OPEN MARKET SALE AGREEMENTSM
Exhibit 1.2
January 27, 2023
XXXXXXXXX LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Ladies and Gentlemen:
VectivBio Holding AG, a Swiss stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to sell from time to time through Xxxxxxxxx LLC, as sales agent and/or principal (the “Agent”), the Company’s ordinary shares, nominal value of CHF 0.05 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), on the terms set forth in this agreement (this “Agreement”).
Section 1. DEFINITIONS
(a) Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the following respective meanings:
“Affiliate” of a Person means another Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first- mentioned Person. The term “control” (including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Agency Period” means the period commencing on the date of this Agreement and expiring on the earliest to occur of (x) the date on which the Agent shall have placed the Maximum Program Amount pursuant to (a) or (e) of such definition and (y) the date this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 7.
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
“Floor Price” means the minimum price set by the Company in the Issuance Notice below which the Agent shall not sell Shares during the applicable period set forth in the Issuance Notice, which may be adjusted by the Company at any time during the period set forth in the Issuance Notice by delivering written notice of such change to the Agent and which in no event shall be less than $1.00 without the prior written consent of the Agent, which consent may be withheld in the Agent’s sole discretion.
SM | “Open Market Sale Agreement” is a service mark of Jefferies LLC |
“Issuance Amount” means the aggregate Sales Price of the Shares to be sold by the Agent pursuant to any Issuance Notice.
“Issuance Notice” means a written notice delivered to the Agent by the Company in accordance with this Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A that is executed by its Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer.
“Issuance Notice Date” means any Trading Day during the Agency Period that an Issuance Notice is delivered pursuant to Section 3(b)(i).
“Issuance Price” means the Sales Price less the Selling Commission.
“Maximum Program Amount” means Ordinary Shares equal to the lesser of (a) the number or dollar amount of Ordinary Shares registered under the Registration Statement (as defined below) pursuant to which the offering is being made, inclusive of any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, (b) the number of Ordinary Shares that can be issued from the Company’s authorized share capital (or, if and when the Company’s general meeting of shareholders will have adopted and approved the introduction of a capital range (Kapitalband) which will replace the Company’s authorized share capital, out of such capital range as set forth in the Company’s articles of association), (c) the number of Ordinary Shares held in treasury by the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries and which have been reserved by the Company’s board of directors for purposes of the sale under this Agreement, (d) the number or dollar amount of Ordinary Shares permitted to be sold under Form F-3 (including General Instruction I.B.5 thereof, if applicable), or (e) the number or dollar amount of Ordinary Shares for which the Company has filed a Prospectus (as defined below) relating to the offering pursuant to this Agreement.
“Person” means an individual or a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, joint stock company, governmental authority or other entity of any kind.
“Principal Market” means The Nasdaq Global Market or such other national securities exchange on which the Ordinary Shares, including any Shares, are then listed.
“Sales Price” means the actual sale execution price of each Share placed by the Agent pursuant to this Agreement.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
“Selling Commission” means three percent (3.0%) of the gross proceeds of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement, or as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Agent with respect to any Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement.
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“Settlement Date” means the second business day following each Trading Day during the period set forth in the Issuance Notice on which Shares are sold pursuant to this Agreement, when the Company shall deliver to the Agent the amount of Shares sold on such Trading Day and the Agent shall deliver to the Company the Issuance Price received on such sales.
“Shares” shall mean the Company’s Ordinary Shares to be sold pursuant to this Agreement.
“Time of Sale” means each relevant time shares are sold pursuant to this Agreement.
“Trading Day” means any day on which the Principal Market is open for trading.
Section 2. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Agent that as of (1) the date of this Agreement, (2) each Issuance Notice Date, (3) each Settlement Date, (4) each Triggering Event Date (as defined below) and (5) each Time of Sale (each of the times referenced above is referred to herein as a “Representation Date”), except as may be disclosed in the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements thereto) on or before a Representation Date:
(a) Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Commission a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 that contains a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”). Such registration statement registers the offering and sale by the Company of the Shares under the Securities Act. The Company may file one or more additional registration statements from time to time that will contain a base prospectus and related prospectus or prospectus supplement, if applicable, with respect to the Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement(s), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, including all financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto and all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the Securities Act as from time to time amended or supplemented, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement,” and the prospectus constituting a part of such registration statement(s), together with any prospectus supplement filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act relating to a particular offering of the Shares, including all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the Securities Act, in each case, as from time to time amended or supplemented, is referred to herein as the “Prospectus,” except that if any revised prospectus is provided to the Agent by the Company for use in connection with the offering of the Shares that is not required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, the term “Prospectus” shall refer to such revised prospectus from and after the time it is first provided to the Agent for such use. The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is herein called the “Original Registration Statement.” As used in this Agreement, the terms “amendment” or “supplement” when applied to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing by the Company with the Commission of any document under the Exchange Act after the date hereof that is or is deemed to be incorporated therein by reference.
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All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement or 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 or otherwise deemed under the Securities Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of any specified date; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include, without limitation, the filing of any document under the Exchange Act which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed under the Securities Act to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, as of any specified date. The Company’s obligations under this Agreement to furnish, provide, deliver or make available (and all other references of like import) copies of any report or statement shall be deemed satisfied if the same is filed with the Commission through XXXXX.
At the time the Original Registration Statement was or will be declared effective and at the time the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F was filed with the Commission, if later, the Company met the then-applicable requirements for use of Form F-3 under the Securities Act and General Instruction I.B.5 therein. During the Agency Period, each time the Company files an annual report on Form 20-F the Company will meet the then-applicable requirements for use of Form F-3 under the Securities Act and General Instruction I.B.5 therein.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Original Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement have been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.
The Prospectus when filed complied or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed with the Commission through its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”) (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act), was identical to the copy thereof delivered to the Agent for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and at each Representation Date, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and 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. As of the date of this Agreement, the Prospectus and any Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) considered together (collectively, the “Time of Sale Information”) did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at each Representation Date, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in
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conformity with information relating to the Agent furnished to the Company in writing by the Agent expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Agent to the Company consists of the information described in Section 6 below. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required. The Registration Statement and the offer and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby meet the requirements of Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Securities Act and comply in all material respects with said rule.
(c) Ineligible Issuer Status. The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any Free Writing Prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending, and each such Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offering and sale of the Shares did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts with or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein. Except for the Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to the Agent before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the Agent’s prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any Free Writing Prospectus.
(d) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they were filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, as applicable, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, do not contain an 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, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(e) Exchange Act Compliance. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, and any Free Writing Prospectus or amendment or supplement thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto become effective and at each Time of Sale (as defined below), as the case may be, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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(f) Statistical and Market-Related Data. All statistical, demographic and market-related data included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate. To the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent for the use of such data from such sources.
(g) Disclosure Controls and Procedures; Deficiencies in or Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, have established and maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act), which are designed to ensure that material information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.
(h) This Agreement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability, including rights of indemnification, may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity or general application (including, but not limited to, the abuse of rights (Rechtsmissbrauch) and the principle of good faith (Grundsatz xxx Xxxx und Glauben)). This Agreement conforms in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(i) Authorization of the Shares. The Shares have been or will be duly authorized for issuance and for sale pursuant to this Agreement and, if and when issued and paid for pursuant to the Company’s articles of association, will be validly issued in compliance with Swiss law, fully paid and non-assessable and will conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Prospectus. The issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby shall not be subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase the Shares, and the statutory preemptive rights of the existing shareholders of the Company with respect to the issuance of the Shares has been or will have been validly set aside. When delivered by the Company against payment therefor pursuant to this Agreement and, if acquired off-exchange, upon request for entry in the Company’s share register, the purchasers of the Shares will acquire good, marketable and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of all pledges, liens, security interests, charges, claims or encumbrances. The issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby will not cause any holder of any shares, securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares or options, warrants or other rights to purchase shares or any other securities of the Company to have any right to acquire any preferred shares of the Company. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, there are no restrictions upon the voting or transfer of the Ordinary Shares under the Company’s articles of association or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party or otherwise filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
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(j) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. Other than those rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and have been satisfied or waived, there are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement.
(k) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus: (i) (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its shares; (ii) neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, has incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, including without limitation any losses or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, earthquakes, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any strike, labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, that are material, individually or in the aggregate, to the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one entity; and (iii) there has not been any material decrease in the share capital or any material increase in any short-term or long-term indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(l) Independent Accountants. Xxxxx & Young AG, which has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, is (i) an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”), (ii) in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and (iii) a registered public accounting firm as defined by the PCAOB whose registration has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn.
(m) Financial Statements. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in all material respects in accordance with IFRS the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required or incorporated by reference to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or incorporated by reference therein, regarding non-IFRS financial measures would
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comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable if such disclosures were “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission). The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(n) Company’s Accounting System. The Company and its Subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13-a15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially negatively affected, or is reasonably likely to materially negatively affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(o) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing (to the extent this concept applies) under the laws of Switzerland and has requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as now conducted and as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing (to the extent this concept applies) or other equivalent local law status (if any), as applicable, in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or other equivalent local law status (if any), as applicable, would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”), represents all of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company, has been duly incorporated or organized, as applicable, and is validly existing and in good standing (to the extent this concept applies) or other equivalent local law status (if any), as applicable, under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has requisite corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as now conducted and as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing (to the extent this concept applies) or other equivalent local law status (if any), as applicable, in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, or other equivalent local law status (if any), as applicable, would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the
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Registration Statement or the Prospectus, (i) all of the issued and outstanding shares of each Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through Subsidiaries, and (ii) except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity. None of the outstanding shares of any Subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary.
(q) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The Company has the authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for the most recent fiscal year, as of the dates referred to therein (subject, in each case, to the issuance of Shares under this Agreement, the issuance of Ordinary Shares upon exercise of share options and warrants disclosed as outstanding as of the date hereof in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the grant of options under existing share option plans described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus). The Ordinary Shares conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including under the heading “Description of Share Capital and Articles of Association.” All of the issued shares of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued in compliance with Swiss law and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the issued shares of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, there are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase or subscribe for, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any shares of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them may be bound. The descriptions of the Company’s equity incentive plan, share option plans and other share plans or arrangements described in the Prospectus and in effect as of the date hereof (collectively, the “Share Plans”) and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus accurately and fairly present the information required to be shown with respect to such Share Plans and the options or other rights granted thereunder.
(r) Stock Exchange Listing. The Ordinary Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and are listed on the Principal Market, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Ordinary Shares under the Exchange Act or delisting the Ordinary Shares from the Principal Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the Principal Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. To the Company’s knowledge, it is in compliance with all applicable listing requirements of the Principal Market.
(s) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its articles of association (or similar organizational document), in force as at the date hereof or as expected to be in force immediately following the offering, (B) in breach, default or violation of any of the terms or provisions of any agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument, as applicable, to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, or to which any of their respective properties or assets are subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), or (C) in violation of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order,
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writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except, in the case of (B) and (C), for any such violation which would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including the offering and sale of the Shares and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of association or similar organizational document of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(t) No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity (including, without limitation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) or the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”)) now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which might result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might materially and adversely affect their respective properties or assets or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any such Subsidiary is a party, as applicable, or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, could not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, (including all applications and registrations relating to any of the foregoing), inventions, licenses, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), or other intellectual property described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as being owned or licensed by the Company or its Subsidiaries or which are necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as currently conducted or as currently proposed to be conducted as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (collectively, “Intellectual Property”). To the Company’s knowledge and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (i) there are no
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unreleased liens or security interests which have been filed against any of the Intellectual Property owned by the Company; (ii) there are no third parties who have rights to any Intellectual Property, except for customary reversionary rights of third-party licensors with respect to Intellectual Property that is disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus as licensed to the Company, and the Company has taken all reasonable steps necessary to secure its interests in the Intellectual Property from its employees and contractors; (iii) there is no infringement, misappropriation or violation by third parties of any Intellectual Property; (iv) the Company is not infringing, misappropriating or violating the intellectual property rights of third parties; (v) the Company is the sole owner of the Intellectual Property owned by it and has the valid right to use such Intellectual Property; and (vi) no employee of the Company is in or has been in violation of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company. There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others: (A) challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (B) challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; or (C) asserting that either the Company infringes or otherwise violates, or would, upon the commercialization of any product described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus as under development, infringe, misappropriate or violate, any patent, trademark, trade name, service name, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company has complied with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company, and all such agreements are in full force and effect.
(v) All Necessary Permits, etc. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries possess such licenses, permits, exemptions, clearances, registrations, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities (including, without limitation, the FDA or the EMA) necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company and its Subsidiaries, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries have fulfilled and performed all of their material obligations with respect to such Governmental Licenses, and no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other material impairment of the rights of the holder of any such Governmental Licenses. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(w) Title to Properties. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all real property owned by them and good title to all other properties owned by them, as applicable, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or (B) do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases, as applicable, material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any such Subsidiary under any of the material leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.
(x) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, and has paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and its Subsidiaries, except (i) for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company or (ii) insofar as the failure to pay such taxes would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(y) Labor Disputes. To the knowledge of the Company, there is no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or work stoppage by the employees of any of its or any Subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that is existing or imminent, which, in either case, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) Company Not an “Investment Company.” The Company is not, and will not be, either after receipt of payment for the Shares or after the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
(aa) Insurance. The Company and its Subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any of its Subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither of the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.
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(bb) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act (“Regulation M”).
(cc) Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which have not been described as required.
(dd) FINRA Matters. All of the information provided to the Agent or to counsel for the Agent by the Company, its counsel, its officers and directors and the holders of any securities (debt or equity) or options to acquire any securities of the Company in connection with the offering of the Shares is true, complete, correct and compliant with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.’s (“FINRA”) rules and any letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rules is true, complete and correct.
(ee) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) to the knowledge of the Company, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any applicable federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its Subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigations or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and (D) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Entity, against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
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(ff) ERISA Compliance. (i) Any “Employee Benefit Plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) for which the Company or its ERISA Affiliates (as defined below) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has complied in all material respects with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”), (ii) no Plan is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 or Title IV of ERISA , (iii) neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any obligation or liability under (A) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any Plan, (B) Sections 412 and 430, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code or (C) Sections 302 and 303, 406, 4063 and 4064 of ERISA, (iv) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption, (v) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification, (vi) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in liability to the Company, (vii) there has not occurred, nor is there reasonably likely to occur, a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in the current fiscal year of the Company and its Subsidiaries compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year, and (viii) the Company does not have any “accumulated postretirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 106). “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code of which the Company is a member.
(gg) Brokers. Except for the Agent, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(hh) Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, or employee, agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken any act in furtherance of an offer, promise, or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or public international organization, or any political party, party official, or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”), the UK Bribery Act 2010, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, authorized, requested, or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment or benefit. The Company and its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s affiliates have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
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(ii) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are, and have been conducted at all times, in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of the jurisdictions where the Company or any of its Subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (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 of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(jj) Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, after due inquiry, any directors, officers, employees, agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom, the Swiss State Secretariat of Economic Affairs, the Swiss Directorate of International Law or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”); nor is the Company or any of its Subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of such financing, is the subject or the target of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of applicable Sanctions.
(kk) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx. The Company is in compliance, in all material respects, with all applicable provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 relating to loans.
(ll) Duties, Transfer Taxes, Etc. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, no stamp duties or other issuance or transfer taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Agent in Switzerland or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof solely in connection with (A) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, (B) the issuance and delivery of the Shares in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or (C) the sale and delivery by the Agent of the Shares as contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
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(mm) Health Care Laws. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries: (i) has operated and currently operates its business in compliance in all material respects with applicable provisions of the Health Care Laws (as defined below) of the FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and any comparable foreign or other regulatory authority or Governmental Entity to which they are subject, in Europe or elsewhere (collectively, the “Applicable Regulatory Authorities”); (ii) has not received any FDA Form 483, written notice of adverse finding, warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or written notice from any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority alleging or asserting non-compliance with (A) any Health Care Laws or (B) any licenses, certificates, approvals, clearances, exemptions, authorizations, permits and supplements or amendments thereto required by any such Health Care Laws (“Regulatory Authorizations”); (iii) possesses all Regulatory Authorizations required to conduct its business as currently conducted, except where the failure to possess the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and such Regulatory Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries are in violation, in any material respect, of any term of any such Regulatory Authorizations; (iv) has not received written notice of any claim, action, suit, audit, survey, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from the Applicable Regulatory Authorities or any other third party alleging that any product of the Company is in material violation of any Health Care Laws or Regulatory Authorizations and has no knowledge that the Applicable Regulatory Authorities or any other third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (v) has not received written notice that any of the Applicable Regulatory Authorities has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any material Regulatory Authorizations and has no knowledge that any of the Applicable Regulatory Authorities is considering such action; (vi) has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Health Care Laws or Regulatory Authorizations and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were materially complete and correct on the date filed (or were materially corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission); (vii) is not a party to or have any ongoing reporting obligations pursuant to any corporate integrity agreements, deferred or non-prosecution agreements, monitoring agreements, consent decrees, settlement orders, plans of correction or similar agreements with or imposed by any Applicable Regulatory Authority; and (viii) along with its employees, officers and directors has not been excluded, suspended or debarred from participation in any government health care program or human clinical research or, to the knowledge of the Company, is subject to a governmental inquiry, investigation, proceeding, or other similar action that could reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension or exclusion. The term “Health Care Laws” means Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1395-1395hhh (the Medicare statute); Title XIX of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1396-1396v (the Medicaid statute); the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b); the civil False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 et seq.; the criminal False Claims Act, 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(a); any criminal laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including but not limited to 18 U.S.C. Sections 286, 287, 1001, 1035, 1347 and 1349, and the health care fraud criminal provisions under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1320d et seq. (“HIPAA”); the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1320a-7a and 1320a-7b; the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7h; the Exclusion Laws, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7; HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 17921 et seq.; the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 301 et seq.; and the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 201 et seq.; each as amended, and the regulations promulgated pursuant to such laws; and any similar foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations in Europe or elsewhere.
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(nn) Company Trials. None of the Company’s product candidates have received marketing approval or licensure from any Applicable Regulatory Authority. Except as described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, all clinical and pre-clinical studies and trials sponsored or conducted by or on behalf of the Company or its Subsidiaries, or in which the Company or its Subsidiaries has participated with respect to the Company’s product candidates, including without limitation, any such studies and trials that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or the results of which are referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as applicable (collectively, “Company Trials”), were, and if still pending are, to the Company’s knowledge, being conducted in all material respects in accordance with the Health Care Laws, including, without limitation, current Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices, and in keeping with standard medical and scientific research procedures and any applicable rules, regulations and policies of the jurisdiction in which such trials and studies are being conducted; the descriptions in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus of the structure and results of any Company Trials are accurate and complete descriptions in all material respects and fairly present the data derived therefrom; the Company has no knowledge of any other studies or trials not described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the results of which are inconsistent with or call into question the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have not received, any written notices, correspondence or other communications from the Applicable Regulatory Authorities or any other governmental entity requiring or threatening the termination, material modification or suspension of Company Trials that are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or the results of which are referred to in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, other than ordinary course communications with respect to modifications in connection with the design and implementation of such studies or trials, and, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no reasonable grounds for the same. No investigational new drug application or comparable submission filed by or on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has been terminated or suspended by the FDA or any other Applicable Regulatory Authority. The Company has obtained (or caused to be obtained) informed consent by or on behalf of each human subject who participated in a Company Trial. In using or disclosing patient information received by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with a Company Trial, the Company or such subsidiary has complied in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including, without limitation, HIPAA and the rules and regulations thereunder and any similar foreign laws and regulations in Europe or elsewhere. To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company Trials involved any investigator who has been disqualified as a clinical investigator or has been found by the FDA or any other Applicable Regulatory Authority to have engaged in scientific misconduct.
(oo) Forward-Looking Statement. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
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(pp) Facilities and Suppliers. To the Company’s knowledge, the manufacturing facilities and operations of its suppliers are operated in compliance with all applicable statutes, rules, regulations and policies of the Applicable Regulatory Authorities, including, without limitation, the Health Care Laws, except for such non-compliance that would not, singly or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(qq) IT Systems and Data. (A) To the knowledge of the Company, there has been no material security breach or incident, including any unauthorized access to or disclosure, or other compromise of the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”); (B) neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have been notified of, and each of them have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any security breach or incident described in the preceding clause (A); and (C) the Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards designed to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data, including as required by applicable regulatory standards. The Company and its Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all (i) applicable laws or statutes, (ii) judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, (iii) internal policies of the Company or its Subsidiaries and (iv) contractual obligations of the Company or its Subsidiaries relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data, except, in each case, where the failure to be in compliance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(rr) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
(ss) PFIC. Based on the nature of the Company’s income and the estimated value and composition of the Company’s assets, the Company does not believe that it was a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes for its taxable year ended December 31, 2021.
(tt) Dividends. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, (i) all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the securities may under current laws and regulations of Switzerland be paid by the Company to the holder thereof in Swiss franc that may be converted into foreign currency and, except for certain restrictions with respect to national and international sanctions relating to certain countries, freely transferred out of Switzerland, and (ii) all such payments made to holders thereof or therein who are non-residents of Switzerland will not be subject to income or withholding taxes under laws and regulations of Switzerland or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and will otherwise be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in Switzerland or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in Switzerland or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
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(uu) Jurisdiction. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 17 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each United States federal court and New York state court located in the Borough of Manhattan, in the City of New York, New York, U.S.A. (each, a “New York Court”), and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and authorize, and pursuant to Section 17 of this Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and authorized an agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the offering and sale of the Shares contemplated hereby in any New York Court, and service of process effected on such authorized agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided in Section 17 hereof.
(vv) Right of Immunity. Except as provided by laws or statutes generally applicable to transactions of the type described in this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its respective properties, assets or revenues has any right of immunity under Swiss, New York or United States law, from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any Swiss, New York or United States federal court, from service of process, attachment upon or prior judgment, or attachment in aid of execution of judgment, or from execution of a judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of a judgment, in any such court, with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection with this Agreement. To the extent that the Company or any of its respective properties, assets or revenues may have or may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, the Company waives or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such relief and enforcement as provided in Section 17 of this Agreement.
(ww) Final Judgment. Any final judgment for a fixed or determined sum of money rendered by any U.S. federal or New York state court located in the State of New York having jurisdiction under its own laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon this Agreement would be recognized by the courts of Switzerland, without reconsideration or reexamination of the merits, subject to the restrictions described under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and the applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors and secured parties in general, and laws or principles of general application (including, but not limited to, the abuse of rights (Rechtsmissbrauch) and the principle of good faith (Grundsatz xxx Xxxx und Glauben)).
(xx) Choice of Law. The choice of laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of Switzerland and will be honored by the courts of Switzerland, subject to the restrictions described under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(yy) Agreement under Swiss Law. This Agreement is in proper form under the laws of Switzerland for the enforcement thereof against the Company, and to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility into evidence in Switzerland of this Agreement.
(zz) Enforcement under Swiss Law. It is not necessary under the laws of Switzerland (i) to enable the Agent to enforce their rights under this Agreement, to enable any holder of Shares to enforce their respective rights thereunder, provided that they are not otherwise engaged in business in Switzerland or (ii) solely by reason of the execution, delivery or consummation of this Agreement for any of the Agent or any holder of Shares of the Company to be qualified or entitled to carry out business in Switzerland.
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(aaa) Indemnification and Contribution. The indemnification provisions set forth in Section 6 hereof and contribution provisions set forth in Section 6 hereof do not contravene mandatory Swiss law or public policy.
(bbb) Other At-the-Market Agreements. The Company is not a party to any agreement with an agent or underwriter for any other “at the market” or continuous equity transaction.
Any certificate signed by any officer or representative of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and delivered to the Agent or counsel for the Agent in connection with a sale of Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Agent as to the matters covered thereby on the date of such certificate.
The Company acknowledges that the Agent and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(o) hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Agent, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.
Section 3. SALE OF ORDINARY SHARES
(a) Sale of Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and the Agent agree that the Company may from time to time seek to sell Shares through the Agent, acting as sales agent, or directly to the Agent, acting as principal, as follows, with an aggregate Sales Price of up to the Maximum Program Amount, based on and in accordance with Issuance Notices as the Company may deliver, during the Agency Period.
(b) Mechanics of Sales.
(i) Issuance Notice. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, on any Trading Day during the Agency Period on which the conditions set forth in Section 5(a) and Section 5(b) shall have been satisfied, the Company may exercise its right to request a sale of Shares by delivering to the Agent an Issuance Notice; provided, however, that (A) in no event may the Company deliver an Issuance Notice to the extent that (I) the sum of (x) the aggregate Sales Price of the requested Issuance Amount, plus (y) the aggregate Sales Price of all Shares sold under all previous Issuance Notices effected pursuant to this Agreement, would exceed the Maximum Program Amount; and (B) prior to delivery of any Issuance Notice, the period set forth for any previous Issuance Notice shall have expired or been terminated. An Issuance Notice shall be considered delivered on the Trading Day that it is received by e-mail to the persons set forth in Schedule A hereto and confirmed by the Company by telephone (including a voicemail message to the persons so identified), with the understanding that, with adequate prior written notice, the Agent may modify the list of such persons from time to time.
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(ii) Agent Efforts. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, upon the receipt of an Issuance Notice, the Agent will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal sales and trading practices to place the Shares with respect to which the Agent has agreed to act as sales agent, subject to, and in accordance with the information specified in, the Issuance Notice, unless the sale of the Shares described therein has been suspended, cancelled or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the parties to this Agreement may modify an Issuance Notice at any time provided they both agree in writing (which may be by e-mail) to any such modification.
(iii) Method of Offer and Sale. The Shares may be offered and sold (A) in negotiated transactions with the consent of the Company; (B) as block transactions; or (C) by any other method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act, including block transactions, sales made directly on the Principal Market or sales made into any other existing trading market of the Ordinary Shares. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to require either party to agree to the method of offer and sale specified in the preceding sentence, and (except as specified in clauses (A) and (B) above) the method of placement of any Shares by the Agent shall be at the Agent’s discretion.
(iv) Confirmation to the Company. If acting as sales agent hereunder, the Agent will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day following the Trading Day on which it has placed Shares hereunder setting forth the number of shares sold on such Trading Day, the corresponding Sales Price and the Issuance Price payable to the Company in respect thereof.
(v) Settlement. Each sale of Shares will be settled on the applicable Settlement Date for such sale of Shares and, subject to the provisions of Section 5, on or before each Settlement Date, the Company will source from Ordinary Shares held in treasury the Shares being sold on such date and will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Shares being sold by crediting the Agent or its designee’s account at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian (DWAC) System, or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto and, upon receipt of such Shares, which in all cases shall be validly issued, freely tradable, transferable (subject to the limitations set forth in the Company’s articles of association), registered Ordinary Shares in good deliverable form, the Agent will deliver, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, the related Issuance Price in same day funds delivered to an account designated by the Company prior to the Settlement Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may sell Shares to the Agent as principal at a price agreed upon, subject to entry into a separate agreement.
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(vi) Suspension or Termination of Sales. Consistent with standard market settlement practices, the Company or the Agent may, upon notice to the other party hereto in writing or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable email), suspend any sale of Shares, and the period set forth in an Issuance Notice shall immediately terminate; provided, however, that (A) such suspension and termination shall not affect or impair either party’s obligations with respect to any Shares placed or sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice; (B) if the Company suspends or terminates any sale of Shares after the Agent confirms such sale to the Company, the Company shall still be obligated to comply with Section 3(b)(v) with respect to such Shares; and (C) if the Company defaults in its obligation to deliver Shares on a Settlement Date, the Company agrees that it will hold the Agent harmless against any loss, claim, damage or expense (including, without limitation, penalties, interest and reasonable and documented legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, in performing its obligations under this Agreement, the Agent may borrow Ordinary Shares from stock lenders in the event that the Company has not delivered Shares to settle sales as required by subsection (v) above, and may use the Shares to settle or close out such borrowings. The Company agrees that no such notice shall be effective against the Agent unless it is made to the persons identified in writing by the Agent pursuant to Section 3(b)(i).
(vii) No Guarantee of Placement, Etc. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (A) there can be no assurance that the Agent will be successful in placing Shares; (B) the Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other Person if it does not sell Shares; and (C) the Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Agent and the Company.
(viii) Material Non-Public Information. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company and the Agent agree that the Company shall not deliver any Issuance Notice to the Agent, and the Agent shall not be obligated to place any Shares, during any period in which the Company is in possession of material non-public information.
(c) Fees. As compensation for services rendered, the Company shall pay to the Agent, on the applicable Settlement Date, the Selling Commission for the applicable Issuance Amount (including with respect to any suspended or terminated sale pursuant to Section 3(b)(vi)) by the Agent deducting the Selling Commission from the applicable Issuance Amount.
(d) Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Shares (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors;
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(v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Prospectus, any Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Agent in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws, and, if requested by the Agent, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum (which shall not exceed $25,000) and any supplements thereto, advising the Agent of such qualifications, registrations, determinations and exemptions; (vii) the reasonable fees and disbursements of the Agent’s counsel, (viii) the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Agent in connection with FINRA review, if any, and approval of the Agent’s participation in the offering and distribution of the Shares in an amount not to exceed $15,000 (excluding FINRA filing fees referred to in clause (ix) below and in addition to the fees and disbursements referred to in clause (vii) above); (ix) the filing fees incident to FINRA review, if any; and (x) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Shares on the Principal Market. The reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of Agent’s counsel pursuant to subsection (vii) above shall not exceed (A) $110,000 in connection with execution of this Agreement and (B) $35,000 in connection with each Triggering Event Date (as defined below) on which the Company is required to provide a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o).
Section 4. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS
The Company covenants and agrees with the Agent as follows, in addition to any other covenants and agreements made elsewhere in this Agreement:
(a) Exchange Act Compliance. During the Agency Period, the Company shall (i) file, on a timely basis, with the Commission all reports and documents required to be filed under Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within the time periods required by the Exchange Act; and (ii) either (A) include in its next-furnished report on Form 6-K containing its results of operations or any quarterly financial information and its annual reports on Form 20-F, a summary detailing, for the relevant reporting period, (1) the number of Shares sold through the Agent pursuant to this Agreement and (2) the net proceeds received by the Company from such sales or, in the Company’s sole discretion, (B) with the Agent’s prior review and consent, prepare a prospectus supplement containing, or include in such other filing permitted by the Securities Act or Exchange Act (each an “Interim Prospectus Supplement”), such summary information and, at least once a quarter and subject to this Section 4, file such Interim Prospectus Supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (and within the time periods required by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430B under the Securities Act).
(b) Securities Act Compliance. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Agent in writing (i) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission; (ii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, any Free Writing Prospectus; (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement becomes effective; and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of
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any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Ordinary Shares from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rule 424(b) and Rule 433, as applicable, under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(c) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus so that the Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Agent or counsel for the Agent it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, including the Securities Act, the Company agrees (subject to Section 4(d) and 4(f)) to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish at its own expense to the Agent, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law including the Securities Act. Neither the Agent’s consent to, or delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Sections 4(d) and 4(f). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to file such amendment or supplement if there is no pending Issuance Notice and the Company believes that it is in the best interests not to file such amendment or supplement at such time; provided that no sales may be made and no Issuance Notice issued until such amendment or supplement has been filed.
(d) Agent’s Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. Prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement (including any registration statement filed under Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) or the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act), the Company shall furnish to the Agent for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Agent’s prior consent, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
(e) Use of Free Writing Prospectus. Neither the Company nor the Agent has prepared, used, referred to or distributed, or will prepare, use, refer to or distribute, without the other party’s prior written consent, any “written communication” that constitutes a “free writing prospectus” as such terms are defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act with respect to the offering contemplated by this Agreement (any such free writing prospectus being referred to herein as a “Free Writing Prospectus”).
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(f) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall furnish to the Agent for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Agent’s consent. The Company shall furnish to the Agent, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, or used by the Company, as the Agent may reasonably request. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 173(d)) to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares (but in any event if at any time through and including the date of this Agreement) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict or so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such subsequent time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Agent for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Agent’s consent.
(g) Filing of Agent Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall not take any action that would result in the Agent or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Agent that the Agent otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(h) Copies of Registration Statement and Prospectus. After the date of this Agreement through the last time that a prospectus is required by the Securities Act (including, without limitation, pursuant to Rule 173(d)) to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares, the Company agrees to furnish the Agent with copies (which may be electronic copies) of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto, and with copies of the Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto in the form in which it is filed with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, both in such quantities as the Agent may reasonably request from time to time; and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required under the Securities Act or under the blue sky or securities laws of any jurisdiction at any time on or prior to the applicable Settlement Date for any period set forth in an Issuance Notice in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event has occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
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in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it is necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, to notify the Agent and to request that the Agent suspend offers to sell Shares (and, if so notified, the Agent shall cease such offers as soon as practicable); and if the Company decides to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented, to advise the Agent promptly by telephone (with confirmation in writing) and to prepare and cause to be filed promptly with the Commission an amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; provided, however, that if during such same period the Agent is required to deliver a prospectus in respect of transactions in the Shares, the Company shall promptly prepare and file with the Commission such an amendment or supplement.
(i) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Agent and counsel for the Agent to qualify or register the Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Agent, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Agent promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof as soon as practicable.
(j) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Agent an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning the start of the fiscal year or half-year of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 under the Securities Act, provided that the Company will be deemed to have furnished such statement to its security holders and the Agent to the extent such statement has been filed on XXXXX.
(k) Listing; Reservation of Shares. (a) The Company will use its best efforts to maintain the listing of the Shares on the Principal Market; and (b) the Company will reserve and keep available during each selling period stated in each Issuance Notice, free of preemptive rights, Shares for the purpose of enabling the Company to satisfy its obligations under such Issuance Notice.
(l) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.
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(m) Due Diligence. During the term of this Agreement, the Company will reasonably cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agent in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during normal business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, as the Agent may reasonably request from time to time.
(n) Representations and Warranties. The Company acknowledges that each delivery of an Issuance Notice and each delivery of Shares on a Settlement Date shall be deemed to be (i) an affirmation to the Agent that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such Issuance Notice or of such Settlement Date, as the case may be, as though made at and as of each such date, except as may be disclosed in the Prospectus (including any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements thereto); and (ii) an undertaking that the Company will advise the Agent if any of such representations and warranties will not be true and correct as of the Settlement Date for the Shares relating to such Issuance Notice, as though made at and as of each such date (except that such representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such Shares).
(o) Deliverables at Triggering Event Dates; Certificates. The Company agrees that on or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and, during the term of this Agreement after the date of the first Issuance Notice, upon:
(A) the filing of the Prospectus or the amendment or supplement of any Registration Statement or Prospectus (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to an offering of securities other than the Shares or a prospectus filed pursuant to Section 4(a)(ii)(B)), by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker or supplement, but not by means of incorporation of documents by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus;
(B) the filing with the Commission of an annual report on Form 20-F or a report on Form 6-K filed by the Company in respect of any interim period containing financial information which is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the Exchange Act (including any Form 20-F/A containing amended financial information or a material amendment to the previously filed Form 20-F or a material amendment to any previously filed report on Form 6-K filed in respect of any interim period financial information); or
(C) the furnishing with the Commission of a current report on Form 6-K of the Company containing amended financial information that is material to the offering of securities of the Company in the Agent’s reasonable discretion;
(any such event, a “Triggering Event Date”), the Company shall furnish the Agent (but in the case of clause (C) above only if the Agent reasonably determines that the information contained in such current report on Form 6-K of the Company is material) with a certificate as of the Triggering Event Date, in the form and substance satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agent and its counsel, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, (A) confirming that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct, (B) that the Company has performed all of its obligations hereunder to be performed on or prior to the date of such certificate and as to the matters set forth
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in Section 5(a)(iii) hereof, and (C) containing any other certification that the Agent shall reasonably request. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 4(o) shall be waived for any Triggering Event Date occurring at a time when no Issuance Notice is pending or a suspension is in effect, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers instructions for the sale of Shares hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Triggering Event Date) and the next occurring Triggering Event Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Shares following a Triggering Event Date when a suspension was in effect and did not provide the Agent with a certificate under this Section 4(o), then before the Company delivers the instructions for the sale of Shares or the Agent sells any Shares pursuant to such instructions, the Company shall provide the Agent with a certificate in conformity with this Section 4(o) dated as of the date that the instructions for the sale of Shares are issued.
(p) Legal Opinions. On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and on or prior to each Triggering Event Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, there shall have been delivered (i) a negative assurances letter and the written legal opinion of Xxxxxx LLP, United States counsel to the Company, (ii) the written legal opinion of Xxxxxxxxx XX, Swiss counsel to the Company, and (iii) the written legal opinion of Xxxxxx LLP, intellectual property counsel to the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent and its counsel, substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agent and its counsel, modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented. In lieu of such opinions for subsequent periodic filings, in the discretion of the Agent, the Company may furnish a reliance letter from such counsel to the Agent, permitting the Agent to rely on a previously delivered opinion letter, modified as appropriate for any passage of time or Triggering Event Date (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented as of such Triggering Event Date).
(q) Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and on or prior to each Triggering Event Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 4(o) for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of this Agreement, the Company shall cause Xxxxx & Young AG, the independent registered public accounting firm who has audited the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, to furnish the Agent a comfort letter, dated the date of delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, substantially similar to the form previously provided to the Agent and its counsel; provided, however, that any such comfort letter will only be required on the Triggering Event Date specified to the extent that the filing in connection with such Triggering Event Date contains financial statements filed or furnished with the Commission under the Exchange Act and incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into a Prospectus. If requested by the Agent, the Company shall also cause a comfort letter to be furnished to the Agent on the date of occurrence of any material transaction or event requiring the filing of a current report on Form 6-K containing material amended financial information of the Company, including the restatement of the Company’s financial statements.
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(r) Secretary’s Certificate. On or prior to the date of the first Issuance Notice and on or prior to each Triggering Event Date, the Company shall furnish the Agent a certificate executed by the Secretary of the Company, signing in such capacity, dated the date of delivery (i) certifying that attached thereto are true and complete copies of the resolutions duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (including, without limitation, the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement), which authorization shall be in full force and effect on and as of the date of such certificate, (ii) certifying and attesting to the office, incumbency, due authority and specimen signatures of each Person who executed this Agreement for or on behalf of the Company, and (iii) containing any other certification that the Agent shall reasonably request.
(s) Agent’s Own Account; Clients’ Account. The Company consents to the Agent trading, in compliance with applicable law, in the Ordinary Shares for the Agent’s own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement.
(t) Investment Limitation. The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
(u) Market Activities. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any other reference security, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M. If the limitations of Rule 102 of Regulation M (“Rule 102”) do not apply with respect to the Shares or any other reference security pursuant to any exception set forth in Section (d) of Rule 102, then promptly upon notice from the Agent (or, if later, at the time stated in the notice), the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with Rule 102 as though such exception were not available but the other provisions of Rule 102 (as interpreted by the Commission) did apply. The Company shall promptly notify the Agent if it no longer meets the requirements set forth in Section (d) of Rule 102.
(v) Notice of Other Sale. Without the written consent of the Agent, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Ordinary Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares (other than Shares hereunder), warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire Ordinary Shares, during the period beginning on the third Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which any Issuance Notice is delivered to the Agent hereunder and ending on the third Trading Day immediately following the Settlement Date with respect to Shares sold pursuant to such Issuance Notice; and will not directly or indirectly enter into any other “at the market” or continuous equity transaction offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any Ordinary Shares (other than the Shares offered pursuant to this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire,
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Ordinary Shares prior to the termination of this Agreement; provided, however, that such restrictions will not be required in connection with the Company’s (i) issuance or sale of Ordinary Shares, options to purchase Ordinary Shares, restricted share units or other equity awards, or Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of options or other equity awards or the vesting of restricted share units pursuant to any employee or director share option, incentive or benefit plan, share purchase or ownership plan, long-term or equity incentive plan, dividend reinvestment plan, inducement award under the rules of its Principal Market or other compensation plan of the Company or its Subsidiaries, as in effect on the date of this Agreement, (ii) issuance or sale of Ordinary Shares issuable upon exchange, conversion or redemption of securities or the exercise or vesting of warrants, options or other equity awards outstanding at the date of this Agreement, (iii) Ordinary Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares as consideration for mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations, licensing agreements, other business combinations or strategic alliances occurring after the date of this Agreement which are not issued for capital raising purposes, (iv) modification of any outstanding options, restricted share units, warrants or any other rights to purchase or acquire Ordinary Shares and (v) issuance or sale of Ordinary Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares in connection with strategic transactions including mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations, joint ventures, manufacturing, marketing, sponsored research, collaboration, license or distribution arrangements or strategic alliances which are not issued primarily for capital raising purposes; provided that the aggregate number of Ordinary Shares issued in connection with all such strategic transactions does not exceed 5% of the aggregate number of Ordinary Shares outstanding as of the date of such issuance. For the avoidance of doubt, the Agent and the Company agree that no issuance or sale pursuant to subpart (v) of the immediately preceding sentence shall take place during the period beginning on the third Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which any Issuance Notice is delivered to the Agent hereunder and ending on the third Trading Day immediately following the Settlement Date with respect to Shares sold pursuant to such Issuance Notice.
Section 5. CONDITIONS TO DELIVERY OF ISSUANCE NOTICES AND TO SETTLEMENT
(a) Conditions Precedent to the Right of the Company to Deliver an Issuance Notice and the Obligation of the Agent to Sell Shares. The right of the Company to deliver an Issuance Notice hereunder is subject to the satisfaction, on the date of delivery of such Issuance Notice, and the obligation of the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts to place Shares during the applicable period set forth in the Issuance Notice is subject to the satisfaction, on each Trading Day during the applicable period set forth in the Issuance, of each of the following conditions:
(i) Accuracy of the Company’s Representations and Warranties; Performance by the Company. The Company shall have delivered the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4(o) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 4(o). The Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied with all covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to such date, including, but not limited to, the covenants contained in Section 4(p), Section 4(q) and Section 4(r).
(ii) No Injunction. No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby that prohibits or directly and materially adversely affects any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and no proceeding shall have been commenced that may have the effect of prohibiting or materially adversely affecting any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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(iii) Material Adverse Changes. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, (a) in the judgment of the Agent there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect; and (b) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act.
(iv) No Suspension of Trading in or Delisting of Ordinary Shares; Other Events. The trading of the Ordinary Shares (including without limitation the Shares) shall not have been suspended by the Commission, the Principal Market or FINRA and the Ordinary Shares (including without limitation the Shares) shall have been approved for listing or quotation on and shall not have been delisted from the Nasdaq Stock Market, the New York Stock Exchange or any of their constituent markets. There shall not have occurred (and be continuing in the case of occurrences under clauses (i) and (ii) below) any of the following: (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Principal Market or trading in securities generally on either the Principal Market shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the FINRA; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal or New York, authorities; or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Agent is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities.
(b) Documents Required to be Delivered on each Issuance Notice Date. The Agent’s obligation to use its commercially reasonable efforts to place Shares hereunder shall additionally be conditioned upon the delivery to the Agent on or before the Issuance Notice Date of a certificate in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, executed by the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect that all conditions to the delivery of such Issuance Notice shall have been satisfied as at the date of such certificate (which certificate shall not be required if the foregoing representations shall be set forth in the Issuance Notice).
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(c) No Misstatement or Material Omission. Agent shall not have advised the Company that the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Times of Sales Information, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in the Agent’s reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in the Agent’s reasonable opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(d) Agent Counsel Legal Opinion. Agent shall have received (i) a negative assurances letter and written legal opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, United States counsel to the Agent, and (ii) the written legal opinion of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx XX, Swiss counsel to the Agent, such opinion or opinions and negative assurance letters, on or before the date on which the delivery of the written legal opinion of the Company’s counsels is required pursuant to Section 4(p), with respect to such matters as Agent may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for enabling them to pass upon such matters.
Section 6. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION
(a) Indemnification of the Agent. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Agent, its officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls the Agent within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Agent or such officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Shares have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and to reimburse the Agent and each such officer, employee and controlling person for any and all reasonable and documented expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Agent) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by the Agent or such officer, employee or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agent expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any such Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information is described in subsection (b) below. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 6(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.
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(b) Indemnification of the Company and its Directors and Officers. The Agent agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer, or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation,), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included or incorporated by reference in any Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433 of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer, or controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement), in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Agent furnished to the Company by the Agent in writing expressly for use therein. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Agent have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing) is the information set forth in first sentence of the ninth paragraphs under the caption “Plan of Distribution” in the Prospectus. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 6(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Agent may otherwise have.
(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 6 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 6, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 6 or to the extent it is not prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party
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shall have reasonably concluded based on the advice of counsel that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 6 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), which counsel (together with any local counsel) for the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Agent (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 6(a) and Section 6(b) above), (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party and shall be paid as they are incurred.
(d) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 6 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 6(c) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request; and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding.
(e) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 6 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the
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one hand, and the Agent, on the other hand, from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement; or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total gross proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total commissions received by the Agent. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Agent, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Agent, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 6(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 6(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 6(e); provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 6(c) for purposes of indemnification.
The Company and the Agent agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6(e) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 6(e).
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6(e), the Agent shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the agent fees received by the Agent in connection with the offering contemplated hereby. No person guilty of 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 6(e), each officer and employee of the Agent and each person, if any, who controls the Agent within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Agent, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company with the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
Section 7. TERMINATION & SURVIVAL
(a) Term. Subject to the provisions of this Section 7, the term of this Agreement shall continue from the date of this Agreement until the end of the Agency Period, unless earlier terminated by the parties to this Agreement pursuant to this Section 7.
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(b) Termination; Survival Following Termination.
(i) Either party may terminate this Agreement prior to the end of the Agency Period, by giving written notice as required by this Agreement, upon ten (10) Trading Days’ notice to the other party; provided that, (A) if the Company terminates this Agreement after the Agent confirms to the Company any sale of Shares, the Company shall remain obligated to comply with Section 3(b)(v) with respect to such Shares and (B) Section 2, Section 6, Section 7 and Section 8 shall survive termination of this Agreement. If termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Shares, such sale shall nevertheless settle in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
(ii) In addition to the survival provision of Section 7(b)(i), the respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the Agent set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Agent or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
Section 8. MISCELLANEOUS
(a) Press Releases and Disclosure. The Company may issue a press release describing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby as soon as practicable following the date of this Agreement, and may furnish the Commission a Current Report on Form 6-K, with this Agreement attached as an exhibit thereto, describing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Company shall consult with the Agent prior to making such disclosures, and the parties hereto shall use all commercially reasonable efforts, acting in good faith, to agree upon a text for such disclosures that is reasonably satisfactory to all parties hereto. No party hereto shall issue thereafter any press release or like public statement (including, without limitation, any disclosure required in reports filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act) related to this Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated hereby without the prior written approval of the other party hereto, except as may be necessary or appropriate in the reasonable opinion of the party seeking to make disclosure to comply with the requirements of applicable law or stock exchange rules. If any such press release or like public statement is so required, the party making such disclosure shall consult with the other party prior to making such disclosure, and the parties shall use all commercially reasonable efforts, acting in good faith, to agree upon a text for such disclosure that is reasonably satisfactory to all parties hereto.
(b) No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the determination of any fees, are arm’s-length commercial transactions between the Company and the Agent, (ii) when acting as a principal under this Agreement, the Agent is and has been acting solely as a principal is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its shareholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (iii) the Agent has not assumed nor will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto
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(irrespective of whether the Agent has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and the Agent does not have any obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Agent and its respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) the Agent has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
(c) Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Agent’s research analysts and research departments are required to and should be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and as such the Agent’s research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company understands that the Agent 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 positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Agent:
Xxxxxxxxx LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
New York, NY 10022
Attention: General Counsel
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP
0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx
New York, NY 10020
Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Email: Xxxxxx.Xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxx and Xxxxxx.Xxxxxxxx@xx.xxx
If to the Company:
Aeschenvorstadt 36, 4051
Basel, Switzerland
Attention: Xxxxxxx X’Xxxxxxx
E-mail: [***]
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with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:
Xxxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxx and Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Email: xxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx and xxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others in accordance with this Section 8(d).
(e) Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 6, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Shares as such from the Agent merely by reason of such purchase.
(f) Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Article, Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Article, Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Article, Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
(g) Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state.
(h) Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunity; Judgment Currency; Foreign Taxes.
(i) Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding.
(ii) Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other
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proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Each party not located in the United States irrevocably appoints VectivBio US, Inc., at 00 Xxxxx Xx. Xxxxx 0000, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, as its agent to receive service of process or other legal summons for purposes of any such suit, action or proceeding that may be instituted in any state or federal court in the City and County of New York.
(iii) With respect to any Related Proceeding, each party irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction, service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment) and execution to which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and with respect to any Related Judgment, each party waives any such immunity in the Specified Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended.
(iv) The Company agrees to indemnify the Agent, its directors, officers, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls the Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any loss incurred by the Agent as a result of any judgment or order being given or made for any amount due hereunder and such judgment or order being expressed and paid in a currency (the “judgment currency”) other than U.S. dollars and as a result of any variation as between (i) the rate of exchange at which the U.S. dollar amount is converted into the judgment currency for the purpose of such judgment or order, and (ii) the rate of exchange at which such indemnified person is able to purchase U.S. dollars with the amount of the judgment currency actually received by the indemnified person. The foregoing indemnity shall constitute a separate and independent obligation of the Company and shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any such judgment or order as aforesaid. The term “rate of exchange” shall include any premiums and costs of exchange payable in connection with the purchase of, or conversion into, the relevant currency.
(v) Unless required by applicable law, all payments by the Company to the Agent hereunder shall be made free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for or on account of, any and all present and future stamp or other taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, fees, deductions or withholdings, now or hereinafter imposed, levied, collected, withheld or assessed by any jurisdiction in which the Company is organized, resident, doing business or has an office or from which payment is made, excluding any such tax imposed by reason of the Agent having some connection with the taxing jurisdiction other than its participation as an Agent hereunder (all such non-excluded taxes, including, VAT, “Foreign Taxes”). For the avoidance of doubt, all amounts payable by the Company under this Agreement shall be exclusive of VAT, and if any VAT is or becomes chargeable in respect of the supply to which such payment relates and the relevant recipient is required to account to the relevant tax authority for such VAT, the
39
Company shall, upon receipt of a valid VAT invoice in respect of the supply to which that payment relates, pay at the same time and in the same manner as the payment to which such VAT relates, an amount equal to such VAT. If the Company is required to deduct or withhold Foreign Taxes or is prevented by operation of law or otherwise from paying, causing to be paid or remitting that portion of amounts payable hereunder represented by Foreign Taxes withheld or deducted, then amounts payable under this Agreement shall, to the extent permitted by law, be increased to such amount as is necessary to yield and remit to the Agent an amount which, after deduction of all Foreign Taxes (including all Foreign Taxes payable on such increased payments) equals the amount that would have been payable if no Foreign Taxes applied. By way of exception to the foregoing, a payment by the Company to the Agent shall not be increased by reason of a deduction or withholding on account of a tax imposed by Switzerland when the Agent resides in a jurisdiction that has not entered into a double taxation agreement with Switzerland. In the event that the Agent has received and utilized a tax credit in respect of any amount withheld or deducted pursuant to this paragraph, the Agent shall pay to the Company as promptly as commercially practicable an amount which will leave the Agent (after that payment) in the same after-tax position as it would have been if no such deduction or withholding had been required to be made, it being understood that the foregoing does not require the Agent to investigate or claim any credit or refund that may be available to it or create any obligation to disclose any information relating to tax matters or any computation or return in respect thereof (other than the fact of the receipt and utilization of any such tax credit, which may be disclosed upon payment of the amount owed to the Company in respect thereof as provided above). Where this Agreement requires any person to reimburse or indemnify another person for any costs, expenses, fees or other amounts to which a reimbursement or indemnity relates, that first person shall reimburse or indemnify (as the case may be) the second person for the full amount of such cost or expense, including such part thereof as represents VAT (including any VAT incurred thereon which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall include any VAT on services provided from legal counsel where the Agent is required to self-assess and account for VAT in its role as the recipient of such services), save to the extent that the second person reasonably determines that it is entitled to credit or repayment in respect of such VAT from the relevant tax authority.
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(i) General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument, and may be delivered by facsimile transmission or by electronic delivery of a portable document format (PDF) file. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., xxx.xxxxxxxx.xxx) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Article and Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
[Signature Page Immediately Follows]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
VECTIVBIO HOLDING AG | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx | ||
Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx X’Xxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxxx X’Xxxxxxx | ||
Title: Chief Financial Officer |
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Agent in New York, New York as of the date first above written.
XXXXXXXXX LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | ||
Title: Managing Director |
[Signature Page to Open Market Sale Agreement]
EXHIBIT A
ISSUANCE NOTICE
[Date]
Jefferies LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
New York, New York 10022
Attn: [__________]
Reference is made to the Open Market Sale Agreement between VectivBio Holding AG (the “Company”) and Xxxxxxxxx LLC (the “Agent”) dated as of ________ ___, 2023 (the “Sales Agreement”). The Company confirms that all conditions to the delivery of this Issuance Notice are satisfied as of the date hereof.
Date of Delivery of Issuance Notice (determined pursuant to Section 3(b)(i) of the Agreement): _______________________
Issuance Amount (equal to the total Sales Price for such Shares): $
Number of days in selling period:
First date of selling period:
Last date of selling period:
Settlement Date(s) if other than standard T+2 settlement:
Floor Price Limitation (in no event less than $1.00 without the prior written consent of the Agent, which consent may be withheld in the Agent’s sole discretion): $ ____ per share
Capitalized terms used, but not otherwise defined herein, shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Sales Agreement.
Comments:
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
A-1
Schedule A
Notice Parties
The Company
[***]
The Agent
[***]