Geron Corp 8-K, filed Jan 6, 2023
Geron Corp (GERN)
About this 8-K
Geron Corp filed this 8-K on January 6, 2023, reporting on events of January 5, 2023.
Items reported
- Item 1.01: Entered into a material agreement
- Item 9.01: Financial statements and exhibits
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
__________
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported):
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Name of each exchange on which registered |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On January 5, 2023, Geron Corporation (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as representative of the several underwriters named therein (collectively, the “Underwriters”), relating to the issuance and sale (the “Offering”) of 55,876,297 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), and pre-funded warrants to purchase 25,000,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”). Under the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company also granted the Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase an additional 12,131,444 shares of Common Stock from the Company. All of the shares of Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants in the Offering are being sold by the Company. The offering price to the public of each share of Common Stock is $2.45 and the offering price to the public of each Pre-Funded Warrant is $2.449. The gross proceeds to the Company from the Offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses, is expected to be $198.1 million. The Offering is expected to close on January 10, 2023, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Each Pre-Funded Warrant will have an initial exercise price per share of $0.001, subject to certain adjustments. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be exercisable immediately and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. A holder (together with its affiliates and other attribution parties) may not exercise any portion of a Pre-Funded Warrant to the extent that immediately prior to or after giving effect to such exercise the holder would own more than 9.99% of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock immediately after exercise, which percentage may be changed at the holder's election to a lower or higher percentage not in excess of 19.99% (if exceeding such percentage would result in a change of control under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(b) or any successor rule) upon 61 days’ notice to the Company subject to the terms of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
The Offering is being made pursuant to the Company’s automatically effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration Statement No. 333-269111), which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on January 4, 2023, and a prospectus supplement thereunder (the “Prospectus Supplement”).
The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements by the Company, customary conditions to closing, indemnification obligations of the Company and the Underwriters, including for liabilities arising under the Securities Act other obligations of the parties and termination provisions. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Underwriting Agreement were made only for the purposes of such agreement and as of specific dates, and were solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement.
The foregoing descriptions of the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and Pre-Funded Warrants are each qualified in their entirety by reference to the Underwriting Agreement and form of Pre-Funded Warrant, respectively, which are attached as Exhibit 1.1 and Exhibit 4.1 hereto, respectively, and incorporated by reference herein.
A copy of the legal opinion of Cooley LLP relating to the validity of the issuance and sale of the securities in the Offering is attached as Exhibit 5.1 hereto.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits:
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Description |
1.1 |
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4.1 |
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5.1 |
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23.1 |
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104 |
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Cover Page Interactive Data File (the cover page XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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GERON CORPORATION |
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Date: January 6, 2023 |
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By:/s/ Stephen Rosenfield |
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Stephen N. Rosenfield |
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Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer |
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and Corporate Secretary |
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EXHIBIT 1.1
Geron Corporation
(a Delaware corporation)
55,876,297 shares of Common Stock
Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase up to 25,000,000 shares of Common Stock
Underwriting Agreement
January 5, 2023
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
As representative (the "Representative") of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule A hereto,
c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
200 West Street
New York, New York 10282
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Geron Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“Goldman”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Goldman is acting as representative (in such capacity, the “Representative”), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) and pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock at an exercise price equal to $0.001 per share (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”), set forth in Schedule A hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 12,131,444 additional shares of Common Stock set forth in Schedule A hereto. The aforesaid 55,876,297 shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Securities”) and the Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase 25,000,000 shares of Common Stock to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 12,131,444 shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are herein called, collectively, the “Securities.” The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants are hereinafter referred to as the “Warrant Shares.”
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269111) covering the public offering and sale of certain securities, including the Securities and the
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Warrant Shares, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which automatic shelf registration became effective under Rule 462(e) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 462(e)”). Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto to such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement;” provided, however, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of such registration statement with respect to the Securities within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. Each preliminary prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, are collectively referred to herein as a “preliminary prospectus.” Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). The final prospectus, in the form first furnished or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system)(“EDGAR”).
As used in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means 6:30 P.M., New York City time, on January 5, 2023 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.
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All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “1934 Act Regulations”), incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied with each request from the Commission for preservation of documentation or additional information
Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness, each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act Regulations, the
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Applicable Time, the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, and, in each case, at the Applicable Time, the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.
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The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information contained in the seventh, eighth and ninth paragraphs under the caption "Underwriting" in the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).
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(a) there are no ownership rights of third parties to any of the Intellectual Property Rights purported to be owned solely by the Company;
(b) the Company is not aware of any infringement, misappropriation, breach, default or other violation, or the occurrence of any event that would result in any of the foregoing, by any third parties of any of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company;
(c) there are no pending or threatened actions, suits, proceedings or claims by others challenging the Company’s rights in or to, or the violation of any of the terms of, any Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim;
(d) there are no pending or threatened actions, suits, proceedings or claims by others challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and
(e) there are no pending or threatened actions, suits, proceedings or claims by others that the Company infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates or conflicts with any Intellectual Property Rights or other proprietary rights of others and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim, except as would not individually or in the aggregate be material to the conduct of the business now conducted or proposed by the Registration Statement and the Prospectus to be conducted by the Company.
Further, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, none of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company in its businesses has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company in violation of the rights of any persons.
The Company is the sole owner of the Intellectual Property Rights solely owned by it and has the valid and enforceable right to use such Intellectual Property Rights without the obligation to obtain consent to sublicense and without a duty of accounting to co-owner, as applicable.
Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the Company is not obligated to pay a material royalty, grant a license or option, or provide other material consideration to any third party in connection with the Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company. The
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Company has complied with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property Rights have been licensed to the Company, and all such agreements are in full force and effect.
The Company has taken all reasonable steps necessary to secure assignments to its respective title, rights and interests in and to the Intellectual Property Rights purported to be owned by the Company from its employees, consultants, agents and contractors. All employees, consultants, agents and contractors engaged in the development of Intellectual Property Rights on behalf of the Company have executed appropriate invention assignment agreements or terms whereby such employees, consultants, agents and contractors presently assign all of their right, title and interest in and to such Intellectual Property Rights to the Company, and to the Company’s knowledge, no such agreement has been breached or violated.
To the Company’s knowledge, no employee of the Company is in or has been in violation of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company, except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
The Company uses, and has used, commercially reasonable efforts to appropriately maintain all information intended to be maintained as a trade secret.
The Company has complied with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property Rights have been licensed to the Company, and all such agreements are in full force and effect. Imetelstat, the product candidate described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as under development by the Company, falls within the scope of the claims of one or more patents or patent applications owned by, or exclusively licensed to, the Company.
Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, no government funding, was used in the development of any Intellectual Property Rights that are owned or purported to be owned by the Company that would confer any governmental agency any claim or right of ownership to any such Intellectual Property Rights.
(a) the Company is not aware of any facts that would preclude the issuance of a valid and enforceable patent on any pending patent applications owned by or licensed to the Company;
(b) to the knowledge of the Company, the Company and the parties prosecuting such applications have complied with their duty of candor and disclosure to the
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U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”), and all such requirements in the relevant foreign patent authority having similar requirements as the case may be, in connection with such patents and patent applications for which it has filing, prosecution and/or maintenance responsibilities;
(c) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no patent that contains claims that dominate (as such term is described in 35 U.S.C. §135 and 37 C.F.R. 41.100 to 41.208) with the issued or pending claims of any of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company;
(d) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no prior art material to any patent or patent application of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company that may render any U.S. patent or any U.S. patent issuing from a U.S. patent application held by the Company invalid or unenforceable; and
(e) the Company is not aware of any prior art or public or commercial activity or other facts required to be disclosed to the USPTO and any relevant foreign patent authority that were not disclosed and which would preclude the grant of a patent in connection with any such application or would reasonably be expected to form the basis of a finding of invalidity or unenforceability with respect to any patents that have been issued with respect to such applications.
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In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates or security entitlements for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above‑mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representative to the Company. Delivery of the Option Securities on each such Date of Delivery shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representative shall otherwise instruct.
Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company, against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates or security entitlements for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities, the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. Goldman, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities, the Pre-Funded Warrants or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.
The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
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The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
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provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
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If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
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The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.
The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public.
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities and Pre-Funded Warrants set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.
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All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.
If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Securities that it has agreed to purchase hereunder at the Closing Time, the Representative may in its discretion arrange for the Representative or another party or other parties to purchase such Securities on the terms contained herein. If within thirty six hours after such default by any Underwriter the Representative does not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the Representative to purchase such Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, the Representative notifies the Company that the Representative has so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, or the Company notifies the Representative that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone such Closing Time for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be
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made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in the Representative's opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.
If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representative and the Company as provided above, the aggregate number of such Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Securities to be purchased at the Closing, then the Company shall have the right to require each non defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at the Closing and, in addition, to require each non defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representative and the Company as provided above, the aggregate number of such Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one eleventh of the aggregate number of all of the Securities to be purchased at the Closing, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described above to require non defaulting Underwriters to purchase Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 4 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Sections 6 and 7 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 919 East Hillsdale Blvd., Suite 250, Foster City, California 94404, attention of General Counsel (facsimile: (650) 473-7750), with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to Cooley LLP, 3 Embarcadero Center, 20th Floor, San Francisco, California 94111, attention of Chadwick L. Mills (facsimile: (415) 693-2222).
The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and does not constitute a recommendation, investment advice, or
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solicitation of any action by the Underwriters, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory, investment or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate, and (f) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person.
This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
The Company and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
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As used in this Section 15:
“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
(a) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(b) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(c) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.
Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree
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not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement. Electronic signatures complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law will be deemed original signatures for purposes of this Agreement. Transmission by telecopy, electronic mail or other transmission method of an executed counterpart of this Agreement will constitute due and sufficient delivery of such counterpart.
The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
GERON CORPORATION
By: /s/ John A. Scarlett
Name: John A. Scarlett, M.D.
Title: President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:
GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC
By: /s/ Danielle Freeman
Name: Danielle Freeman
Title: Managing Director
For itself and as Representative of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.
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The public offering price per share for the Securities shall be: (i) $2.45 in respect of the shares of Common Stock and (ii) $2.449 in respect of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be: (i) $2.303 in respect of the shares of Common Stock, being an amount equal to the public offering price set forth above less $0.147 per share and (ii) $2.302 in respect of the Pre-Funded Warrants, being an amount equal to the public offering price set forth above less $0.147 per share underlying the Pre-Funded Warrant, in each case, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(b) for dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities and Pre-Funded Warrants but not payable on the Option Securities.
Underwriter |
Total Number of Initial Securities |
Number of Pre-Funded Warrants |
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC |
30,731,964 |
13,750,000 |
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated |
11,175,259 |
5,000,000 |
Wedbush Securities Inc. |
4,190,722 |
1,875,000 |
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated |
4,190,722 |
1,875,000 |
B. Riley Securities, Inc. |
2,793,815 |
1,250,000 |
Needham & Company, LLC |
2,793,815 |
1,250,000 |
Total |
55,876,297 |
25,000,000 |
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Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, dated January 5, 2023
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John A. Scarlett, M.D.
Olivia K. Bloom
Faye Feller, M.D.
Andrew J. Grethlein, Ph.D.
Anil Kapur
Dawn C. Bir
Karin Eastham
V. Bryan Lawlis, Ph.D.
John F. McDonald
Susan M. Molineaux, Ph.D.
Elizabeth G. O’Farrell
Robert J. Spiegel, M.D., FACP
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Exhibit A
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
___________________, 2023
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
200 West Street
New York, NY 10282-2198
Re: Geron Corporation - Lock-UpAgreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, a stockholder and an officer and/or director of Geron Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), understands that Goldman Sachs & Co. LLCproposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), on behalf of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I thereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), with the Company providing for the public offering of shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”). In recognition of the benefit that such an offering will confer upon the undersigned as a stockholder and an officer and/or director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each underwriter to be named in the Underwriting Agreement that, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date that is 75 days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement (subject to extensions as discussed below, the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of the Company’s Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”), or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of the Lock-up Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise; provided, however, that the foregoing restrictions shall (1) no longer apply to the undersigned at such time as the undersigned ceases to be an officer and/or director of the Company,provided that in any such case, any transfers made are not required to be reported with the Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with Section 16 (“Section 16”) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), during the Lock-Up Period, and (2) not apply to the exercise of any option, warrant or other right to acquire shares of Common Stock on a cash basis or the conversion of any convertible security into securities of the Company, provided that in any such case, the Common Stock issued upon such exercise, settlement or conversion shall remain subject to the provisions of this lock-up agreement (“Lock-Up Agreement”).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions in this paragraph, the undersigned may transfer the Lock-Up Securities without the prior written consent of Goldman Sachs & Co.
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LLC, provided that: (1) Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC receives a signed lock-up agreement for the balance of the Lock-Up Period from each donee, trustee, distributee, or transferee, as the case may be; (2) any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value; (3) in the case of clauses (i) through (iv) below, such transfers are not required to be reported with the Securities and Exchange Commission during the Lock-Up Period, (4) in the case of clauses (iv) and (v) below, if the filing of a report is required in accordance with Section 16 of the Exchange Act during the Lock-Up Period, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the circumstances described in such clauses; and (5) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such transfers during the Lock-Up Period:
(i) as a bona fide gift or gifts; or
(ii) to the immediate family (as defined below) of the undersigned or to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned; or
(iii) to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity all of the beneficial ownership interests of which are held exclusively by the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned; or
(iv) pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement; or
(v) by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir, beneficiary or a member of the immediate family of the undersigned upon the death of the undersigned.
As used herein, “immediate family” shall mean the spouse, domestic partner, lineal descendant, father, mother, brother, sister or any other person with whom the undersigned has a relationship by blood, marriage or adoption not more remote than first cousin.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions in this paragraph, the undersigned may also transfer the Lock-Up Securities without the prior written consent of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC if any such transfers are made by the undersigned: (i) pursuant to a written trading plan intended to meet the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act (a “10b5-1 Plan”) that is in effect as of the date hereof; (ii) to the Company to satisfy tax withholding obligations of the undersigned upon exercise or vesting of stock options, restricted stock units or other equity awards, or in connection with the “net” or cashless exercise of stock options, pursuant to the Company’s equity compensation plans and arrangements; or (iii) pursuant to the conversion or sale of, or an offer to purchase, all or substantially all of the outstanding Common Stock, whether pursuant to a merger, tender offer or otherwise; provided,however, that in the case of any transfer described in clause (i) of this paragraph, it shall be a condition to the transfer that if the undersigned is required to file a report under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that such transfer is being made pursuant to a previously adopted 10b5-1 Plan; provided further that in the case of any transfer described in clause (ii) of this paragraph, it shall be a condition to the transfer that if the undersigned is required to file a report under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that such transfer is being made for tax withholding obligations; and provided further that in the case of any conversion or sale described in clause (iii) of this paragraph, in the event that such transaction is abandoned, the Lock-Up Securities shall remain subject to the restrictions hereunder.
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Furthermore, the undersigned may sell shares of Common Stock of the Company purchased by the undersigned on the open market following the public offering of the Shares if and only if (i) such sales are not required to be reported with the Securities Exchange Commission during the Lock-Up Period, or otherwise and (ii) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such sales during the Lock-Up Period.
In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions and provisos in this paragraph, the undersigned may also establish a new 10b5-1 Plan, provided that (i) no direct or indirect offers, pledges, sales, contracts to sell, sales of any option or contract to purchase, purchases of any option or contract to sell, grants of any option, right or warrant to purchase, or other disposals or transfers of any Lock-Up Securities may be effected pursuant to such 10b5-1 Plan during the Lock-Up Period and (ii) no public disclosure of the entry into such 10b5-1 Plan shall be voluntarily made by any person until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period.
The undersigned now has, and, except as contemplated above, for the duration of this Lock-Up Agreement will have, good and marketable title to the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever.
The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Lock-Up Securities except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that none of the Underwriters has made any recommendation or provided any investment or other advice to the undersigned with respect to this Lock-Up Agreement or the subject matter hereof, and the undersigned has consulted its own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory, tax and other advisors with respect to this Lock-Up Agreement and the subject matter hereof to the extent the undersigned has deemed appropriate.
This Lock-Up Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
It is understood that, if (1) the Company notifies Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC that it does not intend to proceed with the public offering of the Shares, (2) the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, (3) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated for any reason prior to payment for and delivery of the Shares, or (4) the Underwriting Agreement for the public offering the Shares shall not have been executed by February 15, 2023, then this Lock-Up Agreement shall immediately be terminated and the undersigned shall automatically be released from all of his or her or obligations under this Lock-Up Agreement.
[Signature page follows]
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Very truly yours,
________________________________________
Exact Name of Shareholder
________________________________________
Authorized Signature
________________________________________
Title
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Exhibit B
FORM OF PRE-FUNDED WARRANT
[Attached]
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EXHIBIT 4.1
PRE-FUNDED COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
GERON CORPORATION
Warrant Shares:
Date of Issuance: , 2023 (such date, the “Issue Date”)
Warrant No.: PF-[ ]
THIS COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, the registered holder hereof or its permitted assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions set forth herein, at any time on or after the Issue Date, to subscribe for and purchase from Geron Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), up to shares (the “Warrant Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”). The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b). This Warrant is one of the Pre-Funded Common Stock Purchase Warrants issued in connection with the transactions contemplated by (i) that certain Underwriting Agreement, dated as of , 2023, by and between the Company and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, as the representative of the several underwriters named therein, (ii) the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269111) (the “Registration Statement”) and (iii) the Company’s prospectus supplement dated , 2023 to the base prospectus (the “Prospectus Supplement”) contained in the Registration Statement dated January 6, 2023.
Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this Warrant, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
a) “Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”).
b) “Attribution Parties” means, collectively, the following Persons and entities: (i) any investment vehicle, including, any funds, feeder funds or managed accounts, currently, or from time to time after the Issue Date, directly or indirectly managed or advised by the Holder’s investment manager or any of its Affiliates or principals, (ii) any direct or indirect Affiliates of the Holder or any of the foregoing, (iii) any Person acting or who could be deemed to be acting as a Group together with the Holder or any of the foregoing and (iv) any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of Common Stock would or could be aggregated with the Holder’s and the other Attribution Parties for purposes of Section 13(d) or Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”). For clarity, the purpose of the foregoing is to subject collectively the Holder and all other Attribution Parties to the Maximum Percentage (as defined in Section 2(e)).
c) “Bloomberg” means Bloomberg Financial Markets.
d) “Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day that is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which the New York Stock Exchange is authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
e) “Group” means a “group” as that term is used in Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act and as defined in Rule 13d-5 thereunder.
f) “Person” means an individual, a limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture, a corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization, any other entity and a government or any department or agency thereof.
g) “Trading Day” means any day on which the Common Stock is traded on the Trading Market.
h) “Trading Market” means the principal securities exchange or securities market, including an over-the-counter market, on which the Common Stock is then traded in the United States.
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i) “Weighted Average Price” means, for any security as of any date, the dollar volume-weighted average price for such security on the Trading Market during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York City time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg through its “Volume at Price” function or, if the foregoing does not apply, the dollar volume-weighted average price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York City time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York City time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no dollar volume-weighted average price is reported for such security by Bloomberg for such hours, the average of the highest closing bid price and the lowest closing ask price of any of the market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices). If the Weighted Average Price cannot be calculated for such security on such date on any of the foregoing bases, the Weighted Average Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then such dispute shall be resolved pursuant to Section 5(n) with the term “Weighted Average Price” being substituted for the term “Exercise Price.” All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during such period.
Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of Warrant. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be exercised, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Issue Date by delivery (whether via facsimile or otherwise) to the Company (or such other office or agency of the Company as it may designate by notice in writing to the registered Holder at the address of the Holder appearing on the books of the Company) of a duly executed copy of the Notice of Exercise form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”) and by payment to the Company of an amount equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Warrant Shares thereby purchased by wire transfer (or by notifying the Company that this Warrant is being exercised pursuant to a Cashless Exercise (as defined below)). No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise form be required. The Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days after the date the Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $0.001, subject to adjustment as provided herein (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. Certificates for shares purchased hereunder shall be transmitted to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s prime broker with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) through its Deposit/Withdrawal at Custodian (“DWAC”) system if the Company is then a participant in such system and otherwise by physical delivery to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is two (2) Trading Days after the receipt by the Company of the Notice of Exercise (provided that payment of the Exercise Price (or notification of Cashless Exercise, if applicable) has then been received by the Company) (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). This Warrant shall be deemed to have been exercised upon proper delivery of the Notice of Exercise and payment of the Exercise Price (or notification of Cashless Exercise). The Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have been issued, and the Holder or any other person so designated to be named therein shall be deemed to have become a holder of record of such shares for all purposes, as of the date the Warrant has been exercised. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable.
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ii. Delivery of New Warrant Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the certificate or certificates representing Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iii. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(c)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date (other than a failure caused by incorrect or incomplete information provided by the Holder to the Company), and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall either (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, or (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of this Warrant with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. In connection with the foregoing, the Holder shall (i) use its reasonable efforts to notify the Company in advance of any pending exercise of this Warrant in order to enable to the Company to deliver the Warrant Shares by the Warrant Share Delivery Date and (ii) provide the Company written notice within three (3) Business Days after the occurrence of a Buy-In, indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Subject to Section 5(i), nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
iv. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round (up or down) to the nearest whole share.
v. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of certificates for Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such certificate, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such certificates shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event certificates for Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto.
vi. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant pursuant to the terms hereof.
d) Cashless Exercise. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Holder may exercise this Warrant, whether in whole or in part, and in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to the Company upon such exercise in payment of the Exercise Price, by effecting a cashless exercise of this Warrant pursuant to which the Holder shall receive upon such cashless exercise the “Net Number” of Warrant Shares determined according to the following formula (a “Cashless Exercise”):
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Net Number = (A x B) - (A x C)
B
For purposes of the foregoing formula:
A = the total number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which this Warrant is then being exercised.
B = the Weighted Average Price of the shares of Common Stock on the date immediately preceding the date of the Notice of Exercise.
C = the Exercise Price then in effect for the applicable Warrant Shares at the time of such exercise.
If Warrant Shares are issued in such a Cashless Exercise, the Company acknowledges and agrees that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the 1933 Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrant being exercised, and the holding period of the Warrant being exercised may be tacked on to the holding period of the Warrant Shares. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(d).
e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Company shall not effect the exercise of any portion of this Warrant, and the Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Warrant and any such exercise shall be null and void and treated as if never made, to the extent that immediately prior to or after giving effect to such exercise, the Holder together with the other Attribution Parties collectively would beneficially own in excess of 9.99% (the “Maximum Percentage”) of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and the other Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock held by the Holder and all other Attribution Parties plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which the determination of such sentence is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (A) exercise of the remaining, unexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of the other Attribution Parties and (B) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any convertible notes or convertible preferred stock or warrants, including the other Warrants) beneficially owned by the Holder or any other Attribution Party subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained in this Section 2(e). For purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Warrant, in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock the Holder may acquire upon the exercise of this Warrant without exceeding the Maximum Percentage, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (x) the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K or other public filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (y) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (z) any other written notice by the Company setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding (the “Reported Outstanding Share Number”). If the Company receives a Notice of Exercise from the Holder at a time when the actual number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is less than the Reported Outstanding Share Number, the Company shall (i) notify the Holder in writing of the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding and, to the extent that such Exercise Notice would otherwise cause the Holder’s beneficial ownership, as determined pursuant to this Section 2(e), to exceed the Maximum Percentage, the Holder must notify the Company of a reduced number of Warrant Shares to be purchased pursuant to such Exercise Notice (the number of shares by which such purchase is reduced, the “Reduction Shares”) and (ii) as soon as
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reasonably practicable, the Company shall return to the Holder any exercise price paid by the Holder for the Reduction Shares. For any reason at any time, upon the written request of the Holder, the Company shall within five (5) Business Days confirm orally and in writing or by electronic mail to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder and any other Attribution Party since the date as of which the Reported Outstanding Share Number was reported. In the event that the issuance of Common Stock to the Holder upon exercise of this Warrant results in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties being deemed to beneficially own, in the aggregate, more than the Maximum Percentage of the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock (as determined under Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act), the number of shares so issued by which the Holder’s and the other Attribution Parties’ aggregate beneficial ownership exceeds the Maximum Percentage (the “Excess Shares”) shall be deemed null and void and shall be cancelled ab initio, and the Holder shall not have the power to vote or to transfer the Excess Shares. As soon as reasonably practicable after the issuance of the Excess Shares has been deemed null and void, the Company shall return to the Holder the exercise price paid by the Holder for the Excess Shares. Upon delivery of a written notice to the Company, the Holder may from time to time increase or decrease the Maximum Percentage to any other percentage (not in excess of 19.99% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock immediately after giving effect to the issuance of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant if exceeding that limit would result in a change of control under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(b) or any successor rule) as specified in such notice; provided that (i) any such increase in the Maximum Percentage will not be effective until the sixty-first (61st) day after such notice is delivered to the Company and (ii) any such increase or decrease will apply only to the Holder and the other Attribution Parties and not to any other holder of Warrants that is not an Attribution Party of the Holder. For purposes of clarity, the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the terms of this Warrant in excess of the Maximum Percentage shall not be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Holder for any purpose including for purposes of Section 13(d) or Rule 16a-1(a)(1) of the 1934 Act. No prior inability to exercise this Warrant pursuant to this paragraph shall have any effect on the applicability of the provisions of this paragraph with respect to any subsequent determination of exercisability. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to the extent necessary to correct this paragraph or any portion of this paragraph which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended beneficial ownership limitation contained in this Section 2(e) or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitation contained in this paragraph may not be waived and shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Subdivision or Combination of Common Stock. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company subdivides (by any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization or otherwise) one or more classes of its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a greater number of shares, the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such subdivision will be proportionately reduced and the number of Warrant Shares will be proportionately increased. If the Company at any time on or after the Subscription Date combines (by combination, reverse stock split or otherwise) one or more classes of its outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such combination will be proportionately increased and the number of Warrant Shares will be proportionately decreased. Any adjustment under this Section 3(a) shall become effective at the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective.
b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if during such time as this Warrant is outstanding the Company grants, issues or sells any rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property, in each case pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, Section 2(e) hereof) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a
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result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage).
c) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to all holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, Section 2(e) hereof) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder and the other Attribution Parties exceeding the Maximum Percentage).
d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include a license or other agreement granting rights to intellectual property), (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (together, the “Alternate Consideration”), if any, receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Any such payment of such amount of such Alternative Consideration shall be made in the same form of consideration (whether securities, cash or property) as is given to the holders of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and if multiple forms of consideration are given, the consideration shall be paid to the Holder in the same proportion as such consideration is paid to the holders of Common Stock. The terms of any
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agreement pursuant to which a Fundamental Transaction is effected shall include terms requiring any such successor or surviving entity to comply with the provisions of this Section 3(d) and insuring that this Warrant (or any such replacement security) will be similarly adjusted upon any subsequent Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(d) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such adjustments to the number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for the Company (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and without limiting Section 2(e) hereof, the Holder may elect, at its sole option, by delivery of written notice to the Company to waive this Section 3(d) to permit a Fundamental Transaction without the assumption of this Warrant.
d) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest whole share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, any calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall not include treasury shares, if any. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 3, no adjustment in the Exercise Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in such price; provided however, that any adjustments which by reason of the immediately preceding sentence are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment. In any case in which this Section 3 shall require that an adjustment in the Exercise Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, if Holder exercises this Warrant after such record date, the Company may elect to defer, until the occurrence of such event, the issuance of the shares of Common Stock and other capital stock of the Company in excess of the shares of Common Stock and other capital stock of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Exercise Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that in such case the Company shall deliver to the Holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing the Holder’s right to receive such additional shares and/or other capital securities upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.
e) Par Value. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Warrant, in no event shall the Exercise Price be reduced below the par value of the Company’s Common Stock.
Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
a) Transferability. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws, this Warrant and all rights hereunder are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company (or other designated agent), together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
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b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company (or other designated agent), together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the Issue Date set forth on the first page of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Warrant Register. The Company shall initially serve as warrant agent under this Warrant. The Company shall register ownership of this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder (which shall include the initial Holder or, as the case may be, any assignee to which this Warrant is assigned hereunder) from time to time. Upon thirty (30) days’ notice to the Holder, the Company may appoint a new warrant agent. Any corporation into which the Company or any new warrant agent may be merged or any corporation resulting from any consolidation to which the Company or any new warrant agent shall be a party or any corporation to which the Company or any new warrant agent transfers substantially all of its corporate trust or shareholders services business shall be a successor warrant agent under this Warrant without any further act. Any such successor warrant agent shall promptly cause notice of its succession as warrant agent to be mailed (by first class mail, postage prepaid) to the Holder at the Holder’s last address as shown on the Warrant Register. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2.
b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it, and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
d) Authorized Shares. The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise contained herein). The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of executing stock certificates to execute and issue the necessary certificates for the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue). Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, in each case to avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the
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rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
e) Governing Law. This Warrant shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to the conflicts of law principles thereof.
f) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of the Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
g) Notices.
i. Notice Procedures. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email or facsimile at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email or facsimile on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or by International Federal Express, (d) the third (3rd) Trading Day following the date of mailing if sent by first-class registered or certified mail domestic, or (e) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The addresses for such communications shall be:
If to the Company:
Geron Corporation
919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Suite 250
Foster City, California 94404
Fax: (650) 473-7700
Attention: Pamela Smith
Email: psmith@geron.com
With copy to:
Cooley LLP
3 Embarcadero Center, 20th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
Fax: (415) 693-2222
Attention: Chadwick L. Mills, Esq.
Email: cmills@cooley.com
If to the Holder:
To the address, email address or facsimile number set forth in the Warrant Register, or as otherwise provided by the Holder to the Company in accordance with this Section 5(g)(i).
ii. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price or number of Warrant Shares is adjusted pursuant to any provision of Section 3, the Company shall promptly provide the Holder a notice setting forth the Exercise Price
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and number of Warrant Shares after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
iii. Notice to Allow Exercise by the Holder. After the Issue Date if (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include a license or other agreement granting rights to intellectual property), or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be mailed to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register, at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to mail such notice or any defect therein or in the mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
h) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
i) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else herein to the contrary, if the Company is for any reason unable to issue and deliver Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company shall have no obligation to pay to the Holder any cash or other consideration or otherwise “net cash settle” this Warrant.
j) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of the Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
k) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.
l) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
m) Confidentiality. The Holder agrees to keep confidential any proprietary information relating to the Company delivered by the Company hereunder; provided that nothing herein shall prevent the Holder from disclosing such information: (i) to any holder of Warrants or Warrant Shares, (ii) to any Affiliate of any holder of Warrants or
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Warrant Shares or any actual or potential transferee of the rights or obligations hereunder that agrees to be bound by this Section 5(m), (iii) upon order, subpoena, or other process of any court or administrative agency or otherwise required by law, (iv) upon the request or demand of any regulatory agency or authority having jurisdiction over such party, (v) which has been publicly disclosed without breach of any obligation to the Company, (vi) which has been obtained from any Person that is not a party hereto or an Affiliate of any such party without any breach of any obligation to the Company, (vii) in connection with the exercise of any remedy, or the resolution of any dispute hereunder, (viii) to the legal counsel or certified public accountants for any holder of Warrants or Warrant Shares, or (ix) as otherwise expressly contemplated by this Warrant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not provide material, non-public information or confidential or proprietary information to the Holder without such Holder’s written consent.
n) Dispute Resolution. In the case of a dispute as to the determination of the Exercise Price or the arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares, the Company shall submit the disputed determinations or arithmetic calculations via facsimile within two (2) Business Days of receipt of the Notice of Exercise giving rise to such dispute, as the case may be, to the Holder. If the Holder and the Company are unable to agree upon such determination or calculation of the Exercise Price or the Warrant Shares within three Business Days of such disputed determination or arithmetic calculation being submitted to the Holder, then the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days submit via facsimile (i) the disputed determination of the Exercise Price to an independent, reputable investment bank selected by the Company and approved by the Holder or (ii) the disputed arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares to the Company’s independent, outside accountant. The Company shall cause at its expense the investment bank or the accountant, as the case may be, to perform the determinations or calculations and notify the Company and the Holder of the results no later than ten (10) Business Days from the time it receives the disputed determinations or calculations. Such investment bank’s or accountant’s determination or calculation, as the case may be, shall be binding upon all parties absent demonstrable error. The expenses of the investment bank and accountant will be borne by the Company unless the investment bank or accountant determines that the determination of the Exercise Price or the arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares by the Holder was incorrect, in which case the expenses of the investment bank and accountant will be borne by the Holder.
o) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
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(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
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NOTICE OF EXERCISE
TO: GERON CORPORATION
(1) The undersigned holder of Warrant No. PF- hereby elects to purchase Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
Cash Exercise: lawful money of the United States; or
Cashless Exercise: the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in Section 2(d), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in Section 2(d).
(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
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(4) By its delivery of this Notice of Exercise, the undersigned represents and warrants to the Company that in giving effect to the exercise evidenced hereby the Holder will not beneficially own in excess of the number of shares of Common Stock (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) permitted to be owned under Section 2(e) of the Warrant to which this notice relates.
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number or by physical delivery of a certificate to:
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[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
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Name of Investing Entity: |
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Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: |
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing warrant, execute
this form and supply required information.
Do not use this form to exercise the warrant.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, [ ] all of or [ ] shares of the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
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whose address is |
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Dated: , |
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Holder’s Signature: |
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NOTE: The signature to this Assignment Form must correspond with the name as it appears on the face of the Warrant, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
15
EXHIBIT 5.1
Cooley Letterhead
Chadwick Mills T: +1 650 843 5654 cmills@cooley.com |
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January 6, 2023
Geron Corporation
919 East Hillsdale Boulevard, Suite 250
Foster City, California 94404
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Geron Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with sale of up to (i) 68,007,741 shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 (including up to 12,131,444 shares that may be sold pursuant to the exercise of an option to purchase additional shares) and (ii) pre-funded warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase up to 25,000,000 shares of common stock of the Company (the “Warrant Shares”), pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269111) (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the prospectus included in the Registration Statement (the "Base Prospectus"), and the prospectus supplement dated January 5, 2023, filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations of the Act (together with the Base Prospectus, the "Prospectus").
In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the (a) the Registration Statement and Prospectus, (b) the form of Warrant to be filed as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K, (c) the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each as currently in effect, and (d) originals or copies certified to our satisfaction of such records, documents, certificates, memoranda and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed below. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as copies; the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of certificates of public officials, and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by all persons other than the Company where authorization, execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness thereof. As to certain factual matters, we have relied upon a certificate of an officer of the Company and have not independently verified such matters.
With regard to our opinion regarding the Warrant Shares, we express no opinion to the extent that future issuances of securities of the Company, antidilution adjustments to outstanding securities of the Company, cause the Warrants to be exercisable for more shares of the Company's common stock than the number then available for issuance by the Company. Further, we have assumed the exercise price of the Warrants will not be adjusted to an amount below the par value per share of the Company’s common stock.
With regard to our opinion concerning the Warrants constituting valid and binding obligations of the Company:
Cooley LLP 3 Embarcadero Center 20th Floor San Francisco, CA 94111-4004
t: (415) 693-2000 f: (415) 693-2222 cooley.com
Our opinion herein is expressed solely with respect to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and, as to the Warrants constituting valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, the laws of the State of New York. We express no opinion to the extent that any other laws are applicable to the subject matter hereof and express no opinion and provide no assurance as to compliance with any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation.
On the basis of the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion that (i) the Shares, when sold and issued against payment therefor in accordance with the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, (ii) the Warrants, when duly executed by the Company and delivered to the purchasers thereof against payment therefor as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, and (iii) the Warrant Shares, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
Our opinion is limited to the matters stated herein and no opinion is implied or may be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated. Our opinion is based on these laws as in effect on the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of facts, circumstances, events or developments which hereafter may be brought to our attention and which may alter, affect or modify the opinion expressed herein.
We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus and to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the Commission for incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Cooley LLP 3 Embarcadero Center 20th Floor San Francisco, CA 94111-4004
t: (415) 693-2000 f: (415) 693-2222 cooley.com
Very truly yours,
Cooley LLP
By: /s/ Chadwick Mills
Chadwick Mills
Cooley LLP 3 Embarcadero Center 20th Floor San Francisco, CA 94111-4004
t: (415) 693-2000 f: (415) 693-2222 cooley.com