUT CHARGE TO EACH STOCKHOLDER WHO SO REQUESTS THE POWERS, DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES AND RELATIVE PARTICIPATING, OPTIONAL OR OTHER SPECIAL RIGHTS OF EACH CLASS OF STOCK OR SERIES THEREOF AND THE QUALIFICATIONS, LIMITATIONS OR RESTRICTIONS OF SUCH PREFERENCES AND/OR RIGHTS.
Incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, July 22, 2004
Certificate Number: [ ]
Initial Number of Shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock: [ ]
CUSIP [ ]
ISIN [ ]
ENTEROMEDICS INC.
EnteroMedics Inc. (the Corporation) hereby certifies that [ ] (the Holder) is the registered owner of [ ] fully paid and non-assessable shares of the Corporations designated Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Series A Preferred Stock), transferable on the books and records of the Transfer Agent, in person or by a duly authorized attorney, upon surrender of this certificate duly endorsed or assigned and in proper form for transfer.
This Certificate and the shares represented hereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation and any amendments thereto, including the provisions of the Certificate of Designation of Preferences, Rights and Limitations, dated [ ], as the same may be amended from time to time (the Certificate of Designations). Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meaning given them in the Certificate of Designations.
The shares of the Series A Preferred Stock shall be convertible in the manner and accordance with the terms set forth in the Certificate of Designations.
Reference is hereby made to the provisions of the Series A Preferred Stock set forth in the Certificate of Designations, which provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Upon receipt of this executed certificate, the Holder is bound by the Certificate of Designations and is entitled to the benefits thereunder.
[Unless the Transfer Agent has properly countersigned, these shares of the Series A Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Certificate of Designations or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the said Corporation has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officers as of [ ].
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
COUNTERSIGNATURE
These are shares of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock referred to in the within-mentioned Certificate of Designations.
Dated:
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as Transfer Agent | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
Exhibit 4.3
COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
ENTEROMEDICS INC.
Warrant Shares: |
Initial Exercise Date: , 2017 |
THIS COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the Warrant) certifies that, for value received, or its assigns (the Holder) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after , 2017 (the Initial Exercise Date) and on or prior to the close of business on the five (5) year anniversary of the Initial Exercise Date (the Termination Date) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from EnteroMedics Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), up to shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the Warrant Shares) of Common Stock. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b). This Warrant shall initially be issued and maintained in the form of a security held in book-entry form and the Depository Trust Company or its nominee (DTC) shall initially be the sole registered holder of this Warrant, subject to a Holders right to elect to receive a Warrant in certificated form pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agency Agreement, in which case this sentence shall not apply.
Section 1. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:
Affiliate means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
Board of Directors means the board of directors of the Company.
Business Day means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
Commission means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Common Stock means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
Common Stock Equivalents means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
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Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Person means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
Registration Statement means the Companys registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-213704).
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Trading Day means either (i) a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for business, or (ii) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on a Trading Market, Trading Day shall mean a Business Day.
Trading Market means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE Mkt, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange or the OTCQB (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
Transfer Agent means Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101, Mendota Heights, Minnesota 55120 and a facsimile number of 651-450-4078, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
Warrant Agency Agreement means that certain warrant agency agreement, dated on or about the Initial Exercise Date, between the Company and the Warrant Agent.
Warrant Agent means the Transfer Agent and any successor warrant agent of the Company.
Warrants means this Warrant and other Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement.
Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company (or such other office or agency of the Company as it may designate by notice in writing to the registered Holder at the address of the Holder appearing on the books of the Company) of a duly executed facsimile copy (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed
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hereto. Within the earlier of (i) three (3) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashiers check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise form be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 2(a), a holder whose interest in this Warrant is a beneficial interest in certificate(s) representing this Warrant held in book-entry form through DTC (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), shall effect exercises made pursuant to this Section 2(a) by delivering to DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable) the appropriate instruction form for exercise, complying with the procedures to effect exercise that are required by DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable), subject to a Holders right to elect to receive a Warrant in certificated form pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agency Agreement, in which case this sentence shall not apply.
b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of the Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $ , subject to adjustment hereunder (the Exercise Price).
c) Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a cashless exercise in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
(A) = | the last VWAP immediately preceding the time of delivery of the Notice of Exercise giving rise to the applicable cashless exercise, as set forth in the applicable Notice of Exercise (to clarify, the last VWAP will be the last VWAP as calculated over an entire Trading Day such that, in the event that this Warrant is exercised at a time that the Trading Market is open, the prior Trading Days VWAP shall be used in this calculation); |
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(B) = | the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and | |||||
(X) = | the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. |
If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
VWAP means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the principal Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in the Pink Sheets published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).
d) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holders or its designees balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (DWAC) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is
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being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Companys share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earlier of (i) three (3) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the Warrant Share Delivery Date). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) three (3) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, Standard Settlement Period means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Companys primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise.
ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to
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the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holders brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a Buy-In), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holders total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holders right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Companys failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.
vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name
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or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
e) Holders Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holders Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holders Affiliates (such Persons, Attribution Parties)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holders determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership
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Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Companys most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within two Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The Beneficial Ownership Limitation shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any Warrants, up to 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
f) Call Provision. Subject to the provisions of Section 2(e) and this Section 2(f), if, after the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days following the Initial Exercise Date, (i) the VWAP for each of 30 consecutive Trading Days (the Measurement Period, which 30 consecutive Trading Day period shall not have commenced until after the date that is one hundred eighty (180) days following the Initial Exercise Date) exceeds $ 1 (subject to adjustment for forward and reverse stock splits, recapitalizations, stock dividends and the like after the Initial Exercise Date), (ii) the average dollar daily volume for such Measurement Period exceeds $500,000 per Trading Day and (iii) the Holder is not in possession of any information that constitutes, or might constitute, material non-public information which was provided by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their officers, directors, employees, agents or Affiliates, then the Company may, within one (1) Trading Day of the end of such Measurement Period,
1 | 300% of the Exercise Price. |
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call for cancellation of all or any portion of this Warrant for which a Notice of Exercise has not yet been delivered (such right, a Call) for consideration equal to $0.001 per Warrant Share. To exercise this right, the Company must deliver to the Holder an irrevocable written notice (a Call Notice), indicating therein the portion of unexercised portion of this Warrant to which such notice applies. If the conditions set forth below for such Call are satisfied from the period from the date of the Call Notice through and including the Call Date (as defined below), then any portion of this Warrant subject to such Call Notice for which a Notice of Exercise shall not have been received by the Call Date will be cancelled at 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the tenth Trading Day after the date the Call Notice is received by the Holder (such date and time, the Call Date). Any unexercised portion of this Warrant to which the Call Notice does not pertain will be unaffected by such Call Notice. In furtherance thereof, the Company covenants and agrees that it will honor all Notices of Exercise with respect to Warrant Shares subject to a Call Notice that are tendered through 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the Call Date. The parties agree that any Notice of Exercise delivered following a Call Notice which calls less than all of the Warrant Shares remaining under the Warrants shall first reduce to zero the number of Warrant Shares subject to such Call Notice prior to reducing the remaining Warrant Shares available for purchase under this Warrant. For example, if (A) this Warrant then permits the Holder to acquire 100 Warrant Shares, (B) a Call Notice pertains to 75 Warrant Shares, and (C) prior to 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the Call Date the Holder tenders a Notice of Exercise in respect of 50 Warrant Shares, then (x) on the Call Date the right under this Warrant to acquire 25 Warrant Shares will be automatically cancelled, (y) the Company, in the time and manner required under this Warrant, will have issued and delivered to the Holder 50 Warrant Shares in respect of the exercises following receipt of the Call Notice, and (z) the Holder may, until the Termination Date, exercise this Warrant for 25 Warrant Shares (subject to adjustment as herein provided and subject to subsequent Call Notices). Subject again to the provisions of this Section 2(f), the Company may deliver subsequent Call Notices for any portion of this Warrant for which the Holder shall not have delivered a Notice of Exercise. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Warrant, the Company may not deliver a Call Notice or require the cancellation of this Warrant (and any such Call Notice shall be void), unless, from the beginning of the Measurement Period through the Call Date, (1) the Company shall have honored in accordance with the terms of this Warrant all Notices of Exercise delivered by 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on the Call Date, and (2) the Registration Statement shall be effective as to all Warrant Shares and the prospectus thereunder available for use by the Company for the sale of all such Warrant Shares to the Holder, and (3) the Common Stock shall be listed or quoted for trading on the Trading Market, and (4) there is a sufficient number of authorized shares of Common Stock for issuance of all Warrant Shares and all shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Companys preferred stock issued pursuant to the Registration Statement, and (5) the issuance of the shares shall not cause a breach of any provision of Section 2(e) herein. The Companys right to call the Warrants under this Section 2(f) shall be exercised ratably among the Holders based on the then outstanding Warrants.
Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
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a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) [RESERVED]
c) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the Purchase Rights), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holders right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate
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rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a Distribution), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holders right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation). To the extent that this Warrant has not been partially or completely exercised at the time of such Distribution, such portion of the Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until the Holder has exercised this Warrant.
e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a Fundamental Transaction), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the Alternate Consideration)
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receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the Successor Entity) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant referring to the Company shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.
f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
g) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
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ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by facsimile or email to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
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a) Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
b) New Warrants. If this Warrant is not held in global form through DTC (or any successor depositary), this Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Warrant Agent for that purpose (the Warrant Register), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3.
b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security
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reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
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Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
e) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or their respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holders rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
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h) Notices. Any notices, consents, waivers or other document or communications required or permitted to be given or delivered under the terms of this Warrant must be in writing and will be deemed to have been delivered: (i) upon receipt, if delivered personally; (ii) when sent, if sent by facsimile (provided confirmation of transmission is mechanically or electronically generated and kept on file by the sending party); (iii) when sent, if sent by e-mail (provided that such sent e-mail is kept on file (whether electronically or otherwise) by the sending party and the sending party does not receive an automatically generated message from the recipients e-mail server that such e-mail could not be delivered to such recipient) and (iv) if sent by overnight courier service, one (1) Trading Day after deposit with an overnight courier service with next day delivery specified, in each case, properly addressed to the party to receive the same. If notice is given by facsimile or email, a copy of such notice shall be dispatched no later than the next business day by first class mail, postage prepaid. The addresses, facsimile numbers and e-mail addresses for such communications shall be:
If to the Company:
EnteroMedics Inc.
2800 Patton Road
St. Paul, MN 55113
Telephone: (651) 634-3011
Facsimile: (651) 634-3212
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
Email: syoungstrom@enteromedics.com
If to a Holder, to its address, facsimile number or e-mail address set forth herein or on the books and records of the Company.
i) Or, in each of the above instances, to such other address, facsimile number or e-mail address and/or to the attention of such other Person as the recipient party has specified by written notice given to each other party at least five (5) days prior to the effectiveness of such change. Written confirmation of receipt (A) given by the recipient of such notice, consent, waiver or other communication, (B) mechanically or electronically generated by the senders facsimile machine containing the time, date and recipient facsimile number or (C) provided by an overnight courier service shall be rebuttable evidence of personal service, receipt by facsimile or receipt from an overnight courier service in accordance with clause (i), (ii) or (iv) above, respectively. A copy of the e-mail transmission containing the time, date and recipient e- mail address shall be rebuttable evidence of receipt by e-mail in accordance with clause (iii) above.
j) Warrant Agency Agreement. If this Warrant is held in global form through DTC (or any successor depositary), this Warrant is issued subject to the Warrant Agency Agreement. To the extent any provision of this Warrant conflicts with the express provisions of the Warrant Agency Agreement, the provisions of this Warrant shall govern and be controlling.
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k) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
l) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
m) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
n) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder or the beneficial owner of this Warrant, on the other hand.
o) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
p) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
********************
(Signature Page Follows)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
ENTEROMEDICS INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
[Signature Page to Common Stock Purchase Warrant]
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
TO: |
ENTEROMEDICS INC. |
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any. | ||||||
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box): | ||||||
[ ] in lawful money of the United States; or | ||||||
|
[ ] if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c). | |||||
(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below: | ||||||
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number: | ||||||
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER] | ||
Name of Investing Entity: |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: |
Name of Authorized Signatory: |
Title of Authorized Signatory: |
Date: |
EXHIBIT B
ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
Name: | ||||
(Please Print) | ||||
Address: | ||||
(Please Print) | ||||
Phone Number: |
| |||
Email Address: |
|
Dated: , |
Holders Signature: | ||||||
Holders Address: |
Exhibit 5.1
[Letterhead of Dorsey & Whitney LLP]
January 11, 2017
EnteroMedics Inc.
2800 Patton Rd
St Paul, MN 55113
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-213704)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to EnteroMedics Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), in connection with the filing by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-213704) (the Registration Statement) filed by the Company with the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), relating to the offer and sale by the Company of up to $13,800,000 in (i) Class A Units, with each Class A Unit consisting of one share of the Companys common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock) and one warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (the Class A Units); and (ii) Class B Units consisting of one share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Preferred Stock) and warrants to purchase a number of shares of Common Stock equal to $1,000 divided by the conversion price of the Preferred Stock (together with the shares of common stock underlying such shares of Preferred Stock and such warrants, the Class B Units and, together with the Class A Units, the Units) at a public offering price of $1,000 per Class B Unit. The Units will be sold pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement to be entered into between the Company and the underwriters named therein (the Underwriting Agreement). Pursuant to the Certificate of Designation (the Certificate of Designation) establishing the powers, designations, preferences and rights of the Preferred Stock to be filed in connection with the offering contemplated by the Registration Statement and the Companys Sixth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the Certificate of Incorporation), the shares of the Preferred Stock will be convertible into shares of Common Stock. We have assumed that the Class A Units and the Class B Units will be priced by the Pricing Committee established by the authorizing resolutions adopted by the Companys Board of Directors in accordance with such resolutions.
We have examined such documents and have reviewed such questions of law as we have considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of our opinions set forth below. In rendering our opinions set forth below, we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the genuineness of all signatures and the conformity to authentic originals of all documents submitted to us as copies. We have also assumed the legal capacity for all purposes relevant hereto of all natural persons and, with respect to all parties to agreements or instruments relevant hereto other than the Company, that such parties had the requisite power and authority (corporate or otherwise) to execute, deliver and perform such agreements and instruments, that such agreements and instruments have been duly authorized by all requisite action (corporate or otherwise), executed and delivered by such parties and that such agreements and instruments are the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of such parties. As to questions of fact material to our opinions, we have relied upon certificates or comparable documents of officers and other representatives of the Company and of public officials.
EnteroMedics Inc.
January 11, 2017
Page 2
Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
1. | The shares of Common Stock, when issued and delivered (i) against payment of the consideration therefor specified in the Underwriting Agreement, (ii) upon the valid exercise of the warrants in accordance with their terms, including without limitation, payment of the consideration therefor as described therein, or (iii) upon the valid conversion of the shares Preferred Stock in accordance with the Certificate of Designation, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
2. | When the warrants have been duly executed and delivered by the Company against payment of the consideration therefor specified in the Underwriting Agreement, such warrants will constitute binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms. |
3. | The shares of Preferred Stock have been duly authorized, and when issued and delivered against payment of the consideration therefor specified in the Underwriting Agreement and in accordance with the Certificate of Designation and the Certificate of Incorporation, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
Our opinions set forth in paragraph 2 above are subject to the effect of any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar law relating to or affecting creditors rights generally (including, without limitation, fraudulent conveyance laws).
Our opinions set forth in paragraph 2 above are subject to the effect of general principles of equity, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the possible unavailability of specific performance or injunctive relief, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
Our opinions set forth in paragraph 2 above are subject to limitations regarding the availability of indemnification and contribution where such indemnification or contribution may be limited by applicable law or the application of principles of public policy.
We express no opinion as to the enforceability of (i) provisions that relate to choice of law, forum selection or submission to jurisdiction (including, without limitation, any express or implied waiver of any objection to venue in any court or of any objection that a court is an inconvenient forum) to the extent that the validity, binding effect or enforceability of any such provision is to be determined by any court other than a state court of the State of New York, (ii) waivers by the Company of any statutory or constitutional rights or remedies, (iii) terms which excuse any person or entity from liability for, or require the Company to indemnify such person or entity against, such persons or entitys negligence or willful misconduct or (iv) obligations to pay any prepayment premium, default interest rate, early termination fee or other form of liquidated damages, if the payment of such premium, interest rate, fee or damages may be construed as unreasonable in relation to actual damages or disproportionate to actual damages suffered as a result of such prepayment, default or termination.
EnteroMedics Inc.
January 11, 2017
Page 3
We draw your attention to the fact that, under certain circumstances, the enforceability of terms to the effect that provisions may not be waived or modified except in writing may be limited.
Our opinions expressed above are limited to the laws of the State of New York and the Delaware General Corporation Law and the federal laws of the United States of America.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and to the reference to our firm under the heading Legal Matters in the Prospectus Supplement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Dorsey & Whitney LLP
JBA/TSH
EXHIBIT 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement No. 333-213704 on Form S-1 of our report dated March 28, 2016, relating to the consolidated financial statements of EnteroMedics Inc. and subsidiary, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of EnteroMedics Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2015, and to the reference to us under the heading Experts in the Prospectus, which is part of such Registration Statement.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP |
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
January 6, 2017 |