As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 18, 2024
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
QUINCE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 90-1024039 | ||||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) | ||||
611 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 273
South San Francisco, California 94080
(415) 910-5717
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
Dirk Thye
Chief Executive Officer
Quince Therapeutics, Inc.
611 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 273
South San Francisco, California 94080
(415) 910-5717
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Gordon K. Ho
Cooley LLP
3175 Hanover Street
Palo Alto, California 94304
(650) 843-5000
From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement
(Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public)
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | ||||||||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☒ | Smaller reporting company | ☒ | ||||||||
| Emerging Growth Company | ☐ | ||||||||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment that specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This registration statement contains:
•a base prospectus, which covers the offering, issuance and sale by the registrant of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $200.0 million of the registrant’s common stock, preferred stock, debt securities and/or warrants from time to time in one or more offerings; and
•a sales agreement prospectus, which covers the offering, issuance and sale by the registrant of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $75.0 million of the registrant’s common stock that may be issued and sold from time to time under a sales agreement, dated December 18, 2024, with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC.
The base prospectus immediately follows this explanatory note. The specific terms of any securities to be offered pursuant to the base prospectus will be specified in a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus.
The sales agreement prospectus immediately follows the base prospectus. The $75.0 million of common stock that may be offered, issued and sold by the registrant under the sales agreement prospectus is included in the $200.0 million of securities that may be offered, issued and sold by the registrant under the base prospectus. In connection with such offers and when accompanied by the base prospectus included in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, such sales agreement prospectus will be deemed a prospectus supplement to such base prospectus. Upon termination of the sales agreement with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC, any portion of the $75.0 million included in the sales agreement prospectus that is not sold pursuant to the sales agreement will be available for sale in other offerings pursuant to the base prospectus and a corresponding prospectus supplement, and if no shares are sold under the sales agreement, the full $200.0 million of securities may be sold in other offerings pursuant to the base prospectus and a corresponding prospectus supplement.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities or accept an offer to buy these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state where such offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion, dated December 18, 2024.
PROSPECTUS
Quince Therapeutics, Inc.
$200,000,000
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
From time to time, we may offer and sell up to an aggregate amount of $200.0 million of any combination of the securities described in this prospectus, either individually or in combination, at prices and on terms described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We may also offer common stock, common stock or preferred stock upon conversion of debt securities, common stock upon conversion of preferred stock, or common stock, preferred stock or debt securities upon exercise of warrants.
This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to an offering of our securities. We will provide the specific terms of these offerings and securities in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference, before buying any of the securities being offered.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “QNCX.” On December 17, 2024, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $1.84 per share. The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable, as to other listings, if any, on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or any securities market or other exchange of the securities covered by the applicable prospectus supplement.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the section titled “Risk Factors” on page 5 of this prospectus and any similar section contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and in any free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, and under similar headings in the documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
The securities may be sold directly by us to investors, through agents designated from time to time or to or through underwriters or dealers, on a continuous or delayed basis. For additional information on the methods of sale, you should refer to the section titled “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus. If any agents or underwriters are involved in the sale of any shares of our securities with respect to which this prospectus is being delivered, the names of such agents or underwriters and any applicable fees, commissions, discounts and overallotment options will be set forth in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of such securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from such sale will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. Under this shelf registration statement, we may, from time to time, offer and sell in one or more offerings common stock and preferred stock, various series of debt securities and/or warrants to purchase any of such securities, either individually or in combination with other securities, in one or more offerings, up to a total dollar amount of $200.0 million of any combination of the securities described in this prospectus. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer.
Each time we sell any type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain more specific information about the terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change any of the information contained in this prospectus or in the documents that we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, will include all material information relating to the applicable offering. We urge you to read carefully this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, together with the information incorporated herein, or therein by reference as described under the heading “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference,” before buying any of the securities being offered.
This prospectus may not be used to consummate a sale of securities unless it is accompanied by a prospectus supplement.
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, along with the information contained in any free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. No action is being taken in any jurisdiction outside the United States to permit a public offering of our securities or possession or distribution of this prospectus in that jurisdiction. Persons who come into possession of this prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions as to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction.
The information appearing in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front of the document and any information we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, or the date of any sale of securities. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
This prospectus contains and incorporates by reference market data and industry statistics and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Although we believe that these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information and we have not independently verified this information. Although we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the market and industry data presented in this prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference, these estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this
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prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on this information.
This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the section titled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “Quince,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” in this prospectus refer to Quince Therapeutics, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and does not contain all of the information that you need to consider in making your investment decision. You should carefully read the entire prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, including the risks of investing in our securities discussed under the sections titled “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar sections in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You should also carefully read the other information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including our consolidated and condensed consolidated financial statements, and the exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
Quince Therapeutics, Inc.
Overview
We are a late-stage biotechnology company dedicated to harnessing the power of a patient’s own biology to deliver innovative therapies to those living with rare diseases.
Our proprietary Autologous Intracellular Drug Encapsulation (“AIDE”) technology platform is an innovative drug/device combination that uses an automated process designed to encapsulate a drug into the patient’s own red blood cells. Red blood cells have several characteristics that make them a potentially ideal vehicle for drug delivery, including potentially better tolerability, enhanced tissue distribution, reduced immunogenicity, and prolongation of circulating half-life. Our AIDE technology is designed to harness these benefits to allow for new and improved therapeutic options for patients living with high unmet medical needs. The AIDE technology platform is believed to confer several benefits over conventional therapies and can be applied to a broad range of small or large molecule drugs and biologics. Our Phase 3 lead asset, EryDex, leverages our AIDE technology to encapsulate Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate (DSP) into a patient’s own red blood cells, and is targeted to treat a rare pediatric neurodegenerative disease, Ataxia-Telangiectasia.
By pioneering the delivery of a drug encapsulated in a patient’s own red blood cells, we seek to advance proprietary therapeutics that hold the potential to redefine the standard of care and meaningfully improve the quality of life for patients with rare disease.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated as Cortexyme, Inc. in Delaware on June 20, 2012. In August 2022, we changed our name to Quince Therapeutics, Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 611 Gateway Blvd., Suite 273, South San Francisco, California 94080. Our telephone number at that location is (415) 910-5717. Our corporate website address is www.quincetx.com. References to our website address do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the website, and the information contained on the website is not part of this document.
“Quince”, and the Quince Therapeutics, Inc. logo and other trademarks or service marks of Quince appearing in this prospectus are the property of Quince Therapeutics, Inc. Other trademarks, service marks or trade names appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other companies.
The Securities We May Offer
We may offer shares of our common stock and preferred stock, various series of debt securities and/or warrants to purchase any of such securities, either individually or in combination with other securities, up to a total dollar amount of $200.0 million, from time to time under this prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of any offering. We may also offer common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities upon the exercise of warrants. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we
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offer a type of security or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities, including, to the extent applicable:
•designation or classification;
•aggregate principal amount or aggregate offering price;
•maturity date, if applicable;
•original issue discount, if any;
•rates and times of payment of interest or dividends, if any;
•redemption, conversion, exercise, exchange or sinking fund terms, if any;
•ranking;
•restrictive covenants, if any;
•voting or other rights, if any;
•conversion or exchange prices or rates, if any, and, if applicable, any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the conversion or exchange prices or rates and in the securities or other property receivable upon conversion or exchange; and
•material or special U.S. federal income tax considerations, if any.
The applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change any of the information contained in this prospectus or in the documents we have incorporated by reference.
THIS PROSPECTUS MAY NOT BE USED TO CONSUMMATE A SALE OF SECURITIES UNLESS IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT.
We may sell the securities directly to investors or to or through agents, underwriters or dealers. We and our agents or underwriters, reserve the right to accept or reject all or part of any proposed purchase of securities. If we do offer securities to or through agents or underwriters, we will include in the applicable prospectus supplement:
•the names of those agents or underwriters;
•applicable fees, discounts and commissions to be paid to them;
•details regarding overallotment options, if any; and
•the estimated net proceeds to us.
Common Stock
We may issue shares of our common stock from time to time. The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding shares of preferred stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors out of legally available funds. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, upon the completion of the distributions required with respect to any series of redeemable convertible preferred stock that may then be outstanding, our remaining assets legally available for distribution to stockholders shall be distributed on an equal priority, pro rata basis to the holders of common stock. No shares of our common stock are subject to redemption or have preemptive rights to purchase additional shares of our common stock. In this prospectus, we have summarized certain general features of the common stock under the heading “Description of Capital Stock—Common Stock.” We urge you, however, to read the applicable prospectus
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supplement (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) related to any common stock being offered.
Preferred Stock
We may issue shares of our preferred stock from time to time, in one or more series. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our board of directors has the authority, without action by the stockholders, to designate and issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more classes or series and to fix the powers, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of each class or series of preferred stock, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption privileges, liquidation preferences and the number of shares constituting any class or series, which may be greater than the rights of the holders of the common stock. Convertible preferred stock will be convertible into our common stock or exchangeable for other securities. Conversion may be mandatory or at your option and would be at prescribed conversion rates.
If we sell any series of preferred stock under this prospectus, we will fix the designations, voting powers, preferences and rights of the preferred stock of each series we issue under this prospectus, as well as the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, in the certificate of designation relating to that series. We will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of any certificate of designation that contains the terms of the series of preferred stock we are offering. In this prospectus, we have summarized certain general features of the preferred stock under the heading “Description of Capital Stock—Preferred Stock.” We urge you, however, to read the applicable prospectus supplement (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) related to the series of preferred stock being offered, as well as the complete certificate of designation that contains the terms of the applicable series of preferred stock.
Debt Securities
We may issue debt securities from time to time, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. The senior debt securities will rank equally with any other unsecured and unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner described in the instrument governing the debt, to all of our senior indebtedness. Convertible or exchangeable debt securities will be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock or our other securities. Conversion or exchange may be mandatory or optional (at our option or the holders’ option) and would be at prescribed conversion or exchange prices.
The debt securities will be issued under an indenture that we will enter into with a national banking association or other eligible party, as trustee. In this prospectus, we have summarized certain general features of the debt securities under the heading “Description of Debt Securities.” We urge you, however, to read the applicable prospectus supplement (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) related to the series of debt securities being offered, as well as the complete indenture and any supplemental indentures that contain the terms of the debt securities. We have filed the form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
Warrants
We may issue warrants for the purchase of common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities in one or more series. We may issue warrants independently or in combination with common stock, preferred stock and/or debt securities offered by any prospectus supplement. In this prospectus, we have summarized certain general features of the warrants under the heading “Description of Warrants.” We urge you, however, to read the applicable prospectus supplement (and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you) related to the particular series of warrants being offered, as well as the form of warrant and/or the warrant agreement and warrant certificate, as applicable, that contain the terms of the warrants. We have filed the forms of the warrant agreements and forms of warrant certificates containing the terms of the warrants that we may offer as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of
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which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of warrant and/or the warrant agreement and warrant certificate, as applicable, that contain the terms of the particular series of warrants we are offering, and any supplemental agreements, before the issuance of such warrants.
Warrants may be issued under a warrant agreement that we enter into with a warrant agent. We will indicate the name and address of the warrant agent, if any, in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of warrants.
Use of Proceeds
Except as described in any applicable prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, we currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by us hereunder, if any, for working capital and general corporate purposes. See “Use of Proceeds” in this prospectus.
Nasdaq Global Select Market Listing
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “QNCX.” The applicable prospectus supplement will contain information, where applicable, as to other listings, if any, on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or any other securities market or other exchange of the securities covered by the applicable prospectus supplement.
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our securities, you should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and discussed under the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as any amendments thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with a specific offering. The risks described in these documents are not the only ones we face, but those that we consider to be material. There may be other unknown or unpredictable economic, business, competitive, regulatory or other factors that could have material adverse effects on our future results. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance, and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be harmed. This could cause the trading price of our securities to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment. Please also read carefully the section below titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents we have filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. The statements contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference herein that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipates,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about our:
•our ability to successfully execute on our current strategic direction;
•future research and development activities, including the scope, success, cost and timing of any future development activities, preclinical studies and clinical trials, including clinical trials of EryDex or other pipeline compounds we advance through the drug development process;
•the timing and focus of any potential future clinical trials, and the reporting of data from those trials;
•our ability and timing of seeking and obtaining FDA and any other regulatory approvals for our drug candidates;
•the willingness of the FDA or other regulatory authorities to accept any future completed or planned clinical and preclinical studies and other work, as the basis for review and approval of our drug candidates for their respective indications;
•whether regulatory authorities determine that additional trials or data are necessary in order to accept a new drug application for review and/or approval;
•the ability of any future clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy of our EryDex and other drug candidates, and other positive results;
•our financial performance;
•the sufficiency of our existing cash and cash equivalents to fund our future operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements;
•the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements, and needs for additional financing;
•our expectations related to the use of our available cash;
•our ability to service our debt obligations and maintain compliance with associated covenants
•our ability to obtain funding for our operations, including funding necessary to develop and commercialize our drug candidates;
•our expectations regarding the potential market size and the size of the patient populations for our drug candidates, if approved for commercial use, and the potential market opportunities for commercializing our drug candidates;
•our plans relating to commercializing our drug candidates, if approved;
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•our plans and ability to establish sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any drug candidates for which we obtain approval;
•our ability to attract and retain key scientific and clinical personnel, in light of recent management changes and reduction in force;
•our ability to contract with third-party suppliers and manufacturers and their ability to perform adequately;
•our reliance on third parties to conduct clinical trials of our drug candidates, and for the manufacture of our drug candidates for preclinical studies and clinical trials;
•dependence upon the integrity of our supply chain, including multiple single-source suppliers;
•our reliance on third-party suppliers for certain of our raw materials and components;
•our ability to expand our drug candidates into additional indications and patient populations;
•the success of competing therapies that are or may become available;
•the beneficial characteristics, safety and efficacy of our drug candidates;
•governmental or regulatory delays, information requests, clinical holds, and regulatory developments in the United States and other jurisdictions;
•our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our drug candidates, and any related restrictions, limitations and/or warnings in the label of any approved drug candidate;
•our ability to obtain and maintain CE Certificates of conformity for the medical device components of our EryDex System in accordance with applicable legislation governing medical devices;
•our ability to transition CE Certifications under the previous Medical Device Directive, to a regulatory framework under MDR;
•our plans and ability to obtain or protect intellectual property rights, including extensions of existing patent terms where available;
•the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our drug candidates and technology;
•potential claims relating to our intellectual property;
•our ability to grow our organization and increase the size of our facilities to meet our anticipated growth;
•our ability to maintain compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements; and
•use of proceeds from offerings of our securities under this prospectus.
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. We discuss in greater detail many of these risks under the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement,
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in any free writing prospectuses we may authorize for use in connection with a specific offering, and in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as any amendments thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus in their entirety. Also, these forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of the document containing the applicable statement. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events or developments. You should read this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, together with the documents we have filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with a specific offering completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of the forward-looking statements in the foregoing documents by these cautionary statements.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
Except as described in any applicable prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, we currently intend to use the net proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes.
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following summary description of our capital stock is based on the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, or the Certificate of Incorporation, and amended and restated bylaws, or the Bylaws, and the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL. This information is qualified entirely by reference to the applicable provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. For information on how to obtain copies of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, which are exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, see the sections titled “Where You Can Find Additional Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” in this prospectus.
General
Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we have authority to issue 100,000,000 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and we have authority, subject to any limitations prescribed by law and without further stockholder approval, to issue from time to time up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, in one or more series.
Common Stock
Voting Rights
The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. Cumulative voting for the election of directors is not provided for in our restated certificate of incorporation, which means the holders of a majority of our shares of common stock can elect all of the directors then standing for election.
Dividends
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the board of directors out of legally available funds.
Liquidation
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Rights and Preferences
Holders of common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we may designate in the future.
Preferred Stock
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority to designate the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of each such series, including dividend rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of each such series, including dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, redemption prices, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting any series.
The issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of the company without further action by the stockholders. The issuance of redeemable convertible preferred stock with voting and conversion rights may also adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common stock and the
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likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon liquidation. In certain circumstances, an issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of decreasing the market price of the common stock.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws contain certain provisions that could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing another party from acquiring control of us. These provisions and certain provisions of Delaware law, which are summarized below, are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed, in part, to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate more favorable terms with an unfriendly or unsolicited acquirer outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging a proposal to acquire us.
Undesignated Preferred Stock
As discussed above, our board of directors have the ability to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.
Limits on Ability of Stockholders to Act by Written Consent or Call a Special Meeting
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our stockholders may not act by written consent, which may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder actions. As a result, a holder controlling a majority of our capital stock would not be able to amend our amended and restated bylaws or remove directors without holding a meeting of our stockholders called in accordance with our amended and restated bylaws. In addition, our amended and restated bylaws provides that special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by the chairperson of the board, the Chief Executive Officer, the lead independent director, or at the request of a majority of our board of directors. Stockholders may not call a special meeting, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for holders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals
Our amended and restated bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of our board of directors or a committee of our board of directors. These provisions may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed. These provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.
Board Classification
Our board of directors is divided into three classes, one class of which is elected each year by our stockholders. The directors in each class will serve three-year terms. A third party may be discouraged from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us as it is more difficult and time-consuming for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors on a classified board.
No Cumulative Voting
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws do not permit cumulative voting in the election of directors. Cumulative voting allows a stockholder to vote a portion or all of its shares for one or more candidates for seats on the board of directors. Without cumulative voting, a minority stockholder may not be able to gain as many seats on our board of directors as the stockholder would be able to gain if cumulative voting were permitted. The absence of cumulative voting makes it more difficult for a minority stockholder to gain a seat on our board of directors to influence our board’s decision regarding a takeover.
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Amendment of Charter and Bylaws Provisions
The amendment of the above provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require approval by holders of at least two thirds of our outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. The amendment of our amended and restated bylaws will require approval by the holders of at least two thirds of our outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL regulating corporate takeovers. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging, under certain circumstances, in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested stockholder unless:
•prior to the date of the transaction, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;
•upon completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, calculated as provided under Section 203; or
•at or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.
Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own 15% or more of a corporation’s outstanding voting stock. We expect the existence of this provision to have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions our board of directors does not approve in advance. We anticipate that Section 203 may also discourage attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of common stock held by stockholders.
The provisions of Delaware law and the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they might also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions might also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Authorized but Unissued Shares
Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock will be available for future issuances without stockholder approval, except as required by the listing standards of the Nasdaq Global Select Market, and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of the company by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Choice of Forum
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees or agents to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware
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General Corporation Law or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided that, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction; and provided further that, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware dismisses any such action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, such action may be brought in another state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action against us or any of our directors, officers, employees or agents and arising under the Securities Act. While the Delaware Supreme Court recently determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring such a claim arising under the Securities Act against us, our directors, officers, employees or agents in a venue other than in the federal district courts of the United States of America. In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, and this may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.
Business Combinations with Interested Stockholders
Subject to certain exceptions, Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination (as defined in such section) with an “interested stockholder” (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of such corporation or any person affiliated with such person) for a period of three years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless (i) prior to such time the board of directors of such corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; (ii) upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of such corporation at the time the transaction commenced (excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock of such corporation outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned (A) by persons who are directors and also officers of such corporation and (B) by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer); or (iii) at or subsequent to such time the business combination is approved by the board of directors of such corporation and authorized at a meeting of stockholders (and not by written consent) by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock of such corporation not owned by the interested stockholder.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers, and may indemnify our employees and other agents, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law.
Delaware law prohibits our amended and restated certificate of incorporation from limiting the liability of our directors for the following:
•any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or to our stockholders;
•acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
•unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; and
•any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
If Delaware law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director, then the liability of our directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as so amended. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not eliminate a director’s duty of care and, in appropriate circumstances, equitable remedies, such as injunctive or other forms of non-monetary relief, remain available under Delaware law. This provision also does not affect a director’s responsibilities under any
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other laws, such as the federal securities laws or other state or federal laws. Under our amended and restated bylaws, we can purchase insurance on behalf of any person whom we are required or permitted to indemnify.
In addition to the indemnification required in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, we have entered into an indemnification agreement with each member of our board of directors and each of our officers. These agreements provide for the indemnification of our directors and officers for certain expenses and liabilities incurred in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or hearing, inquiry or investigation that may lead to the foregoing, to which they are a party or other participant, or are threatened to be made a party or other participant, by reason of the fact that they are or were a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of our company, by reason of any action or inaction by them while serving as an officer, director, agent or fiduciary, or by reason of the fact that they were serving at our request as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another entity. In the case of an action or proceeding by or in the right of our company, no indemnification will be provided for any claim where a court determines that the indemnified party is prohibited from receiving indemnification. We believe that these charter and bylaw provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.
The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and our stockholders. Moreover, a stockholder’s investment may be harmed to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. There is no pending litigation or proceeding naming any of our directors or officers as to which indemnification is being sought, nor are we aware of any pending or threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification by any director or officer.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “QNCX.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent for our common stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLP. Its address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
We may issue debt securities from time to time, in one or more series, as either senior or subordinated debt or as senior or subordinated convertible debt. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any debt securities that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of any debt securities offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. Unless the context requires otherwise, whenever we refer to the indenture, we also are referring to any supplemental indentures that specify the terms of a particular series of debt securities.
We will issue the debt securities under the indenture that we will enter into with the trustee named in the indenture. The indenture will be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act. We have filed the form of indenture as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplemental indentures and forms of debt securities containing the terms of the debt securities being offered will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or will be incorporated by reference from reports that we file with the SEC.
The following summary of material provisions of the debt securities and the indenture is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indenture applicable to a particular series of debt securities. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplements and any related free writing prospectuses related to the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as the complete indenture that contains the terms of the debt securities.
General
The indenture does not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. It provides that we may issue debt securities up to the principal amount that we may authorize and may be in any currency or currency unit that we may designate. Except for the limitations on consolidation, merger and sale of all or substantially all of our assets contained in the indenture, the terms of the indenture do not contain any covenants or other provisions designed to give holders of any debt securities protection against changes in our operations, financial condition or transactions involving us.
We may issue the debt securities issued under the indenture as “discount securities,” which means they may be sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. These debt securities, as well as other debt securities that are not issued at a discount, may be issued with “original issue discount,” or OID, for U.S. federal income tax purposes because of interest payment and other characteristics or terms of the debt securities. Material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to debt securities issued with OID will be described in more detail in any applicable prospectus supplement.
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of debt securities being offered, including:
•the title of the series of debt securities;
•any limit upon the aggregate principal amount that may be issued;
•the maturity date or dates;
•the form of the debt securities of the series;
•the applicability of any guarantees;
•whether or not the debt securities will be secured or unsecured, and the terms of any secured debt;
•whether the debt securities rank as senior debt, senior subordinated debt, subordinated debt or any combination thereof, and the terms of any subordination;
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•if the price (expressed as a percentage of the aggregate principal amount thereof) at which such debt securities will be issued is a price other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount thereof payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof, or if applicable, the portion of the principal amount of such debt securities that is convertible into another security or the method by which any such portion shall be determined;
•the interest rate or rates, which may be fixed or variable, or the method for determining the rate and the date interest will begin to accrue, the dates interest will be payable and the regular record dates for interest payment dates or the method for determining such dates;
•our right, if any, to defer payment of interest and the maximum length of any such deferral period;
•if applicable, the date or dates after which, or the period or periods during which, and the price or prices at which, we may, at our option, redeem the series of debt securities pursuant to any optional or provisional redemption provisions and the terms of those redemption provisions;
•the date or dates, if any, on which, and the price or prices at which we are obligated, pursuant to any mandatory sinking fund or analogous fund provisions or otherwise, to redeem, or at the holder’s option to purchase, the series of debt securities and the currency or currency unit in which the debt securities are payable;
•the denominations in which we will issue the series of debt securities, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
•any and all terms, if applicable, relating to any auction or remarketing of the debt securities of that series and any security for our obligations with respect to such debt securities and any other terms which may be advisable in connection with the marketing of debt securities of that series;
•whether the debt securities of the series shall be issued in whole or in part in the form of a global security or securities;
•the terms and conditions, if any, upon which such global security or securities may be exchanged in whole or in part for other individual securities; and the depositary for such global security or securities;
•if applicable, the provisions relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of the series and the terms and conditions upon which such debt securities will be so convertible or exchangeable, including the conversion or exchange price, as applicable, or how it will be calculated and may be adjusted, any mandatory or optional (at our option or the holders’ option) conversion or exchange features, the applicable conversion or exchange period and the manner of settlement for any conversion or exchange;
•if other than the full principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of debt securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof;
•additions to or changes in the covenants applicable to the particular debt securities being issued, including, among others, the consolidation, merger or sale covenant;
•additions to or changes in the events of default with respect to the securities and any change in the right of the trustee or the holders to declare the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, with respect to such securities to be due and payable;
•additions to or changes in or deletions of the provisions relating to covenant defeasance and legal defeasance;
•additions to or changes in the provisions relating to satisfaction and discharge of the indenture;
•additions to or changes in the provisions relating to the modification of the indenture both with and without the consent of holders of debt securities issued under the indenture;
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•the currency of payment of debt securities if other than U.S. dollars and the manner of determining the equivalent amount in U.S. dollars;
•whether interest will be payable in cash or additional debt securities at our or the holders’ option and the terms and conditions upon which the election may be made;
•the terms and conditions, if any, upon which we will pay amounts in addition to the stated interest, premium, if any and principal amounts of the debt securities of the series to any holder that is not a “United States person” for federal tax purposes;
•any restrictions on transfer, sale or assignment of the debt securities of the series; and
•any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of, or restrictions on, the debt securities, any other additions or changes in the provisions of the indenture, and any terms that may be required by us or advisable under applicable laws or regulations.
Conversion or Exchange Rights
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock or our other securities. We will include provisions as to settlement upon conversion or exchange and whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. We may include provisions pursuant to which the number of shares of our common stock or our other securities that the holders of the series of debt securities receive would be subject to adjustment.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the indenture will not contain any covenant that restricts our ability to merge or consolidate, or sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of our assets as an entirety or substantially as an entirety. However, any successor to or acquirer of such assets (other than a subsidiary of ours) must assume all of our obligations under the indenture or the debt securities, as appropriate.
Events of Default under the Indenture
Unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, the following are events of default under the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities that we may issue:
•if we fail to pay any installment of interest on any series of debt securities, as and when the same shall become due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 90 days; provided, however, that a valid extension of an interest payment period by us in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of interest for this purpose;
•if we fail to pay the principal of, or premium, if any, on any series of debt securities as and when the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise, or in any payment required by any sinking or analogous fund established with respect to such series; provided, however, that a valid extension of the maturity of such debt securities in accordance with the terms of any indenture supplemental thereto shall not constitute a default in the payment of principal or premium, if any;
•if we fail to observe or perform any other covenant or agreement contained in the debt securities or the indenture, other than a covenant specifically relating to another series of debt securities, and our failure continues for 90 days after we receive written notice of such failure, requiring the same to be remedied and stating that such is a notice of default thereunder, from the trustee or holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the applicable series; and
•if specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur.
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If an event of default with respect to debt securities of any series occurs and is continuing, other than an event of default specified in the last bullet point above, the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, by notice to us in writing, and to the trustee if notice is given by such holders, may declare the unpaid principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, due and payable immediately. If an event of default specified in the last bullet point above occurs with respect to us, the principal amount of and accrued interest, if any, of each issue of debt securities then outstanding shall be due and payable without any notice or other action on the part of the trustee or any holder.
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of an affected series may waive any default or event of default with respect to the series and its consequences, except defaults or events of default regarding payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest, unless we have cured the default or event of default in accordance with the indenture. Any waiver shall cure the default or event of default.
Subject to the terms of the indenture, if an event of default under an indenture shall occur and be continuing, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under such indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders of the applicable series of debt securities, unless such holders have offered the trustee reasonable indemnity. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee, with respect to the debt securities of that series, provided that:
•the direction so given by the holder is not in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; and
•subject to its duties under the Trust Indenture Act, the trustee need not take any action that might involve it in personal liability or might be unduly prejudicial to the holders not involved in the proceeding.
•A holder of the debt securities of any series will have the right to institute a proceeding under the indenture or to appoint a receiver or trustee, or to seek other remedies only if:
•the holder has given written notice to the trustee of a continuing event of default with respect to that series;
•the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request,
•such holders have offered to the trustee indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred by the trustee in compliance with the request; and
•the trustee does not institute the proceeding, and does not receive from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series other conflicting directions within 90 days after the notice, request and offer.
These limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder of debt securities if we default in the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities.
We will periodically file statements with the trustee regarding our compliance with specified covenants in the indenture.
Modification of Indenture; Waiver
We and the trustee may change an indenture without the consent of any holders with respect to specific matters:
•to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the indenture or in the debt securities of any series;
•to comply with the provisions described above under “Description of Debt Securities—Consolidation, Merger or Sale;”
•to provide for uncertificated debt securities in addition to or in place of certificated debt securities;
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•to add to our covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities, to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and the continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in the indenture;
•to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations, and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, or purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of debt securities, as set forth in the indenture;
•to make any change that does not adversely affect the interests of any holder of debt securities of any series in any material respect;
•to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of the debt securities of any series as provided above under “Description of Debt Securities—General” to establish the form of any certifications required to be furnished pursuant to the terms of the indenture or any series of debt securities, or to add to the rights of the holders of any series of debt securities;
•to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under any indenture by a successor trustee; or
•to comply with any requirements of the SEC in connection with the qualification of any indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.
•In addition, under the indenture, the rights of holders of a series of debt securities may be changed by us and the trustee with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series that is affected. However, unless we provide otherwise in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of debt securities, we and the trustee may make the following changes only with the consent of each holder of any outstanding debt securities affected:
•extending the fixed maturity of any debt securities of any series;
•reducing the principal amount, reducing the rate of or extending the time of payment of interest, or reducing any premium payable upon the redemption of any series of any debt securities; or
•reducing the percentage of debt securities, the holders of which are required to consent to any amendment, supplement, modification or waiver.
Discharge
Each indenture provides that we can elect to be discharged from our obligations with respect to one or more series of debt securities, except for specified obligations, including obligations to:
•provide for payment;
•register the transfer or exchange of debt securities of the series;
•replace stolen, lost or mutilated debt securities of the series;
•pay principal of and premium and interest on any debt securities of the series;
•maintain paying agencies;
•hold monies for payment in trust;
•recover excess money held by the trustee;
•compensate and indemnify the trustee; and
•appoint any successor trustee.
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In order to exercise our rights to be discharged, we must deposit with the trustee money or government obligations sufficient to pay all the principal of, any premium, if any, and interest on, the debt securities of the series on the dates payments are due.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
We will issue the debt securities of each series only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. The indenture provides that we may issue debt securities of a series in temporary or permanent global form and as book-entry securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, or another depositary named by us and identified in the applicable prospectus supplement with respect to that series. To the extent the debt securities of a series are issued in global form and as book-entry, a description of terms relating to any book-entry securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
At the option of the holder, subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the holder of the debt securities of any series can exchange the debt securities for other debt securities of the same series, in any authorized denomination and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
Subject to the terms of the indenture and the limitations applicable to global securities set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the debt securities may present the debt securities for exchange or for registration of transfer, duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required by us or the security registrar, at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us for this purpose. Unless otherwise provided in the debt securities that the holder presents for transfer or exchange, we will impose no service charge for any registration of transfer or exchange, but we may require payment of any taxes or other governmental charges.
We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement the security registrar, and any transfer agent in addition to the security registrar, that we initially designate for any debt securities. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents or rescind the designation of any transfer agent or approve a change in the office through which any transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series.
If we elect to redeem the debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:
•issue, register the transfer of, or exchange any debt securities of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption of any debt securities that may be selected for redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or
•register the transfer of or exchange any debt securities so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt securities we are redeeming in part.
Information Concerning the Trustee
The trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of an event of default under an indenture, undertakes to perform only those duties as are specifically set forth in the applicable indenture. Upon an event of default under an indenture, the trustee must use the same degree of care as a prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to this provision, the trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers given it by the indenture at the request of any holder of debt securities unless it is offered reasonable security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur.
Payment and Paying Agents
Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make payment of the interest on any debt securities on any interest payment date to the person in whose name the debt securities, or one or more predecessor securities, are registered at the close of business on the regular record date for the interest.
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We will pay principal of and any premium and interest on the debt securities of a particular series at the office of the paying agents designated by us, except that unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will make interest payments by check that we will mail to the holder or by wire transfer to certain holders. Unless we otherwise indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will designate the corporate trust office of the trustee as our sole paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. We will name in the applicable prospectus supplement any other paying agents that we initially designate for the debt securities of a particular series. We will maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.
All money we pay to a paying agent or the trustee for the payment of the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities that remains unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, premium or interest has become due and payable will be repaid to us, and the holder of the debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.
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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplement and free writing prospectus, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, which may consist of warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities and may be issued in one or more series. Warrants may be offered independently or in combination with common stock, preferred stock or debt securities offered by any prospectus supplement. While the terms we have summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The following description of warrants will apply to the warrants offered by this prospectus unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement for a particular series of warrants may specify different or additional terms.
We will file forms of the warrant agreements and forms of warrant certificates containing the terms of the warrants that may be offered as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. We will file as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from reports that we file with the SEC, the form of warrant and/or the warrant agreement and warrant certificate, as applicable, that contain the terms of the particular series of warrants we are offering, and any supplemental agreements, before the issuance of such warrants. The following summaries of material terms and provisions of the warrants are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the form of warrant and/or the warrant agreement and warrant certificate, as applicable, and any supplemental agreements applicable to a particular series of warrants that we may offer under this prospectus. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement related to the particular series of warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, as well as any related free writing prospectus, and the complete form of warrant and/or the warrant agreement and warrant certificate, as applicable, and any supplemental agreements, that contain the terms of the warrants.
General
We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants being offered, including:
•the title of such securities;
•the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered;
•the currency for which the warrants may be purchased;
•if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security;
•if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable;
•if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants which may be exercised at any one time;
•in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency in which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such exercise;
•in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock, as the case may be, purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise;
•the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreements and the warrants;
•the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;
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•the terms of any rights to force the exercise of the warrants;
•any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants;
•the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire;
•the manner in which the warrant agreements and warrants may be modified;
•a discussion of any material or special U.S. federal income tax considerations of holding or exercising the warrants;
•the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and
•any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants.
Before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such exercise, including:
•in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the right to receive payments of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities purchasable upon exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture; or
•in the case of warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock, the right to receive dividends, if any, or, payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise voting rights, if any.
Exercise of Warrants
Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement at the exercise price that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement. The warrants may be exercised as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants offered. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, warrants may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the warrants offered thereby. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.
Upon receipt of payment and the warrant or warrant certificate, as applicable, properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent, if any, or any other office, including ours, indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as practicable, issue and deliver the securities purchasable upon such exercise. If less than all of the warrants (or the warrants represented by such warrant certificate) are exercised, a new warrant or a new warrant certificate, as applicable, will be issued for the remaining warrants. If we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may surrender securities as all or part of the exercise price for warrants.
Governing Law
Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, the warrants and any warrant agreements will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Warrants
Each warrant agent, if any, will act solely as our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A single bank or trust company may act as warrant agent for more than one issue of warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate legal action its right to exercise, and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of, its warrants.
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LEGAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
We may issue securities in registered form or in the form of one or more global securities. We describe global securities in greater detail below. We refer to those persons who have securities registered in their own names on the books that we or any applicable trustee, depositary or warrant agent maintain for this purpose as the “holders” of those securities. These persons are the legal holders of the securities. We refer to those persons who, indirectly through others, own beneficial interests in securities that are not registered in their own names, as “indirect holders” of those securities. As we discuss below, indirect holders are not legal holders, and investors in securities issued in book-entry form or in street name will be indirect holders.
Book-Entry Holders
We may issue securities in book-entry form only, as we will specify in the applicable prospectus supplement. This means securities may be represented by one or more global securities registered in the name of a financial institution that holds them as depositary on behalf of other financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system. These participating institutions, which are referred to as participants, in turn, hold beneficial interests in the securities on behalf of themselves or their customers.
Only the person in whose name a security is registered is recognized as the holder of that security. Securities issued in global form will be registered in the name of the depositary or its participants. Consequently, for securities issued in global form, we will recognize only the depositary as the holder of the securities, and we will make all payments on the securities to the depositary. The depositary passes along the payments it receives to its participants, which in turn pass the payments along to their customers who are the beneficial owners. The depositary and its participants do so under agreements they have made with one another or with their customers; they are not obligated to do so under the terms of the securities.
As a result, investors in a global security will not own securities directly. Instead, they will own beneficial interests in a global security, through a bank, broker or other financial institution that participates in the depositary’s book-entry system or holds an interest through a participant. As long as the securities are issued in global form, investors will be indirect holders, and not legal holders, of the securities.
Street Name Holders
We may terminate a global security or issue securities in non-global form. In these cases, investors may choose to hold their securities in their own names or in “street name.” Securities held by an investor in street name would be registered in the name of a bank, broker or other financial institution that the investor chooses, and the investor would hold only a beneficial interest in those securities through an account he or she maintains at that institution.
For securities held in street name, we or any applicable trustee or depositary will recognize only the intermediary banks, brokers and other financial institutions in whose names the securities are registered as the holders of those securities, and we or any applicable trustee or depositary will make all payments on those securities to them. These institutions pass along the payments they receive to their customers who are the beneficial owners, but only because they agree to do so in their customer agreements or because they are legally required to do so. Investors who hold securities in street name will be indirect holders, not holders, of those securities.
Legal Holders
Our obligations, as well as the obligations of any applicable trustee and of any third parties employed by us or a trustee, run only to the legal holders of the securities. We do not have obligations to investors who hold beneficial interests in global securities, in street name or by any other indirect means. This will be the case whether an investor chooses to be an indirect holder of a security or has no choice because we are issuing the securities only in global form.
For example, once we make a payment or give a notice to the holder, we have no further responsibility for the payment or notice even if that holder is required, under agreements with depositary participants or customers or by law, to pass it along to the indirect holders but does not do so. Similarly, we may want to obtain the approval of the
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holders to amend an indenture, to relieve us of the consequences of a default or of our obligation to comply with a particular provision of the indenture or for other purposes. In such an event, we would seek approval only from the holders, and not the indirect holders, of the securities. Whether and how the holders contact the indirect holders is up to the holders.
Special Considerations for Indirect Holders
If you hold securities through a bank, broker, or other financial institution, either in book-entry form because the securities are represented by one or more global securities or in street name, you should check with your own institution to find out:
•the performance of third-party service providers;
•how it handles securities payments and notices;
•whether it imposes fees or charges;
•how it would handle a request for the holders’ consent, if ever required;
•whether and how you can instruct it to send you securities registered in your own name so you can be a holder, if that is permitted in the future;
•how it would exercise rights under the securities if there were a default or other event triggering the need for holders to act to protect their interests; and
•if the securities are in book-entry form, how the depositary’s rules and procedures will affect these matters.
Global Securities
A global security is a security that represents one or any other number of individual securities held by a depositary. Generally, all securities represented by the same global securities will have the same terms.
Each security issued in book-entry form will be represented by a global security that we deposit with and register in the name of a financial institution or its nominee that we select. The financial institution that we select for this purpose is called the depositary. Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, DTC will be the depositary for all securities issued in book-entry form.
A global security may not be transferred to or registered in the name of anyone other than the depositary, its nominee or a successor depositary, unless special termination situations arise. We describe those situations below under “Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated”. As a result of these arrangements, the depositary, or its nominee, will be the sole registered owner and holder of all securities represented by a global security, and investors will be permitted to own only beneficial interests in a global security. Beneficial interests must be held by means of an account with a broker, bank or other financial institution that in turn has an account with the depositary or with another institution that does. Thus, an investor whose security is represented by a global security will not be a holder of the security, but only an indirect holder of a beneficial interest in the global security.
If the prospectus supplement for a particular security indicates that the security will be issued in global form only, then the security will be represented by a global security at all times unless and until the global security is terminated. If termination occurs, we may issue the securities through another book-entry clearing system or decide that the securities may no longer be held through any book-entry clearing system.
Special Considerations for Global Securities
The rights of an indirect holder relating to a global security will be governed by the account rules of the investor’s financial institution and of the depositary, as well as general laws relating to securities transfers. We do not recognize an indirect holder as a holder of securities and instead deal only with the depositary that holds the global security.
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If securities are issued only in the form of a global security, an investor should be aware of the following:
•an investor cannot cause the securities to be registered in his or her name, and cannot obtain non-global certificates for his or her interest in the securities, except in the special situations we describe below;
•an investor will be an indirect holder and must look to his or her own bank or broker for payments on the securities and protection of his or her legal rights relating to the securities, as we describe above;
•an investor may not be able to sell interests in the securities to some insurance companies and to other institutions that are required by law to own their securities in non-book-entry form;
•an investor may not be able to pledge his or her interest in a global security in circumstances where certificates representing the securities must be delivered to the lender or other beneficiary of the pledge in order for the pledge to be effective;
•the depositary’s policies, which may change from time to time, will govern payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to an investor’s interest in a global security;
•we and any applicable trustee have no responsibility for any aspect of the depositary’s actions or for its records of ownership interests in a global security, nor do we or any applicable trustee supervise the depositary in any way;
•the depositary may, and we understand that DTC will, require that those who purchase and sell interests in a global security within its book-entry system use immediately available funds, and your broker or bank may require you to do so as well; and
•financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system, and through which an investor holds its interest in a global security, may also have their own policies affecting payments, notices and other matters relating to the securities.
There may be more than one financial intermediary in the chain of ownership for an investor. We do not monitor and are not responsible for the actions of any of those intermediaries.
Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated
In a few special situations described below, the global security will terminate and interests in it will be exchanged for physical certificates representing those interests. After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold securities directly or in street name will be up to the investor. Investors must consult their own banks or brokers to find out how to have their interests in securities transferred to their own name, so that they will be direct holders. We have described the rights of holders and street name investors above.
Unless we provide otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the global security will terminate when the following special situations occur:
•if the depositary notifies us that it is unwilling, unable or no longer qualified to continue as depositary for that global security and we do not appoint another institution to act as depositary within 90 days;
•if we notify any applicable trustee that we wish to terminate that global security; or
•if an event of default has occurred with regard to securities represented by that global security and has not been cured or waived.
The applicable prospectus supplement may also list additional situations for terminating a global security that would apply only to the particular series of securities covered by the applicable prospectus supplement. When a global security terminates, the depositary, and not we or any applicable trustee, is responsible for deciding the names of the institutions that will be the initial direct holders.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, direct sales to the public, negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods. We may sell the securities to or through one or more underwriters or dealers (acting as principal or agent), through agents, or directly to one or more purchasers. We may distribute the securities from time to time in one or more transactions:
•at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;
•at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;
•at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or
•at negotiated prices.
We will describe the terms of the offering of the securities and the specific plan of distribution in a prospectus supplement or supplements to this prospectus, any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you, an amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or other filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference. Such description may include, to the extent applicable:
•the name or names of any underwriters, dealers, agents or other purchasers;
•the purchase price of the securities or other consideration therefor, and the proceeds, if any, we will receive from the sale;
•any options to purchase additional shares or other options under which underwriters, dealers, agents or other purchasers may purchase additional securities from us;
•any agency fees or underwriting discounts and other items constituting agents’ or underwriters’ compensation;
•any public offering price;
•any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and
•any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed.
We may also sell equity securities covered by this registration statement in an “at the market” offering as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. Such offering may be made into an existing trading market for such securities in transactions at other than a fixed price on or through the facilities of the Nasdaq Global Select Market or any other securities exchange or quotation or trading service on which such securities may be listed, quoted or traded at the time of sale. Such at the market offerings, if any, may be conducted by underwriters acting as principal or agent.
Only underwriters named in the prospectus supplement will be underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement. Dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and compensation received by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts. If such dealers or agents were deemed to be underwriters, they may be subject to statutory liabilities under the Securities Act.
If underwriters are used in the sale, they will acquire the securities for their own account and may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to the conditions set forth in the applicable underwriting agreement. We may offer the securities to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by underwriters without a syndicate. Subject to certain conditions, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement, other than securities covered by any option to purchase additional shares or other option. If a dealer is
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used in the sale of securities, we, or an underwriter, will sell the securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale. To the extent required, we will set forth in the prospectus supplement the name of the dealer and the terms of the transaction. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may change from time to time. We may use underwriters, dealers or agents with whom we have a material relationship. In such case, we will describe in the prospectus supplement the name of the underwriter, dealer or agent and the nature of any such relationship.
We may sell securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions payable to the agent in the prospectus supplement. Unless the prospectus supplement states otherwise, the agent will act on a best-efforts basis for the period of its appointment.
We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by certain types of institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the prospectus supplement.
We may provide agents, dealers and underwriters with indemnification against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents or dealers or underwriters may make with respect to these liabilities. Agents, dealers and underwriters or their affiliates may engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
All securities we may offer, other than common stock, will be new issues of securities with no established trading market. Any underwriters may make a market in these securities, but will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. We cannot guarantee the liquidity of the trading markets for any securities.
Any underwriter may be granted an option to purchase additional shares, and engage in stabilizing transactions, short-covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act. An underwriter’s option to purchase additional shares involves sales in excess of the offering size, which create a short position. Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum price. Syndicate-covering or other short-covering transactions involve purchases of the securities, either through exercise of the option to purchase additional shares or in the open market after the distribution is completed, to cover short positions. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a dealer when the securities originally sold by the dealer are purchased in a stabilizing or covering transaction to cover short positions. Those activities may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would otherwise be. If commenced, the underwriters may discontinue any of the activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on any exchange or over-the-counter market or otherwise.
Any underwriters, dealers or agents that are qualified market makers on the Nasdaq Global Select Market may engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, during the business day prior to the pricing of the offering, before the commencement of offers or sales of the common stock. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded. Passive market making may stabilize the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.
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LEGAL MATTERS
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, Cooley LLP, Palo Alto, California will pass upon the validity of the securities offered by this prospectus and any supplement thereto.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of Quince Therapeutics, Inc. as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years then ended incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in the registration statement have been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of BDO USA, P.C., an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form S-3 we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act and does not contain all the information set forth or incorporated by reference in the registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the reference may not be complete and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement or the exhibits to the reports or other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus for a copy of such contract, agreement or other document. Because we are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including any amendments to those reports, and other information that we file with or furnish to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act can also be accessed free of charge on our website. These filings will be available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Our website address is www.quincetx.com. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference herein, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus from other documents that we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC (Commission File No. 001-39753):
•our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024;
•our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on May 13, 2024;
•our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on August 13, 2024;
•our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on November 13, 2024;
•the information specifically incorporated by reference in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, from our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 24, 2024;
•our Current Reports on Form 8-K or Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on January 3, 2024, January 5, 2024, January 29, 2024, February 15, 2024, June 6, 2024, June 21, 2024, and November 14, 2024; and
•the description of our common stock which is contained in a Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on May 1, 2019 under the Exchange Act, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description, including Exhibit 4.3 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2021.
All filings filed by us pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
We also incorporate by reference any future filings (other than current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary) made with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, including those made after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to effectiveness of such registration statement, until we file a post-effective amendment that indicates the termination of the offering of the securities made by this prospectus and will become a part of this prospectus from the date that such documents are filed with the SEC. Information in such future filings updates and supplements the information provided in this prospectus. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.
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You can request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:
Quince Therapeutics, Inc.
611 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 273
South San Francisco, California 94080
Attn: Corporate Secretary
(415) 910-5717
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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities or accept an offer to buy these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state where such offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion, dated December 18, 2024.
PROSPECTUS
Up to $75,000,000
Common Stock
We have entered into a Controlled Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement, dated December 18, 2024, or the Sales Agreement, with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. and H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC, or the Agents, relating to the sale of shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, offered by this prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the Sales Agreement, under this prospectus we may offer and sell up to $75.0 million of shares of our common stock, from time to time to or through the Agents.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “QNCX.” On December 17, 2024, the closing sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market was $1.84 per share.
Sales of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus may be made by any method permitted by law that is deemed an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act. The Agents are not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of shares of our common stock. Each of the Agents will use commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with their normal sales and trading practices, to solicit offers to purchase the common stock under the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sales Agreement. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in any escrow, trust or similar arrangement. The net proceeds from any sales under this prospectus will be used as described under the section entitled “Use of Proceeds.”
The Agents will be entitled to compensation at a commission rate equal to 3.0% of the gross proceeds of shares sold under the Sales Agreement. In connection with the sale of our common stock on our behalf, each of the Agents will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act and the compensation of the Agents will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to the Agents with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 16 for additional information regarding the compensation to be paid to the Agents.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Please read the information contained in and incorporated by reference under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 3 of this prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are filed after the date hereof and incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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The date of this prospectus is , 2024.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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| PROSPECTUS | |||||
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus relates to part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under the registration statement, we may, from time to time, sell any combination of the securities described in the registration statement. Under this prospectus, we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $75.0 million from time to time at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of the offering.
Before buying any of the common stock that we are offering, we urge you to carefully read this prospectus and all of the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus, as well as the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.” These documents contain important information that you should consider when making your investment decision.
To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus, on the one hand, and the information contained in any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus that was filed with the SEC before the date of this prospectus, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in this prospectus. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date—for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus—the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.
We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference herein were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreement, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
We have not, and each of the Agents have not, authorized anyone to provide you with any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any related free writing prospectus that we authorize for use in connection with this offering and to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.
This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in this prospectus or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful.
Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “Quince,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” in this prospectus refer to Quince Therapeutics, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights certain information about us, this offering and selected information contained elsewhere in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This summary provides an overview of selected information and does not contain all of the information you should consider before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. Therefore, you should read the entire prospectus carefully (including the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus), especially the “Risk Factors” section on page 3 and the documents incorporated by reference and our consolidated and condensed financial statements and the related notes incorporated by reference in this prospectus, before deciding to invest in our common stock.
Overview
We are a late-stage biotechnology company dedicated to harnessing the power of a patient’s own biology to deliver innovative therapies to those living with rare diseases.
Our proprietary Autologous Intracellular Drug Encapsulation (“AIDE”) technology platform is an innovative drug/device combination that uses an automated process designed to encapsulate a drug into the patient’s own red blood cells. Red blood cells have several characteristics that make them a potentially ideal vehicle for drug delivery, including potentially better tolerability, enhanced tissue distribution, reduced immunogenicity, and prolongation of circulating half-life. Our AIDE technology is designed to harness these benefits to allow for new and improved therapeutic options for patients living with high unmet medical needs. The AIDE technology platform is believed to confer several benefits over conventional therapies and can be applied to a broad range of small or large molecule drugs and biologics. Our Phase 3 lead asset, EryDex, leverages our AIDE technology to encapsulate Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate (DSP) into a patient’s own red blood cells, and is targeted to treat a rare pediatric neurodegenerative disease, Ataxia-Telangiectasia.
By pioneering the delivery of a drug encapsulated in a patient’s own red blood cells, we seek to advance proprietary therapeutics that hold the potential to redefine the standard of care and meaningfully improve the quality of life for patients with rare disease.
Recent Developments
In connection with entering into the Sales Agreement with the Agents, we have terminated a certain Open Market Sale AgreementSM dated December 23, 2021with Jefferies LLC.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated as Cortexyme, Inc. in Delaware on June 20, 2012. In August 2022, we changed our name to Quince Therapeutics, Inc. Our principal executive offices are located at 611 Gateway Blvd., Suite 273, South San Francisco, California 94080. Our telephone number at that location is (415) 910-5717. Our corporate website address is www.quincetx.com. References to our website address do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the website, and the information contained on the website is not part of this document.
“Quince”, and the Quince Therapeutics, Inc. logo and other trademarks or service marks of Quince appearing in this prospectus are the property of Quince Therapeutics, Inc. Other trademarks, service marks or trade names appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other companies.
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THE OFFERING
Common stock offered by us | Shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $75.0 million. | ||||
Common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering | Up to 84,037,535 shares, assuming the sale of $75.0 million of shares of our common stock in this offering at a public offering price of $1.84 per share, which was the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on December 17, 2024. The actual number of shares issued in this offering will vary depending on how many shares of our common stock we choose to sell and the prices at which such sales occur. | ||||
Plan of Distribution | “At the market offering” that may be made from time to time through or to, at our option, either of the Agents. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 16 of this prospectus. | ||||
Use of proceeds | We currently intend to use the net proceeds that we receive from this offering, if any, for working capital and general corporate purposes. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds” for a more complete description of the intended use of proceeds from this offering. | ||||
Risk factors | See “Risk Factors” on page 3 and other information included and incorporated by reference in this prospectus for a discussion of factors that you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in our common stock. | ||||
Nasdaq Global Select Market symbol | “QNCX” | ||||
The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 43,276,606 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2024, and excludes:
•7,548,506 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options granted under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (“2019 Plan”) as of September 30, 2024, with a weighted-average exercise price of $3.12 per share;
•2,333,306 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options granted under our 2022 Inducement Plan as of September 30, 2024, with a weighted-average exercise price of $2.98 per share;
•163,839 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options granted under the 2019 Novosteo Equity Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2024, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.55 per share;
•2,288,074 shares reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Plan as of September 30, 2024, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan;
•1,924,262 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of September 30, 2024, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; and
•1,666,694 shares reserved for future issuance under our 2022 Inducement Plan as of September 30, 2024.
Subsequent to September 30, 2024, we have issued 725,037 shares of common stock to EryDel shareholders pursuant to a certain purchase agreement entered in connection with EryDel acquisition. All of the information in this prospectus assumes no exercise of outstanding stock options or vesting of restricted stock units.
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RISK FACTORS
You should consider carefully the risks described below and discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” contained in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the SEC, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus in their entirety, and in our subsequent filings with the SEC incorporated by reference in this prospectus, together with other information in this prospectus, and the information and documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering before you make a decision to invest in our common stock. If any of the following events actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flow could be harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline and you may lose all or part of your investment. The risks below and incorporated by reference in this prospectus are not the only ones we face. Additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations. Please also read carefully the section below titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risks Related to This Offering
We will have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include, research and development activities, general and administrative matters, and capital expenditures. Our management has broad discretion to use our cash and cash equivalents, including the net proceeds we receive in this offering, to fund our operations and could spend these funds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have an adverse effect on our business, cause the price of our common stock to decline and delay the development of our product candidates. Pending their use to fund operations, we may invest our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds.”
Purchasers may experience immediate and substantial dilution in the tangible net book value of their investment.
The offering price per share in this offering may exceed the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. Assuming that an aggregate of 35,714,286 shares of our common stock are sold at a price of $2.10 per share pursuant to this prospectus, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on December 6, 2024, for aggregate gross proceeds of $75.0 million, you would experience immediate dilution of $1.43 per share, representing a difference between our net tangible book deficit per share as of September 30, 2024, after giving effect to this offering and the assumed offering price. To the extent that any options are exercised, any restricted stock units vest and are settled, any shares are purchased under our Employee Stock Purchase Plan, any new equity awards are issued under our equity incentive plan, or we otherwise issue additional shares of common stock in the future (including shares issued in connection with strategic and other transactions), you will experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders. See the section titled “Dilution” on page 9 of this prospectus for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you would incur if you participate in this offering.
You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.
To raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this offering. We may sell shares or other securities in any other offering at a price per share that is less than the price per share paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by investors in this offering.
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Future sales of a significant number of our shares of common stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress the market price of our shares of common stock or cause it to be highly volatile.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could depress the market price of shares of our common stock or cause it to be highly volatile and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. A substantial number of shares of common stock are being offered by this prospectus, and we cannot predict if and when shares sold in this offering, if any, will be resold in the public markets. We cannot predict the number of these shares that might be resold nor the effect that future sales of our shares of common stock would have on the market price of shares of our common stock.
It is not possible to predict the actual number of shares we will sell under the Sales Agreement, or the gross proceeds resulting from those sales.
Subject to certain limitations in the Sales Agreement and compliance with applicable laws, we have the discretion to deliver a placement notice to an Agent at any time throughout the term of the Sales Agreement. The number of shares that are sold through the Agents after delivering a placement notice will fluctuate based on a number of factors, including the market price of our common stock during the term of the Sales Agreement, the limits we set with the Agents in any applicable placement notice, and the demand for our common stock during the term of the Sales Agreement. Because the price per share of each share sold will fluctuate during the term of the Sales Agreement, it is not currently possible to predict the number of shares that will be sold or the gross proceeds to be raised in connection with the sales of shares of common stock offered under this prospectus.
The common stock offered hereby will be sold in “at the market offerings,” and investors who buy shares at different times will likely pay different prices.
Investors who purchase shares in this offering at different times will likely pay different prices, and so may experience different levels of dilution and different outcomes in their investment results. We will have discretion, subject to market demand, to vary the timing, prices and numbers of shares sold in this offering. In addition, there is no minimum or maximum sales price for shares to be sold in this offering. Investors may experience a decline in the value of the shares they purchase in this offering as a result of sales made at prices lower than the prices they paid.
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents we have filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. The statements contained in this prospectus that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipates,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about our:
•our ability to successfully execute on our current strategic direction;
•future research and development activities, including the scope, success, cost and timing of any future development activities, preclinical studies and clinical trials, including clinical trials of EryDex or other pipeline compounds we advance through the drug development process;
•the timing and focus of any potential future clinical trials, and the reporting of data from those trials;
•our ability and timing of seeking and obtaining FDA and any other regulatory approvals for our drug candidates;
•the willingness of the FDA or other regulatory authorities to accept any future completed or planned clinical and preclinical studies and other work, as the basis for review and approval of our drug candidates for their respective indications;
•whether regulatory authorities determine that additional trials or data are necessary in order to accept a new drug application for review and/or approval;
•the ability of any future clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy of our EryDex and other drug candidates, and other positive results;
•our financial performance;
•the sufficiency of our existing cash and cash equivalents to fund our future operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements;
•the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements, and needs for additional financing;
•our expectations related to the use of our available cash;
•our ability to service our debt obligations and maintain compliance with associated covenants
•our ability to obtain funding for our operations, including funding necessary to develop and commercialize our drug candidates;
•our expectations regarding the potential market size and the size of the patient populations for our drug candidates, if approved for commercial use, and the potential market opportunities for commercializing our drug candidates;
•our plans relating to commercializing our drug candidates, if approved;
•our plans and ability to establish sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any drug candidates for which we obtain approval;
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•our ability to attract and retain key scientific and clinical personnel, in light of recent management changes and reduction in force;
•our ability to contract with third-party suppliers and manufacturers and their ability to perform adequately;
•our reliance on third parties to conduct clinical trials of our drug candidates, and for the manufacture of our drug candidates for preclinical studies and clinical trials;
•dependence upon the integrity of our supply chain, including multiple single-source suppliers;
•our reliance on third-party suppliers for certain of our raw materials and components;
•our ability to expand our drug candidates into additional indications and patient populations;
•the success of competing therapies that are or may become available;
•the beneficial characteristics, safety and efficacy of our drug candidates;
•governmental or regulatory delays, information requests, clinical holds, and regulatory developments in the United States and other jurisdictions;
•our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our drug candidates, and any related restrictions, limitations and/or warnings in the label of any approved drug candidate;
•our ability to obtain and maintain CE Certificates of conformity for the medical device components of our EryDex System in accordance with applicable legislation governing medical devices;
•our ability to transition CE Certifications under the previous Medical Device Directive, to a regulatory framework under MDR;
•our plans and ability to obtain or protect intellectual property rights, including extensions of existing patent terms where available;
•the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our drug candidates and technology;
•potential claims relating to our intellectual property;
•our ability to grow our organization and increase the size of our facilities to meet our anticipated growth;
•our ability to maintain compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements; and
•use of proceeds from the sale of shares of common stock under this prospectus, if any.
The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. We discuss in greater detail many of these risks under the section titled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, and in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as any amendments thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus in their entirety. Also, these forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of the
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document containing the applicable statement. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events or developments. You should read this prospectus, together with the documents we have filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with this offering completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of the forward-looking statements in the foregoing documents by these cautionary statements.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We may issue and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $75.0 million from time to time. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. There can be no assurance that, in the future, we will sell any shares under or fully utilize the Sales Agreement with the Agents as a source of financing.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds of this offering, if any, for working capital and general corporate purposes, including research and development expenses, general and administrative expenses and capital expenditures.
The amounts and timing of the expenditures may vary significantly, depending upon numerous factors, including our proprietary research and development programs and our clinical trials as well as the amount of cash used in our operations. Accordingly, our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds and may find it necessary or advisable to use the net proceeds for other purposes. Investors will be relying upon the judgment of our management regarding the application of these proceeds. We reserve the right to change the use of these proceeds.
Pending these uses, we intend to invest the proceeds of this offering in short- and intermediate-term, investment grade interest-bearing securities.
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DILUTION
If you invest in our common stock, your ownership interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and the as adjusted net tangible book value (deficit) per share of our common stock after this offering.
Our net tangible book deficit as of September 30, 2024, was $(19.6) million, or $(0.45) per share. Net tangible book value (deficit) is total tangible assets less our total liabilities divided by the number of outstanding shares of common stock prior to the completion of this offering.
After giving effect to the assumed sale by us of shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of $75.0 million at an assumed public offering price of $2.10 per share of common stock, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on December 6, 2024, and after deducting estimated commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2024 would have been $52.6 million, or $0.67 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate decrease in net tangible book deficit per share of common stock of $1.12 to existing stockholders and immediate dilution of $1.43 in net tangible book value (deficit) per share of common stock to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution per share to investors participating in this offering:
Assumed public offering price per share of common stock | $ | 2.10 | |||||||||
Net tangible book value (deficit) per share of common stock at September 30, 2024 | $ | (0.45) | |||||||||
Decrease in net tangible book deficit per share of common stock attributable to new investors | 1.12 | ||||||||||
As adjusted net tangible book value per share of common stock after giving effect to this offering | 0.67 | ||||||||||
Dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering | $ | 1.43 | |||||||||
The shares sold in this offering, if any, will be sold from time to time at various prices. Assuming all of the common stock in an aggregate amount of $75.0 million is sold in this offering at the assumed public offering price of $2.10 per share, a $0.50 increase in such offering price would increase our as adjusted net tangible book value (or decrease as adjusted net tangible book deficit) per share after this offering to $0.73 per share and the dilution to new investors to $1.87 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. A $0.50 decrease in the assumed public offering price of $2.10 per share would decrease our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering to $0.59 per share and the dilution to new investors to $1.02 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The information discussed above is illustrative only and will adjust based on the actual public offering price, the actual number of shares that we offer in this offering, and other terms of this offering determined at the time of each offer and sale.
The number of shares of common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on 43,276,606 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2024, excluding:
•7,548,506 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options granted under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (“2019 Plan”) as of September 30, 2024, with a weighted-average exercise price of $3.12 per share;
•2,333,306 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options granted under our 2022 Inducement Plan as of September 30, 2024, with a weighted-average exercise price of $2.98 per share;
•163,839 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options granted under the 2019 Novosteo Equity Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2024, with a weighted-average exercise price of $0.55 per share;
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•2,288,074 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Plan as of September 30, 2024, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan;
•1,924,262 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of September 30, 2024, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under this plan; and
•1,666,694 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2022 Inducement Plan as of September 30, 2024.
Subsequent to September 30, 2024, we have issued 725,037 shares of common stock to EryDel shareholders pursuant to a certain purchase agreement entered in connection with EryDel acquisition. To the extent that stock options, are exercised, restricted stock units, units vest, new stock options, or restricted stock units are issued under our equity incentive plans, or we issue additional shares of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering.
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following summary description of our capital stock is based on the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, or the Certificate of Incorporation, and amended and restated bylaws, or the Bylaws, and the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL. This information is qualified entirely by reference to the applicable provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. For information on how to obtain copies of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, which are exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, see the sections titled “Where You Can Find Additional Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” in this prospectus.
General
Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, we have authority to issue 100,000,000 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and we have authority, subject to any limitations prescribed by law and without further stockholder approval, to issue from time to time up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, in one or more series.
Common Stock
Voting Rights
The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. Cumulative voting for the election of directors is not provided for in our restated certificate of incorporation, which means the holders of a majority of our shares of common stock can elect all of the directors then standing for election.
Dividends
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the board of directors out of legally available funds.
Liquidation
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Rights and Preferences
Holders of common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that we may designate in the future.
Preferred Stock
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority to designate the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of each such series, including dividend rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of each such series, including dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, redemption prices, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting any series.
The issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of the company without further action by the stockholders. The issuance of redeemable convertible preferred stock with voting and conversion rights may also adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common stock and the
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likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon liquidation. In certain circumstances, an issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of decreasing the market price of the common stock.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws contain certain provisions that could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing another party from acquiring control of us. These provisions and certain provisions of Delaware law, which are summarized below, are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed, in part, to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate more favorable terms with an unfriendly or unsolicited acquirer outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging a proposal to acquire us.
Undesignated Preferred Stock
As discussed above, our board of directors have the ability to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.
Limits on Ability of Stockholders to Act by Written Consent or Call a Special Meeting
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that our stockholders may not act by written consent, which may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder actions. As a result, a holder controlling a majority of our capital stock would not be able to amend our amended and restated bylaws or remove directors without holding a meeting of our stockholders called in accordance with our amended and restated bylaws. In addition, our amended and restated bylaws provides that special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by the chairperson of the board, the Chief Executive Officer, the lead independent director, or at the request of a majority of our board of directors. Stockholders may not call a special meeting, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for holders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors.
Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals
Our amended and restated bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of our board of directors or a committee of our board of directors. These provisions may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed. These provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.
Board Classification
Our board of directors is divided into three classes, one class of which is elected each year by our stockholders. The directors in each class will serve three-year terms. A third party may be discouraged from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us as it is more difficult and time-consuming for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors on a classified board.
No Cumulative Voting
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws do not permit cumulative voting in the election of directors. Cumulative voting allows a stockholder to vote a portion or all of its shares for one or more candidates for seats on the board of directors. Without cumulative voting, a minority stockholder may not be able to gain as many seats on our board of directors as the stockholder would be able to gain if cumulative voting were permitted. The absence of cumulative voting makes it more difficult for a minority stockholder to gain a seat on our board of directors to influence our board’s decision regarding a takeover.
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Amendment of Charter and Bylaws Provisions
The amendment of the above provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require approval by holders of at least two thirds of our outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. The amendment of our amended and restated bylaws will require approval by the holders of at least two thirds of our outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute
We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL regulating corporate takeovers. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging, under certain circumstances, in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date the person became an interested stockholder unless:
•prior to the date of the transaction, our board of directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;
•upon completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, calculated as provided under Section 203; or
•at or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least two thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.
Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns or, within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status, did own 15% or more of a corporation’s outstanding voting stock. We expect the existence of this provision to have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions our board of directors does not approve in advance. We anticipate that Section 203 may also discourage attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of common stock held by stockholders.
The provisions of Delaware law and the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they might also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions might also have the effect of preventing changes in our management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests.
Authorized but Unissued Shares
Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock will be available for future issuances without stockholder approval, except as required by the listing standards of the Nasdaq Global Select Market, and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of the company by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
Choice of Forum
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees or agents to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware
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General Corporation Law or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided that, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction; and provided further that, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware dismisses any such action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, such action may be brought in another state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation also provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action against us or any of our directors, officers, employees or agents and arising under the Securities Act. While the Delaware Supreme Court recently determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring such a claim arising under the Securities Act against us, our directors, officers, employees or agents in a venue other than in the federal district courts of the United States of America. In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, and this may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.
Business Combinations with Interested Stockholders
Subject to certain exceptions, Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination (as defined in such section) with an “interested stockholder” (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of such corporation or any person affiliated with such person) for a period of three years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless (i) prior to such time the board of directors of such corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder; (ii) upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of such corporation at the time the transaction commenced (excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock of such corporation outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned (A) by persons who are directors and also officers of such corporation and (B) by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer); or (iii) at or subsequent to such time the business combination is approved by the board of directors of such corporation and authorized at a meeting of stockholders (and not by written consent) by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock of such corporation not owned by the interested stockholder.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers, and may indemnify our employees and other agents, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law.
Delaware law prohibits our amended and restated certificate of incorporation from limiting the liability of our directors for the following:
•any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or to our stockholders;
•acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
•unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; and
•any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.
If Delaware law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director, then the liability of our directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as so amended. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not eliminate a director’s duty of care and, in appropriate circumstances, equitable remedies, such as injunctive or other forms of non-monetary relief, remain available under Delaware law. This provision also does not affect a director’s responsibilities under any
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other laws, such as the federal securities laws or other state or federal laws. Under our amended and restated bylaws, we can purchase insurance on behalf of any person whom we are required or permitted to indemnify.
In addition to the indemnification required in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws, we have entered into an indemnification agreement with each member of our board of directors and each of our officers. These agreements provide for the indemnification of our directors and officers for certain expenses and liabilities incurred in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or hearing, inquiry or investigation that may lead to the foregoing, to which they are a party or other participant, or are threatened to be made a party or other participant, by reason of the fact that they are or were a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of our company, by reason of any action or inaction by them while serving as an officer, director, agent or fiduciary, or by reason of the fact that they were serving at our request as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another entity. In the case of an action or proceeding by or in the right of our company, no indemnification will be provided for any claim where a court determines that the indemnified party is prohibited from receiving indemnification. We believe that these charter and bylaw provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.
The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and our stockholders. Moreover, a stockholder’s investment may be harmed to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. There is no pending litigation or proceeding naming any of our directors or officers as to which indemnification is being sought, nor are we aware of any pending or threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification by any director or officer.
Listing
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “QNCX.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent for our common stock is Equiniti Trust Company, LLP. Its address is 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We have entered into a Controlled Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement, or the Sales Agreement, with the Agents. Pursuant to this prospectus, we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate gross sales price of up to $75.0 million from time to time through or to the Agents acting as sales agent or principal. A copy of the Sales Agreement has been filed as an exhibit to our registration statement on Form S-3 of which this prospectus forms a part.
Upon delivery of a placement notice to an Agent and subject to the terms and conditions of the Sales Agreement, such Agent may sell shares of our common stock by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act. We may instruct the Agents not to sell common stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us from time to time. We or the Agents may suspend the offering of common stock upon notice and subject to other conditions.
We will pay the Agents’ commissions, in cash, for their services in acting as sales agents in the sale of our common stock. The aggregate compensation payable to each Agent will be equal to 3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from each sale of shares of common stock by such Agent pursuant to the Sales Agreement. We have also agreed to reimburse a portion of the Agents’ expenses, including the legal fees, in connection with this offering, and disbursements of its legal counsel, (a) in an amount not to exceed $75,000 in connection with the execution of the Sales Agreement, (b) in an amount not to exceed $25,000 per calendar quarter thereafter payable in connection with each representation date with respect to which we are obligated to deliver a certificate to the Agents pursuant to the Sales Agreement for which no waiver is applicable and excluding the date of the Sales Agreement, and (c) in an amount not to exceed $45,000 for each program “refresh” (filing of a new registration statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement relating to the shares of common stock to be sold pursuant to the Sales Agreement and/or an amendment of the Sales Agreement) executed pursuant to the Sales Agreement. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110 these reimbursed fees and expenses are deemed sales compensation in connection with this offering. We estimate that the total expenses for the offering, excluding compensation and reimbursements, if any, payable to the Agents under the terms of the Sales Agreement, will be approximately $255,000. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time.
Settlement for sales of shares of common stock will occur on the first trading day following the date on which any sales are made (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading), or on some other date that is agreed upon by us and the applicable Agent in connection with a particular transaction, in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. Sales of our common stock as contemplated in this prospectus will be settled through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company or by such other means as we and the applicable Agent may agree upon. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.
The Agents will use their commercially reasonable efforts, consistent with their normal trading and sales practices, to solicit offers to purchase shares of our common stock under the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sales Agreement. In connection with the sale of the shares of common stock on our behalf, each of the Agents will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation of such Agent will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to each Agent against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
The offering of shares of our common stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (1) the sales of all shares of our common stock subject to the Sales Agreement, or (2) the termination of the Sales Agreement as permitted therein. We and the Agents may each terminate the Sales Agreement at any time upon ten days’ prior notice.
Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. has provided various investment banking services to us. The Agents and their respective affiliates may in the future provide various investment banking, commercial banking and other financial services for us, our subsidiaries and our affiliates, for which services they may in the future receive customary fees.
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To the extent required by Regulation M, the Agents will not engage in any market-making activities involving our common stock while the offering is ongoing under this prospectus.
This prospectus in electronic format may be made available on a website maintained by either of the Agents, and each Agent may distribute this prospectus electronically.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “QNCX.”
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LEGAL MATTERS
Cooley LLP, Palo Alto, California will pass upon the validity of the shares of common stock offered hereby. Duane Morris LLP, New York, New York, is representing the Agents in connection with the offering.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of Quince Therapeutics, Inc. as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 and for the years then ended incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in the registration statement have been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of BDO USA, P.C., an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
This prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form S-3 we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act and does not contain all the information set forth or incorporated by reference in the registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the reference may not be complete and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement or the exhibits to the reports or other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus for a copy of such contract, agreement or other document. Because we are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, including any amendments to those reports, and other information that we file with or furnish to the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act can also be accessed free of charge on our website. These filings will be available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Our website address is www.quincetx.com. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference herein, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus from other documents that we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC (Commission File No. 001-39753):
•our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024;
•our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on May 13, 2024;
•our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on August 13, 2024;
•our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, filed with the SEC on November 13, 2024;
•the information specifically incorporated by reference in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, from our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 24, 2024;
•our Current Reports on Form 8-K or Form 8-K/A filed with the SEC on January 3, 2024, January 5, 2024, January 29, 2024, February 15, 2024, June 6, 2024, June 21, 2024, and November 14, 2024; and
•the description of our common stock which is contained in a Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on May 1, 2019 under the Exchange Act, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description, including Exhibit 4.3 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2021.
All filings filed by us pursuant to the Exchange Act after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
We also incorporate by reference any future filings (other than current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary) made with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Information in such future filings updates and supplements the information provided in this prospectus. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.
You can request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:
Quince Therapeutics, Inc.
611 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 273
South San Francisco, California 94080
Attn: Corporate Secretary
(415) 910-5717
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Up to $75,000,000
Common Stock
PROSPECTUS
| Cantor | H.C. Wainwright & Co. | |||||||
, 2024
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following table sets forth an estimate of the fees and expenses, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by us in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered. All the amounts shown are estimates, except for the SEC registration fee and the FINRA filing fee.
| Amount | ||||||||
SEC registration fee | $ | 30,620 | ||||||
Nasdaq Global Select Market fee | (1) | |||||||
FINRA filing fee | $ | 30,500 | ||||||
Accounting fees and expenses | (1) | |||||||
Legal fees and expenses | (1) | |||||||
Transfer agent and registrar fees and expenses | (1) | |||||||
Printing and miscellaneous fees and expenses | (1) | |||||||
Total | $ | (1) | ||||||
__________________
(1)The amount of securities and number of offerings are indeterminable and the expenses cannot be estimated at this time. An estimate of the aggregate expenses in connection with the sale and distribution of securities being offered will be included in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our current directors and executive officers. These agreements require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified. We also intend to enter into indemnification agreements with our future directors and executive officers.
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any threatened, pending or completed actions, suits or proceedings in which such person is made a party by reason of such person being or having been a director, officer, employee or agent to the registrant. The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that Section 145 is not exclusive of other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. Our amended and restated bylaws provide for indemnification by the registrant of its directors, officers and employees to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law.
Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases, redemptions or other distributions, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for such limitation of liability.
We maintain standard policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (a) to our directors and officers against loss arising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act, and (b) to us with respect to payments we may make to our officers and directors pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law.
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Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of directors, executive officers, or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Item 16. Exhibits
| Incorporated by Reference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Exhibit Number | Exhibit Description | Schedule/ Form | SEC File No. | Exhibit | Filing Date | Filed Herewith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1.1* | Form of Underwriting Agreement | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1.2 | X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3.1 | 8-K | 001-38890 | 3.1 | May 13, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3.2 | 8-K | 001-38890 | 3.1 | August 01, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3.3 | 8-K | 001-38890 | 3.2 | August 01, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.1 | Reference is made to Exhibits 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.2 | S-1/A | 333-230853 | 4.1 | April 29, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.3* | Form of Specimen Preferred Stock Certificate and Form of Certificate of Designation of Preferred Stock | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.4 | X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.5* | Form of Debt Securities | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.6* | Form of Common Stock Warrant Agreement and Warrant Certificate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.7* | Form of Preferred Stock Warrant Agreement and Warrant Certificate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.8* | Form of Debt Securities Warrant Agreement and Warrant Certificate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5.1 | X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23.1 | X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23.3 | X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24.1 | X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25.1** | Statement of Eligibility of Trustee under the Indenture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 107 | X | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
__________________
*To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Exchange Act and incorporated herein by reference, if applicable.
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**To be filed, if applicable, in accordance with the requirements of Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act and the applicable rules thereunder.
Item 17. Undertakings
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(a)To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i)to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
(ii)to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii)to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(i), (a)(ii) and (a)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement.
(b)That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c)To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(d)That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
(i)Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(ii)Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a
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time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(e)That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i)Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii)Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii)The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv)Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(f)That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(g)Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(h)To file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under Section 305(b)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of South San Francisco, State of California, on December 18, 2024.
QUINCE THERAPEUTICS, INC. | ||||||||
By: | /s/ Dirk Thye | |||||||
Dirk Thye, M.D. | ||||||||
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer | ||||||||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Dirk Thye and Brendan Hannah, and each of them, as their true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with the full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place or stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this registration statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and generally to do all such things in their names and behalf in their capacities as officers and directors to enable Quince Therapeutics, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as they might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or either of them, or their, his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||||||||||||
/s/ Dirk Thye | Chief Executive Officer, Chief Medical Officer, and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | December 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Dirk Thye, M.D. | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Brendan Hannah | Chief Business Officer and Chief Operating Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | December 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Brendan Hannah | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Luca Benatti | Director | December 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Luca Benatti, Ph.D. | ||||||||||||||
/s/ June Bray | Director | December 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| June Bray | ||||||||||||||
/s/ David A. Lamond | Director | December 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| David A. Lamond | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Margaret McLoughlin | Director | December 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Margaret McLoughlin, Ph.D. | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Rajiv Patni | Director | December 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Rajiv Patni, M.D. | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Una Ryan | Director | December 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||
Una Ryan, OBE, Ph.D. | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Christopher J. Senner | Director | December 18, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Christopher J. Senner | ||||||||||||||
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