APHTON CORPORATION 7,000,000 Shares Common Stock ($0.001 par value per Share) Underwriting Agreement
Exhibit 1.1
APHTON CORPORATION
7,000,000 Shares
Common Stock
($0.001 par value per Share)
February 27, 2004
February 27, 2004
UBS Securities LLC
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Corp.
As representative of the several Underwriters
c/o UBS Securities LLC
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Aphton Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the underwriters named in Schedule A annexed hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives, an aggregate of 7,000,000 shares (the “Firm Shares”) of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company. In addition, solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, the Company proposes to grant to the Underwriters the option to purchase from the Company up to an additional 1,050,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Shares”). The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively sometimes referred to as the “Shares.” The Shares are described in the Prospectus which is referred to below.
The Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Act”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-111563) under the Act (the “registration statement”). Amendments to such registration statement, if necessary or appropriate, have been similarly prepared and filed with the Commission. Such registration statement, as so amended, has been declared by the Commission to be effective under the Act. The Company has filed with the Commission a Prepricing Prospectus (as defined and referred to below) pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, describing the Shares and the offering thereof, in such form as has been provided to or discussed with, and approved by, the Underwriters. The Company will next file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act a final prospectus supplement to the basic prospectus, describing the Shares and the offering thereof, in such form as has been provided to or discussed with, and approved, by the Underwriters.
The term “Registration Statement” as used in this Agreement means the registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective and as supplemented or amended prior to the execution of this Agreement, including (i) all financial schedules and exhibits thereto and (ii) all documents incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. If an abbreviated registration statement is prepared and filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 462(b) under the Act (an “Abbreviated Registration Statement”), the term “Registration Statement” includes the Abbreviated Registration Statement. The term “Basic Prospectus” as used in this Agreement means the basic prospectus dated as of January 15, 2004 and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). The term “Prepricing
Prospectus” as used in this Agreement means any form of preliminary prospectus used in connection with the marketing of the Shares, including the preliminary prospectus supplement dated as of February 25, 2004 and filed with the Commission on February 25, 2004 pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act and any basic prospectus (whether or not in preliminary form) used with any such preliminary prospectus supplement in connection with the marketing of the Shares, in each case as any of the foregoing may be amended or supplemented by the Company. The term “Prospectus Supplement” as used in this Agreement means any final prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares, in the form filed with, or transmitted for filing to, the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act. The term “Prospectus” as used in this Agreement means the Basic Prospectus together with the Prospectus Supplement except that if such Basic Prospectus is amended or supplemented on or prior to the date on which the Prospectus Supplement was first filed pursuant to Rule 424, the term “Prospectus” shall refer to the Basic Prospectus as so amended or supplemented and as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement. Any reference herein to the registration statement, the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Prepricing Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include (i) the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Form S-3 (the “Incorporated Documents”) and (ii) the copy of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prepricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or the Incorporated Documents filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”). Any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Prepricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) after the effective date of the Registration Statement, or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. As used herein, “business day” shall mean a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.
The Company and the Underwriters agree as follows:
1. Sale and Purchase. Upon the basis of the representations and warranties and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the respective Underwriters and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule A attached hereto, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 8 hereof, in each case at a purchase price of $6.11 per Share. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters intend (i) to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Firm Shares as soon after the effective date of the Registration Statement as in your judgment is advisable and (ii) initially to offer the Firm Shares upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus. You may from time to time increase or decrease the public offering price after the initial public offering to such extent as you may determine.
In addition, the Company hereby grants to the several Underwriters the option to purchase, and upon the basis of the representations and warranties and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company, ratably in accordance with the number of Firm Shares to be purchased by each of them, all or a portion of the Additional Shares as may be necessary to
-2-
cover over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares, at the same purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters to the Company for the Firm Shares. This option may be exercised by UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”) on behalf of the several Underwriters at any time and from time to time on or before the thirtieth day following the date of the Prospectus, by written notice to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Additional Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Additional Shares are to be delivered (such date and time being herein referred to as the “additional time of purchase”); provided, however, that the additional time of purchase shall not be earlier than the time of purchase (as defined below) nor earlier than the second business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised nor later than the tenth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. The number of Additional Shares to be sold to each Underwriter shall be the number which bears the same proportion to the aggregate number of Additional Shares being purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule A hereto bears to the total number of Firm Shares (subject, in each case, to such adjustment as you may determine to eliminate fractional shares), subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 8 hereof.
2. Payment and Delivery. Payment of the purchase price for the Firm Shares shall be made to the Company by Federal Funds wire transfer against delivery of the certificates for the Firm Shares to you through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the respective accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment and delivery shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on March 3, 2004 (unless another time shall be agreed to by you and the Company or unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 hereof). The time at which such payment and delivery are to be made is hereinafter sometimes called “the time of purchase.” Electronic transfer of the Firm Shares shall be made to you at the time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as you shall specify.
Payment of the purchase price for the Additional Shares shall be made at the additional time of purchase in the same manner and at the same office as the payment for the Firm Shares. Electronic transfer of the Additional Shares shall be made to you at the additional time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as you shall specify.
Deliveries of the documents described in Section 6 hereof with respect to the purchase of the Shares shall be made at the offices of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx LLP at 0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, at 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on the date of the closing of the purchase of the Firm Shares or the Additional Shares, as the case may be.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
| (a) the Registration Statement has been declared effective under the Act; no stop order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of the Basic Prospectus, any Prepricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, are contemplated by the Commission; the Company is eligible to use Form S-3; such registration statement at the date of this Agreement meets, and the offering of the Shares |
-3-
| complies with, the requirements of Rule 415 under the Act. The Registration Statement complied when it became effective, complies and, at the time of purchase, any additional time of purchase and at any time at which the Prospectus is delivered in connection with any sale of Shares, will comply, in each case, in all material respects, and the Basic Prospectus, any Prepricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the Prospectus conformed as of its date, conform and, at the time of purchase, any additional time of purchase and at any time at which the Prospectus is delivered in connection with any sale of Shares, will conform, in each case, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Act (including said Rule 415); any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been and will be so described or filed; the conditions to the use of Form S-3 have been satisfied; and the Registration Statement did not at the time of effectiveness, does not and, at the time of purchase, any additional time of purchase and at any time at which the Prospectus is delivered in connection with any sale of Shares, 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 statements therein not misleading, and the Basic Prospectus, any Prepricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the Prospectus did not as of its date, does not and, at the time of purchase, any additional time of purchase and at any time at which the Prospectus is delivered in connection with any sale of Shares, 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 statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no warranty or representation with respect to any statement contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information concerning an Underwriter and furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; the documents incorporated by reference in the Basic Prospectus, any Prepricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they became effective or were filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and did 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 stateme nts therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) or offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement, any Prepricing Prospectus, the then most recent Prospectus Supplement and the Prospectus; |
| (b) as of the date of this Agreement, the Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the section of the Prospectus Supplement entitled “Capitalization” under the heading “Actual” and, as of the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, as the case may be, the Company shall have an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the section of the Prospectus Supplement entitled “Capitalization” under the heading “As adjusted” (subject to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of stock options and warrants, or upon conversion of notes, disclosed as outstanding in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the grant of options under existing stock option plans described in the |
-4-
| Registration Statement and the Prospectus); all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock, including the Common Stock, of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right; |
| (c) the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, to execute and deliver this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver the Shares as contemplated herein; |
| (d) the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition, results of operation or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiary (as hereinafter defined) taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”); |
| (e) the Company has no subsidiaries (as defined under the Act) other than Aphton (BVI) Corporation (the “Subsidiary”); the Company owns all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Subsidiary; other than the capital stock of the Subsidiary, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity or long-term debt securities of any corporation or have any equity interest in any firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity; complete and correct copies of the charters and the bylaws of the Company and the Subsidiary and all amendments thereto have been made available to you, and, except as set forth in the exhibits to the Registration Statement, no changes therein will be made on or after the date hereof or on or before the time of purchase or, if later, any additional time of purchase; the Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is validly existing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation; the Subsidiary is inactive, conducts no business or operations and has no assets or liabilities; the Subsidiary is in compliance in all respects with the laws, orders, rules, regulations and directives issued or administered by the jurisdiction of its incorporation, except where the failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligation into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiary are outstanding; |
| (f) the Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights; |
-5-
| (g) the capital stock of the Company, including the Shares, conforms in all material respects to the description thereof incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any certificates for the Shares are in due and proper form; |
| (h) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; |
| (i) neither the Company nor the Subsidiary is in breach or violation of or in default under (nor has any event occurred which with notice, lapse of time or both would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (i) its respective charter or bylaws or other organizational documents, (ii) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or the Subsidiary is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, or (iii) any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or the Subsidiary or any of their respective properties, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), such breaches, violations or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which with notice, lapse of time or both would result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (x) the charter or bylaws or other organizational documents of the Company or the Subsidiary, (y) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or the Subsidiary is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, or (z) any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or the Subsidiary, other than, in the case of clause (y), such breaches, violations or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; |
| (j) no approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or of or with the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation National Market System (“NASDAQ”), or approval of the stockholders of the Company, is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby other than (i) registration of the Shares under the Act, which has been effected, and filings with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or Form 8-K under the Act, which will be effected in the prescribed time period, (ii) submission of a notification form to NASDAQ for the listing of the Shares, which will be effected prior to the time of |
-6-
| purchase, and (iii) and any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by the Underwriters or under the rules and regulations of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“NASD”); |
| (k) other than as expressly set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and other than the rights of first refusal by SF Capital Partners, Ltd., Heartland Group, Inc. and Xxxxx Xxxxxx Fundamental Value Fund Inc. pursuant to a Securities Purchase Agreement dated March 31, 2003, which rights have been duly waived or complied with (i) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to issue or sell to it any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other equity interests of the Company, (ii) no person has any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company, and (iii) no person has the right to act as an underwriter or as a financial advisor to the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, in the case of each of the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise; other than as expressly set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and other than the registration rights contained in the Debenture Purchase Agreement between the Company and Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. dated December 19, 2002, which rights have been duly waived or complied with, no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to register under the Act any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company, or to include any such shares or interests in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby, whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise; |
| (l) each of the Company and the Subsidiary has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, and has obtained all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, in order to conduct its business, except for such licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals the failure of which to obtain would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor the Subsidiary is in violation of, or in default under, nor has it received notice of any proceedings relating to revocation or modification of, any such license, authorization, consent or approval, except where such violation, default, revocation or modification would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; |
| (m) all legal or governmental proceedings, affiliate transactions, off-balance sheet transactions (as defined in Item 303 of Regulation S-K under the Act), contracts, licenses, agreements, leases or documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or any Incorporated Document have been so described or filed as required; |
-7-
| (n) other than normal ex parte U.S. PTO examinations and similar proceedings in other jurisdictions, there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated to which the Company or the Subsidiary or any of their respective directors or officers is or would be a party or of which any of their respective properties is or would be subject at law or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, except any such action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding which would not result in a judgment, decree or order having, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect or preventing consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; |
| (o) Ernst & Young LLP, whose report on the financial statements of the Company is included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and by Rule 3600T of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”); |
| (p) the financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company as of the dates indicated and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the Act and in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; pro forma financial statements or data included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, if any, comply with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X of the Act, and the assumptions used in the preparation of such pro forma financial statements and data are reasonable, the pro forma adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions or circumstances described therein and the pro forma adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements and data; the tabular information relating to the effect of certain financings in the Company’s Form 8-K dated May 21, 2003 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2003 was provided to show the effect of such financings on the Company’s financial position, but such information was not required to be presented pursuant to Article 11 of Regulation S-X; the other financial and statistical data set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are accurately presented, in all material respects, and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including, without limitation, as required by Rules 3-12 or 3-05 or Article 11 of Regulation S-X under the Act) that are not included as required; the Company and the Subsidiary do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations within the meaning of Item 303 of Regulation S-K under the Act), not disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply, in all material respects, with Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable; |
-8-
| (q) subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has not been (i) any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiary taken as a whole, (ii) any transaction which is material to the Company and the Subsidiary taken as a whole, (iii) any obligation, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company or the Subsidiary, which is material to the Company and the Subsidiary taken as a whole, (iv) any change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or the Subsidiary (other than changes in outstanding capitalization as provided for in Section 3(b) above) or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or the Subsidiary; |
| (r) the Company has obtained for the benefit of the Underwriters the agreement (a “Lock-Up Agreement”), in the form set forth as Exhibit A hereto, of each of its directors and officers; |
| (s) neither the Company nor the Subsidiary is and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares, neither of them will be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”); |
| (t) neither the Company or the Subsidiary owns any real property; the Company has good and marketable title to all personal property described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as being owned by it, free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all the property described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as being held under lease by the Company is, assuming due and valid execution by the lessor, held thereby under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; |
| (u) the Company and the Subsidiary own, or have obtained valid and enforceable licenses for, or other rights to use, the inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), tradenames, service names, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as being owned or licensed by them or which are necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses, except where the failure to own, license or have such rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, “Intellectual Property”); (i) there are no third parties who have established or, to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, will be able to establish rights to any Intellectual Property, except for the ownership rights of the owners of the Intellectual Property which is licensed to the Company; (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property; (iii) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such |
-9-
| action, suit, proceeding or claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (v) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or the Subsidiary infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, tradename, service name, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (vi) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no patent or patent application that contains claims that interfere with the issued or pending claims of any of the Intellectual Property; (vii) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no prior art that may render any patent application owned by the Company or the Subsidiary unpatentable that has not been disclosed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; and (viii) the product candidates described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus as under development by the Company fall within the scope of the claims of one or more U.S. patents or patent applications owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company; |
| (v) neither the Company nor the Subsidiary is engaged in any unfair labor practice; except for matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) there is (A) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or the Subsidiary before the National Labor Relations Board, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under collective bargaining agreements is pending or threatened, (B) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or the Subsidiary and (C) no union representation dispute currently existing concerning the employees of the Company or the Subsidiary, and (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, (A) no union organizing activities are currently taking place concerning the employees of the Company or the Subsidiary and (B) there has been no violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, any applicable wage or hour laws or any provision of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder concerning the employees of the Company or the Subsidiary; |
| (w) the Company and the Subsidiary and their properties, assets and operations are in compliance with, and hold all permits, authorizations and approvals required under, Environmental Laws (as defined below), except to the extent that failure to so comply or to hold such permits, authorizations or approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; there are no past, present or, to the Company’s knowledge, reasonably anticipated future events, conditions, circumstances, activities, practices, actions, omissions or plans that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any material costs or liabilities to the Company or the Subsidiary under, or to interfere with or prevent compliance by the Company or the Subsidiary with, Environmental Laws; except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor its Subsidiary (i) is, to the Company’s knowledge, the subject of any investigation, (ii) has received any notice or claim, (iii) is a |
-10-
| party to or, to the Company’s knowledge, affected by any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding, (iv) is bound by any judgment, decree or order or (v) has entered into any agreement, in each case relating to any alleged violation of any Environmental Law or any actual or alleged release or threatened release or cleanup at any location of any Hazardous Materials (as defined below) (as used herein, “Environmental Law” means any federal, state, local or foreign law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, decree, judgment, injunction, permit, license, authorization or other binding requirement, or common law, relating to health, safety or the protection, cleanup or restoration of the environment or natural resources, including those relating to the distribution, processing, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, transportation, other handling or release or threatened release of Hazardous Materials, and “Hazardous Materials” means any material (including, without limitation, pollutants, contaminants, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes) that is regulated by or may give rise to liability under any Environmental Law); |
| (x) all tax returns required to be filed by the Company or the Subsidiary have been timely filed, and all taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities have been paid, other than those being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided; |
| (y) the Company maintains insurance covering its properties, operations, personnel and businesses and those of the Subsidiary as the Company deems adequate; such insurance insures against such losses and risks to an extent which is adequate in accordance with customary industry practice to protect the Company and the Subsidiary and their businesses; all such insurance is fully in force on the date hereof and will be fully in force at the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; |
| (z) neither the Company nor the Subsidiary has sustained since the date of the last audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus any material loss or interference with its respective business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree; |
| (aa) except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor the Subsidiary has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or the Subsidiary or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement; |
| (bb) the Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as |
-11-
| necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; |
| (cc) the Company has established and maintains and evaluates “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act) and “internal control over financial reporting” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including the Subsidiary, is made known to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer by others within those entities, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective to perform the functions for which they were established; the Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) any significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting; and since the date of the most recent evaluation of such disclosure controls and procedures, there have been no significant changes in internal control over financial reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect internal control over financial reporting, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses; the principal executive officers (or their equivalents) and principal financial officers (or their equivalents) of the Company have made all certifications required by the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission, and the statements contained in any such certification were complete and correct when made; and the Company and its officers and directors (in their capacities as such) are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable effective provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission and the NASDAQ promulgated thereunder; |
| (dd) Since July 30, 2002, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, including through the Subsidiary: (i) extended credit, arranged to extend credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer of the Company, or to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company; or (ii) made any material modification, including any renewal thereof, to any term of any personal loan to any director or executive officer of the Company, or any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer, which loan was outstanding on July 30, 2002; |
| (ee) any statistical or market-related data included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects, and the Company has |
-12-
| obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required; |
| (ff) neither the Company nor the Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, any employee or agent of the Company or the Subsidiary has made any payment of funds of the Company or the Subsidiary or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation, which payment, receipt or retention of funds is of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; |
| (gg) except pursuant to this Agreement, neither the Company nor the Subsidiary has incurred any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or by the Prospectus; |
| (hh) the clinical, pre-clinical and other studies and tests conducted by or on behalf of or sponsored by the Company or in which the Company or its products or product candidates have participated that are described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or the results of which are referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus were and, if still pending, are being conducted in accordance with standard medical and scientific research procedures; the descriptions in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus of the results of such studies and tests are accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly present the data derived from such studies and tests, and the Company has no knowledge of any other studies or tests the results of which are inconsistent with or otherwise call into question the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; except to the extent disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company has operated and currently is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable rules, regulations and policies of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and comparable drug regulatory agencies outside of the United States (collectively, the “Regulatory Authorities”); and except to the extent disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company has not received any notices or other correspondence from the Regulatory Authorities or any other governmental agency requiring the termination or suspension of any clinical or pre-clinical studies or tests that are described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or the results of which are referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; |
| (ii) neither the Company nor the Subsidiary nor any of their respective directors, officers, affiliates or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares; and |
| (jj) to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, there are no affiliations or associations between any member of the NASD and any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater securityholders, other than Heartland Group, Inc., Xxxxx Xxxxxx Fundamental Value Fund Inc. and Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx and except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. |
-13-
In addition, any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or the Subsidiary and delivered to the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company or the Subsidiary, as the case may be, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter
4. Certain Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby agrees:
| (a) to furnish such information as may be required and otherwise to cooperate in qualifying the Shares for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such states or other jurisdictions as you may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as you may request for the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to consent to the service of process under the laws of any such jurisdiction (except service of process with respect to the offering and sale of the Shares); and to promptly advise you of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; |
| (b) to make available to the Underwriters in New York City, as soon as practicable after this Agreement becomes effective, and thereafter from time to time to furnish to the Underwriters, as many copies of the Prospectus (or of the Prospectus as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have made any amendments or supplements thereto after the effective date of the Registration Statement) as the Underwriters may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the Act; in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus after the nine-month period referred to in Section 10(a)(3) of the Act in connection with the sale of the Shares, the Company will prepare, at its expense, promptly upon request such amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as may be necessary to permit compliance with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Act; |
| (c) if, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary for the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto to be declared effective before the Shares may be sold, the Company will endeavor to cause the Registration Statement or such post-effective amendment to become effective as soon as possible, and the Company will advise you promptly and, if requested by you, will confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment thereto has become effective, and (ii) if Rule 430A under the Act is used, when the Prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act (which the Company agrees to file in a timely manner under such Rule); |
| (d) to advise you promptly, confirming such advice in writing, of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto, or of notice of institution of proceedings for, or the entry of a stop order, suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and, if the Commission should enter a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, to use its best efforts to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible; to advise you promptly of any proposal to |
-14-
| amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including by filing any documents that would be incorporated therein by reference, and to provide you and Underwriters’ counsel copies of any such documents for review and comment a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing and to file no such amendment or supplement to which you shall object in writing; |
| (e) to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statement required to be filed by the Company with the Commission in order to comply with the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares; to provide you with a copy of such reports and statements and other documents to be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during such period for your review and comment a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing, and to file no such report, statement or document to which you shall object in writing; and to promptly notify you of any such filing; |
| (f) if necessary or appropriate, to file a registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act and pay the applicable fees in accordance with the Act; |
| (g) to advise the Underwriters promptly of the happening of any event known to the Company within the time during which a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered under the Act which could require the making of any change in the Prospectus then being used so that the Prospectus would not include an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, and, during such time, subject to Section 4(d) hereof, to prepare and furnish, at the Company’s expense, to the Underwriters promptly such amendments or supplements to such Prospectus as may be necessary to reflect any such change; |
| (h) to make generally available to its security holders, and to deliver to you, an earnings statement of the Company (which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the 0000 Xxx) covering a period of twelve months beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the 0000 Xxx) as soon as is reasonably practicable after the termination of such twelve-month period but in any case not later than May 10, 2005; |
| (i) to furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flow of the Company for such fiscal year, accompanied by a copy of the certificate or report thereon of nationally recognized independent certified public accountants duly registered with the PCAOB); |
| (j) to furnish to you [two] copies of the Registration Statement, as initially filed with the Commission, and of all amendments thereto (including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference) and sufficient copies of the foregoing (other than exhibits) for distribution of a copy to each of the other Underwriters; |
-15-
| (k) to furnish to you promptly and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters for a period of five years from the date of this Agreement (i) copies of any reports, proxy statements, or press releases or other communications which the Company shall send to its stockholders, (ii) copies of all annual, quarterly, transition and current reports filed with the Commission on Forms 10-K, 10-Q or 8-K, or such other similar forms as may be designated by the Commission, (iii) copies of documents or reports filed with any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed and (iv) such other information as you may reasonably request regarding the Company or the Subsidiary; provided, however, that in no case shall the Company be required to furnish materials pursuant to this paragraph which are filed and publicly accessible via the XXXXX database or publicly available on the Company’s website; |
| (l) to furnish to you as early as practicable prior to the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, as the case may be, but not later than two business days prior thereto, a copy of the latest available unaudited interim and monthly financial statements, if any, of the Company and the Subsidiary which have been read by the Company’s independent certified public accountants, as stated in their letter to be furnished pursuant to Section 6(d) hereof; |
| (m) to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth under the caption “Use of proceeds” in the Prospectus; |
| (n) to pay all costs, expenses, fees and taxes in connection with (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, each Prepricing Prospectus, each Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and the printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the registration, issue, sale and delivery of the Shares including any stock or transfer taxes and stamp or similar duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iii) the producing, word processing and/or printing of this Agreement, any Agreement Among Underwriters, any dealer agreements and any closing documents (including compilations thereof) and the reproduction and/or printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and (except closing documents) to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (iv) the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state or foreign laws and the determination of their eligibility for investment under state or foreign law as aforesaid (including the legal fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters) and the printing and furnishing of copies of any blue sky surveys or legal investment surveys to the Underwriters and to dealers, (v) any listing of the Shares on any securities exchange or qualification of the Shares for quotation on the NASDAQ and any registration thereof under the Exchange Act, (vi) any filing for review of the public offering of the Shares by the NASD, including the legal fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters, (vii) the fees and disbursements of any transfer agent or registrar for the Shares, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to presentations or meetings undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering and sale of the Shares to prospective investors and the Underwriters’ sales forces, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and |
-16-
| expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel, lodging and other expenses incurred by the officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show and (ix) the performance of the Company’s other obligations hereunder; |
| (o) not to sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock or warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock, or file or cause to be declared effective a registration statement under the Act relating to the offer and sale of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock for a period of 90 days after the date hereof (the “Lock-Up Period”), without the prior written consent of UBS, except that if (i) during the period that begins on the date that is 15 calendar days plus three business days before the last day of the Lock-Up Period and ends on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs, or (ii) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, the restrictions imposed by this section shall continue to apply until the expiration of the date that is 15 calendar days plus three business days after the date on which the issuance of the earnings release or the material news or material event occurs, provided however, this provision will not apply if, within three days of the termination of the Lock-Up Period, the Company delivers to UBS a certificate, signed by the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certifying on behalf of the Company that the Company’s shares of Common Stock are, as of the date of delivery of such certificate, “actively trading securities,” as defined in Regulation M, 17 CFR 242.101(c)(1) (such notice shall be delivered in accordance with Section 11 of the Underwriting Agreement); this section shall not apply to (i) the registration of the Shares and the sales to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) issuances of Common Stock upon the exercise of options or warrants disclosed as outstanding in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and (iii) the issuance of employee stock options not exercisable during the Lock-Up Period pursuant to stock option plans described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; |
| (p) to use its best efforts to cause the Common Stock to be listed for quotation on the NASDAQ and to maintain such listing; and |
| (q) to maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Common Stock. |
5. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If the Shares are not delivered for any reason other than the termination of this Agreement pursuant to the fifth paragraph of Section 8 hereof or the default by one or more of the Underwriters in its or their
-17-
respective obligations hereunder, the Company shall, in addition to paying the amounts described in Section 4(n) hereof, reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.
6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company on the date hereof, at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:
| (a) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of Akerman Senterfitt, counsel for the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriters, and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto. |
| (b) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of White & Case LLP, special counsel for the Company with respect to patents and proprietary rights, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriters, and in form and substance satisfactory to Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in the form set forth in Exhibit C hereto. |
| (c) The Company shall deliver to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, a certificate of Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, Ph.D. with respect to regulatory affairs, in the form set forth in Exhibit D hereto. |
| (d) You shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP letters dated, respectively, the date of this Agreement, the time of purchase and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, and addressed to the Underwriters (with executed copies for each of the Underwriters) in the forms heretofore approved by UBS. |
| (e) You shall have received at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, the favorable opinion of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to UBS. |
| (f) No Prospectus or amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including documents deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, shall have been filed to which you object in writing. |
| (g) The Prospectus Supplement shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act at or before 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on the second full business day after the date of this Agreement and any registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act required in connection with |
-18-
| the offering and sale of the Shares shall have been filed and become effective no later than 10:00 P.M., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement. |
| (h) Prior to the time of purchase, and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, (i) no stop order with respect to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Act or proceedings initiated under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act; (ii) the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto shall 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 not misleading; and (iii) the Prospectus and all amendments or supplements thereto shall 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 the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. |
| (i) Between the time of execution of this Agreement and the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, (A) no material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiary taken as a whole shall occur or become known and (B) no transaction which is material and adverse to the Company has been entered into by the Company or the Subsidiary. |
| (j) The Company will, at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, deliver to you a certificate of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer in the form attached as Exhibit E hereto. |
| (k) You shall have received signed Lock-up Agreements referred to in Section 3(r) hereof. |
| (l) The Company shall have furnished to you such other documents and certificates as to the accuracy and completeness of any statement in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the time of purchase and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, as you may reasonably request. |
| (m) The Shares shall have been approved for quotation on the NASDAQ, subject only to notice of issuance at or prior to the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be. |
7. Effective Date of Agreement; Termination. This Agreement shall become effective when the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement.
The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of UBS or any group of Underwriters (which may include UBS) which has agreed to purchase in the aggregate at least 50% of the Firm Shares, if (x) since the time of execution of this Agreement or the earlier respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and the
-19-
Subsidiary taken as a whole, which would, in UBS’ judgment or in the judgment of such group of Underwriters, make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or (y) since the execution of this Agreement, there shall have occurred: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on NASDAQ; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) an outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism involving the United States or a declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (v) any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in UBS’ judgment or in the judgment of such group of Underwriters makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or (z) since the time of execution of this Agreement, there shall have occurred any downgrading, or any notice or announcement shall have been given or made of (i) any intended or potential downgrading or (ii) any watch, review or possible change that does not indicate an affirmation or improvement in the rating accorded any securities of or guaranteed by the Company or the Subsidiary by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as that term is defined in Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act.
If UBS or any group of Underwriters elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 7, the Company and each other Underwriter shall be notified promptly in writing.
If the sale to the Underwriters of the Shares, as contemplated by this Agreement, is not carried out by the Underwriters for any reason permitted under this Agreement, or if such sale is not carried out because the Company shall be unable to comply with any of the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall not be under any obligation or liability under this Agreement (except to the extent provided in Sections 4(n), 5 and 9 hereof), and the Underwriters shall be under no obligation or liability to the Company under this Agreement (except to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof) or to one another hereunder.
8. Increase in Underwriters’ Commitments. Subject to Sections 6 and 7 hereof, if any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to take up and pay for the Firm Shares to be purchased by it hereunder (otherwise than for a failure of a condition set forth in Section 6 hereof or a reason sufficient to justify the termination of this Agreement under the provisions of Section 7 hereof) and if the number of Firm Shares which all Underwriters so defaulting shall have agreed but failed to take up and pay for does not exceed 10% of the total number of Firm Shares, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall take up and pay for (in addition to the aggregate number of Firm Shares they are obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 1 hereof) the number of Firm Shares agreed to be purchased by all such defaulting Underwriters, as hereinafter provided. Such Shares shall be taken up and paid for by such non-defaulting Underwriters in such amount or amounts as you may designate with the consent of each Underwriter so designated or, in the event no such designation is made, such Shares shall be taken up and paid
-20-
for by all non-defaulting Underwriters pro rata in proportion to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of such non-defaulting Underwriters in Schedule A.
Without relieving any defaulting Underwriter from its obligations hereunder, the Company agrees with the non-defaulting Underwriters that it will not sell any Firm Shares hereunder unless all of the Firm Shares are purchased by the Underwriters (or by substituted Underwriters selected by you with the approval of the Company or selected by the Company with your approval).
If a new Underwriter or Underwriters are substituted by the Underwriters or by the Company for a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters in accordance with the foregoing provision, the Company or you shall have the right to postpone the time of purchase for a period not exceeding five business days in order that any necessary changes in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and other documents may be effected.
The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall refer to and include any Underwriter substituted under this Section 8 with like effect as if such substituted Underwriter had originally been named in Schedule A hereto.
If the aggregate number of Firm Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase exceeds 10% of the total number of Firm Shares which all Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder, and if neither the non-defaulting Underwriters nor the Company shall make arrangements within the five business day period stated above for the purchase of all the Firm Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder, this Agreement shall terminate without further act or deed and without any liability on the part of the Company to any non-defaulting Underwriter and without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter to the Company. Nothing in this paragraph, and no action taken hereunder, shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
9. Indemnity and Contribution.
| (a) The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, directors and officers, and any person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, any such Underwriter or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim 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 in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or in a Prospectus (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 9 being deemed to include the Basic Prospectus, any Prepricing Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as any of the foregoing may be amended or supplemented by the Company), or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated in either such Registration Statement or such |
-21-
| Prospectus or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, except insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with such information required to be stated in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make such information not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement made by the Company in Section 3 hereof or the failure by the Company to perform when and as required any agreement or covenant contained herein or (iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any audio or visual materials provided by the Company or based upon written information furnished by or on behalf of the Company including, without limitation, slides, videos, films or tape recordings used in connection with the marketing of the Shares; provided, however, that, solely with regard to clause (i), the foregoing indemnity agreement with respect to any Prepricing Prospectus or amended Prepricing Prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter (or to the benefit of any person controlling such Underwriter) from whom the person asserting such losses, claims, damages or liabilities purchased the Shares which is the subject thereof if sufficient copies of the Prospectus were timely delivered to such Underwriter pursuant to Section 4 hereof and a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not given or sent to such person, if required by law to have been delivered, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of the Shares to such person, and if the Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such losses, claims, damages or liabilities. |
| If any action, suit or proceeding (each, a “Proceeding”) is brought against an Underwriter or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, such Underwriter or such person shall promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such Proceeding and the Company shall assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided, however, that the omission to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have to any Underwriter or any such person or otherwise, except to the extent that the Company has been materially prejudiced by such omission. Such Underwriter or such person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or of such person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense of such Proceeding or the Company shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such Proceeding or such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from, additional to or in conflict with those available to the Company (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses |
-22-
| shall be borne by the Company and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Company shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent but, if settled with the written consent of the Company, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any Underwriter and any such person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. 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 the second sentence of this paragraph, then 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 60 business days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have fully reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnit y could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of such indemnified party. |
| (b) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers, and any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, the Company or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or in a Prospectus, or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with such information required to be stated in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make such information not misleading. |
| If any Proceeding is brought against the Company or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, the Company or such person shall promptly notify such Underwriter in writing of the institution of such Proceeding and such Underwriter shall assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory |
-23-
| to such indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided, however, that the omission to so notify such Underwriter shall not relieve such Underwriter from any liability which such Underwriter may have to the Company or any such person or otherwise except to the extent that such Underwriter has been materially prejudiced by such omission. The Company or such person shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Company or such person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by such Underwriter in connection with the defense of such Proceeding or such Underwriter shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, employed counsel to defend such Proceeding or such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which are different from or additional to or in conflict with those available to such Underwriter (in which case such Underwriter shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or parties, but such Underwriter may employ counsel and participate in the defense thereof but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by such Underwriter and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that such Underwriter shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). No Underwriter shall be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without the written consent of such Underwriter but, if settled with the written consent of such Underwriter, such Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and any such person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. 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 the second sentence of this paragraph, then 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 60 business days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, e ffect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding. |
| (c) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to an indemnified party under subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 9 or insufficient to hold an indemnified party harmless in respect of any losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to |
-24-
| reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Shares 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 of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters 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, damages, expenses, liabilities and claims referred to in this subsection shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any Proceeding. |
| (d) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in subsection (c) above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by such Underwriter and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damage which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments and not joint. |
| (e) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 9 and the covenants, warranties and representations of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its partners, directors or officers or any person (including each partner, officer or director of such person) who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or by or on behalf of the Company, its directors or officers or any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and shall survive any termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Shares. The Company and each Underwriter agree promptly to notify each other of the |
-25-
| commencement of any Proceeding against it and, in the case of the Company, against any of the Company’s officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares, or in connection with the Registration Statement or the Prospectus. |
10. Information Furnished by the Underwriters. The statements set forth in the eighth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus, and the statements set forth under the caption “Underwriting—Price stabilization, short positions, passive market making” in the Prospectus, insofar as such statements relate to the amount of selling concession and reallowance and to price stabilization, short positions and passive market making, constitute the only information furnished by or on behalf of the Underwriters as such information is referred to in Sections 3 and 9 hereof.
11. Notices. Except as otherwise herein provided, all statements, requests, notices and agreements shall be in writing or by telegram and, if to the Underwriters, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to UBS Securities LLC, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000-0000, Attention: Syndicate Department and, if to the Company, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to the Company at the offices of the Company at 00 X.X. Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, M.D. with a copy to Akerman Senterfitt, One Southeast Third Avenue, 28th Floor, , Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxx X. XxxXxxxxxxx, Esq.
12. Governing Law; Construction. This Agreement and any claim, counterclaim or dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement (“Claim”), directly or indirectly, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York. The section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of convenience of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.
13. Submission to Jurisdiction. Except as set forth below, no Claim may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. The Company hereby consents to personal jurisdiction, service and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against UBS or any indemnified party. Each of UBS and the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) waives all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company agrees that a final judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.
14. Parties at Interest. The Agreement herein set forth has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof the controlling persons, partners, directors and officers referred to in such Section, and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, personal representatives and executors
-26-
and administrators. No other person, partnership, association or corporation (including a purchaser, as such purchaser, from any of the Underwriters) shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.
15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed by the parties in one or more counterparts which together shall constitute one and the same agreement among the parties.
16. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their successors and assigns and any successor or assign of any substantial portion of the Company’s and any of the Underwriters’ respective businesses and/or assets.
17. Miscellaneous. UBS, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG, is not a bank and is separate from any affiliated bank, including any U.S. branch or agency of UBS AG. Because UBS is a separately incorporated entity, it is solely responsible for its own contractual obligations and commitments, including obligations with respect to sales and purchases of securities. Securities sold, offered or recommended by UBS are not deposits, are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, are not guaranteed by a branch or agency, and are not otherwise an obligation or responsibility of a branch or agency.
[The Remainder of This Page Intentionally Left Blank; Signature Page Follows]
-27-
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and the several Underwriters, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this agreement and your acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and the Underwriters, severally.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| APHTON CORPORATION | |||
| By: /s/ XXX XXXXXX | |||
|
|
|||
|
Name: Xxx Xxxxxx Title: President and CEO |
|||
| Accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written, on behalf of themselves and the other several Underwriters named in Schedule A |
|||
| UBS SECURITIES LLC XXXXXX XXXXXXX CORP |
|||
| By: UBS SECURITIES LLC | |||
| By: /s/ XXXX XXXXX | |||
| Name: Xxxx Xxxxx Title: Executive Director |
|||
| By: /s/ XXXXX XXXXXXXX | |||
| Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx Title: Director |
-28-
SCHEDULE A
| Underwriter | Number of Firm Shares | ||||
UBS Securities LLC |
6,063,750 | ||||
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Corp. |
866,250 | ||||
Lantern Investments, Inc. |
70,000 | ||||
Total |
7,000,000 | ||||
