China Pharma Holdings, Inc S-3/A, filed Feb 6, 2024
China Pharma Holdings, Inc. (CPHI)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 6, 2024
Registration No. 333-276481
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 1
to
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
China Pharma Holdings, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Nevada | 75-1564807 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
Second Floor, No. 17, Jinpan Road
Haikou, Hainan Province, China
+86- 898-6681-1730
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Zhilin Li
President and Chief Executive Officer
2nd Floor, No. 17, Jinpan Road, Haikou,
Hainan Province, China 570216
+86- 898-6681-1730
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
With a copy to:
Elizabeth F. Chen, Esq.
Pryor Cashman LLP
7 Times Square
New York, New York 10036
(212) 326-0199
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. þ
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |
| Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | |
| Emerging growth company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act. ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said section 8(a), may determine.
Explanatory Note
This replacement registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”, File No. 333-276481) of China Pharma Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) is filed pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and includes up to $50,000,000 aggregate initial offering price of such indeterminate number of shares of common stock and preferred stock, such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities, such indeterminate number of warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, such indeterminate number of subscription rights to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities and such indeterminate number of units (collectively, the “Securities”) of the Company, $45,000,000 of which was previously offered by the Company and registered on the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-251973) (the “Prior Registration Statement”) filed by the Company with the Commission under the Securities Act on January 8, 2021 and declared effective on January 21, 2021, and not sold thereunder. Under Rule 415(a)(5) under the Securities Act, the registration regarding the unsold securities under the Prior Registration Statement expires three years after the effective date of the Prior Registration Statement, or on January 20, 2024. Accordingly, the Company is filing this Registration Statement to register new Securities and cover the unsold securities under the Prior Registration Statement. Any Securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with the other Securities registered hereunder.
Under Rule 415(a)(5), the Company may continue to offer and sell the unsold securities during the grace period permitted by Rule 415(a)(5). In accordance with Rule 415(a)(6), effectiveness of this Registration Statement will be deemed to terminate the offering of the unsold Securities on the Prior Registration Statement. If the Company sells any of such unsold securities pursuant to the Prior Registration Statement after the date of filing, and prior to the date of effectiveness, of this Registration Statement, the Company will file a pre-effective amendment to this registration statement which will reduce the number of such unsold securities included on this Registration Statement.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. WE MAY NOT SELL THESE SECURITIES PUBLICLY UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
Subject to Completion, Dated February 6, 2024
Prospectus
CHINA PHARMA HOLDINGS, INC.
$50,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Rights
Units
China Pharma Holdings, Inc. is a Nevada incorporated holding company (“China Pharma”, the “Company”, “we”, “our” or “us”) with all of its operations conducted in China through its subsidiaries. Through this prospectus, we may offer and sell, from time to time in one or more offerings, any combination of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities (which may be convertible into or exchangeable for common stock), warrants, rights or units that include any of these securities up to an aggregate offering price not exceeding $50,000,000. When we decide to sell a particular class or series of securities, we will provide specific terms of the offered securities in a prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” in this prospectus.
We may offer and sell these securities directly to investors, through agents designated from time to time or to or through underwriters or dealers, including on a continuous or delayed basis. For additional information on the methods of sale, you should refer to the section entitled “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus. If any agents or underwriters are involved in the sale of any securities with respect to which this prospectus is being delivered, the names of such agents or underwriters and any applicable fees, commissions, discounts or over-allotment options will be set forth in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of such securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from such sale will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement.
Our common stock is traded on the NYSE American (formerly known as AMEX) under the symbol “CPHI”. The closing price for our common stock on NYSE American on February 5, 2024 was $0.09 per share. Each prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable, as to any listing on the NYSE American or any other securities exchange of the securities covered by the prospectus supplement.
INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES SUBSTANTIAL RISKS. CHINA PHARMA IS NOT A CHINESE OPERATING COMPANY, BUT A HOLDING COMPANY INCORPORATED IN NEVADA. AS A HOLDING COMPANY WITH NO MATERIAL OPERATIONS OF ITS OWN, THE COMPANY CONDUCTS A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF ITS OPERATIONS THROUGH THE OPERATING ENTITY ESTABLISHED IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (THE “PRC”), PRIMARILY THE COMPANY’S WHOLLY OWNED PRC SUBSIDIARY.
ADDITIONALLY, HELPSON, CHINA PHARMA’S PRC SUBSIDIARY, IS SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LEGAL AND OPERATIONAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ITS OPERATIONS IN CHINA. PRC LAWS AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING HELPSON’S CURRENT BUSINESS OPERATIONS ARE SOMETIMES VAGUE AND UNCERTAIN, AND THEREFORE, THESE RISKS MAY RESULT IN A MATERIAL CHANGE IN HELPSON’S OPERATIONS, SIGNIFICANT DEPRECIATION OF THE VALUE OF OUR COMMON STOCK, OR A COMPLETE HINDRANCE OF THE COMPANY’S ABILITY TO OFFER OR CONTINUE TO OFFER ITS SECURITIES TO INVESTORS. RECENTLY, THE PRC GOVERNMENT INITIATED A SERIES OF REGULATORY ACTIONS AND STATEMENTS TO REGULATE BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN CHINA WITH LITTLE ADVANCE NOTICE, INCLUDING CRACKING DOWN ON ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IN THE SECURITIES MARKET, ADOPTING NEW MEASURES TO EXTEND THE SCOPE OF CYBERSECURITY REVIEWS, AND EXPANDING THE EFFORTS IN ANTI-MONOPOLY ENFORCEMENT. SINCE THESE STATEMENTS AND REGULATORY ACTIONS ARE NEW, IT IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN HOW SOON LEGISLATIVE OR ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION MAKING BODIES WILL RESPOND AND WHAT EXISTING OR NEW LAWS OR REGULATIONS OR DETAILED IMPLEMENTATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS WILL BE MODIFIED OR PROMULGATED, IF ANY, AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF SUCH MODIFIED OR NEW LAWS AND REGULATIONS WILL HAVE ON THE COMPANY’S DAILY BUSINESS OPERATION, THE ABILITY TO ACCEPT FOREIGN INVESTMENTS AND LIST ON AN U.S. OR OTHER FOREIGN EXCHANGE.
ON FEBRUARY 17, 2023, THE CHINA SECURITIES REGULATORY COMMISSION (THE “CSRC”), PROMULGATED THE TRIAL ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES OF OVERSEAS SECURITIES OFFERING AND LISTING BY DOMESTIC COMPANIES (THE “TRIAL MEASURES”), WHICH BECAME EFFECTIVE ON MARCH 31, 2023. ON THE SAME DATE, THE CSRC CIRCULATED SUPPORTING GUIDANCE RULES NO.1 THROUGH NO.5, NOTES ON THE TRIAL MEASURES, NOTICE ON ADMINISTRATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FILING OF OVERSEAS LISTINGS BY DOMESTIC ENTERPRISES AND RELEVEANT CSRC ANSWERS TO REPORT OR QUESTIONS (COLLECTIVELY, THE “GUIDANCE RULES AND NOTICE”), ON CSRC’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE. THE TRIAL MEAURES, TOGETHER WITH THE GUIDANCE RULES AND NOTICE REITERATE THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DRAFT ADMINSTRATIVE PROVISIONS AND DRAFT FILING MEASURES AND IMPOSE SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OVERSEAS SECURITIES OFFERING AND LISTING BY DOMESTIC ENTERPRISES, AND CLARIFIED AND EMPHASIZED SEVERAL ASPECTS. BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY PUBLICLY LISTED IN THE U.S., THE TRIAL MEASURES AND THE GUIDANCE RULES AND NOTICE DO NOT IMPOSE OBVIOUS ADDITIONAL REGULATORY BURDEN ON US BEYOND THE OBLIGATION TO REPORT TO THE CSRC AND COMPLY WITH THE FILING REQUIREMENTS ON ANY FUTURE OFFERINGS OF OUR SECURITIES, OR MATERIAL EVENTS SUCH AS A CHANGE OF CONTROL OR DELISTING. AS THE TRIAL MEASURES AND THE GUIDANCE RULES AND NOTICE ARE NEWLY ISSUED, THERE REMAINS UNCERTAINTY AS TO HOW THEY WILL BE INTERPRETED OR IMPLEMENTED. THEREFORE, WE ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH FILING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE TRIAL MEASURES UPON FUTURE SUBSEQUENT OFFERINGS, AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL FILING REQUIREMENTS AND, IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES TO THE TRIAL MEASURES, AT THAT TIME WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET CLEARANCE FROM THE CSRC IN A TIMELY FASHION.
ON MAY 20, 2020, THE U.S. SENATE PASSED THE HOLDING FOREIGN COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE ACT REQUIRING FOREIGN COMPANIES TO CERTIFY THEY ARE NOT OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT IF THE PCAOB IS UNABLE TO AUDIT SPECIFIED REPORTS BECAUSE THE COMPANY USES A FOREIGN AUDITOR NOT SUBJECT TO PCAOB INSPECTION. IF THE PCAOB IS UNABLE TO INSPECT THE COMPANY’S AUDITORS FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS, THE ISSUER’S SECURITIES ARE PROHIBITED FROM TRADING ON A U.S. STOCK EXCHANGE. ON DECEMBER 2, 2020, THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROVED THE HOLDING FOREIGN COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE ACT. ON DECEMBER 18, 2020, THE HOLDING FOREIGN COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE ACT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW. PURSUANT TO THE HOLDING FOREIGN COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE ACT, THE PCAOB ISSUED A DETERMINATION REPORT ON DECEMBER 16, 2021 WHICH FOUND THAT THE PCAOB IS UNABLE TO INSPECT OR INVESTIGATE COMPLETELY REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRMS HEADQUARTERED IN: (1) MAINLAND CHINA OF THE PRC BECAUSE OF A POSITION TAKEN BY ONE OR MORE AUTHORITIES IN MAINLAND CHINA; AND (2) HONG KONG, A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION AND DEPENDENCY OF THE PRC, BECAUSE OF A POSITION TAKEN BY ONE OR MORE AUTHORITIES IN HONG KONG. ON AUGUST 26, 2022, THE PCAOB ANNOUNCED AND SIGNED A STATEMENT OF PROTOCOL (THE “PROTOCOL”) WITH THE CHINA SECURITIES REGULATORY COMMISSION AND THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. THE PROTOCOL PROVIDES THE PCAOB WITH: (1) SOLE DISCRETION TO SELECT THE FIRMS, AUDIT ENGAGEMENTS AND POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS IT INSPECTS AND INVESTIGATES, WITHOUT ANY INVOLVEMENT OF CHINESE AUTHORITIES; (2) PROCEDURES FOR PCAOB INSPECTORS AND INVESTIGATORS TO VIEW COMPLETE AUDIT WORK PAPERS WITH ALL INFORMATION INCLUDED AND FOR THE PCAOB TO RETAIN INFORMATION AS NEEDED; (3) DIRECT ACCESS TO INTERVIEW AND TAKE TESTIMONY FROM ALL PERSONNEL ASSOCIATED WITH THE AUDITS THE PCAOB INSPECTS OR INVESTIGATES. OUR AUDITOR IS HEADQUARTERED IN SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE AND WILL BE INSPECTED BY THE PCAOB ON A REGULAR BASIS.
OUR AUDITOR IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE DETERMINATION. OUR AUDITOR IS SUBJECT TO LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES PURSUANT TO WHICH THE PCAOB CONDUCTS REGULAR INSPECTIONS TO ASSESS OUR AUDITOR’S COMPLIANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS. ON JUNE 22, 2021, THE U.S. SENATE PASSED THE ACCELERATING HOLDING FOREIGN COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE ACT (“AHFCAA”) WHICH, PROPOSED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE NON-INSPECTION YEARS REQUIRED FOR TRIGGERING THE PROHIBITIONS UNDER THE HOLDING FOREIGN COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE ACT FROM THREE YEARS TO TWO. ON DECEMBER 29, 2022, THE CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023 (THE “CAA”) WAS SIGNED INTO LAW, WHICH OFFICIALLY REDUCED THE NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE NON-INSPECTION YEARS REQUIRED FOR TRIGGERING THE PROHIBITIONS UNDER THE HOLDING FOREIGN COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE ACT FROM THREE YEARS TO TWO, THUS, REDUCING THE TIME BEFORE AN APPLICABLE ISSUER’S SECURITIES MAY BE PROHIBITED FROM TRADING OR DELISTED. CURRENTLY, OUR AUDITOR IS SUBJECT TO INSPECTION BY PCAOB. HOWEVER, IF AHFCAA WERE ENACTED INTO LAW, IT MAY POSE MORE RISKS OF POTENTIAL DELISTING AS WELL AS DEPRESS THE PRICE OF COMPANY’S COMMON STOCK. ON DECEMBER 15, 2022, THE PCAOB ISSUED A NEW DETERMINATION REPORT WHICH CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS ABLE TO INSPECT AND INVESTIGATE COMPLETELY PCAOB-REGISTERED ACCOUNTING FIRMS HEADQUARTERED IN MAINLAND CHINA AND HONG KONG IN 2022, AND THE PCAOB VACATED THE DECEMBER 16, 2021 DETERMINATION REPORT. SHOULD THE PCAOB AGAIN ENCOUNTER IMPEDIMENTS TO INSPECTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS IN MAINLAND CHINA OR HONG KONG AS A RESULT OF POSITIONS TAKEN BY ANY AUTHORITY IN EITHER JURISDICTION, INCLUDING BY THE CSRC OR THE MOF, THE PCAOB WILL MAKE DETERMINATIONS UNDER THE HFCAA AS AND WHEN APPROPRIATE. HOWEVER, WHETHER THE PCAOB WILL CONTINUE TO CONDUCT INSPECTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS COMPLETELY TO ITS SATISFACTION OF PCAOB-REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRMS HEADQUARTERED IN MAINLAND CHINA AND HONG KONG IS SUBJECT TO UNCERTAINTY AND DEPENDS ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS OUT OF CHINA PHARMA’S, AND CHINA PHARMA’S AUDITOR’S, CONTROL, INCLUDING POSITIONS TAKEN BY AUTHORITIES OF THE PRC. THE PCAOB IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEMAND COMPLETE ACCESS TO INSPECTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS AGAINST ACCOUNTING FIRMS HEADQUARTERED IN MAINLAND CHINA AND HONG KONG IN THE FUTURE AND STATES THAT IT HAS ALREADY MADE PLANS TO RESUME REGULAR INSPECTIONS IN EARLY 2023 AND BEYOND. THE PCAOB IS REQUIRED UNDER THE HOLDING FOREIGN COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE ACT TO MAKE ITS DETERMINATION ON AN ANNUAL BASIS WITH REGARDS TO ITS ABILITY TO INSPECT AND INVESTIGATE COMPLETELY ACCOUNTING FIRMS BASED IN THE MAINLAND CHINA AND HONG KONG. SHOULD THE PCAOB AGAIN ENCOUNTER IMPEDIMENTS TO INSPECTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS IN MAINLAND CHINA OR HONG KONG AS A RESULT OF POSITIONS TAKEN BY ANY FOREIGN AUTHORITY INCLUDING BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO MAINLAND CHINA OR HONG KONG JURISDICTION, THE PCAOB WILL ACT EXPEDITIOUSLY TO CONSIDER WHETHER IT SHOULD ISSUE A NEW DETERMINATION.
THE CHINESE REGULATORY AUTHORITIES COULD DISALLOW THE COMPANY’S STRUCTURE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A MATERIAL CHANGE IN THE COMPANY’S OPERATIONS AND THE VALUE OF THE COMPANY’S SECURITIES COULD DECLINE OR BECOME WORTHLESS. FOR A DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPANY’S CORPORATE STRUCTURE, SEE “PROSPECTUS SUMMARY” STARTING PAGE 1. SEE ALSO “RISK FACTORS - RISKS RELATED TO DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA” INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THIS PROSPECTUS.
SEE THE SECTION TITLED “RISK FACTORS” BEGINNING ON PAGE 4 OF THIS PROSPECTUS, AND THE RISK FACTORS IN ANY ACCOMPANYING PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT TO READ ABOUT FACTORS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING SHARES OF CHINA PHARMA’S COMMON STOCK.
OUR SUBSIDIARIES HAVE NEVER ISSUED ANY DIVIDENDS OR DISTRIBUTIONS TO US, OR TO ANY INVESTORS AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PROSPECTUS. HELPSON, OUR PRC SUBSIDIARY, GENERATES AND RETAINS CASH GENERATED FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES AND RE-INVEST IT IN DAILY BUSINESS. IN THE FUTURE, CASH PROCEEDS RAISED FROM OVERSEAS FINANCING ACTIVITIES AND THE EXERCISE OF WARRANTS BY WARRANT HOLDERS, MAY BE TRANSFERRED BY US TO HELPSON VIA CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION AND SHAREHOLDER LOANS, AS THE CASE MAY BE.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR INCOME IS RECEIVED IN RENMINBI (“RMB”) AND RESTRICTIONS IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES MAY LIMIT THE COMPANY’S ABILITY TO PAY DIVIDENDS OR OTHER PAYMENTS, OR OTHERWISE SATISFY THE COMPANY’S FOREIGN CURRENCY DENOMINATED OBLIGATIONS, IF ANY. UNDER EXISTING PRC FOREIGN EXCHANGE REGULATIONS, PAYMENTS OF CURRENT ACCOUNT ITEMS, INCLUDING PROFIT DISTRIBUTIONS, INTEREST PAYMENTS AND EXPENDITURES FROM TRADE-RELATED TRANSACTIONS, CAN BE MADE IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM THE STATE ADMINISTRATION OF THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE (“SAFE”) IN THE PRC AS LONG AS CERTAIN PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS ARE MET. APPROVAL FROM APPROPRIATE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES IS REQUIRED IF RMB IS CONVERTED INTO FOREIGN CURRENCY AND REMITTED OUT OF THE PRC TO PAY CAPITAL EXPENSES SUCH AS THE REPAYMENT OF LOANS DENOMINATED IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES. THE PRC GOVERNMENT MAY, AT ITS DISCRETION, IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS TO FOREIGN CURRENCIES FOR CURRENT ACCOUNT TRANSACTIONS AND IF THIS OCCURS IN THE FUTURE, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PAY DIVIDENDS IN FOREIGN CURRENCIES TO OUR STOCKHOLDERS.
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES, OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The date of this prospectus is February 6, 2024
Table of Contents
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. If any person does provide you with information that differs from what is contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, you should not rely on it. No dealer, salesperson or other person is authorized to give any information or to represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You should assume that the information contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and that any information contained in any document we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or any sale of a security. These documents are not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities in any circumstances under which the offer or solicitation is unlawful.
i
This prospectus is part of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we may sell common stock, preferred stock, debt securities (which may be convertible into or exchangeable for common stock), warrants, rights or units from time to time in one or more offerings at indeterminate prices, up to an aggregate offering price for all such securities of $50,000,000. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell any securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. China Pharma has not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in the accompanying prospectus supplement or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. Persons who come into possession of this prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform themselves about, and to observe, any restrictions as to the offering and the distribution of this prospectus applicable to those jurisdictions. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since such date. Other than as required under the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise such information, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.
This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement or other offering materials do not contain all of the information included in the registration statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information, we refer you to the registration statement on Form S-3, including its exhibits. We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and, therefore, file reports and other information with the SEC. Statements contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, or other offering materials about the provisions or contents of any agreement or other document are only summaries. If SEC rules require that any agreement or document be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, you should refer to that agreement or document for its complete contents.
You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any other offering materials is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of each document. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since then.
Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus, references to:
| ● | “China” or the “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purposes of this prospectus only, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan; | |
| ● | “Helpson” refers to Hainan Helpson Medical & Biotechnology Co., Ltd. | |
| ● | “Onny” refers to Onny Investment Ltd. | |
| ● | “RMB” and “Renminbi” refer to the legal currency of China; and | |
| ● | “US$,” “U.S. dollars,” “$,” and “dollars” refer to the legal currency of the United States. |
We use RMB as the functional currency and U.S. dollars as reporting currency in our financial statements and in this prospectus. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in Renminbi are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange as of the balance sheet date, equity accounts are translated at historical exchange rates, and revenues, expenses, gains and losses are translated using the average rate for the period. In other parts of this prospectus, any Renminbi denominated amounts are accompanied by translations. We make no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this prospectus could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. The PRC government restricts or prohibits the conversion of Renminbi into foreign currency and foreign currency into Renminbi for certain types of transactions.
ii
NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The statements contained in this Form S-3 that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These include statements about the Company’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies for the future, which are indicated by words or phrases such as “anticipate”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “will”, “the Company believes”, “management believes” and similar words or phrases. The forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this document are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees of future performance, due to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section in this prospectus, the section of any accompanying prospectus supplement entitled “Risk Factors” and the risk factors and cautionary statements described in other documents that China Pharma files from time to time with the SEC. Given these uncertainties, readers should not place undue reliance on China Pharma’s forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made and are not guarantees of future performance. Except as may be required by applicable law, China Pharma does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus or the respective dates of documents incorporated by reference herein or therein that include forward-looking statements.
Except as required by law, China Pharma assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or developments occurring after the date of this prospectus, even if new information becomes available in the future.
iii
Organization and Nature of Operations
China Pharma, a Nevada corporation, owns 100% of Onny, a British Virgin Islands corporation, which owns 100% of Helpson, a company organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”).
Onny acquired 100% of the ownership in Helpson on May 25, 2005, by entering into an Equity Transfer Agreement with Helpson’s three former shareholders. The transaction was approved by the Commercial Bureau of Hainan Province on June 12, 2005 and Helpson received the Certificate of Approval for Establishment of Enterprises with Foreign Investment in the PRC on the same day. Helpson received its business license evidencing its WFOE (Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise) status on June 21, 2005.
Our corporate organizational chart is set forth below:
Helpson has acquired and continues to acquire well-accepted medical formulas to add to its diverse portfolio of Western and Chinese medicines.
Business Overview & Recent Developments
Helpson is principally engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceutical products for human use in connection with a variety of high-incidence and high-mortality diseases and medical conditions prevalent in the PRC. As a Nevada holding company without any operations, all of China Pharma’s operations are conducted in the PRC, where the manufacturing facilities are located, through Helpson, China Pharma’s indirectly wholly owned PRC subsidiary. Helpson manufactures pharmaceutical products in the form of dry powder injectables, liquid injectables, tablets, capsules, and cephalosporin oral solutions. The majority of our pharmaceutical products are sold on a prescription basis and all have been approved for at least one or more therapeutic indications by the National Medical Products Administration (the “NMPA”, formerly China Food and Drug Administration, CFDA) based upon demonstrated safety and efficacy.
As of the date of this prospectus, Helpson manufactured 19 pharmaceutical products for a wide variety of diseases and medical indications, each of which may be classified into one of three general categories:
| ● | Basic generic drugs, which are common drugs in the PRC for which there is a very large market demand; |
| ● | First-to-market generic drugs, which are generic western drugs that are new to the PRC marketplace; or |
| ● | Modern Traditional Chinese Medicines, which are generally comprised of non-synthetic, plant-based medicinal compounds that have been widely used in the PRC for thousands of years. Helpson applies modern production techniques to produce pharmaceutical products in different formulations, such as tablets, capsules or powders. |
In selecting generic drugs to develop and manufacture, Helpson considers several factors, including the number of other manufacturers currently producing this particular drug, the size of the market for that drug, the proposed or required method of distribution, the existing and expected pricing for that particular drug in the marketplace, the costs of manufacturing that drug, and the costs of acquiring or developing the formula for that drug. Helpson believes that generic drugs that it has selected to manufacture have large addressable markets and higher profit margins relative to other generic drugs manufactured and distributed in the PRC.
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In addition, Helpson manufactured comprehensive healthcare products and protective products in two production facilities it owns and operates in Haikou, Hainan Province, PRC. One has a construction area of 663.94 square meters, the other factory has two buildings with production area of 20,282.42 square meters and 6,593.20 square meters.
China’s consistency evaluation of generic drugs continued to proceed in 2023. Helpson has always taken the task of promoting the consistency evaluation as a top priority, and worked on them actively. However, for each drug’s consistency evaluation, due to the continuous dynamic changes of the detailed consistency evaluation policies, market trends, expected investments, and expected returns of investment (“ROI”), all companies in this industry have been adjusting to the policies under consistency evaluation. One of the flagship products, Candesartan tablets, a hypertension product, passed generic-drug-consistency-evaluation in early August 2023.
Helpson has taken a more cautious and flexible attitude towards the initiating and progressing any project for an existing product’s consistency evaluation and to cope with the changing macro environment of drug sales in China. Since initiated in 2018, when relevant Chinese authorities decided to implement trial Centralized Procurement (“CP”) activities in 11 selected pilot cities (including four municipalities and seven other cities), nine rounds of CP activities have been carried out as of November 6, 2023, which significantly reduced the price of the drugs that won the bids. In addition, the consistency evaluation has been adopted as one of the qualification standards for participating in the GPO activities. As a result, Helpson must balance at least the investment of financial resources and time to obtain the qualification of CP, and the sharp decline in the price of drugs included in CP, before making decisions for any products.
In addition, Helpson continues to explore the field of comprehensive healthcare. Comprehensive healthcare is a general concept proposed by the Chinese government according to the development of the times, social needs and changes in disease spectrum. According to the Outline of “Healthy China 2030” issued by Chinese government in October 2016, the total size of China’s health service industry is expected to reach RMB 16 trillion (approximately $2.5 trillion) by 2030. This industry focuses on people’s daily life, aging and diseases, pays attention to all kinds of risk factors and misunderstandings affecting health, calls for self-health management, and advocates the comprehensive care throughout the entire process of life. It covers all kinds of health-related information, products, and services, as well as actions taken by various organizations to meet the health needs. In response to this trend, Helpson launched Noni enzyme, a natural, Xeronine-rich antioxidant food supplement at the end of 2018. Helpson also launched wash-free sanitizers and masks, in 2020, to address the market needs caused by COVID-19 in China. As Chinese government officially terminated its zero-case policy, now the responsibility to protect people from the impact of COVID-19 falls more to the citizens themselves, and masks and sanitizers have been more and more popular due to increasing demand. Helpson has sufficient production capacity for medical masks, surgical masks, KN95 masks, and N95 masks, which meets the personal needs for protection against the epidemic outbreak. Thanks to the green channel provided by Hainan Medical Products Administration, Helpson received the Registration Certificate of N95 medical protective mask at the fastest speed by the end of 2022, when the infection of COVID-19 had surged in China.
Helpson plans to continue to optimize its product structure and actively respond to the current health needs of human beings.
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Market Trends
As a generic drug company, Helpson is presented with a huge domestic market. We believe that through further upgrades and consistency evaluations, which are based on European and American production standards, Helpson will be able to export the products to overseas markets. In China’s market, we believe that in the future, cost management and control ability will gradually become an important factor in determining the competitiveness of generic pharmaceutical enterprises. Although price control leads to a decline in the profitability, the CP’s winning enterprise has a good chance of achieving price-for-volume in order to increase its market share and support its continuous innovation transformation. Additionally, rising and advancing consumer demand in China drives increases in discretionary consumption, and with the improvement of residents’ quality of life, the healthcare demand is also changing. We believe that there are a large number of unmet demands in comprehensive healthcare and Internet healthcare sectors.
In addition, the Office of the State Council issued “Pilot Plan for Marketing Authorization Holders” on May 24, 2016, allowing eligible drug research and development institutions and scientific researchers to become Marketing Authorization Holders (“MAH”) by obtaining drug marketing authorization and drug approval numbers from the State Council. This policy uses a management model of separating drug marketing authorization and drug production licenses, thereby allowing MAHs to produce pharmaceuticals themselves or to consign production to other pharmaceutical manufacturers. This policy not only transitions our production practices to meet the European and United States standards by separating drug approval and production qualifications, thereby changing the existing model of bundling drug approval numbers to pharmaceutical manufacturers in China, but also serves as a supplement to the ongoing consistency evaluations policy.
In general, demand for pharmaceutical products is still experiencing steady growth in China. We believe the ongoing generic drug consistency evaluations and reform of China’s drug production registration and review policies will have major effects on the future development of our industry and may change its business patterns. Helpson will continue to actively adapt to the national policy guidance and further evaluate market conditions for its existing products, and competition in the market in order to optimize its development strategy.
Intercompany activities between the holding company and our subsidiaries
As of the date of this prospectus, none of our subsidiaries have distributed any dividends to China Pharma, nor has China Pharma distributed any dividends to its investors. China Pharma currently has no intention to distribute earnings to its stockholders and investors. The tables below present cash flow transfer between China Pharma and Helpson, through China Pharma’s wholly owned subsidiary Onny for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. China Pharma’s management believes that there are no tax consequences for cash flow transfers between China Pharma and Helpson through Onny.
| For the year ended December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||
| No. | Transfer from | Transfer to | Approximate value ($) | Note | ||||||
| 1 | China Pharma (via Onny) | Helpson | 1,300,000 | For Helpson’s operations | ||||||
| For the year ended December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||
| No. | Transfer from | Transfer to | Approximate value ($) | Note | ||||||
| 1 | China Pharma (via Onny) | Helpson | 3,000,000 | For Helpson’s operations | ||||||
| 2 | Helpson (via Onny) | China Pharma | 320,000 | For the payment of the agent service fees of China Pharma | ||||||
Executive Offices
Our principal executive offices are located at 2nd Floor, No. 17, Jinpan Road, Haikou, Hainan Province, China. Our telephone number at that address is +86-898-66811730.
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Investing in our common stock involves risk. You should carefully consider the specific risks discussed or incorporated by reference into the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all the other information contained in the prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and in subsequent filings, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. These risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future or by a prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering of securities. These risks and uncertainties are not the only risks and uncertainties we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently view as immaterial, may also impair our business. If any of the risks or uncertainties described in our SEC filings or any prospectus supplement or any additional risks and uncertainties actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our securities could decline and you might lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
There are Legal and Operational Risks Associated with Having the Majority of the Company’s Operations in the PRC.
The PRC legal system is based on written statutes. The laws, regulations and legal requirements of China are relatively new and change often, and their interpretation and enforcement depend to a large extent on relevant government policy and involve significant uncertainties that could limit the reliability of the legal protections available to us.
The PRC government has broad discretion in dealing with violations of laws and regulations, including levying fines, revoking business and other licenses and requiring actions necessary for compliance. We cannot predict the effect of the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations on our businesses. We cannot assure you that our current ownership and operating structure would not be found in violation of any current or future PRC laws or regulations. As a result, we may be subject to sanctions, including fines, and could be required to restructure our operations or cease to provide certain services.
In addition, the enforcement of laws and regulations in China can change quickly with little advance notice. In 2021, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. Since these statements and regulatory actions are new, it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies will respond and what existing or new laws or regulations or detailed implementations and interpretations will be modified or promulgated, if any, and the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on our daily business operation, the ability to accept foreign investments and list on an U.S. or other foreign exchange. Any action by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over foreign investment in China-based companies could result in a material change in our operation, cause the value of our shares to significantly decline or become worthless, and significantly limit, or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our shares to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
We cannot predict the effects of future developments in government policy or the PRC legal system in general. We may be required in the future to procure additional permits, authorizations and approvals for our existing and future operations, which may not be obtainable in a timely fashion or at all, or may involve substantial costs and unforeseen risks.
Certain PRC regulations may make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions.
Anti-Monopoly Law of the People’s Republic of China promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, which became effective in 2008 and amended in 2022 (“Anti-Monopoly Law”), established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. Such regulation requires, among other things, that State Administration for Market Regulation (“SAMR”) be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor acquires control of a PRC domestic enterprise or a foreign company with substantial PRC operations, if certain thresholds under the Provisions of the State Council on the Standard for Declaration of Concentration of Business Operators, issued by the State Council in 2008 and amended in 2018, are triggered. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that transactions which involve the national security, the examination on the national security shall also be conducted according to the relevant provisions of the State. In addition, PRC Measures for the Security Review of Foreign Investment which became effective in January 2021 require acquisitions by foreign investors of PRC companies engaged in military-related or certain other industries that are crucial to national security be subject to security review before consummation of any such acquisition. We may pursue potential strategic acquisitions that are complementary to our business and operations.
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Complying with the requirements of these regulations to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval or clearance from the MOFCOM, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.
The Chinese government may intervene or influence our business or operations at any time. Any such intervention or influence may negatively affect our operation or interfere with our continued listing on a U.S. exchange, and could cause the value of our shares to significantly decline or be worthless, which would materially affect the interest of our stockholders.
The Chinese central or local governments may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, Chinese government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.
As such, our business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. We could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. We may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. The Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time with little advance notice, which could result in a material change in our operations and in the value of our shares.
Adverse regulatory developments in China may subject us to additional regulatory review, and additional disclosure requirements and regulatory scrutiny to be adopted by the SEC in response to risks related to recent regulatory developments in China may impose additional compliance requirements for companies like us with significant China-based operations, all of which could increase our compliance costs, subject us to additional disclosure requirements. In addition, uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.
We conduct all of our business through Helpson, our PRC subsidiary, in China. The operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. Helpson is generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China and, in particular, laws and regulations applicable to wholly foreign-owned enterprises. The PRC legal system is based on statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.
The recent regulatory developments in China, in particular with respect to restrictions on China-based companies raising capital offshore, may lead to additional regulatory review in China over our financing and capital raising activities in the United States. In addition, we may be subject to industry-wide regulations that may be adopted by the relevant PRC authorities, which may have the effect of limiting our service offerings, restricting the scope of our operations in China, or causing the suspension or termination of our business operations in China entirely, all of which will materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We may have to adjust, modify, or completely change our business operations in response to adverse regulatory changes or policy developments, and we cannot assure you that any remedial action adopted by us can be completed in a timely, cost-efficient, or liability-free manner or at all.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”), which took effect on March 31, 2023. On the same date, the CSRC circulated Supporting Guidance Rules No. 1 through No. 5, Notes on the Trial Measures, Notice on Administration Arrangements for the Filing of Overseas Listings by Domestic Enterprises and relevant CSRC Answers to Reporter Questions (collectively, the “Guidance Rules and Notice”), on CSRC’s official website. The Trial Measures, together with the Guidance Rules and Notice, reiterate the basic principles for the overseas securities offering and listing by domestic enterprises, and clarified and emphasized several aspects, which include but are not limited to: (1) criteria to determine whether an issuer will be required to go through the filing procedures under the Trial Measures; (2) exemptions from immediate filing requirements for issuers including those that have already been listed in foreign securities markets, including U.S. markets, prior to the effective date of the Trial Measures, but these issuers shall still be subject to filing procedures if they conduct refinancing or are involved in other circumstances that require filing with the CSRC; (3) a negative list of types of issuers banned from listing or offering overseas, such as issuers whose affiliates have been recently convicted of bribery and corruption; (4) issuers’ compliance with web security, data security, and other national security laws and regulations; (5) issuers’ filing and reporting obligations, such as obligation after offering or listing overseas to file with the CSRC after it completes subsequent offerings and to report to the CSRC material events including change of control or voluntary or forced delisting of the issuer; and (6) the CSRC’s authority to fine both issuers and their relevant shareholders for failure to comply with the Trial Measures, including failure to comply with filing obligations or committing fraud and misrepresentation. Specifically, pursuant to the Trial Measures, our future securities offerings in the NYSE American where we have previously offered and listed shall also be filed with the CSRC within 3 working days after the offering is completed. The Trial Measures provide the CSRC with power to warn, fine, and issue injunctions against both PRC domestic companies, their controlling shareholders, and their advisors in listing or offering securities (collectively, the “Subject Entities”), as well as individuals directly responsible for these Subject Entities (the “Subject Individuals”). For failure to comply with the Trial Measures Negative List or the Trial Measures Filing Obligations, or materially disclose false or misleading statements in the filing and reporting required by the Trial Measures: (1) PRC domestic companies, and their controlling shareholders if the controlling shareholders induced the PRC domestic companies’ failure to comply, severally, may face warnings, injunctions to comply, and fines between RMB1 million and RMB10 million (approximately $145,647 and $1,456,473); the Subject Individuals in these entities may severally, face warnings and fines between RMB0.5 million and RMB5 million (approximately $72,824 and $728,237). (2) Advisors in listing or offering securities that failed to dutifully advise the PRC domestic companies and their controlling shareholders in complying with the Trial Measures and caused such failures to comply can face warnings and fines between RMB0.5 million and RMB5 million (approximately $72,824 and $728,237); the Subject Individuals in these advisor entities may, severally, face warnings and fines between RMB0.2 million and RMB2 million (approximately $29,129 and $291,295). As the Trial Measures are newly issued, there remain uncertainties regarding its interpretation and implementation. Therefore, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the filings for our future offerings and fully comply with the relevant new rules on a timely basis, if at all. In addition, we cannot guarantee that we will not be subject to tightened regulatory review and we could be exposed to government interference in China.
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Recent greater oversight by the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) over data security, particularly for companies seeking to list on a foreign exchange, could adversely impact our business and our offering.
On December 28, 2021, the CAC and other relevant PRC governmental authorities jointly promulgated the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which took effect on February 15, 2022. The Cybersecurity Review Measures provide that, in addition to critical information infrastructure operators (“CIIOs”) that intend to purchase Internet products and services, net platform operators engaging in data processing activities that affect or may affect national security must be subject to cybersecurity review by the Cybersecurity Review Office of the PRC. According to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, a cybersecurity review assesses potential national security risks that may be brought about by any procurement, data processing, or overseas listing. The Cybersecurity Review Measures require that an online platform operator which possesses the personal information of at least one million users must apply for a cybersecurity review by the CAC if it intends to be listed in foreign countries.
On November 14, 2021, the CAC promulgated the draft Regulations on the Administration of Cyber Data Security for public comment, pursuant to which data processors conducting certain activities must apply for cybersecurity review. The draft regulations also require that data processors processing important data or going public overseas shall conduct an annual data security self-assessment or entrust a data security service institution to do so, and submit the data security assessment report of the previous year to the local branch of the CAC before January 31 each year. Further, the draft regulations would require internet platform operators to establish platform rules, privacy policies and algorithm strategies related to data, and solicit public comments on their official websites and personal information protection related sections for no less than 30 working days when they formulate platform rules or privacy policies or makes any amendments that may have a significant impact on users’ rights and interests. In addition, platform rules and privacy policies formulated by operators of large internet platforms with more than 100 million daily active users, or amendments to such rules or policies by operators of large internet platforms with more than 100 million daily active users that may have significant impacts on users’ rights and interests shall be evaluated by a third-party organization designated by the CAC and reported to local branch of the CAC for approval. The CAC has solicited comments on this draft until December 13, 2021, but there is no definite timetable as to when the draft regulations will be enacted. As such, substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the enactment timetable, final content, interpretation and implementation of such regulations.
As of the date of this prospectus, we, and Helpson, our PRC subsidiary, (i) are not required to obtain permissions from the CSRC, CAC or any other government authorities on Helpson’s operations, and (ii) have not received or been denied such permissions by any PRC government authorities. If the Security Administration Draft is enacted as proposed, we believe that the operations of Helpson and our listing will not be affected and that we will not be subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC, given that Helpson possess personal data of fewer than one million individual clients and do not collect data that affects or may affect national security in their business operations as of the date of this prospectus and do not anticipate that they will be collecting over one million users’ personal information or data that affects or may affect national security in the near future. There remains uncertainty, however, as to how the Cybersecurity Review Measures and the Security Administration Draft will be interpreted or implemented and whether the PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, may adopt new laws, regulations, rules, or detailed implementation and interpretation related to the Cybersecurity Review Measures and the Security Administration Draft. If any such new laws, regulations, rules, or implementation and interpretation come into effect, we will take all reasonable measures and actions to comply and to minimize the adverse effect of such laws on us. We cannot guarantee, however, that we will not be subject to cybersecurity review and network data security review in the future. During such reviews, we may be required to suspend our operation or experience other disruptions to operations. Cybersecurity review and network data security review could also result in negative publicity with respect to our Company and diversion of our managerial and financial resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial conditions, and results of operations.
As of the date of this prospectus, we have not received any notice from any authorities identifying Helpson as CIIOs. However, given the uncertainties surrounding the interpretation and implementation of the Cyber Security Law, Data Security Law and relevant regulations, we cannot rule out the possibility that we, or certain of our customers or suppliers may be deemed as a CIIO, or an operator processing “important data.” First, if we are deemed as a CIIO, our purchase of network products or services, if deemed to be affecting or may affect national security, will need to be subject to cybersecurity review, before we can enter into agreements with relevant customers or suppliers, and before the conclusion of such procedure, these customers will not be allowed to use our products or services, and we are not allowed to purchase products or services from our suppliers. There can be no assurance that we would be able to complete the applicable cybersecurity review procedures in a timely manner, or at all, if we are required to follow such procedures. Any failure or delay in the completion of the cybersecurity review procedures may prevent us from using certain network products and services, and may result in fines of up to ten times the purchase price of such network products and services being imposed upon us, if we are deemed a CIIO using network products or services without having completed the required cybersecurity review procedures. If the reviewing authority is of the view that the use of such network products or services by us, or by certain of our customers or suppliers, involves risk of disruption, is vulnerable to external attacks, or may negatively affect, compromise, or weaken the protection of national security, we may not be able to provide such products or services to relevant customers, or purchase products or services from relevant suppliers. This could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and business prospects. Second, the notion of “important data” is not clearly defined by the Cyber Security Law or the Data Security Law. In order to comply with the statutory requirements, we will need to determine whether we possess important data, monitor the important data catalogs that are expected to be published by local governments and departments, perform risk assessments and ensure we are complying with reporting obligations to applicable regulators. We may also be required to disclose to regulators business-sensitive or network security-sensitive details regarding our processing of important data, and may need to pass the government security review or obtain government approval in order to share important data with offshore recipients, which can include foreign licensors, or share data stored in China with judicial and law enforcement authorities outside of China. If judicial and law enforcement authorities outside China require us to provide data stored in China, and we are not able to pass any required government security review or obtain any required government approval to do so, we may not be able to meet the foreign authorities’ requirements. The potential conflicts in legal obligations could have adverse impact on our operations in and outside of China.
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We May be Required to Obtain Additional Permissions and Approvals for Business Operations in the PRC.
As of the date of this prospectus, Helpson has obtained all the required permissions and approvals from PRC authorities that are required to operate its business. Helpson has never failed to receive or maintain any permissions or approvals, nor have any applications been rejected. However, the PRC regulatory authorities may in the future promulgate laws, regulations, or implementing rules that require Helpson to obtain additional permissions or approvals to operate business. If that occurs, we cannot assure you that we will receive such additional permissions and approvals on time. If we do not receive or maintain the approval, or incorrectly conclude that such approval is not required, or applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change such that we are required to obtain approval in the future, we may be subject to an investigation by competent regulators, fines or penalties, and these risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our common stock, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless.
Risks Related to Our Business
We rely on distributors for all of our revenues and failure to maintain relationships with and collect payment from our distributors or to otherwise expand our distribution network would materially and adversely affect our business.
We sell our products exclusively to pharmaceutical distributors in the PRC and rely on distributors for all of our revenues. We have business relationships with over 1,000 distributors in the PRC. For the year ended December 31, 2022, no customer accounted for more than 10.0% of sales, and three customers accounted for 52.9%, 11.4%, and 10.4% of accounts receivable. In line with industry practices in the PRC, we enter into written sales agreements with our distributors. However, such sales agreements are not in substance equivalent to a typical distribution agreement in the United States. Each sales agreement resembles a sales order, and specifies one or several purchases of one or more products without any continuing obligation to purchase any additional products. There are no written contracts between us and any of its distributors requiring the distributors to pay us our account receivable upon their receipt of funds from its customers, or state-owned hospitals. Pharmaceutical distributors typically process the payment of the account receivable to the companies upon their receipt of payment from their customers, i.e., the state-owned hospitals, as a matter of implied consensus. In the event the length of collection term deviates from the past pattern of any particular customer, we will adjust its credit term.
Any potential default in repaying the accounts receivable without recourse by us may materially and negatively affect our profitability and business. In the event certain distributors choose not to continue their relationship with us after completing their existing sales agreements, they can do so without breaching any contract or agreement, and our financial results could be adversely affected if we cannot quickly find substantially similar distributors under such circumstances. In addition, some of our distributors may sell products that compete with our products. We compete for desired distributors with other pharmaceutical manufacturers, many of which may have higher visibility, greater name recognition, greater financial resources, and broader product selection than we do. Consequently, maintaining relationships with existing distributors and replacing distributors may be difficult and time-consuming. Any disruption of our distribution network, including our failure to renew our existing distribution agreements with our desired distributors, could negatively affect our ability to effectively sell our products and would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Securities and the Offering
Future sales or other dilution of our equity could depress the market price of our common stock.
Sales of our common stock, the common stock underlying our preferred stock, warrants, rights or convertible debt securities, or any combination of the foregoing, in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could negatively impact the price of our common stock.
In addition, the issuance of additional shares of our common stock, securities convertible into or exercisable for our common stock, other equity-linked securities, including preferred stock, warrants or rights or any combination of these securities pursuant to this prospectus will dilute the ownership interest of our common shareholders and could depress the market price of our common stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities.
We may need to seek additional capital. If this additional financing is obtained through the issuance of equity securities, debt securities convertible into equity or options, warrants or rights to acquire equity securities, our existing shareholders could experience significant dilution upon the issuance, conversion or exercise of such securities.
Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the proceeds we receive from the sale our securities pursuant to this prospectus and might not apply the proceeds in ways that increase the value of your investment.
Our management will have broad discretion to use the net proceeds from any offerings under this prospectus, and you will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of these proceeds. Except as described in any prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you, the net proceeds received by us from our sale of the securities described in this prospectus will be added to our general funds and will be used for general corporate purposes. Our management might not apply the net proceeds from offerings of our securities in ways that increase the value of your investment and might not be able to yield a significant return, if any, on any investment of such net proceeds. You may not have the opportunity to influence our decisions on how to use such proceeds.
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Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities covered by this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures, research and development expenditures, acquisitions of new technologies or businesses and investments. Additional information on the use of net proceeds from an offering of securities covered by this prospectus may be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the specific offering.
The descriptions of the securities contained in this prospectus, together with any applicable prospectus supplement, summarize all the material terms and provisions of the various types of securities that we may offer. We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering the specific terms of the securities offered by that prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, the terms of the securities may differ from the terms we have summarized below. We will also include in the prospectus supplement information, where applicable, about material United States federal income tax considerations relating to the securities, and the securities exchange, if any, on which the securities will be listed.
We may sell from time to time, in one or more offerings:
| ● | shares of our common stock; |
| ● | shares of our preferred stock; |
| ● | debt securities (which may be convertible into or exchangeable for common stock); |
| ● | warrants to purchase our common stock; |
| ● | rights to purchase our common stock; and/or |
| ● | units consisting of the forgoing. |
This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
General
The following description of our capital stock together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the capital stock that we may offer under this prospectus but is not complete. For the complete terms of our capital stock, please refer to our articles of incorporation and our bylaws, as amended from time to time. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any future capital stock that we may offer, we will describe the specific terms of any series of these securities in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we so indicate in a prospectus supplement, the terms of any capital stock we offer under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below.
Our authorized capital stock consists of five hundred million (500,000,000) shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share and five million (5,000,000) shares of preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share. The authorized and unissued shares of capital stock are available for issuance without further action by our shareholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which our securities may be listed. Unless approval of our shareholders is so required, our board of directors will not seek shareholder approval for the issuance and sale of our capital stock.
Common Stock
As of February 5, 2024, there were 56,981,244 shares of our common stock outstanding. The holders of our common stock are entitled to such dividends as our board of directors may declare from legally available funds. The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on any matter to be voted upon by shareholders. Our articles of incorporation or our bylaws, as amended from time to time, do not provide for cumulative voting. No holder of our common stock has any preemptive right to subscribe for any shares of capital stock issued in the future under the Nevada Revised Statutes, our articles of incorporation or our bylaws, as amended from time to time. Our common stock has no preemptive or conversion rights or other subscription rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.
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All shares of common stock offered hereby will, when issued, be fully paid and non-assessable, including shares of common stock issued upon exercise of common stock warrants or common stock purchase rights, if any.
Our common stock is quoted on the NYSE American under the symbol “CPHI”. The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Equiniti Trust Company (f/k/a Corporate Stock Transfer), 1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101, Mendota Heights, MN 55120.
As of February 5, 2024, no shares of preferred stock had been issued or were outstanding.
Our board of directors has the authority to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to determine the rights and preferences of the shares of any such series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the authority to fix the designation and powers, rights and preferences and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions with respect to each class or series of such class without further vote or action by the stockholders, unless action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange on which our securities may be listed. The ability of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. Further, our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of our common stock. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of decreasing the market price of our common stock.
We will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of any certificate of designation that describes the terms of the series of preferred stock we are offering before the issuance of that series of preferred stock. This description will include, but not be limited to, the following:
| ● | the title and stated value; |
| ● | the number of shares we are offering; |
| ● | the liquidation preference per share; |
| ● | the purchase price; |
| ● | the dividend rate, period and payment date and method of calculation for dividends; |
| ● | whether dividends will be cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the date from which dividends will accumulate; |
| ● | the provisions for a sinking fund, if any; |
| ● | the provisions for redemption or repurchase, if applicable, and any restrictions on our ability to exercise those redemption and repurchase rights; |
| ● | whether the preferred stock will be convertible into our common stock, and, if applicable, the conversion price, or how it will be calculated, and the conversion period; |
| ● | whether the preferred stock will be exchangeable into debt securities, and, if applicable, the exchange price, or how it will be calculated, and the exchange period; |
| ● | voting rights, if any, of the preferred stock; |
| ● | preemptive rights, if any; |
| ● | restrictions on transfer, sale or other assignment, if any; |
| ● | a discussion of any material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the preferred stock; |
| ● | the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our affairs; |
| ● | any limitations on the issuance of any class or series of preferred stock ranking senior to or on a parity with the series of preferred stock as to dividend rights and rights if we liquidate, dissolve or wind up our affairs; and |
| ● | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the preferred stock. |
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
We may issue debt securities, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. When we offer to sell debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of any debt securities offered from time to time in a supplement to this prospectus, which may supplement or change the terms outlined below. Senior debt securities will be issued under one or more senior indentures, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between us and a trustee to be named in a prospectus supplement, as amended or supplemented from time to time. Any subordinated debt securities will be issued under one or more subordinated indentures, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between us and a trustee to be named in a prospectus supplement, as amended or supplemented from time to time. The indentures will be subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
Before we issue any debt securities, the form of indentures will be filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or as an exhibit to a current report on Form 8-K. For the complete terms of the debt securities, you should refer to the applicable prospectus supplement and the form of indentures for those particular debt securities. We encourage you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and the form of indenture for those particular debt securities before you purchase any of our debt securities.
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:
| ● | the title; |
| ● | whether or not such debt securities are guaranteed; |
| ● | the principal amount being offered, and if a series, the total amount authorized and the total amount outstanding; |
| ● | any limit on the amount that may be issued; |
| ● | whether or not we will issue the series of debt securities in global form, the terms and who the depositary will be; |
| ● | the maturity date; |
| ● | the annual interest rate, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates; |
| ● | whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt; |
| ● | the terms of the subordination of any series of subordinated debt; |
| ● | the place where payments will be payable; |
| ● | restrictions on transfer, sale or other assignment, if any; |
| ● | our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period; |
| ● | the date, if any, after which, and the price at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions; |
| ● | the date, if any, on which, and the price at which we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable; |
| ● | any restrictions of our ability and/or the ability of our subsidiaries to: |
| ● | incur additional indebtedness; |
| ● | issue additional securities; |
| ● | create liens; |
| ● | pay dividends and make distributions in respect of our capital stock and the capital stock of our subsidiaries; |
| ● | redeem capital stock; |
| ● | place restrictions on our subsidiaries’ ability to pay dividends, make distributions or transfer assets; |
| ● | make investments or other restricted payments; |
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| ● | sell or otherwise dispose of assets; |
| ● | enter into sale-leaseback transactions; |
| ● | engage in transactions with stockholders and affiliates; |
| ● | issue or sell stock of our subsidiaries; or |
| ● | effect a consolidation or merger; |
| ● | whether the indenture will require us to maintain any interest coverage, fixed charge, cash flow-based, asset-based or other financial ratios; |
| ● | a discussion of any material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the debt securities; |
| ● | information describing any book-entry features; |
| ● | provisions for a sinking fund purchase or other analogous fund, if any; |
| ● | the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities; |
| ● | the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars; and |
| ● | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, including any additional events of default or covenants provided with respect to the debt securities, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations. |
The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and any related warrant agreement and warrant certificate. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the specific terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement which includes this prospectus.
General
We may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or together with common stock, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from common stock. We may issue the warrants under warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all as described in the prospectus supplement. If we issue the warrants under warrant agreements, the warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.
While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below:
| ● | the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered; |
| ● | if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security; |
| ● | if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable; |
| ● | in the case of warrants to purchase common stock, the number or amount of shares of common stock purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which and currency in which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise; |
| ● | the manner of exercise of the warrants, including any cashless exercise rights; |
| ● | the warrant agreement under which the warrants will be issued; |
| ● | the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreement and the warrants; |
| ● | anti-dilution provisions of the warrants, if any; |
| ● | the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants; |
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| ● | any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| ● | the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire or, if the warrants are not continuously exercisable during that period, the specific date or dates on which the warrants will be exercisable; |
| ● | the manner in which the warrant agreement and warrants may be modified; |
| ● | the identities of the warrant agent and any calculation or other agent for the warrants; |
| ● | federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants; |
| ● | the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| ● | any securities exchange or quotation system on which the warrants or any securities deliverable upon exercise of the warrants may be listed or quoted; and |
| ● | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants. |
Before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such exercise, including:
| ● | in the case of warrants to purchase common stock the right to receive dividends, if any, or, payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise voting rights, if any. |
Exercise of Warrants
Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement at the exercise price that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement. Holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.
Holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants by delivering the warrant certificate representing the warrants to be exercised together with specified information, and paying the required exercise price by the methods provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. We will set forth on the reverse side of the warrant certificate, and in the applicable prospectus supplement, the information that the holder of the warrant will be required to deliver to the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement.
Upon receipt of the required payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue and deliver the securities purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, then we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining amount of warrants.
Enforceability of Rights By Holders of Warrants
Any warrant agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A single bank or trust company may act as warrant agent for more than one issue of warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate legal action the holder’s right to exercise, and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of, its warrants in accordance with their terms.
Warrant Agreement Will Not Be Qualified Under Trust Indenture Act
No warrant agreement will be qualified as an indenture, and no warrant agent will be required to qualify as a trustee, under the Trust Indenture Act. Therefore, holders of warrants issued under a warrant agreement will not have the protection of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to their warrants.
Governing Law
Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, each warrant agreement and any warrants issued under the warrant agreements will be governed by New York law.
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We may issue rights to purchase our common stock or preferred stock, in one or more series. Rights may be issued independently or together with any other offered security and may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the subscription rights. In connection with any rights offering to our stockholders, we may enter into a standby underwriting arrangement with one or more underwriters pursuant to which such underwriters will purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed after such rights offering. In connection with a rights offering to our stockholders, we will distribute certificates evidencing the rights and a prospectus supplement to our stockholders on the record date that we set for receiving rights in such rights offering. The applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will describe the following terms of rights in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered:
| ● | the title of such rights; |
| ● | the securities for which such rights are exercisable; |
| ● | the exercise price for such rights; |
| ● | the date of determining the security holders entitled to the rights distribution; |
| ● | the number of such rights issued to each security holder; |
| ● | the extent to which such rights are transferable; |
| ● | if applicable, a discussion of the material United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the issuance or exercise of such rights; |
| ● | the date on which the right to exercise such rights shall commence, and the date on which such rights shall expire (subject to any extension); |
| ● | the conditions to completion of the rights offering; |
| ● | any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the rights; |
| ● | the extent to which such rights include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities; |
| ● | if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or other purchase arrangement that we may enter into in connection with the rights offering; and |
| ● | any other terms of such rights, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such rights. |
Each right will entitle the holder thereof the right to purchase for cash such amount of shares of common stock or preferred stock, or any combination thereof, at such exercise price as shall in each case be set forth in, or be determinable as set forth in, the prospectus supplement relating to the rights offered thereby. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for such rights set forth in the prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights will become void. Rights may be exercised as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the rights offered thereby. Upon receipt of payment and the proper completion and due execution of the rights certificate at the office of the rights agent, if any, or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will forward, as soon as practicable, the shares of common stock and/or preferred stock purchasable upon such exercise. We may determine to offer any unsubscribed offered securities directly to persons other than stockholders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby underwriting arrangements, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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We may issue units comprised of one or more of the other securities described in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder, with the rights and obligations of a holder, of each security included in the unit. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date or upon the occurrence of a specified event or occurrence.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe:
| ● | the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
| ● | any unit agreement under which the units will be issued; |
| ● | any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and |
| ● | whether the units will be issued in fully registered or global form. |
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We may sell the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus to or through underwriters, through dealers, through agents, or directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of these methods. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including:
| ● | the name or names of any underwriters, if any, and if required, any dealers or agents; |
| ● | the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds we will receive from the sale; |
| ● | any underwriting discounts and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation; |
| ● | any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and |
| ● | any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed or traded. |
We may distribute the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at:
| ● | a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
| ● | market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
| ● | prices related to such prevailing market prices; or |
| ● | negotiated prices. |
Sales Through Underwriters or Dealers
Only underwriters named in the prospectus supplement are underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement.
If underwriters are used in an offering, we will execute an underwriting agreement with such underwriters and will specify the name of each underwriter and the terms of the transaction (including any underwriting discounts and other terms constituting compensation of the underwriters and any dealers) in a prospectus supplement. The securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or directly by one or more investment banking firms or others, as designated. If an underwriting syndicate is used, the managing underwriter(s) will be specified on the cover of the prospectus supplement. If underwriters are used in the sale, the offered securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own accounts and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time. Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the offered securities will be subject to conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the offered securities, if any are purchased.
We may grant to the underwriters options to purchase additional securities to cover over-allotments, if any, at the public offering price, with additional underwriting commissions or discounts, as may be set forth in a related prospectus supplement. The terms of any over-allotment option will be set forth in the prospectus supplement for those securities.
If we use a dealer in the sale of the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, we will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. The names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction will be specified in a prospectus supplement.
Direct Sales and Sales Through Agents
We may sell the securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions we will pay the agent in the prospectus supplement. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, any agent will act on a best-efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
We may sell the securities directly to institutional investors or others who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sale of those securities. The terms of any such sales will be described in the prospectus supplement.
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Delayed Delivery Contracts
We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the prospectus supplement.
General Information
In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the securities for whom they act as agents, in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities, and any institutional investors or others that purchase securities directly for the purpose of resale or distribution, may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the common stock by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.
We may provide agents, underwriters and other purchasers with indemnification against particular civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents, underwriters or other purchasers may make with respect to such liabilities. Agents and underwriters may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.
To facilitate the public offering of a series of securities, persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the market price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involves the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than have been sold to them by us. In those circumstances, such persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by purchasing in the open market or by exercising the over-allotment option granted to those persons. In addition, those persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to underwriters or dealers participating in any such offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Such transactions, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time. We make no representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above, if implemented, may have on the price of our securities.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, any common stock sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement will be eligible for listing on the NYSE American, subject to official notice of issuance. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold by us for public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice.
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The validity of the issuance of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by FLANGAS LAW GROUP. Any underwriters will also be advised about the validity of the securities and other legal matters by their own counsel, which will be named in the prospectus supplement.
The consolidated balance sheets of China Pharma Holdings, Inc. and the subsidiaries as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”), incorporated in this prospectus by reference to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, have been so incorporated in reliance upon the report of BF Borgers CPA, P.C., an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC. Certain information in the registration statement has been omitted from this prospectus in accordance with the rules of the SEC. We are subject to the information requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and, in accordance therewith, file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Such annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information are available at the website of the SEC at https://www.sec.gov.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The following documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated by reference in this prospectus:
| ● | Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, filed on March 30, 2023; |
| ● | Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023, filed on November 13, 2023; |
| ● | Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2023, filed on August 14, 2023; |
| ● | Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2023, filed on May 12, 2023; |
| ● | Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed on March 29, 2023, April 20, 2023, October 3, 2023, December 19, 2023 and December 21, 2023; |
| ● | Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on November 7, 2023; |
| ● | The description of China Pharma’s securities contained in Exhibit 4.2 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 30, 2022; and |
| ● | All of our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of the initial registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. |
All documents subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, after the date of this prospectus and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered herein have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be part of this prospectus from the respective dates of filing of such documents. Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes hereof or of the related prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which is also incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in the prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus. You may request a copy of these filings by written or oral request, excluding the exhibits to such filings which we have not specifically incorporated by reference in such filings, at no cost, by writing us at China Pharma Holdings, Inc., 2nd Floor, No. 17, Jinpan Road, Haikou, Hainan Province, China, or calling us at 86-10-898-66811730.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should only rely on the information or representations contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide information other than that provided in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of the document.
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PROSPECTUS
CHINA PHARMA HOLDINGS, INC.
$50,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Rights
Units
The date of this prospectus is February 6, 2024.
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
ITEM 14. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION
The estimated expenses payable by the Registrant in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered are as follows:
| SEC Registration Fee | $ | 738 | |
| Legal Fees and Expenses* | * | ||
| Accounting Fees and Expenses* | * | ||
| Printing and miscellaneous Expenses* | * | ||
| Total | $ | 738 |
| * | Estimated expenses are presently not known and cannot be estimated. |
ITEM 15. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
The Nevada Revised Statutes permits our board of directors to indemnify any person against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding in which such person is made a party by reason of his or her being or having been a director, officer, employee, or agent of us, or serving or having served, at our request, as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, in terms sufficiently broad to permit such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act. The statute provides that indemnification pursuant to its provisions is not exclusive of other rights of indemnification to which a person may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.
We have adopted provisions in our Articles of Incorporation, as amended from time to time that limit or eliminate the personal liability of our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended, and against all expenses and liabilities reasonably incurred in connection with their service for or on behalf of the company.
At present, we are not aware of any pending or threatened litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors, officer, employees or agents in which indemnification would be required or permitted. We believe provisions in our articles of incorporation are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.
In any underwriting agreement we enter into in connection with the sale of common stock and warrants being registered hereby, the underwriters will agree to indemnify, under certain conditions, us, our directors, our officers and persons who control us within the meaning of the Securities Act, against certain liabilities.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the Company has been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
II-1
Item 16. Exhibits
| Exhibit | ||
| Number | Description of Document | |
| 1.1* | Form of underwriting agreement with respect to common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, rights and/or units. | |
| 4.1* | Specimen of Common Stock Certificate. | |
| 4.2* | Form of Preferred Stock Certificate. | |
| 4.3 | Form of Indenture | |
| 4.4* | Form of warrant agreement and warrant certificate. | |
| 4.5* | Form of unit agreement and unit certificate. | |
| 4.6* | Form of Rights Certificate. | |
| 5.1*** | Opinion of FLANGAS LAW GROUP as to the legality of the securities being registered. | |
| 23.1*** | Consent of FLANGAS LAW GROUP (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
| 23.2*** | Consent of BF Borgers CPA, P.C., an independent registered accounting firm. | |
| 24.1*** | Power of Attorney | |
| 25.1** | Form T-1 Statement of Eligibility of Trustee | |
| 107*** | Filing Fee Table |
| * | To be filed, if necessary, by amendment or as an exhibit to a document to be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement. |
| ** | To be filed, if necessary, pursuant to Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, by amendment or as an exhibit to a document to be incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement. |
| *** | Previously filed. |
ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
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(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(A) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in this Registration Statement; and
(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of this Registration Statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free-writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free-writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, as amended, may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(d) The undersigned registrant hereby further undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this Registration Statement in reliance under Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4), or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in Hainan, PRC on February 6, 2024.
| Date: February 6, 2024 | CHINA PHARMA HOLDINGS, INC. | |
| By: | /s/ Zhilin Li | |
| Name: | Zhilin Li | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| (principal executive officer) | ||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement and the foregoing Power of Attorney have been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Zhilin Li | Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer | February 6, 2024 | ||
| Zhilin Li | (principal executive officer) and Interim Chief Financial Officer |
|||
| /s/ * | Director | February 6, 2024 | ||
| Heung Mei Tsui | ||||
| /s/ * | Director | February 6, 2024 | ||
| Gene Michael Bennett | ||||
| /s/ * | Director | February 6, 2024 | ||
| Yingwen Zhang | ||||
| /s/ * | Director | February 6, 2024 | ||
| Baowen Dong |
| * By: | /s/ Zhilin Li | |
| Zhilin Li | ||
| Attorney-in-fact |
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Exhibit 4.3
INDENTURE
Dated as of ____________, 20__
Between
China Pharma Holdings, Inc.
as Issuer
And
[__________________________],
as Trustee
Debt Securities
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | |||
| ARTICLE I | DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE | 1 | |
| SECTION 1.01. | Definitions | 1 | |
| SECTION 1.02. | Other Definitions | 3 | |
| SECTION 1.03 | Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act | 3 | |
| SECTION 1.04 | Rules of Construction | 3 | |
| ARTICLE II | THE SECURITIES | 4 | |
| SECTION 2.01 | Unlimited in Amount, Issuable in Series, Form and Dating | 4 | |
| SECTION 2.02 | Execution and Authentication | 6 | |
| SECTION 2.03 | Registrar and Paying Agent | 7 | |
| SECTION 2.04 | Paying Agent to Hold Assets in Trust | 7 | |
| SECTION 2.05 | Holder Lists | 7 | |
| SECTION 2.06 | Registration of Transfer and Exchange | 7 | |
| SECTION 2.07 | Replacement Securities | 8 | |
| SECTION 2.08 | Outstanding Securities | 8 | |
| SECTION 2.09 | Treasury Securities | 8 | |
| SECTION 2.10 | Temporary Securities | 8 | |
| SECTION 2.11 | Cancellation | 8 | |
| SECTION 2.12 | CUSIP Numbers | 8 | |
| SECTION 2.13 | Defaulted Interest | 9 | |
| SECTION 2.14 | Special Record Dates | 9 | |
| ARTICLE III | REDEMPTION | 9 | |
| SECTION 3.01 | Notices to Trustee | 9 | |
| SECTION 3.02 | Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed | 9 | |
| SECTION 3.03 | Notice of Redemption | 9 | |
| SECTION 3.04 | Effect of Notice of Redemption | 10 | |
| SECTION 3.05 | Deposit of Redemption Price | 10 | |
| SECTION 3.06 | Securities Redeemed in Part | 10 | |
| ARTICLE IV | COVENANTS | 10 | |
| SECTION 4.01 | Payment of Securities | 10 | |
| SECTION 4.02 | Maintenance of Office or Agency | 10 | |
| SECTION 4.03 | SEC Reports | 11 | |
| SECTION 4.04 | Compliance Certificate | 11 | |
| SECTION 4.05 | Taxes | 11 | |
| SECTION 4.06 | Corporate Existence | 11 | |
| ARTICLE V | MERGER, ETC. | 11 | |
| SECTION 5.01 | When Company May Merge, etc. | 11 | |
| SECTION 5.02 | Successor Corporation Substituted | 12 | |
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| ARTICLE VI | DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES | 12 | |
| SECTION 6.01 | Events of Default | 12 | |
| SECTION 6.02 | Acceleration | 13 | |
| SECTION 6.03 | Other Remedies | 13 | |
| SECTION 6.04 | Wavier of Past Defaults | 13 | |
| SECTION 6.05 | Control by Majority | 13 | |
| SECTION 6.06 | Limitation on Suits | 13 | |
| SECTION 6.07 | Rights of Holders to Receive Payment | 13 | |
| SECTION 6.08 | Collection Suit by Trustee | 14 | |
| SECTION 6.09 | Trustee May File Proofs of Claim | 14 | |
| SECTION 6.10 | Priorities | 14 | |
| SECTION 6.11. | Undertaking for Costs | 14 | |
| ARTICLE VII | TRUSTEE | 14 | |
| SECTION 7.01. | Duties of Trustee | 14 | |
| SECTION 7.03. | Individual Rights of Trustee | 16 | |
| SECTION 7.04. | Trustee’s Disclaimer | 16 | |
| SECTION 7.05. | Notice of Defaults | 16 | |
| SECTION 7.06. | Reports by Trustee to Holders | 16 | |
| SECTION 7.07. | Compensation and Indemnity | 16 | |
| SECTION 7.08. | Replacement of Trustee | 17 | |
| SECTION 7.09. | Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc. | 18 | |
| SECTION 7.10. | Eligibility; Disqualification | 18 | |
| SECTION 7.11. | Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company | 18 | |
| ARTICLE VIII | DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE | 18 | |
| SECTION 8.01. | Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture | 18 | |
| SECTION 8.02. | Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification | 19 | |
| SECTION 8.03. | Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series | 19 | |
| SECTION 8.04. | Covenant Defeasance | 20 | |
| SECTION 8.05. | Repayment to Company | 21 | |
| ARTICLE IX | AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS | 21 | |
| SECTION 9.01. | Without Consent of Holders | 21 | |
| SECTION 9.02. | With Consent of Holders | 21 | |
| SECTION 9.03. | Compliance with Trust Indenture Act | 22 | |
| SECTION 9.04. | Revocation and Effect of Consents | 22 | |
| SECTION 9.05. | Notation on or Exchange of Securities | 22 | |
| SECTION 9.06. | Trustee to Sign Amendment, etc. | 22 | |
| ARTICLE X | MISCELLANEOUS | 22 | |
| SECTION 10.01. | Trust Indenture Act Controls | 22 | |
| SECTION 10.02. | Notices | 22 | |
| SECTION 10.03. | Communication by Holders with Other Holders | 23 | |
| SECTION 10.04. | Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent | 23 | |
| SECTION 10.05. | Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion | 23 | |
| SECTION 10.06. | Rules by Trustee and Agents | 24 | |
| SECTION 10.07. | Legal Holidays | 24 | |
| SECTION 10.08. | Duplicate Originals | 24 | |
| SECTION 10.09. | Governing Law | 24 | |
| SECTION 10.10. | No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements | 24 | |
| SECTION 10.11. | Successors | 24 | |
| SECTION 10.12. | Severability | 24 | |
| SECTION 10.13. | Counterpart Originals | 24 | |
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CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
| Indenture | ||
| TIA Section | Section | |
| Section 310 (a)(1) | 7.10 | |
| (a)(2) | 7.10 | |
| (a)(3) | N.A. | |
| (a)(4) | N.A. | |
| (a)(5) | 7.10 | |
| (b) | 7.08; 7.10 | |
| (c) | N.A. | |
| Section 311 (a) | 7.11 | |
| (b) | 7.11 | |
| (c) | N.A. | |
| Section 312(a) | 2.05 | |
| (b)(1) | N.A. | |
| (b)(2) | 7.06 | |
| (c) | 7.06; 12.02 | |
| (d) | 7.06 | |
| Section 314 (a)(1), (2), (3) | 4.03 | |
| (a)(4) | 4.04 | |
| (b) | N.A. | |
| (c)(1) | 10.04 | |
| (c)(2) | 10.04 | |
| (c)(3) | N.A. | |
| (d) | N.A. | |
| (e) | 10.05 | |
| (f) | N.A. | |
| Section 315 (a) | 7.01(b) | |
| (b) | 7.05; 10.02 | |
| (c) | 7.01(a) | |
| (d) | 7.01(c) | |
| (e) | 6.11 | |
| Section 316(a) (last sentence) | 2.09 | |
| (a)(1)(A) | 6.05 | |
| (a)(1)(B) | 6.04 | |
| (a)(2) | N.A. | |
| (b) | 6.07 | |
| (c) | 9.04 | |
| Section 317 (a)(1) | 6.08 | |
| (a)(2) | 6.09 | |
| (b) | 2.04 | |
| Section 318 (a) | 10.01 |
N.A. means Not Applicable
NOTE: This Cross-Reference Table shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to be a part of the indenture.
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INDENTURE dated as of __________, 20___, between China Pharma Holdings, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), as issuer, and [_______________], a [__________] banking corporation, as Trustee (the “Trustee”).
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness to be issued in one or more series (the “Securities”), as herein provided, up to such principal amount as may from time to time be authorized in or pursuant to one or more resolutions of the Board of Directors or by supplemental indenture.
Each party agrees as follows for the benefit of the other party and for the equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of each series of the Securities:
ARTICLE I
A DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01. Definitions.
“Affiliate” means, when used with reference to the Company or another person, any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with, the Company or such other person, as the case may be. For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified person means the power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies of such person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting Securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “Controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative of the foregoing.
“Agent” means any registrar, Paying Agent, authenticating agent or co-registrar.
“Board of Directors” means, with respect to any person, the Board of Directors of a person or any duly authorized committee of such Board of Directors.
“Board Resolution” means, with respect to any person, a copy of a resolution certified by the secretary or an assistant secretary of such person to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors of such person or any duly authorized committee thereof and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
“Business Day” means a day that is not a Legal Holiday as defined in Section 10.07.
“Company” means the party named as such in this Indenture, or any other obligor under this Indenture, until a successor replaces it pursuant to this Indenture and thereafter means the successor.
“Consolidated” or “consolidated” means, when used with reference to any amount, such amount determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, after the elimination of intercompany items.
“Consolidated Assets” means, at a particular date, all amounts which would be included under total assets on a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries as at such date, determined in accordance with GAAP.
“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate services business shall be principally administered, which office at the date of execution of this Indenture is located at [__________________].
“Default” means any event which is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would be, an Event of Default.
“Event of Default” has the meaning provided in Section 6.01.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended any successor Statute.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are applicable from time to time.
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“Global Security” means a Security issued to evidence all or a part of any series of Securities that is executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee to a depositary or pursuant to such depositary’s instructions, all in accordance with this Indenture and pursuant to Section 2.01, which shall be registered as to principal and interest in the name of such depositary or its nominee.
“Holder” means the person in whose name a Security is registered on the registrar’s books.
“Indebtedness” of a Person means all obligations which would be treated as liabilities upon a balance sheet of such Person prepared on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.
“Indenture” means this Indenture, as amended, supplemented or modified from time to time, and shall include the terms of a particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 2.01.
“Lien” means any lien, security interest, charge or encumbrance of any kind.
“Obligations” means all obligations for principal, premium, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.
“Officer” of any person means the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, the Secretary or the Controller of such person.
“Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed by two Officers or by an Officer and an Assistant Treasurer, Assistant Secretary or Assistant Controller of any person.
“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion from legal counsel who is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee. The counsel may be an employee of or counsel to the Company.
“Original Issue Discount Security” means any Security which provides that an amount less than its principal amount is due and payable upon acceleration after an Event of Default.
“Person” or “person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, association, limited liability company, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
“Redemption Date” means, with respect to any Security to be redeemed, the date fixed for such redemption pursuant to this Indenture.
“Redemption Price” has the meaning provided in Section 3.03.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission and any government agency succeeding to its functions.
“Securities” means the means the securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Series” means a series of Securities established pursuant to this Indenture.
“Subsidiary” of any Person means (i) a corporation a majority of whose capital stock with voting power, under ordinary circumstances, to elect directors is at the time, directly or indirectly, owned by such Person or by such Person and a subsidiary or subsidiaries of such Person or by a subsidiary or subsidiaries of such Person or (ii) any other Person (other than a corporation) in which such Person or such Person and a subsidiary or subsidiaries of such Person or a subsidiary or subsidiaries of such Persons, at the time, directly or indirectly, own at least a majority voting interest under ordinary circumstances.
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“TIA” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (15 U.S. Code Section 77aaa-77bbbb), as in effect on the date of this Indenture; provided, however, that in the event the TIA is amended after such date, “TIA” means, to the extent required by such amendment, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as so amended.
“Trustee” means the party named as such above until a successor becomes such pursuant to this Indenture and thereafter means or includes each party who is then a trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such party, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any series means the Trustee with respect to Securities of that series. If Trustees with respect to different series of Securities are Trustees under this Indenture, nothing herein shall constitute the Trustees co-Trustees of the same trust, and each Trustee shall be the Trustee of a trust separate and apart from any trust administered by any other Trustee with respect to a different series of Securities.
“Trust Officer” means any officer in the corporate trust department of the Trustee or any other officer of the Trustee assigned by the Trustee to administer this Indenture.
“U.S. Government Obligations” means (i) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged or (ii) obligations of a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America and which in either case, are non-callable at the option of the issuer thereof.
SECTION 1.02. Other Definitions.
| Defined in | ||||
| Term | Section | |||
| “Bankruptcy Law” | 6.01 | |||
| “Custodian” | 6.01 | |||
| “Legal Holiday” | 10.07 | |||
| “Paying Agent” | 2.03 | |||
| “Registrar” | 2.03 | |||
SECTION 1.03. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture.
The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:
“indenture Securities” means the Securities;
“indenture Security holder” means a Holder;
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture;
“indenture Trustee” or “institutional Trustee” means the Trustee; and
“obligor” on the Securities means the Company and any other obligor on the indenture Securities.
All other TIA terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by SEC rule have the meanings assigned to them by such definitions.
SECTION 1.04. Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires: (i) a term has the meaning assigned to it; (ii) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP; (iii) “or” is not exclusive; (iv) words in the singular include the plural, and in the plural include the singular; (v) provisions apply to successive events and transactions; and (vi) statements relating to the payment of principal and interest shall include the payment, premium (if any) and interest.
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ARTICLE II
THE SECURITIES
SECTION 2.01. Unlimited in Amount, Issuable in Series, Form and Dating.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. The Securities may be issued in one or more series. There shall be established pursuant to a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate pursuant to authority granted under a Board Resolution or established in one or more indentures supplemental hereto, prior to the issuance of Securities of any series:
(a) The title, ranking and authorized denominations of such Securities;
(b) The aggregate principal amount of such Securities and any limit on such aggregate principal amount;
(c) The price (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof) at which such Securities will be issued and, if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof;
(d) The date or dates, or the method for determining such date or dates, on which the principal of such Securities will be payable;
(e) The rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable), or the method by which such rate or rates shall be determined, at which such Securities will bear interest, if any;
(f) The date or dates, or the method for determining such date or dates, from which any such interest will accrue, the dates on which any such interest will be payable, the record dates for such interest payment dates, or the method by which such dates shall be determined, the persons to whom such interest shall be payable, and the basis upon which interest shall be calculated if other than that of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months;
(g) The place or places where the principal of and interest, if any, on such Securities will be payable, where such Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices or demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Securities and this Indenture may be served;
(h) The period or periods, if any, within which, the price or prices at which and the other terms and conditions upon which such Securities may, pursuant to any optional or mandatory redemption provisions, be redeemed, as a whole or in part, at the option of the Company;
(i) The obligation, if any, of the Company to redeem, repay or purchase such Securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provision or at the option of a holder thereof, and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the other terms and conditions upon which such Securities will be redeemed, repaid or purchased, as a whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
(j) If other than U.S. dollars, the currency or currencies in which such Securities are denominated and payable, which may be a foreign currency or units of two or more foreign currencies or a composite currency or currencies, and the terms and conditions relating thereto;
(k) Whether the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on such Securities may be determined with reference to an index, formula or other method (which index, formula or method may, but need not be, based on the yield on or trading price of other Securities, including United States Treasury Securities, or on a currency, currencies, currency unit or units, or composite currency or currencies) and the manner in which such amounts shall be determined;
4
(l) Whether the principal of or interest on the Securities of the series is to be payable, at the election of the Company or a holder thereof, in a currency or currencies, currency unit or units or composite currency or currencies other than that in which such Securities are denominated or stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made, and the time and manner of, and identity of the exchange rate agent with responsibility for, determining the exchange rate between the currency or currencies, currency unit or units or composite currency or currencies in which such Securities are denominated or stated to be payable and the currency or currencies, currency unit or units or composite currency or currencies in which such Securities are to be so payable;
(m) Provisions, if any, granting special rights to the holders of Securities of the series upon the occurrence of such events as may be specified;
(n) Any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the Events of Default or covenants of the Company with respect to Securities of the series, whether or not such Events of Default or covenants are consistent with the Events of Default or covenants described herein;
(o) Whether and under what circumstances the Company will pay any additional amounts on such Securities in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge and, if so, whether the Company will have the option to redeem such Securities in lieu of making such payment;
(p) Whether Securities of the series are to be issuable as registered Securities, bearer Securities (with or without coupons) or both, any restrictions applicable to the offer, sale or delivery of bearer Securities and the terms upon which bearer Securities of the series may be exchanged for registered Securities of the series and vice versa (if permitted by applicable laws and regulations), whether any Securities of the series are to be issuable initially in temporary global form and whether any Securities of the series are to be issuable in permanent global form with or without coupons and, if so, whether beneficial owners of interests in any such permanent Global Security may exchange such interests for Securities of such series and of like tenor or any authorized form and denomination and the circumstances under which any such exchanges may occur, if other than in the manner provided in this Indenture, and, if registered Securities of the series are to be issuable as a Global Security, the identity of the depositary for such series;
(q) The date as of which any bearer Securities of the series and any temporary Global Security representing outstanding Securities of the series shall be dated if other than the date of original issuance of the first Security of the series to be issued;
(r) The person to whom any interest on any registered Security of the series shall be payable, if other than the person in whose name that Security (or one or more predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest, the manner in which, or the person to whom, any interest on any bearer Security of the series shall be payable, if otherwise than upon presentation and surrender of the coupons appertaining thereto as they severally mature, and the extent to which, or the manner in which, any interest payable on a temporary Global Security on an interest payment date will be paid if other than in the manner provided in this Indenture;
(s) Whether such Securities will be issued in certificated or book entry form;
(t) The applicability, if any, of the legal defeasance and covenant defeasance provisions of this Indenture to the Securities of the series;
(u) If the Securities of such series are to be issuable in definitive form (whether upon original issue or upon exchange of a temporary Security of such series) only upon receipt of certain certificates or other documents or satisfaction of other conditions, then the form and/or terms of such certificates, documents or conditions;
(v) Whether the Securities will be listed for trading on an exchange and the identity of such exchange;
(w) Whether any underwriters will act as market makers for the Securities;
(x) Any guarantees of such Securities by the Company’s Subsidiaries or others;
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(y) The date or dates, if any, after which the Securities may be converted or exchanged into or for shares of the Company’s common stock or another company’s securities or properties or cash and the terms for any such conversion or exchange;
(z) Any other terms of the series.
The Securities of any series shall be substantially of the tenor and purport as set forth in one or more indentures supplemental hereto or as provided in a written order of the Company, in each case with such insertions, omission, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification or designation and such legends or endorsements printed, lithographed or engraved thereon as the Company may deem appropriate and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Indenture, or as may be required to comply with any law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any rule or regulation of any stock exchange on which Securities of that series may be listed or of the depository, or to conform to usage.
The Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication shall be in substantially the following form:
“This is one of the Securities of the series designated in accordance with, and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
Dated:
[____________________], as Trustee
By:
Authorized Signatory”
SECTION 2.02. Execution and Authentication. Two Officers shall sign the Securities for the Company by manual or facsimile signature.
If an Officer whose signature is on a Security no longer holds that office at the time the Security is authenticated, the Security shall be valid nevertheless.
A Security shall not be valid until authenticated by the manual signature of the Trustee. The signature shall be conclusive evidence that the Security has been authenticated under this Indenture.
The Trustee shall authenticate Securities for original issue upon a written order of the Company signed by one Officer of the Company.
The Trustee may appoint an authenticating agent reasonably acceptable to the Company to authenticate Securities. Unless limited by the terms of such appointment, an authenticating agent may authenticate Securities whenever the Trustee may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the Trustee includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has the same rights as an Agent to deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
If the Company shall establish pursuant to Section 2.01 that the Securities of a series are to be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities, then the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver one or more Global Securities that (i) shall represent and shall be denominated in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of all of the Securities of such series to be issued in the form of Global Securities and not yet canceled, (ii) shall be registered in the name of the depositary for such Global Security or Securities or the nominee of such depositary, (iii) shall be delivered by the Trustee to such depositary or pursuant to such depositary’s instructions, and (iv) shall bear a legend substantially to the following effect: “Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for Securities in definitive registered form, this Security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to the nominee of the depositary or by a nominee of the depositary to the depositary or another nominee of the depositary or by the depositary or any such nominee to a successor depositary or a nominee of such successor depositary.”
Each depositary designated pursuant to Section 2.01 must, at the time of its designation and at all times while it services as depositary, be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act.
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SECTION 2.03. Registrar and Paying Agent. The Company shall maintain an office or agency where Securities of a particular series may be presented for registration of transfer or for exchange (the “Registrar”) and an office or agency where Securities may be presented for payment (the “Paying Agent”). The registrar for a particular series of Securities shall keep a register of the Securities of that series and of their transfer and exchange. The Company may appoint one or more co-registrars and one or more additional Paying Agents for each series of Securities. The term “Paying Agent” includes any additional paying agent and the term “Registrar” includes any additional registrar. The Company may change any Paying Agent or registrar without prior notice to any Holder.
The Company shall enter into an appropriate agency agreement with any Agent not a party to this Indenture, which shall incorporate the terms of the TIA and implement the terms of this Indenture which relate to such Agent. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the name and address of any Agent who is not a party to this Indenture. If the Company fails to appoint or maintain another entity as Registrar or Paying Agent, the Trustee shall act as such. The Company or any Affiliate of the Company may act as Paying Agent or Registrar.
The Company hereby initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar and Paying Agent for each series of Securities unless another Registrar or Paying Agent, as the case may be, is appointed prior to the time the Securities of that series are first issued.
SECTION 2.04. Paying Agent to Hold Assets in Trust. The Company shall require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent shall hold in trust for the benefit of Holders or the Trustee all assets held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of and interest on the Securities (whether such money has been paid to it by the Company or any other obligor on the Securities) and shall notify the Trustee of any failure by the Company (or any other obligor on the Securities) in making any such payment. While any such failure continues, the Trustee may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee. Upon payment over to the Trustee, the Paying Agent (if other than the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company) shall have no further liability for the money so paid over to the Trustee. If the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate and hold in a separate trust fund for the benefit of the Holders all money held by it as Paying Agent.
SECTION 2.05. Holder Lists. The Trustee shall preserve in as current a form as is reasonably practicable the most recent list available to it of the names and addresses of Holders, separately by series, and shall otherwise comply with TIA Section 312(a). If the Trustee is not the registrar, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee on or before each interest payment date for the Securities and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing a list in such form and as of such date as the Trustee may reasonably require of the names and addresses of Holders, separately by series, relating to such interest payment date or request, as the case may be.
SECTION 2.06. Registration of Transfer and Exchange. When Securities of a series are presented to the registrar or a co-registrar with a request to register their transfer or to exchange them for an equal principal amount of Securities of other denominations, the registrar or co-registrar shall register the transfer or make the exchange if its requirements for such transaction are met. To permit registrations of transfer and exchanges, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate Securities at the registrar’s or co-registrar’s request. No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with registration, transfer or exchange of Securities other than exchanges pursuant to Section 2.10, 3.06 or 9.05 not involving any transfer.
The registrar or co-registrar shall not be required to register the transfer or exchange of (i) any Security of a particular series selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security of that series being redeemed in part, or (ii) any Security of a particular series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of any selection of Securities of that series for redemption under Section 3.02 and ending at the close of business on the date of selection.
Any Holder of a beneficial interest in a Global Security shall, by acceptance of such beneficial interest, agree that transfers of beneficial interest in such Global Security may be effected only through a book entry system maintained by the holder of such Global Security (or its agent), and that ownership of a beneficial interest in the Security shall be required to be reflected in a book entry system.
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SECTION 2.07. Replacement Securities. If a mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee or if the Holder of a Security claims that the Security has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a replacement Security of the same series if the requirements of the Trustee and the Company are met; provided that, if any such Security has been called for redemption in accordance with the terms thereof, the Trustee may pay the Redemption Price thereof on the Redemption Date without authenticating or replacing such Security. The Trustee or the Company may, in either case, require the Holder to provide an indemnity bond sufficient in the judgment of each of the Trustee and the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee or any Agent from any loss which any of them may suffer if a Security is replaced or if the Redemption Price therefor is paid pursuant to this Section. The Company may charge the Holder who has lost a Security for its expenses in replacing a Security.
Every replacement Security is an obligation of the Company and shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of the same series.
SECTION 2.08. Outstanding Securities. The Securities of any series outstanding at any time are all the Securities of that series authenticated by the Trustee except for those canceled by it, those delivered to it for cancellation and those described in this Section as not outstanding.
If a Security is replaced pursuant to Section 2.07, it ceases to be outstanding and interest ceases to accrue unless the Trustee receives proof satisfactory to it that the replaced Security is held by a bona fide purchaser.
If all principal of and interest on any of the Securities are considered paid under Section 4.01, such Securities shall cease to be outstanding and interest on them shall cease to accrue.
Except as provided in Section 2.09, a Security does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or an Affiliate of the Company holds such Security.
For each series of Original Issue Discount Securities, the principal amount of such Securities that shall be deemed to be outstanding and used to determine whether the necessary Holders have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, shall be the principal amount of such Securities that could be declared to be due and payable upon acceleration upon an Event of Default as of the date of such determination. When requested by the Trustee, the Company will advise the Trustee of such amount, showing its computations in reasonable detail.
SECTION 2.09. Treasury Securities. In determining whether the Holders of the required principal amount of Securities of any series have concurred in any direction, waiver or consent, Securities owned by the Company or an Affiliate of the Company shall be considered as though they are not outstanding, except that for the purposes of determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying on any such direction, waiver or consent, only Securities which such Trustee actually knows are so owned shall be so disregarded.
SECTION 2.10. Temporary Securities. Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and execute and the Trustee shall authenticate temporary Securities. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall prepare and the Trustee shall authenticate definitive Securities in exchange for temporary Securities. Holders of temporary Securities shall be entitled to all of the benefits of this Indenture.
SECTION 2.11. Cancellation. The Company at any time may deliver Securities to the Trustee for cancellation. The Registrar and Paying Agent shall forward to the Trustee any Securities surrendered to them for registration of transfer, exchange, payment or repurchase. The Trustee shall cancel all Securities surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange, payment, repurchase, redemption, replacement or cancellation and shall destroy such Securities (subject to the record retention requirements of the Exchange Act). Certification of the destruction of all cancelled Securities shall be promptly delivered to the Company. The Company may not issue new Securities to replace Securities that it has paid or that have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.
SECTION 2.12. CUSIP Numbers. The Company in issuing the Securities may use “CUSIP” numbers (if then generally in use), and the Trustee shall use CUSIP numbers in notices of redemption or exchange as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice shall state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any such notice and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any change in the CUSIP numbers.
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SECTION 2.13. Defaulted Interest. If the Company fails to make a payment of interest on any series of Securities, it shall pay such defaulted interest plus (to the extent lawful) any interest payable on the defaulted interest, in any lawful manner. It may elect to pay such defaulted interest, plus any such interest payable on it, to the Persons who are Holders of such Securities on which the interest is due on a subsequent special record date. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of defaulted interest proposed to be paid on each such Security. The Company shall fix any such record date and payment date for such payment. At least 15 days before any such record date, the Company shall mail to Holders affected thereby a notice that states the record date, payment date, and amount of such interest to be paid.
SECTION 2.14. Special Record Dates. The Company may, but shall not be obligated to, set a record date for the purpose of determining the identity of Holders entitled to consent to any supplement, amendment or waiver permitted by this Indenture. If a record date is fixed, the Holders of Securities of that series outstanding on such record date, and no other Holders, shall be entitled to consent to such supplement, amendment or waiver or revoke any consent previously given, whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date. No consent shall be valid or effective for more than 90 days after such record date unless consents from Holders of the principal amount of Securities of that series required hereunder for such amendment or waiver to be effective shall have also been given and not revoked within such 90-day period.
ARTICLE III
REDEMPTION
SECTION 3.01. Notices to Trustee. If the Company elects to redeem Securities of any series pursuant to any optional redemption provisions thereof, it shall notify the Trustee of the intended Redemption Date and the principal amount of Securities of that series to be redeemed.
The Company shall give each notice provided for in this Section and an Officers’ Certificate at least 45 days before the Redemption Date (unless a shorter period shall be satisfactory to the Trustee).
SECTION 3.02. Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed. If fewer than all the Securities of any series are to be redeemed, the Trustee shall select the Securities of that series to be redeemed from the outstanding Securities of that series to be redeemed by a method that complies with the requirements of any exchange on which the Securities of that series are listed, or, if the Securities of that series are not listed on an exchange, on a pro rata basis or by lot, which in any case shall be in accordance with a method the Trustee considers fair and appropriate.
Except as otherwise provided as to any particular series of Securities, Securities and portions thereof that the Trustee selects shall be in amounts equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of the series to be redeemed or any integral multiple thereof. Provisions of this Indenture that apply to Securities called for redemption also apply to portions of Securities called for redemption. The Trustee shall notify the Company promptly in writing of the Securities or portions of Securities to be called for redemption.
SECTION 3.03. Notice of Redemption. At least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the Redemption Date, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption by first-class mail to each Holder whose Securities are to be redeemed at the address of such Holder appearing in the register.
The notice shall identify the Securities of the series to be redeemed and shall state:
(1) the Redemption Date;
(2) the redemption price fixed in accordance with the terms of the Securities of the series to be redeemed, plus accrued interest, if any, to the date fixed for redemption (the “Redemption Price”);
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(3) if any Security is being redeemed in part, the portion of the principal amount of such Security to be redeemed and that, after the Redemption Date, upon surrender of such Security, a new Security or Securities in principal amount equal to the unredeemed portion will be issued;
(4) the name and address of the Paying Agent;
(5) that Securities called for redemption must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the Redemption Price;
(6) that, unless the Company defaults in payment of the Redemption Price, interest on Securities called for redemption ceases to accrue on and after the Redemption Date; and
(7) the CUSIP number, if any, of the Securities to be redeemed.
At the Company’s written request, the Trustee shall give the notice of redemption in the Company’s name and at its expense. The notice mailed in the manner herein provided shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given whether or not the Holder receives such notice. In any case, failure to give such notice by mail or any defect in the notice to the Holder of any Security shall not affect the validity of the proceeding for the redemption of any other Security.
SECTION 3.04. Effect of Notice of Redemption. Once notice of redemption is mailed, Securities called for redemption become due and payable on the Redemption Date at the Redemption Price. Upon surrender to the Paying Agent, such Securities shall be paid at the Redemption Price.
SECTION 3.05. Deposit of Redemption Price. On or before the Redemption Date, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee or with the Paying Agent (or if the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company is acting as its own Paying Agent, the Company or such Subsidiary shall segregate and hold in trust) money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price on all Securities to be redeemed on that date other than Securities or portions thereof called for redemption on that date which have been delivered by the Company to the Trustee for cancellation. The Paying Agent shall promptly return to the Company any money not required for that purpose.
SECTION 3.06. Securities Redeemed in Part. Upon surrender of a Security that is redeemed in part, the Company shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate for the Holder at the expense of the Company, a new Security of the same series equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the Security surrendered.
ARTICLE IV
COVENANTS
SECTION 4.01. Payment of Securities. The Company shall pay or cause to be paid the principal of and interest on the Securities on the dates and in the manner provided in this Indenture and the Securities. Principal and interest shall be considered paid on the date due if the Paying Agent, if other than the Company or an Affiliate, holds as of 11:00 a.m., New York time, on that date immediately available funds designated for and sufficient to pay all principal and interest then due. To the extent lawful, the Company shall pay interest on overdue principal and overdue installments of interest at the rate per annum borne by the applicable series of Securities.
SECTION 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Company shall maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, the City of New York, or in [_______________], an office or agency (which may be an office of the Trustee or an affiliate of the Trustee or registrar) where Securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee.
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The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Securities may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of [___________], the City of [___________], or [___________], for such purposes. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
The Company hereby designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as one such office or agency of the Company in accordance with Section 2.03.
SECTION 4.03. SEC Reports. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee within 15 days after it files them with the SEC copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents, and other reports (or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the SEC may by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Company is required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to deliver to the Trustee any materials for which the Company has sought and received confidential treatment by the SEC. The Company also shall comply with the other provisions of TIA Section 314 (a).
SECTION 4.04. Compliance Certificate. The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, an Officers’ Certificate stating that in the course of the performance by the signers of their duties as officers of the Company, they would normally have knowledge of any failure by the Company to comply with all conditions, or default by the Company with respect to any covenants, under this Indenture, and further stating whether or not they have knowledge of any such failure or default and, if so, specifying each such failure or default and the nature thereof. For purposes of this Section, such compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided for in this Indenture. The certificate need not comply with Section 10.04.
SECTION 4.05. Taxes. The Company shall pay prior to delinquency, all material taxes, assessments, and governmental levies except as contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.
SECTION 4.06. Corporate Existence. Subject to Article V hereof, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect (i) its corporate existence and (ii) the material rights (charter and statutory), licenses and franchises of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to preserve any such right, license or franchise if the Board of Directors or management of the Company shall determine that the preservation thereof is no longer in the best interests of the Company, and that the loss thereof is not adverse in any material respect to the Holders.
ARTICLE V
MERGER, ETC.
SECTION 5.01. When Company May Merge, etc. (a) The Company shall not consolidate or merge with or into, or sell, assign, transfer, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets to, any Person unless: (i) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company), or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or disposition has been made, is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; (ii) the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than the Company), or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or disposition has been made, assumes by supplemental indenture satisfactory in form to the Trustee all the obligations of the Company under the Securities and this Indenture; and (iii) immediately after such transaction, and giving effect thereto, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may merge with another Person or acquire by purchase or otherwise all or any part of the property or assets of any other corporation or Person in a transaction in which the surviving entity is the Company.
(b) In connection with any consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer or lease contemplated by this Section 5.01, the Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that such consolidation, merger, sale, assignment, transfer or lease and the supplemental indenture in respect thereof comply with Article V and the TIA and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.
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SECTION 5.02. Successor Corporation Substituted. Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all the assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.01, the successor corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such sale, assignment, transfer, lease, conveyance or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor corporation had been named as the Company herein. In the event of any such sale or conveyance, but not any such lease, the Company or any successor corporation which thereafter shall have become such in the manner described in this Article V shall be discharged from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and the Securities and may be dissolved, wound up or liquidated.
ARTICLE VI
DEFAULTS AND REMEDIES
SECTION 6.01. Events of Default. An “Event of Default” occurs with respect to Securities of any particular series, unless in the establishing Board Resolutions, Officers’ Certificate or supplemental indenture hereto, it is provided that such series shall not have the benefit of any such Event of Default, when any of the following occurs:
(i) the Company defaults in the payment of interest on any Security of that series when it becomes due and payable and such default continues for a period of 30 days;
(ii) the Company defaults in the payment of the principal of any Security of that series when the same becomes due and payable at maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise;
(iii) the Company fails to comply with any of its other agreements or covenants in, or provisions of, the Securities of that series or this Indenture and the Default continues for the period and after the notice specified below;
(iv) the Company pursuant to or within the meaning of any Bankruptcy Law: (A) commences a voluntary case or proceeding, (B) consents to the entry of an order for relief against it in an involuntary case or proceeding, (C) consents to the appointment of a Custodian of it or for all or substantially all of its property, or (D) makes a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or
(v) a court of competent jurisdiction enters an order or decree under any Bankruptcy Law that: (A) is for relief against the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding, (B) appoints a Custodian for the Company or for all or substantially all of the Company’s property, or (C) orders the liquidation of the Company;
and in case of (v) the order or decree remains unstayed and in effect for 60 days.
The term “Bankruptcy Law” means Title 11 of the U.S. Code or any similar Federal or state law for the relief of debtors. The term “Custodian” means any receiver, Trustee, assignee, liquidator, sequestrator or similar official under any Bankruptcy Law.
A Default under clause (iii) of this Section 6.01 is not an Event of Default with respect to a particular series of Securities until the Trustee notifies the Company in writing, or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that series notify the Company and the Trustee, in writing, of the Default, and the Company does not cure the Default within 30 days after receipt of the notice. The notice must specify the Default, demand that it be remedied and state that the notice is a “Notice of Default”.
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SECTION 6.02. Acceleration. If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (iv) or (v) of Section 6.01) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% of the principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that series, by written notice to the Company may declare due and payable 100% of the principal amount (or, in the case of Original Issue Discount Securities, such lesser amount as may be provided for in such Securities) of the Securities of that series plus any accrued interest to the date of payment. Upon a declaration of acceleration, such principal (or such lesser amount) and accrued interest to the date of payment shall be due and payable. If an Event of Default specified in clause (iv) or (v) of Section 6.01 occurs, all unpaid principal and accrued interest on the Securities shall become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder.
The Holders of a majority of the outstanding principal amount of the Securities of that series by written notice to the Trustee may rescind an acceleration and its consequences if (i) all existing Events of Default other than the nonpayment of principal (or such lesser amount) of or interest on the Securities of that series which have become due solely because of the acceleration, have been cured or waived and (ii) the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction.
SECTION 6.03. Other Remedies. If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to any series of Securities, the Trustee may pursue any available remedy by proceeding at law or in equity to collect the payment of principal of or interest on the Securities of that series or to enforce the performance of any provision of the Securities of that series or this Indenture.
The Trustee may maintain a proceeding even if it does not possess any of the Securities or does not produce any of them in the proceeding. A delay or omission by the Trustee or any Holder in exercising any right or remedy accruing upon the Event of Default shall not impair the right or remedy or constitute a waiver of or acquiescence in the Event of Default. No remedy is exclusive of any other remedy. All remedies are cumulative to the extent permitted by law.
SECTION 6.04. Waiver of Past Defaults. Subject to Sections 6.07 and 9.02, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any series by notice to the Trustee may waive an existing Default or Event of Default and its consequences with respect to that series, except a Default in the nonpayment of the principal of or interest on any Security of that series (provided, however, that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from such acceleration) . When a Default or Event of Default is waived, it is cured and ceases.
SECTION 6.05. Control by Majority. The Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on it. However, the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture, that the Trustee determines may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of other Holders or that may involve the Trustee in personal liability. The Trustee may take any other action which it deems proper which is not inconsistent with any such direction.
SECTION 6.06. Limitation on Suits. A Holder of Securities of any series may not pursue a remedy with respect to this Indenture or the Securities of that series unless: (i) the Holder gives to the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to such series; (ii) the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that series make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy; (iii) such Holder or Holders offer to the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any loss, liability, cost or expense; (iv) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and (v) during such 60-day period the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that series do not give the Trustee a direction inconsistent with the request.
A Holder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder or to obtain a preference or priority over another Holder.
SECTION 6.07. Rights of Holders To Receive Payment. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Security to receive payment of principal of or interest, if any, on the Security on or after the respective due dates expressed or provided for in the Security, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the Holder.
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SECTION 6.08. Collection Suit by Trustee. If an Event of Default specified in Section 6.01(i) or (ii) occurs and is continuing with respect to Securities of any series, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as Trustee of an express trust against the Company for the whole amount of principal (or such portion of the principal as may be specified as due upon acceleration at that time in the terms of that series of Securities) and accrued interest, if any, remaining unpaid on the outstanding Securities of that series, together with (to the extent lawful) interest on overdue principal and interest, and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and, to the extent lawful, expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07.
SECTION 6.09. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee and the Holders allowed in any judicial proceeding relative to the Company (or any other obligor upon the Securities), its creditors or its property and shall be entitled and empowered to participate as a member, voting or otherwise, of any official committee of creditors appointed in such matter and to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same, and any custodian in any such judicial proceedings is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
SECTION 6.10. Priorities. If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article VI, it shall pay out the money in the following order:
FIRST: to the Trustee, its agents and attorneys for amounts due under Section 7.07, including payment of all compensation, expense and liabilities incurred, and all advances made by the Trustee and the costs and expenses of collection;
SECOND: to Holders of any particular series of Securities for amounts due and unpaid on the Securities of such series for principal and interest, if any, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on the Securities of such series for principal and interest, respectively; and
THIRD: to the Company or any other obligors on the Securities of that series, as their interests may appear, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
The Trustee, upon prior written notice to the Company, may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section 6.10. The Trustee shall notify the Company in writing reasonably in advance of any such record date and payment date.
SECTION 6.11. Undertaking for Costs. In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as a Trustee, a court in its discretion may require the filing by any party litigant in the suit of an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court in its discretion may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.11 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.07 or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Securities of that series.
ARTICLE VII
TRUSTEE
SECTION 7.01. Duties of Trustee. (a) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
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(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default: (1) the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in this Indenture or the TIA, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee and (2) in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture. However, in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provision hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall examine the certificates and opinions to determine whether or not, on their face, they conform to the requirements of this Indenture.
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct except that: (1) this paragraph does not limit the effect of paragraph (b) of this Section 7.01, (2) the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Trust Officer or other officer, unless it is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts and (3) the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in accordance with a direction received by it pursuant to Section 6.05.
(d) Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (e) of this Section 7.01.
(e) No provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or incur any liability. The Trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any right or power unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability, cost or expense (including, without limitation, reasonable fees of counsel).
(f) The Trustee shall not be obligated to pay interest on any money or other assets received by it unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Company. Assets held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.
SECTION 7.02. Rights of Trustee. Subject to Section 7.01:
(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely on any document (whether in its original or facsimile form) reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document. The Trustee shall receive and retain financial reports and statements of the Company as provided herein, but shall have no duty to review or analyze such reports or statements to determine compliance under covenants or other obligations of the Company.
(b) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate and/or an Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on an Officers’ Certificate or Opinion of Counsel.
(c) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and shall not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers, unless the Trustee’s conduct constitutes willful misconduct or negligence.
(e) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection, and the advice or opinion of counsel with respect to legal matters relating to this Indenture and the Securities shall be full and complete authorization and protection from liability in respect of any action taken, omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice or opinion of such counsel.
(f) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Trust Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture.
(g) The rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and to each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder.
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(h) The Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the Holders pursuant to the provisions of this Indenture, unless such Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which may be incurred therein or thereby.
(i) Whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence be herein specifically prescribed) may request, and in the absence of bad faith or willful misconduct on its part, rely upon an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel.
(j) The Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting for the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such times to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded.
SECTION 7.03. Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and may otherwise deal with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. However, the Trustee is subject to Sections 7.10 and 7.11.
SECTION 7.04. Trustee’s Disclaimer. The Trustee makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Securities, it shall not be accountable for the Company’s use of the proceeds from the Securities and it shall not be responsible for any statement in the Securities other than its certificate of authentication.
SECTION 7.05. Notice of Defaults. If a Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of any series occurs and is continuing, and if it is known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall mail to Holders a notice of the Default or Event of Default within 90 days after the occurrence thereof. Except in the case of a Default or Event of Default in payment of any such Security, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as it in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests of the Holders.
SECTION 7.06. Reports by Trustee to Holders. The Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports concerning the Trustee and its actions under this Indenture as may be required by TIA Section 3.13 at the times and in the manner provided by the TIA, which shall initially be not less than every twelve months commencing on and may be dated as of a date up to 75 days prior to such transmission.
A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to Holders shall be filed with the SEC, if required, and each stock exchange, if any, on which the Securities are listed. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee when the Securities of any series are listed on any stock exchange.
SECTION 7.07. Compensation and Indemnity. The Company shall be liable for paying to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for its acceptance of this Indenture and services hereunder as the Company and the Trustee shall from time to time agree in writing. The Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a trustee of an express trust. The Company shall be liable for reimbursing the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred or made by it, including costs of collection, costs of preparing and reviewing reports, certificates and other documents, costs of preparation and mailing of notices to Securityholders and reasonable costs of counsel retained by the Trustee in connection with the delivery of an Opinion of Counsel or otherwise, in addition to the compensation for its services. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee’s agents, counsel, accountants and experts. The Company shall indemnify the Trustee against any and all loss, liability, damages, claims or expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by it without negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part in connection with the administration of this trust and the performance of its duties hereunder, including the costs and expense of enforcing this Indenture (including this Section 7.07) and of defending itself against any claims (whether asserted by any Securityholder, the Company or otherwise). Failure by the Trustee to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of its obligations hereunder. The Company shall defend the claim, and the Trustee shall provide reasonable cooperation at the Company’s expense in the defense. The Trustee may have separate counsel and the Company shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel, provided that the Company shall not be required to pay such fees and expenses if it assumes the Trustee’s defense, and, in the reasonable judgment of outside counsel to the Trustee, there is no conflict of interest between the Company and the Trustee in connection with such defense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company need not reimburse any expense or indemnify against any loss, liability or expense which is finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been incurred by the Trustee through the Trustee’s own willful misconduct, negligence or bad faith.
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To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee shall have a lien prior to the Securities on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee other than money or property held in trust to pay principal of and interest on particular Securities. Such lien shall survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture. The Trustee’s right to receive payment of any amounts due under this Section 7.07 shall not be subordinate to any other liability or Indebtedness of the Company.
The Company’s and the Subsidiary Guarantors’ payment obligations pursuant to this Section shall survive the discharge of this Indenture. When the Trustee incurs expenses after the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in clause (iv) or clause (v) of Section 6.01 with respect to the Company, the expenses are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any Bankruptcy Law.
SECTION 7.08. Replacement of Trustee. A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee shall become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section 7.08.
The Trustee may resign and be discharged from the trust hereby created with respect to one or more or all series of Securities by so notifying the Company in writing. The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of any series may remove the Trustee with respect to that series by so notifying the Trustee and the Company in writing. The Company may remove the Trustee with respect to one or more or all series of Securities if: (i) the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10 or TIA Section 310; (ii) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent or an order for relief is entered with respect to the Trustee under any Bankruptcy Law; (iii) a Custodian or public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or (iv) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.
If, as to any series of Securities, the Trustee resigns or is removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of the Trustee for any reason, the Company shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee for that series of Securities. The Trustee shall be entitled to payment of its fees and reimbursement of its expenses while acting as Trustee. Within one year after the successor Trustee takes office, the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of then outstanding Securities of that series may appoint a successor Trustee to replace the successor Trustee appointed by the Company.
Any Holder of Securities of that series may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee if the Trustee fails to comply with Section 7.10.
A successor Trustee as to any series of Securities shall deliver a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company. Thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture. The Company shall mail a notice of the successor Trustee’s succession to the Holders. The retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.07. Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 7.08, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 hereof shall continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee with respect to expenses, losses and liabilities incurred by it prior to such replacement.
In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more (but not all) series, the Company, the retiring Trustee and each successor Trustee with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall execute and deliver an indenture supplemental hereto wherein each successor Trustee shall accept such appointment and which (1) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates, (2) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or desirable to confirm that all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series as to which the retiring Trustee is not retiring shall continue to be vested in the retiring Trustee, and (3) shall add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary or desirable to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one Trustee; provided, however, that nothing herein or in such supplemental indenture shall constitute such Trustees to be co-Trustees of the same trust and that each such Trustee shall be Trustee of a trust hereunder separate and apart from any trust hereunder administered by any other such Trustee.
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Upon the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein and each such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee with respect to the Securities of that or those series to which the appointment of such successor Trustee relates.
SECTION 7.09. Successor Trustee by Merger, Etc. Subject to Section 7.10, if the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation or national banking association, the successor entity without any further act shall be the successor Trustee as to that series of Securities.
SECTION 7.10. Eligibility; Disqualification. Each series of Securities shall always have a Trustee who satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(a) (1), (2) and (5). The Trustee as to any series of Securities shall always have a combined capital and surplus of at least $100 million as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition. The Trustee is subject to TIA Section 310(b).
SECTION 7.11. Preferential Collection of Claims Against the Company. The Trustee is subject to TIA Section 311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311 (b). A Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section 311(a) to the extent indicated therein.
ARTICLE VIII
DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE
SECTION 8.01. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture. This Indenture shall cease to be of further effect (except as to any surviving rights of registration of transfer or exchange of Securities herein expressly provided for), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when
(a) either
(i) all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than Securities that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced or paid) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation; or
(ii) all such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation
(1) have become due and payable, or
(2) will become due and payable at their stated maturity within one year, or
(3) are to be called for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the Trustee in the name, and at the expense, of the Company, or
(4) are deemed paid and discharged pursuant to Section 8.03, as applicable;
and the Company, in the case of (1), (2) or (3) above, has deposited or caused to be deposited with the Trustee as trust funds in trust an amount sufficient for the purpose of paying and discharging the entire indebtedness on such Securities not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, for principal and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of Securities which have become due and payable on or prior to the date of such deposit) or to the stated maturity or redemption date, as the case may be;
(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company; and
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(c) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture have been complied with.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, the obligations of the Company to the Trustee under Section 7.07, and, if money shall have been deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (a) of this Section or if money or obligations shall have been deposited with or received by the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.03, the obligations of the Trustee under Section 8.02 and Section 8.05 shall survive.
SECTION 8.02. Application of Trust Funds; Indemnification.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 8.05, all money deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.01, all money and U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.03 or 8.04 and all money received by the Trustee in respect of U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee pursuant to Section 8.03 or 8.04, shall be held in trust and applied by it, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities and this Indenture, to the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent (including the Company acting as its own Paying Agent) as the Trustee may determine, to the persons entitled thereto, of the principal and interest for whose payment such money has been deposited with or received by the Trustee or to make mandatory sinking fund payments or analogous payments as contemplated by Sections 8.03 and 8.04.
(b) The Company shall pay and shall indemnify the Trustee against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against U.S. Government Obligations deposited pursuant to Sections 8.03 or 8.04 or the interest and principal received in respect of such obligations other than any payable by or on behalf of Holders.
(c) The Trustee shall deliver or pay to the Company from time to time upon the request of the Company any U.S. Government Obligations or money held by it as provided in Sections 8.03 or 8.04 which, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, are then in excess of the amount thereof which then would have been required to be deposited for the purpose for which such U.S. Government Obligations or money were deposited or received. This provision shall not authorize the sale by the Trustee of any U.S. Government Obligations held under this Indenture.
SECTION 8.03. Legal Defeasance of Securities of any Series. Unless this Section 8.03 is otherwise specified to be inapplicable to Securities of any series, the Company shall be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness on all the outstanding Securities of any such series on the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (a) hereof, and the provisions of this Indenture, as it relates to such outstanding Securities of such series, shall no longer be in effect (and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall, upon the request of the Company, execute proper instruments acknowledging the same), except as to:
(i) the rights of Holders of Securities of such series to receive, from the trust funds described in subparagraph (d) hereof, (x) payment of the principal of an each installment of principal of or interest on the outstanding Securities of such series on the stated maturity of such principal of or interest and (y) the benefit of any mandatory sinking fund payments applicable to the Securities of such series on the day on which such payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of this Indenture and the Securities of such series;
(ii) the Company’s obligations with respect to such Securities of such series under Sections 2.03, 2.06 and 2.07; and
(iii) the rights, powers, trust and immunities of the Trustee hereunder and the duties of the Trustee under Section 8.02 and the duty of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series issued on registration of transfer of exchange;
provided that, the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(a) the Company shall have deposited or caused to be deposited irrevocably with the Trustee as trust funds in trust for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as Security for and dedicated solely to the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in U.S. Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof, in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay and discharge each installment of principal (including mandatory sinking fund or analogous payments) of and interest, if any, on all the Securities of such series on the dates such installments of interest or principal are due;
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(b) such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture;
(c) no Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series shall have occurred on the date of such deposit and 91 days shall have passed after the deposit has been made, and, during such 91 day period, no Default specified in Section 6.0l(iv) or (v) with respect to the Company occurs which is continuing at the end of such period;
(d) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (i) the Company has received from, or there has been published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (ii) since the date of execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable Federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such Opinion of Counsel shall confirm that, the Holders of the Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to Federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred;
(e) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating that the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such series over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company;
(f) such deposit shall not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), or such trust shall be qualified under such Act or exempt from regulation thereunder; and
(g) the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
SECTION 8.04. Covenant Defeasance. Unless this Section 8.04 is otherwise inapplicable to Securities of any series, on and after the 91st day after the date of the deposit referred to in subparagraph (a) hereof, the Company may omit to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth under Sections 4.03, 4.04 and 4.05 as well as any additional covenants contained in a supplemental indenture hereto for a particular series of Securities or a Board Resolution or an Officers’ Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 2.01 (and the failure to comply with any such provisions shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default under Section 6.01) and the occurrence of any event described in clause (e) of Section 6.01 shall not constitute a Default or Event of Default hereunder, with respect to the Securities of such series, provided that the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(a) With reference to this Section 8.04, the Company has deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited (except as provided in Section 8.03) with the Trustee as trust funds in trust, specifically pledged as Security for, and dedicated solely to, the benefit of the Holders of such Securities, cash in U.S. Dollars and/or U.S. Government Obligations which through the payment of interest and principal in respect thereof, in accordance with their terms, will provide (and without reinvestment and assuming no tax liability will be imposed on such Trustee), not later than one day before the due date of any payment of money, an amount in cash, sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants expressed in a written certification thereof delivered to the Trustee, to pay principal and interest, if any, on and any mandatory sinking fund in respect of the Securities of such series on the dates such installments of interest or principal are due;
(b) Such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, this Indenture;
(c) No Default or Event of Default with respect to the Securities of such series shall have occurred on the date of such deposit and 91 days shall have passed after the deposit has been made, and, during such 91 day period, no Default specified in Section 6.01(iv) or (v) with respect to the Company occurs which is continuing at the end of such period;
(d) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel confirming that Holders of the Securities of such series will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not Occurred;
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(e) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate stating the deposit was not made by the Company with the intent of preferring the Holders of the Securities of such series over any other creditors of the Company or with the intent of defeating, hindering, delaying or defrauding any other creditors of the Company; and
(f) The Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the defeasance contemplated by this Section have been complied with.
SECTION 8.05. Repayment to Company. The Trustee and the Paying Agent shall pay to the Company upon request any money held by them for the payment of principal or interest that remains unclaimed for two years after the date upon which such payment shall have become due. After payment to the Company, Holders entitled to the money must look to the Company for payment as general creditors unless an applicable abandoned property law designates another Person.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS
SECTION 9.01. Without Consent of Holders. The Company and the Trustee may amend this Indenture or the Securities without the consent of any Holder: (i) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency or make any change required to qualify the indenture under the TIA, provided that such change does not adversely affect the rights hereunder of any Holder in any material respect; (ii) to comply with Section 5.01; (iii) to provide for uncertificated Securities in addition to certificated Securities; (iv) to make any change that does not adversely affect in any material respect the rights hereunder of any Holder; (v) to add to, change or eliminate any of the provisions of this Indenture in respect of one or more series of Securities, provided, however, that any such addition, change or elimination (A) shall neither (i) apply to any Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provision nor (ii) modify the rights of the holder of any such Security with respect to such provision or (B) shall become effective only when there is no outstanding Security of any series created prior to the execution of such supplemental indenture and entitled to the benefit of such provisions; or (vi) to establish additional series of Securities as permitted by Section 2.01.
SECTION 9.02. With Consent of Holders. The Company and the Trustee as to any series of Securities may amend this Indenture or the Securities of that series or waive compliance in any particular instance with any provision of this Indenture or the Securities of that series, in each case with the written consent of the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the then outstanding Securities of that series.
Without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver under this Section may not: (i) reduce the principal amount of Securities, whose Holders must consent to an amendment or waiver; (ii) reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest on any Security; (iii) change the date on which any Security may be subject to redemption or repurchase, or reduce the redemption or repurchase price therefor; (iv) make any Security payable in currency other than that stated in the Security; or (v) make any change in Section 6.04, 6.07 or this sentence.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof.
An amendment or waiver under this Section which waives, changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of Securities, or which modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series.
The Company will mail supplemental indentures to Holders upon request. Any failure of the Company to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.
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SECTION 9.03. Compliance with Trust Indenture Act. Every amendment to this Indenture or the Securities shall be set forth in a supplemental indenture that complies with the TIA as then in effect.
SECTION 9.04. Revocation and Effect of Consents. Until an amendment or waiver becomes effective, a consent to it by a Holder of a Security is a continuing consent by the Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Security or portion of a Security that evidences the same debt as the consenting Holder’s Security, even if notation of the consent is not made on any Security; provided, however, that unless a record date shall have been established pursuant to Section 2.14, any such Holder or subsequent Holder may revoke the consent as to his Security or portion of a Security if the Trustee receives written notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver becomes effective. An amendment or waiver becomes effective on receipt by the Trustee of consents from the Holders of the requisite percentage principal amount of the outstanding Securities of any series, and thereafter shall bind every Holder of Securities of that series.
SECTION 9.05. Notation on or Exchange of Securities. If an amendment or waiver changes the terms of a Security: (a) the Trustee may require the Holder of the Security to deliver such Security to the Trustee, the Trustee may place an appropriate notation on the Security about the changed terms and return it to the Holder and the Trustee may place an appropriate notation on any Security thereafter authenticated; or (b) if the Company or the Trustee so determines, the Company in exchange for the Security shall issue and the Trustee shall authenticate a new Security that reflects the changed terms.
SECTION 9.06. Trustee to Sign Amendment, etc. The Trustee shall sign any amendment authorized pursuant to this Article IX if the amendment does not adversely affect the rights, duties, liabilities or immunities of the Trustee. If it does, the Trustee may, but need not sign it. In signing or refusing to sign such amendment, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive and shall be fully protected in relying upon an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel as conclusive evidence that such amendment is authorized or permitted by this Indenture and that such amendment, supplement or waiver is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to customary exceptions, and complies with the provisions hereof (including Section 9.03).
ARTICLE X
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 10.01. Trust Indenture Act Controls. This Indenture is subject to the provisions of the TIA which are required to be part of this Indenture, and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.
SECTION 10.02. Notices. Any notice or communication to the Company or the Trustee is duly given if in writing and delivered in person or mailed by first-class mail to the address set forth below:
If to the Company:
| China Pharma Holdings, Inc. |
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Second Floor, No. 17, Jinpan Road Haikou, Hainan Province, China |
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Attn: Zhilin Li, Chief Executive Officer hellen@chinapharmaholdings.com +86- 898-6681-1730 |
with a copy to:
Pryor Cashman LLP
7 Times Square
New York, New York 10036
Attention: Elizabeth F. Chen, Esq.
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If to the Trustee:
[____________________]
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Attention: ____________
With a copy to:
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Attention: ____________
The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.
Any notice or communication to a Holder shall be mailed by first-class mail to his address shown on the register kept by the registrar. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Holder or any defect in such notice or communication shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.
If a notice or communication is mailed or sent in the manner provided above within the time prescribed, it is duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it, except that notice to the Trustee shall only be effective upon receipt thereof by the Trustee.
If the Company mails a notice or communication to Holders, it shall mail a copy to the Trustee and each Agent at the same time.
SECTION 10.03. Communication by Holders with Other Holders. Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Securities. The Company, the Trustee, the registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312 (c)
SECTION 10.04. Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee: (1) an Officers’ Certificate (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.05) stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent and covenants, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and (ii) an Opinion of Counsel (which shall include the statements set forth in Section 10.05) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, all such conditions precedent and covenants have been complied with.
SECTION 10.05. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate (other than certificates provided pursuant to Section 4.04) or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include: (i) a statement that the person making such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition; (ii) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based; (iii) a statement that, in the opinion of such person, he or she has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable him to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and (iv) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with; provided, however, that with respect to matters of fact, an Opinion of Counsel may rely on an Officers’ Certificate or certificate of public officials.
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SECTION 10.06. Rules by Trustee and Agents. The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or for a meeting of Holders. The Registrar or Paying Agent may make reasonable rules and set reasonable requirements for its functions.
SECTION 10.07. Legal Holidays. A “Legal Holiday” is a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York are not required or authorized to be open. If a payment date is a Legal Holiday at a place of payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is not a Legal Holiday, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening period.
SECTION 10.08. Duplicate Originals. The parties may sign any number of copies of this Indenture. One signed copy is enough to prove this Indenture.
SECTION 10.09. Governing Law. The internal laws of the State of New York shall govern this Indenture and the Securities, without regard to the conflicts of Law rules thereof.
SECTION 10.10. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. This Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture, loan or debt agreement of the Company or any subsidiary. Any such indenture, loan or debt agreement may not be used to interpret this Indenture.
SECTION 10.11. Successors. All agreements of the Company in this Indenture and the Securities shall bind their respective successors. All agreements of the Trustee in this Indenture shall bind its successor.
SECTION 10.12. Severability. In case any provision in this Indenture or in the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
SECTION 10.13. Counterpart Originals. This Indenture may be signed in one or more counterparts. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.
China Pharma Holdings, Inc. |
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