Form of Lock-Up Agreement, dated as of December 15, 2023, by and among Onconetix and certain stockholders of Proteomedix

Exhibit 10.1

EXECUTION VERSION

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

THIS LOCK-UP AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of December 15, 2023 by and between (i) Blue Water Biotech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with its successors, the “Buyer”), and (ii) the undersigned (“Holder”). Any capitalized term used but not defined in this Agreement will have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Share Exchange Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, on December 15, 2023, the Buyer, Proteomedix AG, a Swiss company (the “Company”), the Sellers (as defined in the Share Exchange Agreement) and the other parties thereto entered into that certain Share Exchange Agreement (as may be amended, modified, supplemented from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, the “Share Exchange Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other matters, upon the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby (the “Closing”), Buyer shall purchase from Sellers, and Sellers shall sell to Buyer, all of the issued and outstanding Company Shares in exchange for newly issued shares of common stock and newly issued shares of preferred stock of Buyer;

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, Holder is a holder of shares of the Company and/or other Company securities, or may become a holder of shares of the Company and/or other Company securities in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Share Exchange Agreement, in such amounts and classes or series as set forth underneath Holder’s name on the signature page hereto; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement, and in view of the valuable consideration to be received by Holder thereunder, the parties desire to enter into this Agreement, pursuant to which the Exchange Shares received by Holder in the Share Exchange (all such securities, together with any securities paid as dividends or distributions with respect to such securities or into which such securities are exchanged or converted, the “Restricted Securities”), shall become subject to limitations on disposition as set forth herein. For the avoidance of doubt, Restricted Securities shall include all shares of Buyer Common Stock issued to Holder upon conversion of the Preferred Shares.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises set forth above, which are incorporated in this Agreement as if fully set forth below, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereby agree as follows:

1. Lock-Up Provisions.

(a) Holder hereby agrees not to, during the period (the “Lock-Up Period”) commencing from the Closing and ending on the earlier to occur of (i) December 31, 2024 and (ii) the six (6) month anniversary of the date Buyer receives the Stockholder Approval: (A) lend, offer, pledge, hypothecate, encumber, donate, assign, 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, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Securities, (B) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Restricted Securities, or (C) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, whether any such transaction described in clauses (A), (B) or (C) above is to be settled by delivery of Restricted Securities or other securities, in cash or otherwise (any of the foregoing described in clauses (A), (B) or (C), a “Prohibited Transfer”). The foregoing sentence shall not apply to the transfer of any or all of the Restricted Securities owned by Holder (I) by gift, will or intestate succession upon the death of Holder, (II) to any Permitted Transferee (as defined below) or (III) pursuant to a court order or settlement agreement related to the distribution of assets in connection with the dissolution of marriage or civil union; provided, however, that in any of cases (I), (II) or (III) it shall, except as otherwise expressly provided below, be a condition to such transfer that the transferee executes and delivers to the Buyer an agreement (a “Transferee Agreement”) stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the Restricted Securities subject to the provisions of this Agreement applicable to Holder, and there shall be no further transfer of such Restricted Securities except in accordance with this Agreement. As used in this Agreement, the term “Permitted Transferee” shall mean: (i) the members of Holder’s immediate family (for purposes of this Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean with respect to any natural person, any of the following: such person’s spouse, the siblings of such person and his or her spouse, and the direct descendants and ascendants (including adopted and step children and parents) of such person and his or her spouses and siblings), (ii) any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of Holder or the immediate family of Holder, (iii) if Holder is a trust, the trustor or beneficiary of such trust or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust, and (iv) if Holder is an entity, as a distribution to limited partners, shareholders, members of, or owners of similar equity interests in Holder (provided, however, that if such distributee is not, taken together with its affiliates, a beneficial owner of at least five percent (5%) of the total issued and outstanding equity interests in the Seller, then such distributee will not be required to execute and deliver a Transferee Agreement to the Buyer). Holder further agrees to execute such agreements as may be reasonably requested by Buyer that are consistent with the foregoing or that are necessary to give further effect thereto.

(b) If any Prohibited Transfer is made or attempted contrary to the provisions of this Agreement, such purported Prohibited Transfer shall be null and void ab initio, and Buyer shall refuse to recognize any such purported transferee of the Restricted Securities as one of its equity holders for any purpose. In order to enforce this Section 1, Buyer may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Restricted Securities of Holder (and Permitted Transferees and assigns thereof) until the end of the Lock-Up Period.

(c) During the Lock-Up Period, each certificate evidencing any Restricted Securities shall be stamped or otherwise imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form, in addition to any other applicable legends:

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER SET FORTH IN A LOCK-UP AGREEMENT, DATED AS OF DECEMBER 15, 2023, BY AND BETWEEN THE ISSUER OF SUCH SECURITIES (THE “ISSUER”) AND THE ISSUER’S SECURITY HOLDER NAMED THEREIN, AS AMENDED. A COPY OF SUCH LOCK-UP AGREEMENT WILL BE FURNISHED WITHOUT CHARGE BY THE ISSUER TO THE HOLDER HEREOF UPON WRITTEN REQUEST.”

(d) For the avoidance of any doubt, Holder shall retain all of its rights as a stockholder of the Buyer during the Lock-Up Period, including the right to vote any Restricted Securities.

2. Miscellaneous.

(a) Termination of Share Exchange Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon Holder upon Holder’s execution and delivery of this Agreement, but this Agreement shall only become effective upon the Closing. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, in the event that the Share Exchange Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms prior to the Closing, this Agreement and all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall automatically terminate and be of no further force or effect.

(b) Binding Effect; Assignment. This Agreement and all of the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns. This Agreement and all obligations of Holder are personal to Holder and may not be transferred or delegated by Holder at any time. The Buyer may freely assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement, in whole or in part, to any successor entity (whether by merger, consolidation, equity sale, asset sale or otherwise) without obtaining the consent or approval of Holder.

(c) Third Parties. Nothing contained in this Agreement or in any instrument or document executed by any party in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby shall create any rights in, or be deemed to have been executed for the benefit of, any person or entity that is not a party hereto or thereto or a successor or permitted assign of such a party.

(d) Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement and any dispute or controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the conflict of law principles thereof. All Actions arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be heard and determined exclusively in any state or federal court located in Delaware (or in any appellate courts thereof) (the “Specified Courts”). Each party hereto hereby (i) submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of any Specified Court for the purpose of any Action arising out of or relating to this Agreement brought by any party hereto and (ii) irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert by way of motion, defense or otherwise, in any such Action, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that the Action is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the Action is improper, or that this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may not be enforced in or by any Specified Court. Each party agrees that a final judgment in any Action shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by Law. Each party irrevocably consents to the service of the summons and complaint and any other process in any other action or proceeding relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, on behalf of itself, or its property, by personal delivery of copies of such process to such party at the applicable address set forth in Section 2(g). Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall affect the right of any party to serve legal process in any other manner permitted by applicable Law.

(e) WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. EACH PARTY HERETO (i) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY ACTION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THAT FOREGOING WAIVER AND (ii) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 2(E).

(f) Interpretation. The table of contents and the Article and Section headings contained in this Agreement are solely for the purpose of reference, are not part of the agreement of the Parties and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires: (a) any pronoun used shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and words in the singular, including any defined terms, include the plural and vice versa; (b) reference to any Person includes such Person’s successors and assigns but, if applicable, only if such successors and assigns are permitted by this Agreement, and reference to a Person in a particular capacity excludes such Person in any other capacity; (c) any accounting term used and not otherwise defined in this Agreement or any Ancillary Document has the meaning assigned to such term in accordance with GAAP or Swiss GAAP; (d) “including” (and with correlative meaning “include”) means including without limiting the generality of any description preceding or succeeding such term and shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation”; (e) the words “herein,” “hereto,” and “hereby” and other words of similar import shall be deemed in each case to refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Section or other subdivision of this Agreement; (f) the word “if” and other words of similar import when used herein shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the phrase “and only if”; (g) the term “or” means “and/or”; (h) any agreement, instrument, insurance policy, Law or Order defined or referred to herein or in any agreement or instrument that is referred to herein means such agreement, instrument, insurance policy, Law or Order as from time to time amended, modified or supplemented, including (in the case of agreements or instruments) by waiver or consent and (in the case of statutes, regulations, rules or orders) by succession of comparable successor statutes, regulations, rules or orders and references to all attachments thereto and instruments incorporated therein; (i) except as otherwise indicated, all references in this Agreement to the words “Section,” “Article”, “Schedule” and “Exhibit” are intended to refer to Sections, Articles, Schedules and Exhibits to this Agreement; and (j) the term “Dollars” or “$” means United States dollars. Any reference in this Agreement to a Person’s directors shall include any member of such Person’s governing body and any reference in this Agreement to a Person’s officers shall include any Person filling a substantially similar position for such Person. Any reference in this Agreement to a Person’s shareholders or stockholders shall include any applicable owners of the equity interests of such Person, in whatever form, including with respect to the Buyer its stockholders under the DGCL or its Organizational Documents. The parties have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. Consequently, in the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement. To the extent that any Contract, document, certificate or instrument is represented and warranted to by the Company to be given, delivered, provided or made available by the Company, in order for such Contract, document, certificate or instrument to have been deemed to have been given, delivered, provided and made available to the Buyer or its Representatives, such Contract, document, certificate or instrument shall have been posted to the electronic data site maintained on behalf of the Company and made available to the Buyer and its Representatives and the Buyer and its Representatives have been given access to the electronic folders containing such information.

(g) Notices. All notices, consents, waivers and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered (i) in person, (ii) by facsimile or other electronic means (including email), with affirmative confirmation of receipt, (iii) one Business Day after being sent, if sent by reputable, nationally recognized overnight courier service or (iv) three (3) Business Days after being mailed, if sent by registered or certified mail, pre-paid and return receipt requested, in each case to the applicable party at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):

(h) Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, and either retroactively or prospectively) only with the written consent of the Buyer and Holder. No failure or delay by a party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No waivers of or exceptions to any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such term, condition, or provision.

(i) Authorization on Behalf of Buyer. The parties acknowledge and agree that notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, any and all determinations, actions or other authorizations under this Agreement on behalf of Buyer after the Closing, including enforcing Buyer’s rights and remedies under this Agreement, or providing any waivers or amendments with respect to this Agreement or the provisions hereof, shall solely be made, taken and authorized by the vote or consent of a majority of the Disinterested Directors. For purposes hereof, a “Disinterested Director” will mean an independent director disinterested in this Agreement or the Share Exchange Agreement (i.e., such independent director is not a Seller, an Affiliate of a Seller, or an officer, director, manager, employee, trustee or beneficiary of a Seller, nor an immediate family member of any of the foregoing) then serving on Buyer’s board of directors. Without limiting the foregoing, in the event that Holder or Holder’s Affiliate serves as a director, officer, employee or other authorized agent of Buyer or any of its current or future Affiliates, Holder and/or Holder’s Affiliate shall have no authority, express or implied, to act or make any determination on behalf of Buyer or any of its current or future Affiliates in connection with this Agreement or any dispute or Action with respect hereto.

(j) Severability. In case any provision in this Agreement shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in a jurisdiction, such provision shall be modified or deleted, as to the jurisdiction involved, only to the extent necessary to render the same valid, legal and enforceable, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby nor shall the validity, legality or enforceability of such provision be affected thereby in any other jurisdiction. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the parties will substitute for any invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision a suitable and equitable provision that carries out, so far as may be valid, legal and enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision.

(k) Specific Performance. Holder acknowledges that its obligations under this Agreement are unique, recognizes and affirms that in the event of a breach of this Agreement by Holder, money damages will be inadequate and Buyer will have no adequate remedy at law, and agrees that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed by Holder in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. Accordingly, the Buyer shall be entitled to an injunction or restraining order to prevent breaches of this Agreement by Holder and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, without the requirement to post any bond or other security or to prove that money damages would be inadequate, this being in addition to any other right or remedy to which such party may be entitled under this Agreement, at law or in equity.

(l) Entire Agreement. This Agreement, along with the Share Exchange Agreement to the extent referenced herein, constitutes the full and entire understanding and agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and any other written or oral agreement relating to the subject matter hereof existing between the parties is expressly canceled; provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing shall not affect the rights and obligations of the parties under the Share Exchange Agreement or any Ancillary Document. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Agreement shall limit any of the rights or remedies of the Buyer or any of the obligations of Holder under any other agreement between Holder and the Buyer or any certificate or instrument executed by Holder in favor of the Buyer, and nothing in any other agreement, certificate or instrument shall limit any of the rights or remedies of the Buyer or any of the obligations of Holder under this Agreement.

(m) Further Assurances. From time to time, at another party’s request and without further consideration (but at the requesting party’s reasonable cost and expense), each party shall execute and deliver such additional documents and take all such further action as may be reasonably necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(n) Counterparts; Facsimile. This Agreement may also be executed and delivered by facsimile signature or by email in portable document format in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Lock-Up Agreement as of the date first written above.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Lock-Up Agreement as of the date first written above. 

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