Placement Agency Agreement, dated as of November 9, 2017

EX-1.1 2 a17-26450_1ex1d1.htm EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

 

PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT

 

November 9, 2017

 

Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd.

546 Fifth Ave

New York, New York 10036

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Introduction. Subject to the terms and conditions herein (this “Agreement”), Onconova Therapeutics, Inc., a corporation formed under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Company”), hereby agrees to sell up to an aggregate of 920,000 registered shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), directly to various investors (each, an “Investor” and, collectively, the “Investors”) through Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd., as placement agent (the “Placement Agent”). The documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Investors in connection with the Offering (as defined below), shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.” The purchase price to the Investors for each Share is $1.50 (the “Per Share Purchase Price”).

 

The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the Placement Agent as follows:

 

Section 1. Agreement to Act as Placement Agent.

 

(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Placement Agent shall be the exclusive Placement Agent in connection with the offering and sale (the “Offering”) by the Company of the Shares pursuant to the Company’s “shelf” registration statement, and an amendment or amendments thereto, on Form S-3 (File No. 333-199219), which registration statement was declared effective on November 20, 2014 (the “Registration Statement”), with the terms of such offering to be subject to market conditions and negotiations between the Company, the Placement Agent and the prospective Investors. The Placement Agent will act on a best efforts basis and the Company agrees and acknowledges that there is no guarantee of the successful placement of the Shares, or any portion thereof, in the prospective Offering. Under no circumstances will the Placement Agent or any of its “Affiliates” (as defined below) be obligated to underwrite or purchase any of the Shares for its own account or otherwise provide any financing. The Placement Agent shall act solely as the Company’s agent and not as principal. The Placement Agent shall have no authority to bind the Company with respect to any prospective offer to purchase Shares and the Company shall have the sole right to accept offers to purchase Shares and may reject any such offer, in whole or in part. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Shares shall be made at one closing (the “Closing” and the date on which such Closing occurs, the “Closing Date”). As compensation for services rendered, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent the fees and expenses set forth below at the Closing Date:

 

(i) A cash fee equal to 9% of gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Shares at the closing of the Offering.

 

(ii) A non-refundable $15,000 retainer.

 

(iii) The Company shall be responsible for the payment of all actual, reasonable, accountable and documented legal fees of the Placement Agent’s securities counsel, subject to a cap of $50,000, including any filing and blue sky fees, in any states in which Laidlaw reasonably requests that such filings be made in connection with the Offering.

 

(b) The term of the Placement Agent’s exclusive engagement will be until the earlier of December 7, 2017 or the completion of the Offering (the “Exclusive Term”); provided, however, that a party hereto may terminate the engagement with respect to itself at any time upon 10 days written notice to the other parties.

 

1



 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and contribution contained herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the indemnification provisions will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement, and the Company’s obligation to pay fees actually earned and payable and to reimburse expenses actually incurred and reimbursable pursuant to Section 1 hereof and which are permitted to be reimbursed under FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(D), will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to limit the ability of the Placement Agent or its Affiliates to pursue, investigate, analyze, invest in, or engage in investment banking, financial advisory or any other business relationship with Persons (as defined below) other than the Company. As used herein (i) “Persons” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind and (ii) “Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

Section 2. Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Placement Agent as of the date hereof, and as of the Closing Date, as follows:

 

(a) Securities Law Filings. The Company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a “shelf” registration statement, and an amendment or amendments thereto, on Form S-3 (File No. 333-199219), which registration statement was declared effective on November 20, 2014, for the registration of the sale of certain securities of the Company, including Common Stock, under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act Regulations”). Such registration statement, including the exhibits thereto, as amended at the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement”.

 

After execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus included in the Registration Statement (the “Base Prospectus”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) and Rule 424(b) (“Rule 424(b)”) of the Securities Act Regulations; any information included in such prospectus supplement that was omitted from the Registration Statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B is herein called the “Rule 430B Information”; the Base Prospectus, together with any prospectus supplement used in connection with the offering of the Shares is hereinafter collectively called the “Prospectus.”

 

Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”) pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, on or before the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference in this Agreement to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and any other information which is “contained, “included,” “described,” “referenced,” “set forth” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and any other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, as the case may be.

 

The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for, and comply with the conditions for the use of, Form S-3 under the Securities Act, including but not limited to Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3. The Company is not a shell company (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations) and has not been a shell company for at least 12 calendar months previously and if it has been a shell company at any time previously, has filed current Form 10 information (as defined in Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3) with the Commission at least 12 calendar months previously reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.

 

2



 

(b) Assurances. The Registration Statement, as amended, (and any further documents to be filed with the Commission) contains all exhibits and schedules as required by the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and did not contain any 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 Base Prospectus and the Prospectus, each as of its respective date, comply or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations. Each of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, did not and will not contain as of the date thereof any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The two preceding sentences do not apply to statements or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for use therein.  The Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and none of such documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (with respect to Incorporated Documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus), in light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or events arising after the date thereof which represent, individually or in the aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required to be filed with the Commission. Except for this Agreement, there are no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby that (x) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period. Except for this Agreement, there are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Base Prospectus or Prospectus, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which have not been described or filed as required.

 

(c) Offering Materials. Neither the Company nor any of its directors and officers has distributed and none of them will distribute, prior to the Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares, other than the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, copies of the documents incorporated by reference therein and any other materials permitted by the Securities Act.

 

(d) Good Standing of the Company and Subsidiaries. Each of the Company and each Subsidiary (as defined below) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing (or the foreign equivalent thereof) under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization.  Each of the Company and each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification and has all corporate power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the business in which it is engaged, except where the failure to so qualify or have such corporate power or authority (i) would not have, singularly or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, assets or business or prospects of the Company or any Subsidiary, taken as a whole, or (ii) impair in any material respect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate any transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the SEC Reports (any such effect as described in clauses (i) or (ii), a “Material Adverse Effect”).  The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly any corporations, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies, associations or other entities.  In the event that the Company has only no subsidiaries or only one subsidiary, then all references herein to “Subsidiary” or “Subsidiaries” of the Company shall be deemed to refer to no subsidiary or such single subsidiary, mutatis mutandis.

 

(f) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of each of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and under the Prospectus have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals (as defined below). This Agreement has been duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the

 

3



 

Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.

 

(g) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby to which it is a party do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or has been waived by the Placement Agent.

 

(h) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus, other than: (i) the filing with the Commission of the Prospectus and (ii) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).

 

(i) The Shares.  The Shares and all other outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized; the authorized equity capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus; all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are, and, when the Shares have been delivered and paid for in accordance with this Agreement on the Closing Date, such Shares will have been, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, will conform in all material respects to the information in the Prospectus and to the description of such Shares contained in the Prospectus; the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Shares; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been issued in violation of any preemptive or similar rights of any security holder.  All the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and, except to the extent set forth in the Prospectus, are owned by the Company directly or indirectly through one or more wholly-owned subsidiaries, free and clear of any claim, lien, encumbrance, security interest, restriction upon voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.

 

(k) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with Company Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been

 

4



 

prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments.

 

(l) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as specifically disclosed in a subsequent SEC Report filed prior to the date hereof, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has sustained any material loss or material interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree; and, since such date, there has not been any material change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any Subsidiary, or any material adverse changes, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, assets, general affairs, management, financial position, prospects, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(m) Litigation. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) which is required to be described in the SEC Reports and is not described therein, or which, singularly or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any Subsidiary, could have a Material Adverse Effect or prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened by governmental authorities or threatened by any third party.. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.

 

(n) Absence of Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary exists or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, is imminent, and the Company has no knowledge of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its Subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, that could reasonably be expected, singularly or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company has no knowledge that any key employee or significant group of employees of the Company or any Subsidiary plans to terminate employment with the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(o) Compliance. Except as disclosed in SEC Reports, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. This Section does not relate to matters with respect to taxes, which are the subject of Section 2(ee), environmental matters, which are the subject of Section 2(p), or FDA (as defined below) or EMEA (as defined below) matters, which are the subject of Section 2(nn).

 

(p) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (a) are in material compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants

 

5



 

or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (b) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business; and (c) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants regulated under any Environmental Laws, except in each case as would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect..

 

(q) Possession of Licenses and Permits. Each of the Company and each Subsidiary possesses all licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits issued by, the appropriate local, state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies which are necessary for the ownership of its properties or the conduct of its businesses as described in the SEC Reports (collectively, the “Governmental Permits”) except where any failure to possess the same, singularly or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect.  Each of the Company and each Subsidiary is in material compliance with all material Governmental Permits; all such Governmental Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the validity or failure to be in full force and effect would not, singularly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any written notification of any revocation or modification (or proceedings related thereto) of any such Governmental Permit and the Company has no reason to believe that any such material Governmental Permit will not be renewed.  This Section does not relate to matters with respect to taxes, which are the subject of Section 2(ee), environmental matters, which are the subject of Section 2(p), or FDA or EMEA matters, which are the subject of Section 2(nn).

 

(r) Title to Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not own any real property.  Each of the Company and each Subsidiary has good title, or has valid rights to lease or otherwise use all items of personal property owned by them which are material to the business of the Company and each such Subsidiary in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests, claims and defects except those that (i) are described in the SEC Reports, or (ii) do not, singularly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or the Subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, and under which the Company or each Subsidiary holds properties described in the SEC Reports, are in full force and effect, and, except as described in the SEC Reports, the Company has not received any written notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or the Subsidiaries under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or the Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

 

(s) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have would have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated in the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as would not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(t) Insurance. Each of the Company and each Subsidiary carries, or is covered by, insurance provided by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate, in the judgment of management, for the conduct of its business.  The Company has no reason to believe that it or any Subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or

 

6



 

appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(u) Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders (or analogous interest holders), customers or suppliers of the Company or any of their affiliates on the other hand, which is required to be described in the SEC Reports and which is not so described.

 

(v) Internal Controls and Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  The Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting and other controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Except as described in the SEC Reports, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (A) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof that are presently in effect.

 

(w) Certain Fees. Except as set forth in the Prospectus, 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 the Placement Agent for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the Offering.

 

(x) Investment Company. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will become an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(y) Registration Rights. Except as set forth in SEC Reports, no Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.

 

(z) Listing and Maintenance Requirements.  The Company is in compliance with all applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules that are then in effect and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other applicable corporate governance requirements set forth in the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules not currently in effect upon and all times after the effectiveness of such requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and except as described in the SEC Reports, 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 Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from The NASDAQ Capital Market (the “NASDAQ CM”), nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or NASDAQ CM is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. The Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.

 

(aa) Reserved.

 

(bb) Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Prospectus, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Investors or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in any Company Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus. The Company understands and confirms that the Investors will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting

 

7



 

transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Investors regarding the Company and, its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, is true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made and when made, not misleading.

 

(cc) No Integrated Offering. Neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Shares to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of the NASDAQ CM.

 

(dd) Solvency. As of the date hereof, there has been no material change to the Indebtedness set forth in SEC Reports, detailing all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Except as described in the SEC Reports, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.

 

(ee) Taxes. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all United States federal income tax returns that have been required to be filed and has paid all taxes shown thereon or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable state, local or foreign law, except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and has paid all taxes shown thereon or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. The Company and its subsidiaries have no tax deficiency that has been or, to the Company’s knowledge, might be asserted or threatened against it that could have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ff) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder; and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have instituted and maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure continued compliance therewith.

 

(gg) Accountants. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, its accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017.

 

(hh) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Shares, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Company’s placement agent in connection with the placement of the Shares.

 

8



 

(ii) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

 

(jj) Anti-Money LaunderingThe operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator or non-governmental authority involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.

 

(kk) Certificates. Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Placement Agent as to the matters set forth therein.

 

(ll) Reliance. The Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and warranties and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

(mm) FINRA Affiliations. There are no affiliations with any FINRA member firm among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent (5%) or greater stockholder of the Company.

 

(nn) Potential Products; FDA; EMEA

 

(i) Except as described in the SEC Reports, the Company possesses all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct its business as currently conducted, including without limitation all such certificates, authorizations and permits required by the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) or any other federal, state or foreign agencies or bodies engaged in the regulation of pharmaceuticals or biohazardous materials, except where the failure to so possess such certificates, authorizations and permits, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as described in the SEC Reports, the Company has not received any written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit, which notice is currently pending, which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ii) Except to the extent disclosed in the SEC Reports, the Company has not received any written notices or statements from the FDA, the European Medicines Agency (the “EMEA”) or any other governmental agency that (i) any drug candidate of the Company described in the SEC Reports (each a “Potential Product”) will be rejected or determined to be non-approvable; (ii) a delay in time for review and/or approval of a marketing authorization application or marketing approval application in any jurisdiction for any Potential Product is required, requested or being implemented; (iv) any license, approval, permit or authorization to conduct any clinical trial of any Potential Product of the Company has been, will be or may be suspended, revoked, modified or limited, and which is currently pending, except in the cases of clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) where such rejections, determinations, delays, requests, suspensions, revocations, modifications or limitations would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(iii) Except to the extent disclosed in the SEC Reports, to the Company’s knowledge, the preclinical and clinical testing, and manufacture, of the Potential Products of the Company is in compliance, in all material respects, with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to such activities, including without limitation applicable good laboratory practices, good clinical practices and, to the extent applicable, good manufacturing practices, except for such non-compliance as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The descriptions of the results of such tests and trials contained in

 

9



 

the SEC Reports are complete and accurate in all material respects such that there would be no untrue statement of a material fact or omission of a material fact necessary to make the statements in the SEC Reports, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. The Company is not aware of any studies, tests or trials that are not contained in the SEC Reports the results of which reasonably, directly, and materially call into question the results of the tests and trials conducted by or on behalf of the Company that are described or referred to in the SEC Reports. Except to the extent disclosed in the SEC Reports, the Company has not received written warning letter or clinical hold notice from the FDA or any non-U.S. counterpart of any of the foregoing, or any untitled letter or other correspondence or notice from the FDA or any other governmental authority or agency or any institutional or ethical review board alleging or asserting noncompliance with any law, rule or regulation applicable in any jurisdiction, and which is currently pending, except notices, letters, and correspondences and non-U.S. counterparts thereof alleging or asserting such noncompliance as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except to the extent disclosed in the SEC Reports and except as provided to clinical trial investigators and subjects through the regular course of a clinical trial, including through informed consent forms, investigator brochures, and updates to the same, the Company has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted or issued, or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any material recall, market withdrawal, safety alert, “dear doctor” letter, investigator notice, or other notice or action relating to an alleged or potential  material risk of any Potential Product of the Company, any alleged product defect of any Potential Product of the Company, or any violation of any material applicable law, rule, regulation or any clinical trial, approval, permit or authorization for any Potential Product of the Company, and the Company is not aware of any facts or information that would cause it to initiate any such notice or action and has no knowledge or reason to believe that the FDA, the EMEA or any other governmental agency or authority or any institutional or ethical review board or other non-governmental authority intends to impose, require, request or suggest such notice or action

 

Section 3. Delivery and Payment.  On the Closing Date, which shall be on November 14, 2017, each Investor’s aggregate Per Share Purchase Price for the Shares shall be made available for “Delivery Versus Payment” settlement with the Company or by such method that is acceptable to the parties. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall cause its transfer agent through DTC’s DWAC system to deliver to the Placement Agent such aggregate number of Shares that the Investors are purchasing and the Placement Agent shall wire or cause to be wired to the Company the net proceeds of such sale to the Company on the Closing Date.

 

Section 4. Covenants and Agreements of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the Placement Agent as follows:

 

(a) Registration Statement Matters. The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly after it receives notice thereof of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to any Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and will furnish the Placement Agent with copies thereof. The Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of any Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the Offering. The Company will advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof (i) of any request by the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement any Prospectus or for additional information, and (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any order directed at any Incorporated Document, if any, or any amendment or supplement thereto or any order preventing or suspending the use of any Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the institution or threatened institution of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or a Prospectus or for additional information. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or prevention or suspension of such use. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or order or notice of prevention or suspension at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment, or will file a new registration statement and use its best efforts to have such new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B and 430C, as applicable, under the Securities Act, including with

 

10


 


 

respect to the timely filing of documents thereunder, and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) are received in a timely manner by the Commission.

 

(b) Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus and Other Matters. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with the distribution of Securities contemplated by the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the opinion of the Placement Agent or counsel for the Placement Agent, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any Incorporated Document to comply with any law, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own expense to the Placement Agent and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus that is necessary in order to make the statements in the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or so that the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented, will comply with law. Before amending the Registration Statement or supplementing the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in connection with the Offering, the Company will furnish the Placement Agent with a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement and will not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Placement Agent reasonably objects.

 

(c) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus. The Company will furnish the Placement Agent, without charge, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the last Closing Date of the Offering, as many copies of the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto (including any Incorporated Documents, if any) as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.

 

(d) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company covenants that it will not, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a Company Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act. In the event that the Placement Agent expressly consents in writing to any such free writing prospectus (a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”), the Company covenants that it shall (i) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as a Company Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) comply with the requirements of Rule 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.

 

(e) Transfer Agent. The Company will maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock.

 

(f) Reserved.

 

(g) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will duly file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the NASDAQ CM or any other trading market on which the Common Stock is then listed or traded all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act within the time periods and in the manner required by the Exchange Act.

 

(h) Additional Documents. The Company will enter into any subscription, purchase or other customary agreements as the Placement Agent or the Investors deem necessary or appropriate to consummate the Offering, all of which will be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Company, Placement Agent and the Investors. The Company agrees that the Placement Agent may rely upon, and is a third party beneficiary of, the representations and warranties, and applicable covenants, set forth in any such purchase, subscription or other agreement with Investors in the Offering.

 

11



 

(i) No Manipulation of PriceThe Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.

 

(j) Acknowledgment. The Company acknowledges that any advice given by the Placement Agent to the Company is solely for the benefit and use of the Board of Directors of the Company and may not be used, reproduced, disseminated, quoted or referred to, without the Placement Agent’s prior written consent.

 

Section 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Placement Agent. The obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof, in each case as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by each of the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder on and as of such dates, and to each of the following additional conditions:

 

(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from the FINRA. Each Prospectus (in accordance with Rule 424(b)) and “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), if any, shall have been duly filed with the Commission, as appropriate; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order preventing or suspending the use of any Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Shares or any other securities of the Company shall have been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange; all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with; and the FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the placement terms and arrangements.

 

(b) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters in connection with this Agreement, the Registration Statement and each Prospectus, and the registration, sale and delivery of the Shares, shall have been completed or resolved in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent’s counsel, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information as it may reasonably have requested to enable such counsel to pass upon the matters referred to in this Section 5.

 

(c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment after consultation with the Company, there shall not have occurred any change which will cause a Material Adverse Effect (a “Material Adverse Change”).

 

(d) Opinion of Corporate Counsel for the Company. The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of corporate legal counsel to the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.

 

(d) Opinion of Intellectual Property Counsel for the Company. The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of intellectual property legal counsel to the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.

 

(e) Officers’ Certificate. The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect that, and the Placement Agent shall be satisfied that, the signers of such certificate have reviewed the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents, any Prospectus, and this Agreement and to the further effect that:

 

(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct, as if made on and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date;

 

12



 

(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of any Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened under the Securities Act; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Shares or any other securities of the Company has been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States;

 

(iii) When the Registration Statement became effective, at the time of sale, and at all times subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, when such documents became effective or were filed with the Commission, contained all material information required to be included therein by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, did not and do not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (provided, however, that the preceding representations and warranties contained in this paragraph (iii) shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for use therein) and, since the effective date of the Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder to be set forth in the Incorporated Documents which has not been so set forth; and

 

(iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus, there has not been: (a) any Material Adverse Change; (b) any transaction that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business; (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business; (d) any material change in the capital stock (except changes thereto resulting from the exercise of outstanding stock options or warrants) or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary; (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company; or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company or any Subsidiary which has been sustained or will have been sustained which has a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(f) Comfort Letter.  The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date a comfort letter containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ comfort letters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Prospectus, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.

 

(g) Stock Exchange Listing. The Common Stock shall be registered under the Exchange Act and shall be listed on the NASDAQ CM, and the Company shall not have taken any action designed to terminate, or likely to have the effect of terminating, the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Common Stock from the NASDAQ CM, nor shall the Company have received any information suggesting that the Commission or the NASDAQ CM is contemplating terminating such registration or listing, except as previously disclosed in the SEC Reports prior to the date of this Agreement.

 

(h) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date, the Placement Agent and counsel for the Placement Agent shall have received such information and documents as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

 

If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Placement Agent by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to a Closing Date, which

 

13



 

termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 6 (Payment of Expenses), Section 7 (Indemnification and Contribution) and Section 8 (Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery) shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 6. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation: (i) all expenses incident to the issuance, delivery and qualification of the Shares (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Stock; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts each Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the securities laws of any other country, and, if requested by the Placement Agent, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey,” an “International Blue Sky Survey” or other memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Placement Agent of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions; (vii) if applicable, the filing fees incident to the review and approval by the FINRA of the Placement Agent’s participation in the offering and distribution of the Shares; (viii) the fees and expenses associated with including the Shares on the NASDAQ CM; (ix) all costs and expenses incident to the travel and accommodation of the Company’s on the “roadshow,” if any; and (x) all actual, reasonable, accountable and documented legal fees of the Placement Agent’s securities counsel in connection with the Offering, including, without limitation, the fees relating to the preceding clauses (vi) and (vii) and including any filing and blue sky fees in any state in which the Placement Agent reasonably request that such filings to be made in connection with the Offering, not to exceed $50,000. .

 

Section 7. Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each person controlling the Placement Agent (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act), and the directors, officers, agents and employees of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each such controlling person (the Placement Agent, and each such entity or person. an “Indemnified Person”) from and against any losses, claims, damages, judgments, assessments, costs and other liabilities (collectively, the “Liabilities”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all fees and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of one counsel for all Indemnified Persons, except as otherwise expressly provided herein) (collectively, the “Expenses”) as they are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any Actions, whether or not any Indemnified Person is a party thereto, (i) caused by, or arising out of or in connection with, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Incorporated Document or by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (other than untrue statements or alleged untrue statements in, or omissions or alleged omissions from, information relating to an Indemnified Person furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person expressly for use in the Incorporated Documents) or (ii) otherwise arising out of or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person’s actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions; provided, however, that, in the case of clause (ii) only, the Company shall not be responsible for any Liabilities or Expenses of any Indemnified Person that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person’s (x) gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any of the advice, actions, inactions or services referred to above or (y) use of any offering materials or information concerning the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares in the Offering which were not authorized for such use by the Company and which use constitutes gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Company also agrees to reimburse each Indemnified Person for all Expenses as they are incurred in connection with enforcing such Indemnified Person’s rights under this Agreement.

 

(b) Upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of actual notice of an Action against such Indemnified Person with respect to which indemnity may be sought under this Agreement, such Indemnified Person shall

 

14



 

promptly notify the Company in writing; provided that failure by any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have on account of this indemnity or otherwise to such Indemnified Person, except to the extent the Company shall have been prejudiced by such failure. The Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, assume the defense of any such Action including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, which counsel may also be counsel to the Company. Any Indemnified Person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless: (i) the Company has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such Action (including any impeded parties) include such Indemnified Person and the Company, and such Indemnified Person shall have been advised in the reasonable opinion of counsel that there is an actual conflict of interest that prevents the counsel selected by the Company from representing both the Company (or another client of such counsel) and any Indemnified Person; provided that the Company shall not in such event be responsible hereunder for the fees and expenses of more than one firm of separate counsel for all Indemnified Persons in connection with any Action or related Actions, in addition to any local counsel. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any Action effected without its written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld). In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened Action in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Indemnified Person is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination includes an unconditional release of each Indemnified Person from all Liabilities arising out of such Action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder. The indemnification required hereby shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred and is due and payable.

 

(c) In the event that the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to an Indemnified Person other than in accordance with this Agreement, the Company shall contribute to the Liabilities and Expenses paid or payable by such Indemnified Person in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by the immediately preceding clause is not permitted by applicable law, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, in connection with the matters as to which such Liabilities or Expenses relate, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided that in no event shall the Company contribute less than the amount necessary to ensure that all Indemnified Persons, in the aggregate, are not liable for any Liabilities and Expenses in excess of the amount of fees actually received by the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement. For purposes of this paragraph, the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (a) the total value paid or contemplated to be paid to or received or contemplated to be received by the Company in the transaction or transactions that are within the scope of this Agreement, whether or not any such transaction is consummated, bears to (b) the fees paid to the Placement Agent under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act, as amended, shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

(d) The Company also agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person’s actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions except for Liabilities (and related Expenses) of the Company that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person’s fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any such advice, actions, inactions or services.

 

(e) The reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations of the Company set forth herein shall apply to any modification of this Agreement and shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any Indemnified Person’s services under or in connection with, this Agreement.

 

15



 

Section 8. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or any person controlling the Company, of its officers, and of the Placement Agent set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the Company, or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement. A successor to a Placement Agent, or to the Company, its directors or officers or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Agreement.

 

Section 9. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

 

If to the Placement Agent:

 

Laidlaw & Company (UK) Ltd.

546 Fifth Ave

New York, New York 10036

Attention: Francis Ryan Smith

 

With a copy to:

 

Sichenzia Ross Ference Kesner LLP

1185 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10036

Facsimile: (212) 930-9725

Attention: Harvey Kesner, Esq.

 

If to the Company:

 

Onconova Therapeutics, Inc.

375 Pheasant Run

Newtown, PA 18940

Attention: Ramesh Kumar

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

1701 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Facsimile: (215) 963-5001

Attention: Joanne R. Soslow

 

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

 

Section 10. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and to their respective successors, and personal representative, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

 

Section 11. 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.

 

16



 

Section 12. Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been made and delivered in New York City and both this engagement letter and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed as to validity, interpretation, construction, effect and in all other respects by the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company: (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this engagement letter and/or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted exclusively in New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (ii) waives any objection which it may have or hereafter to the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in any such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company, in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon the Placement Agent mailed by certified mail to the Placement Agent’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service process upon the Placement Agent, in any such suit, action or proceeding. Notwithstanding any provision of this engagement letter to the contrary, the Company agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor its affiliates, and the respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each other person, if any, controlling the Placement Agent or any of its affiliates, shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with the engagement and transaction described herein except for any such liability for losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred by us that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the bad faith or gross negligence of such individuals or entities. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provision of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

Section 13. General Provisions.

 

(a) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof,. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Shares: (i) the Placement Agent has acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to the Company or any other person, (ii) the Placement Agent owes the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and (iii) the Placement Agent may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Placement Agent arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Shares.

 

[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]

 

17



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign below whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

ONCONOVA THERAPEUTICS, INC.

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ramesh Kumar

 

 

Name:

Ramesh Kumar, Ph.D.

 

 

Title:

President and CEO

 

The foregoing Placement Agency Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

 

LAIDLAW & COMPANY (UK) LTD.

 

 

By:

/s/ Hugh Regan

 

 

Name:

Hugh Regan

 

Title:

Executive Director

 

18