UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

(a Delaware corporation)

 

21,250,000 Shares of Common Stock

 

 

August 14, 2025

Leerink Partners LLC

Cantor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc.

 

as Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o          Leerink Partners LLC

▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

5^th Floor

New York, New York 10019

c/o          Cantor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.

▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇

New York, New York 10022

c/o          Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

New York, New York 10004

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Leerink Partners LLC (“Leerink Partners”), ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. (“Cantor”), ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc. (“▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇”) 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 which ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Partners, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), with respect to 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”) set forth in Schedule A hereto the (“Securities”).

 

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make an underwritten offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Underwriting Agreement (this “Agreement”) has been executed and delivered.

 

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement on Form S‑3 (No. 333-278498), covering the offering and sale of certain securities, including the Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which shelf registration statement was declared effective on April 23, 2024.  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”), and 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 the Rule 430B.  Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” and, after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.  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.” Where no preliminary prospectus supplement is filed and distributed to investors in connection with the offering, the “preliminary prospectus” shall be deemed to be the prospectus included in the Registration Statement (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) as such has been filed with the Commission at the Applicable Time. 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) (“▇▇▇▇▇”).

 

As used in this Agreement:

 

“Applicable Time” means 6:27 A.M., New York City time, on August 14, 2025 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representatives.

 

“General Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the most recent preliminary prospectus (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) that is distributed to investors prior to the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule B‑1 hereto, all considered together.

 

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show for an offering that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (a “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B‑2 hereto.

 

“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

 

“Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the 1933 Act.

 

“Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.

 

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, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “1934 Act”), 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.

 

SECTION 1.       Representations and Warranties.

 

(a)         Representations and Warranties by the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)          Registration Statement and Prospectuses.  The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act.  Each of the Registration Statement and any 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 by the Commission under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted by the Commission or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated by the Commission.  The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness and at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act Regulations, complied 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, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.  Each preliminary prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering and the Prospectus was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, 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 rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act (the “1934 Act Regulations”).

 

The Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, and the filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus with the Commission have been duly authorized by and on behalf of the Company, and the Registration Statement has been duly executed pursuant to such authorization.

 

(ii)         Accurate Disclosure.  Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time, at the Closing Time, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  As of the Applicable Time, none of (A) the General Disclosure Package, (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, nor (C) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Time, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such documents incorporated by reference were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

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, including any prospectus wrapper) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.  For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in (i) the sentences and figure relating to selling concession appearing in the fifth paragraph under the heading “Underwriting” and (ii) the paragraphs related to price stabilization, short positions and penalty bids under the heading “Underwriting,” in each case contained in the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

 

(iii)       Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.  No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.  No filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Securities.  Any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Except for the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule B-2 hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to the Representatives before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the prior consent of the Representatives, prepare, use or refer to, any issuer free writing prospectus.

 

(iv)      Testing-the-Waters Materials.  The Company (A) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the 1933 Act and (B) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule B-3 hereto.

 

(v)        Company Not Ineligible Issuer.  The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) as of the eligibility determination date for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the 1933 Act with respect to the offering of the Securities contemplated by the Registration Statement; the parties hereto agree and understand that the content of any and all “road shows” (as defined in Rule 433 under the 1933 Act) related to the offering of the Securities contemplated hereby is solely the property of the Company.

 

(vi)     Independent Accountants.  KPMG LLP, who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

 

(vii)      Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures.  The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, comply as to form in all material respects with Regulation S-X under the 1933 Act and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved.  The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein.  The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein.  Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations.  All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or incorporated by reference therein, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act, and Item 10 of Regulation S-K, to the extent applicable.  The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission's rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

(viii)     Compliance with the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002.  There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

 

(ix)      No Material Adverse Change in Business.  Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) the Company has not incurred, nor will it incur, any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, nor has it entered into, nor will it enter into, any material transactions not in the ordinary course of business, other than pursuant to this Agreement and the transactions referred to herein, (C) the Company has not and will not have paid or declared any dividends or other distributions of any kind on any class of its capital stock, (D) the Company has not sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (E) the Company has not altered its method of accounting.

 

(x)       Good Standing of the Company.  The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xi)        Subsidiaries. The Company has no subsidiaries.

 

(xii)     Capitalization.  The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, (A) pursuant to this Agreement, (B) pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (C) pursuant to the conversion of convertible securities or exercise of options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).  The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non‑assessable.  None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. There are no stockholder agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or to or between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.

 

(xiii)      Authorization of Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(xiv)     Authorization and Description of Securities.  The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Common Stock conforms to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.

 

(xv)      Registration Rights.  There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement, other than those rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and have been waived.

 

(xvi)     Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts.  The Company has (i) complied in all material respects with all laws, statutes, rules, regulations, judgments, orders, writs or decrees of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”) and (ii) performed all obligations required to be performed by it, and is not, and at the Closing Time will not be, in default under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, voting trust agreement, loan agreement, bond, debenture, note agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument (individually, a “Contract” and collectively, “Contracts”) to which it is a party or by which its property is bound or affected, except, with respect to this clause (ii), where any non-performance or default would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, no other party under any Contract to which it is a party is in default in any respect thereunder or has given written or oral notice to the Company or any of its officers or directors of such other party’s intention to terminate, cancel or refuse to renew any Contract except where any default, termination, cancellation or refusal to renew would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not in violation of any provision of its certificate of incorporation or by-laws. The disclosures included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus concerning the effects of federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules and regulations on the business of the Company as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted are correct in all material respects. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company pursuant to, the Contracts (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, by-laws or similar organizational document of the Company or any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity.  As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company.

 

(xvii)     Listing.  The Securities have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Market (the “Exchange”), subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(xviii)   Absence of Labor Dispute.  The Company is not involved in any labor dispute except, where the dispute would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is any such dispute threatened.

 

(xix)      Absence of Proceedings.  Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no actions, suits or proceedings pending, or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting, the Company or any of its officers in their capacity as such, before or by any foreign, federal or state court, commission, Governmental Entity, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), the European Medicines Agency (the “EMA”), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, administrative agency or other governmental body, domestic or foreign, wherein an unfavorable ruling, decision or finding could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not received any written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any authorization, approval, order, license, certificate, franchise or permit, where such revocation or modification would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. There are no pending investigations known to the Company involving the Company by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company or its business or operations that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xx)      Accuracy of Exhibits.  There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

(xxi)      Absence of Further Requirements.  No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, state securities laws or the rules of FINRA. The Company qualifies as an “experienced issuer” (within the meaning of FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(j)(6)) for purposes of the exemption from filing under FINRA Conduct Rule 5110(h)(1)(C).

 

(xxii)    Licenses and Permits. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company holds, and is operating in compliance with, such permits, licenses, franchises, registrations, exemptions, approvals, authorizations and clearances of any other governmental authorities (including, without limitation, the FDA) required for the conduct of its business as currently conducted (collectively, the “Permits”), and all such Permits are in full force and effect; and (ii) the Company has fulfilled and performed all of its obligations with respect to the Permits, and, to the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other impairment of the rights of the holder of any Permit. All applications, notifications, submissions, information, claims, reports and statistics, and other data and conclusions derived therefrom, utilized as the basis for any and all requests for a Permit from the FDA or other governmental authority relating to the Company, its business and its products, when submitted to the FDA or other governmental authority by or on behalf of the Company, were true, complete and correct in all material respects. Any necessary or required updates, changes, corrections or modification to such applications, notifications, submissions, information, claims, reports and statistics and other data have been submitted to the FDA or other governmental authority, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received any notification, correspondence or any other written communication, including notification of any pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened claim, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any governmental authority, including, without limitation, the FDA or the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), of potential or actual non-compliance by, or liability of, the Company under any Permits except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to give rise to any liability of the Company under any Permits except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxiii)  Title to Property.  The Company has good and marketable title to all properties and assets described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned by it, free and clear of all liens, charges, encumbrances or restrictions, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or those where the failure to have such title would not have, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has valid, subsisting and enforceable leases for the properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as leased by it, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such properties by the Company.

 

(xxiv)   Title to Intellectual Property.  Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company owns, has valid and enforceable licenses for or otherwise has adequate rights to use all technology (including but not limited to patented, patentable and unpatented inventions and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), designs, processes, patents, trademarks, service marks, trade secrets, trade names, know how, copyrights and other works of authorship, computer programs, technical data and information and all similar intellectual property or proprietary rights (including all registrations and applications for registration of, and all goodwill associated with, any of the foregoing, as applicable) (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) that are or could reasonably be expected to be material to their business as currently conducted or as proposed to be conducted, including the development, manufacture, operation and sale of any of the Company’s products or product candidates, as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except where the failure to own, license or otherwise have rights to such Intellectual Property would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Intellectual Property of the Company has not been adjudged by a court or other administrative body of competent jurisdiction invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no third parties who have, or will be able to establish, rights to any Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company, except for, and to the extent of, the rights of any third parties that are licensees of such Intellectual Property; (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no infringement, misappropriation or other violation by third parties of any Intellectual Property owned by, or licensed to, the Company; (iii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others against the Company challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property owned by, or licensed to, the Company, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others against the Company challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any Intellectual Property owned by, or licensed to, the Company, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (v) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others against the Company that (nor has the Company received any written claim from a third party that) the Company infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated, or is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating, any intellectual property rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any facts which could form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (vi) the Company has complied with and there has been no breach or default by the Company under the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company, and all such agreements are in full force and effect; and (vii) all of the Company’s products or product candidates as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are covered by one or more claims of at least one issued patent or pending patent application owned by, or exclusively licensed to, the Company, except, in each case of (i) through (vii), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not obligated or under any liability whatsoever to make any material payment by way of royalties, fees or otherwise to any owner or licensee of, or other claimant to, any Intellectual Property, with respect to the use thereof or in connection with the conduct of its businesses or otherwise.

 

(xxv)    Trademarks. The Company owns, licenses or otherwise has the full exclusive right to use, all material trademarks and trade names that are used in or reasonably necessary for the conduct of its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to own, license or otherwise have rights to such trademarks and tradenames would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received any written notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any such trademarks or trade names, or challenging or questioning the validity or effectiveness of any such trademark or trade name. To the Company’s knowledge, the use of such trademarks and trade names in connection with the business and operations of the Company does not infringe on the rights of any person. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not obligated or under any liability whatsoever to make any material payment by way of royalties, fees or otherwise to any owner or licensee of, or other claimant to, any trademark, service mark or trade name with respect to the use thereof or in connection with the conduct of its business or otherwise.

 

(xxvi)    Protection of Intellectual Property. The Company has taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all its Intellectual Property in all material aspects, including, but not limited to complying with all duty of disclosure requirements before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and any other non-U.S. Patent Offices as appropriate.

 

(xxvii)   Tests, Pre-clinical Studies and Clinical Trials.  The pre-clinical studies and clinical trials conducted by or, to the knowledge of the Company, on behalf of or sponsored by the Company, or in which the Company has participated, that are described in, or the results of which are referred to in, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus were and, if still pending, are being conducted in accordance with protocols filed with the appropriate regulatory authorities for each such study or trial, as the case may be, and with standard medical and scientific research standards and procedures, all applicable statutes, all applicable rules and regulations of the FDA and comparable regulatory agencies outside of the United States to which they are subject and Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices, except to the extent where failure to conduct in such manner would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Each description of the results of such studies and trials contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is accurate and complete in all material respects and fairly presents the data derived from such studies and trials, and the Company has no knowledge of any other studies or trials the results of which are inconsistent with, or otherwise call into question, the results described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in any material respects. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company has not received any written notices, correspondence or other written communications from the FDA or any committee thereof or from any other U.S. or foreign government or drug or medical device regulatory agency (collectively, the “Regulatory Agencies”) requiring or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatening the termination, suspension or modification of any clinical trials that are described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. The Company has operated at all times and currently is in compliance with all applicable statutes, rules and regulations of the Regulatory Agencies except where such failure to operate or non-compliance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxviii) Regulatory Filings. The Company has not failed to file with the Regulatory Agencies any required material filing, declaration, listing, registration, report or submission with respect to any products or product candidates that are described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any other material filing required by any other applicable Regulatory Agency or governmental authority; all such filings, declarations, listings, registrations, reports or submissions were in material compliance with applicable laws when filed; all such filings, declarations, listings, registrations, reports or submissions were timely, complete, accurate and not misleading on the date filed in all material respects (or were corrected or supplemented by subsequent submission); and no material deficiencies regarding compliance with applicable law have been asserted in writing by any applicable regulatory authority with respect to any such filings, declarations, listings, registrations, reports or submissions.

 

(xxix)    Absence of Certain Regulatory Actions. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company has not had any product or manufacturing site (whether Company-owned or that of a contract manufacturer for Company products or product candidates) subject to a governmental authority (including, without limitation, the FDA) shutdown or import or export prohibition, nor received any FDA Form 483 or other governmental authority notice of inspectional observations, “warning letters,” “untitled letters,” requests to make changes to the Company products, processes or operations, or similar written correspondence or notice from the FDA or other governmental authority alleging or asserting material noncompliance with any applicable laws. To the Company’s knowledge, neither the FDA nor any other governmental authority has threatened such action. The Company has not received written notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any court, arbitrator, Regulatory Agency or other governmental authority alleging that any product operation or activity is in violation of any health care laws, nor to the Company’s knowledge, is any such claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action threatened.

 

(xxx)    Compliance with Certain Regulatory Matters. The Company, its directors and officers, and to the Company’s knowledge, its employees and agents have operated and currently are in compliance in all material respects with applicable statutes and implementing regulations administered or enforced by the FDA, the DEA or any other federal, state, local, or foreign governmental authority, including, without limitation, the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.), the federal Anti-kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)), the civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §3729 et seq.), the federal False Statements Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(a)), the Civil Monetary Penalties Law (42 U.S.C. §1320a-7a), all criminal laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including, but not limited, to 18 U.S.C. §§ 286 and 287, the exclusions law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7), the statutes and regulations of Medicare (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act), Medicaid (Title XIX of the Social Security Act) and all other government funded or sponsored healthcare programs, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. § 1320d et seq.), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. §17921 et seq.), and all other regulations promulgated pursuant to such laws; and any other similar local, state, federal or foreign law or regulation. The Company is not a party to, and does not have any ongoing reporting obligations pursuant to, any corporate integrity agreement, deferred prosecution agreement, monitoring agreement, consent decree, settlement order, plan of correction or similar agreement imposed by any governmental authority. Neither the Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its directors, officers, employees or agents has been debarred, excluded or suspended from participation in or receiving payment from any federal, state or local government health care program or is subject to an audit, investigation, proceeding or other similar action by any governmental authority that could reasonably be expected to result in debarment, suspension or exclusion.

 

(xxxi)    Privacy and Data Protection.  Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company’s information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company as currently conducted, free and clear of all bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company has implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect its confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal data and sensitive, confidential or regulated data (collectively, the “Confidential Data”)) used in connection with their businesses. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company is presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Confidential Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Confidential Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.

 

(xxxii)  Environmental Laws.  (a) (i) The Company is and has been in compliance with, and is not subject to any pending, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened costs or liability under, any and all applicable federal, state, local and non-U.S. statutes, laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, codes, other requirements or rules of law (including common law) and applicable and binding judicial or administrative decisions or orders, relating to pollution, the generation, use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, discharge, disposal or release of hazardous substances, the protection or restoration of the environment, human health and safety, noise or the protection of natural resources, including wildlife, migratory birds, eagles or endangered or threatened species or habitats (collectively, “Environmental Laws”) and to the knowledge of the Company, no facts or circumstances currently exist that would reasonably be expected to result in such non-compliance, cost or liability, (ii) the Company does not own or, to the knowledge of the Company, occupy, operate, lease or use any real property contaminated with Hazardous Substances in violation of Environmental Laws, (iii) the Company is not conducting or funding any investigation, remediation, remedial action or monitoring of actual or suspected Hazardous Substances in the environment, (iv) to the knowledge of the Company, the Company is not subject to any pending or threatened liability for any release or threatened release of Hazardous Substances, including at any off-site treatment, storage or disposal site, (v) the Company is not subject to any written claim, action, suit, order, demand or notice by any governmental agency or governmental body or person alleging liability or violation relating to Environmental Laws or Hazardous Substances, (vi) the Company has received and is in compliance with all, and has received no written claim of liability under any, permits, licenses, authorizations, identification numbers or other approvals required under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business, as currently conducted, and (vii) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no new requirements applicable to the conduct of the Company’s business, as currently conducted, proposed for adoption or implementation under any Environmental Law, except in each case covered by clauses (i) - (vii) such as would not individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; (b) except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no judicial or administrative proceedings that are pending, or to the knowledge of the Company contemplated, against the Company pursuant to any Environmental Laws by a governmental authority, other than such proceedings for which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed; and (c) except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not incurred, and does not currently anticipate incurring, any costs or expenditures (including capital expenditures) required under or pursuant to Environmental Laws that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company. For purposes of this subsection, “Hazardous Substances” means (A) petroleum and petroleum products, by-products or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and mold, and (B) any other chemical, material or substance defined as toxic or hazardous or as a pollutant, contaminant or waste or words of similar import, or regulated or that can form the basis for liability, under Environmental Laws.

 

(xxxiii) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls.  The Company maintains effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13‑a15 and 15d‑15 under the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (E) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.  The Company maintains an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a‑15 and Rule 15d‑15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

 

(xxxiv)  Payment of Taxes.  The Company has filed all federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and has paid all taxes required to be filed or paid by it and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against them (except for any such taxes, assessments fines or penalties currently being contested in good faith or in any case in which the failure to file or pay would not have a Material Adverse Effect). The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(a)(vii) hereof in respect of all material federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company has not been finally determined. The Company is not aware of any material claims against it by any taxing authority in relation to the filing of tax returns or the payment of required taxes.

 

(xxxv)   Insurance.  The Company carries, or is covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company believes are adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and is customary for companies engaged in similar industries, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to (i) renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as currently conducted or proposed to be conducted and at a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(xxxvi)  Defined Benefit Plans. The Company has not maintained or contributed to a defined benefit plan as defined in Section 3(35) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”). No plan maintained or contributed to by the Company that is subject to ERISA (an “ERISA Plan”) (or any trust created thereunder) has engaged in a “prohibited transaction” within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) that could subject the Company to any material tax penalty on prohibited transactions and that has not adequately been corrected. Each ERISA Plan is in compliance in all material respects with all reporting, disclosure and other requirements of the Code and ERISA as they relate to such ERISA Plan, except for any noncompliance which would not result in the imposition of a material tax or monetary penalty. With respect to each ERISA Plan that is intended to be “qualified” within the meaning of Section 401(a) of the Code, either (i) a determination letter has been issued by the Internal Revenue Service stating that such ERISA Plan and the attendant trust are qualified thereunder, or (ii) the remedial amendment period under Section 401(b) of the Code with respect to the establishment of such ERISA Plan has not ended and a determination letter application will be filed with respect to such ERISA Plan prior to the end of such remedial amendment period. The Company has never completely or partially withdrawn from a “multiemployer plan,” as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA.

 

(xxxvii) Investment Company Act.  The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

 

(xxxix)  Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  Neither the Company, nor any of its directors or officers, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, employee or representative of the Company or its affiliates or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company, has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment of corporate funds or benefit to any foreign or domestic government or regulatory official or employee, including, without limitation, of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, (the “FCPA”), the UK Bribery Act 2010, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offense under any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted, maintained and enforced, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.

 

(xl)      Money Laundering Laws.  The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions in which the Company conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental or regulatory agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xli)      OFAC.  Neither the Company nor any director or officer of the Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee or representative of the Company, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company is currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea Region, the non-government controlled areas of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic regions of Ukraine (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or the target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. Since April 24, 2019, the Company has not knowingly engaged in, is not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

(xlii)     Lending Relationship.  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any banking or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.

 

(xliii)    Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that have not been described. Without limiting the generality of the immediately preceding sentence, no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company on the other hand, that is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and that is not so described. Since inception, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, extended or maintained credit, arranged to extend credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer of the Company, or to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company in violation of applicable laws, including Section 13(k) of the 1934 Act.

 

(xliv)    Off-Balance Sheet Transactions. There are no off-balance sheet transactions (including, without limitation, transactions related to, and the existence of, “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 810), arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), or any other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons, that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses.

 

(xlv)    Statistical and Market-Related Data.  No statement, representation, warranty or covenant made by the Company in this Agreement or made in any certificate or document required by this Agreement to be delivered to the Underwriters was or will be, when made, inaccurate, untrue or incorrect. All statistical or market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.

 

(xlvi)    Maintenance of Rating.  The Company has no debt securities or preferred stock that is rated by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the 1933 Act).

 

(xlvii)    No Broker Fees.  Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the offering of the Securities contemplated hereby.

 

(xlviii)  Insolvency. No event of insolvency has occurred in relation to the Company, nor is there any act which has occurred or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, is anticipated to occur which is likely to result in an event of insolvency in relation to the Company.

 

(xlix)     No Integration. The Company has not sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the 1933 Act or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

 

(l)         1934 Act Registration and Listing of the Common Stock. The shares of Common Stock are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the 1934 Act and listed on the Exchange; the Company has taken no action designed to, or reasonably likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the 1934 Act or delisting the Common Stock from the Exchange, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the Exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

 

(b)       Officer’s Certificates.  Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

SECTION 2.       Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

 

(a)         Securities.  On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, that number of Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(b)          [Reserved.]

 

(c)          Payment.  Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates or security entitlements for, the Securities shall be made at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the first (second, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).  Delivery of the Securities at the Closing Time shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives 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 Representatives 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 Representatives, for their accounts, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Securities which it has agreed to purchase.  Leerink Partners, individually and not as representatives of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

SECTION 3.       Covenants of the Company.  The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)       Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests.  The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will notify the Representatives as soon as practicable, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus (including any document incorporated by reference therein) or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.  The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus.  The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(b)         Continued Compliance with Securities Laws.  The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representatives notice of such event, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall object.  The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.  The Company has given the Representatives notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

 

(c)        Delivery of Registration Statements.  The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters.  The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S‑T.

 

(d)       Delivery of Prospectuses.  The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act.  The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request.  The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S‑T.

 

(e)        Blue Sky Qualifications.  The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(f)          Rule 158.  The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earning statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

 

(g)        Use of Proceeds.  The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in all material respects in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(h)         Listing.  The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Common Stock (including the Securities) on the Exchange.

 

(i)          Restriction on Sale of Securities.  During a period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus (the “Restricted Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of Leerink Partners and Cantor, (i) directly or indirectly, 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 to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file or confidentially submit any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing, (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 Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (iii) publicly announce an intention to effect any such swap, agreement or other transaction described in clauses (i) and (ii).  The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder; (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a convertible security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (D) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any existing non-employee director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; or (E) the filing by the Company of any registration statement on Form S-8 or a successor form thereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Restricted Period applicable to shares of Common Stock sold and issued pursuant to the Company’s at-the-market facility in place on the date hereof will be 90 days from the date of the Prospectus.

 

(j)         Reporting Requirements.  The Company, during the period when a Prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and 1934 Act Regulations.  Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Securities as may be required under Rule 463 under the 1933 Act.

 

(k)         Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representatives will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule B-2 hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representatives.  The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representatives as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.  If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(l)         Testing-the-Waters Materials.  If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

 

SECTION 4.       Payment of Expenses.

 

(a)         Expenses.  The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates or security entitlements for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of a “Blue Sky Survey” and any supplement thereto, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities; provided, that the Company shall not be required to pay or reimburse the Underwriters for fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in excess of $15,000 in connection therewith, (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the Exchange, and (x) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the third sentence of Section 1(a)(ii).

 

(b)       Termination of Agreement.  If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i), Section 9(a)(iii) or Section 10 (with respect to the non-defaulting Underwriter(s)) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the non-defaulting Underwriters for all of their reasonably documented out‑of‑pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the non-defaulting Underwriters.

 

SECTION 5.       Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations.  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:

 

(a)        Effectiveness of Registration Statement.  The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and, at the Closing Time, 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; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters.

 

(b)       Opinions of Counsel for Company.  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received (i) the opinion and the negative assurance letter, each dated the Closing Time, of Dechert LLP, counsel for the Company, (ii) the opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, LLP, special counsel for the Company with respect to certain intellectual property matters and (iii) the opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, special counsel for the Company with respect to certain intellectual property matters, each in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(c)         Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters.  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter, each dated the Closing Time, of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letters for each of the other Underwriters in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.  In giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal securities laws of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives.  Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other representatives of the Company and certificates of public officials.

 

(d)         Regulatory Certificate. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Company’s General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer relating to the Company’s regulatory matters in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(e)        Officers’ Certificate.  At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the principal executive officer of the Company and of the principal financial officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, 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 their knowledge, contemplated.

 

(f)          Accountant’s Comfort Letter.  At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(g)        Bring-down Comfort Letter.  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

 

(h)         Approval of Listing.  At the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(i)       No Objection.  FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.

 

(j)          Lock-up Agreements.  At the date of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto signed by all of the Company’s directors, officers and affiliated securityholders.

 

(k)         Maintenance of Rating.  The Company does not have any debt securities or preferred stock that are rated by any “nationally recognized statistical rating agency” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act).

 

(l)          [Reserved.]

 

(i)         Additional Documents.  At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such other documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(m)        Termination of Agreement.  If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 6.       Indemnification.

 

(a)         Indemnification of Underwriters.  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

 

(i)         against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or in any Marketing Materials of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(ii)        against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

 

(iii)    against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred 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 statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

 

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.

 

(b)         Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers.  Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers 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, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, 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.

 

(c)      Actions against Parties; Notification.  Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement.  In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company.  An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party.  In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(d)         Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse.  If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

SECTION 7.     Contribution.  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.

 

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 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 discounts and 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 Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

 

SECTION 8.     Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive.  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 or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

SECTION 9.       Termination of Agreement.

 

(a)         Termination.  The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representatives, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in U.S. or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the Exchange, or (iv) if trading generally on the NYSE MKT or the New York Stock Exchange or in the Exchange has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

 

(b)          Liabilities.  If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 10.     Default by One or More of the Underwriters.  If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non‑defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24‑hour period, then:

 

(i)         if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non‑defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non‑defaulting Underwriters, or

 

(ii)        if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non‑defaulting Underwriter.

 

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

 

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the (i) Representatives or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.  As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

SECTION 11.     Notices.  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 Company shall be directed to the office of the Company, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to Leerink Partners at ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇^▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, attention of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Equity Capital Markets with a copy to Investment Banking Legal Department and to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc., Attention: Syndicate Prospectus Department, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, or by telephone at (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, or by e-mail at ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇@▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇.

 

SECTION 12.    No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship.  The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the 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, (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 or 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 or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

 

SECTION 13.    Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.  In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

For purposes of this Agreement, (A) “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); (B) “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); (C) “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; and (D) “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 ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

SECTION 14.    Parties.  This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and 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 and 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 and 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.

 

SECTION 15.    Waiver of Trial by Jury.  The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) 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.

 

SECTION 16.   GOVERNING LAW.  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.

 

SECTION 17.     Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunity. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby 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, 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 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.

 

SECTION 18.     TIME. 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.

 

SECTION 19.     Partial Unenforceability.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof.  If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

SECTION 20.     Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same agreement. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., ▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

SECTION 21.     Effect of Headings.  The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

          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 among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED

As of the date first above written:

For themselves and as Representatives of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.

SCHEDULE A

 

The offering price per share for the Securities shall be $4.00.

 

The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $3.76, being an amount equal to the offering price set forth above less $0.24 per share.

 

SCHEDULE B-1

 

 

1.          The Company is selling 21,250,000 shares of Common Stock.

 

2.          The offering price per share for the Securities shall be $4.00.

SCHEDULE B-2

 

 

None

SCHEDULE B-3

 

 

None

Exhibit A

 

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

[•], 2025

 

Leerink Partners LLC

Cantor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.

as Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o          Leerink Partners LLC

▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇

5^th Floor

New York, New York 10019

c/o          Cantor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.

▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇

New York, New York 10022

Re:          Proposed Offering by Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned, a stockholder, officer and/or director of Aquestive Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), understands that Leerink Partners LLC and Cantor ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. (collectively, the “Representatives”) propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with the Company providing for the offering (the “Offering”) of shares (the “Securities”) 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, an officer and/or a 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 (collectively, the “Underwriters”) that, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date that is 90 days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, on behalf of the Underwriters, 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 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”), make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of the Lock-Up Securities, or file or cause to be filed any registration statement in connection therewith, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (ii) enter into any hedging, 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.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions below, the undersigned may transfer Lock-Up Securities without the prior written consent of the Representatives, provided, (A) in the case of a transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (i), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) or (vii), (I) each resulting transferee or recipient, as the case may be, of the Lock-Up Securities executes and delivers to the Representatives an agreement in the same form as this lock-up agreement, certifying that such transferee is bound by the terms of this lock-up agreement and has been in compliance with the terms hereof since the date first above written as if it had been an original party hereto and to the extent any interest in the Lock-Up Securities is retained by the undersigned (or such spouse, former spouse or family member), such securities shall remain subject to the restrictions contained in this lock-up agreement, and (II) no public filing under Section 13 or Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (other than a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period), or other public announcement, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Lock-Up Period in connection with such transfer or distribution; (B) in the case of a surrender or forfeiture to the Company pursuant to the preceding clause (ii), no public filing by any party under the Exchange Act or other public announcement shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such surrender or forfeiture (other than a filing on a Form 4 that reports such surrender or forfeiture under the transaction code “F”); and (C) in the case of transactions relating to securities pursuant to clause (viii), no public filing under Section 13 of 16(a) of the Exchange Act (other than a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period), or other public announcement, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Lock-Up Period in connection with such transfer:

 

(i)          bona fide gifts by the undersigned;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.  This lock-up agreement shall automatically terminate, and the undersigned shall be released from the undersigned’s obligations hereunder, upon the earliest to occur, if any, of (i) prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company advises the Representatives in writing that it has determined not to proceed with the Offering; (ii) the Underwriting Agreement is executed but is terminated prior to the closing of the Offering (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination), or (iii) August 31, 2025 in the event that the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by such date.

 

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the Underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Offering and the undersigned has consulted his/her/its own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate. The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that, although the Underwriters may be required or choose to provide certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures to the undersigned in connection with the Offering, the Underwriters are not making a recommendation to the undersigned to enter into this lock-up agreement, and nothing set forth in such disclosures is intended to suggest that any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this lock-up agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned. The undersigned understands that the Representatives are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Offering in reliance upon this lock-up agreement.

 

This lock-up agreement may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., ▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇ or ▇▇▇.▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇.▇▇▇) or other transmission method and any copy so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

---

¹NTD: To be included only in lock-up agreements for signatories that have existing 10b5-1 trading plans.

	Very truly yours,
	Name of Security Holder (Print exact name)
	By:
		Signature
	If not signing in an individual capacity:
	Name of Authorized Signatory (Print)
	Title of Authorized Signatory (Print)
	(indicate capacity of person signing if signing as custodian, trustee, or on behalf of an entity)