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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 16, 2015

Registration No. 333-204484

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Seres Therapeutics, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware		2834		27-4326290
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

215 First Street

Cambridge, MA 02142

(617) 945-9626

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Seres Therapeutics, Inc.

215 First Street

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142

(617) 945-9626

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Peter N. Handrinos B. Shayne Kennedy Latham & Watkins LLP John Hancock Tower 200 Clarendon Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116 (617) 948-6000		Patrick O’Brien Ropes & Gray LLP Prudential Tower 800 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02199 (617) 951-7000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement is declared effective.

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, 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, 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 post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) 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.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer		¨		Accelerated filer		¨
Non-accelerated filer		þ (Do  not check if a smaller reporting company)		Smaller reporting company		¨

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of Each Class of Securities To Be Registered		Amount to  be Registered(1)		Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share(2)		Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(3)		Amount of Registration Fee(3)
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share		7,187,500		$17.00		$122,187,500		$14,198

(1)	Includes 937,500 shares that the underwriters have the option to purchase.

(2)	Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(3)	Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(a) based on an estimate of the proposed maximum aggregate offering price. $11,620 has been previously paid.

 

 

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 which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 16, 2015

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

6,250,000 Shares

Seres Therapeutics, Inc.

Common Stock

 

 

This is the initial public offering of shares of common stock of Seres Therapeutics, Inc. All of the 6,250,000 shares of common stock are being sold by us.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the common stock. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price per share will be between $15.00 and $17.00. Application has been made for the quotation of the common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “MCRB.”

We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, and, as such, have elected to take advantage of certain reduced reporting requirements in this prospectus and may elect to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements in future filings.

Investing in our common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 12 to read about factors you should consider before buying shares of the common stock.

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

		Per Share				Total
Initial public offering price		$				$
Underwriting discount(1)		$				$
Proceeds, before expenses, to Seres Therapeutics		$				$

 

(1)	See “Underwriting” beginning on page 161 for additional information regarding underwriting compensation.

To the extent that the underwriters sell more than 6,250,000 shares of common stock, the underwriters have the option to purchase up to an additional 937,500 shares from Seres Therapeutics, Inc. at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discount.

Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc., an existing stockholder affiliated with one of our directors, has indicated an interest to purchase $19.0 million in shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, this stockholder may determine to increase or reduce the amount of its indication of interest, or otherwise elect not to purchase any shares. It is also possible that the number of shares allocated in this offering to this stockholder may be greater or smaller than the amount of its indication of interest, or no shares may be allocated to this stockholder.

 

 

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares against payment in New York, New York on                     , 2015.

 

Goldman, Sachs & Co.		BofA Merrill Lynch
Leerink Partners		Canaccord Genuity

 

 

Prospectus dated                     , 2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		Page
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY			1
RISK FACTORS			12
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS			53
INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA			54
TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADENAMES			54
USE OF PROCEEDS			55
DIVIDEND POLICY			56
CAPITALIZATION			57
DILUTION			60
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA			63
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS			65
BUSINESS			85
MANAGEMENT			122
EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION			129
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS			142
PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS			145
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK			148
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE			154
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS			157
UNDERWRITING			161
LEGAL MATTERS			165
EXPERTS			165
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			165
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS			F-1

 

 

Through and including                     , 2015 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

 

 

We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses we have prepared. 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 shares offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.

 

 

Neither we nor any of the underwriters have taken any action that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than in the United States. Persons who have come into possession of this prospectus in a jurisdiction outside the United States are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition,” before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital

We are a development-stage company and have incurred significant losses since our inception. We expect to incur losses for the foreseeable future and may never achieve or maintain profitability.

Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net loss was $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, $6.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, $16.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 and $1.7 million and $8.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, respectively. As of March 31, 2015, we had an accumulated deficit of $35.8 million. To date, we have financed our operations through private placements of our preferred stock, the issuance of convertible promissory notes and borrowings under our loan and security agreement, as amended, with Comerica Bank, or the loan and security agreement. We have devoted substantially all of our financial resources and efforts to developing our microbiome therapeutics platform, identifying potential product candidates and conducting pre-clinical studies and our clinical trial. We are in the early stages of development of our product candidates, and we have not completed development of any Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics or other drugs or biologics. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially as we:

 

•

conduct our Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109, our lead product candidate;

 

•

continue the research and development of our other product candidates, including completing pre-clinical studies and commencing clinical trials for SER-262, SER-287 and SER-155;

 

•

seek to enhance our microbiome therapeutics platform and discover and develop additional product candidates;

 

•

seek regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

 

•

potentially establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure and scale-up manufacturing capabilities to commercialize any products for which we may obtain regulatory approval;

 

•

maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;

 

•

add clinical, scientific, operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product development and potential future commercialization efforts and to support our transition to a public company; and

 

•

experience any delays or encounter any issues with any of the above, including but not limited to failed studies, complex results, safety issues or other regulatory challenges.

To become and remain profitable, we must succeed in developing and eventually commercializing products that generate significant revenue. This will require us to be successful in a range of challenging activities, including completing pre-clinical testing and clinical trials of our product candidates, discovering additional product candidates, obtaining regulatory approval for these product

 

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candidates and manufacturing, marketing and selling any products for which we may obtain regulatory approval. We are only in the preliminary stages of most of these activities. We may never succeed in these activities and, even if we do, may never generate revenue that is significant enough to achieve profitability.

Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with pharmaceutical product and biological development, we are unable to accurately predict the timing or amount of increased expenses or when, or if, we will be able to achieve profitability. If we are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, or the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, or other regulatory authorities to perform studies in addition to those currently expected, or if there are any delays in completing our clinical trials or the development of any of our product candidates, our expenses could increase and revenue could be further delayed.

Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would depress our value and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our research and development efforts, diversify our product offerings or even continue our operations.

Even if this offering is successful, we will need additional funding in order to complete development of our product candidates and commercialize our products, if approved. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs or commercialization efforts.

We expect our expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we conduct our Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109, and continue to research, develop and initiate clinical trials of SER-262, SER-287 and SER-155 and our other product candidates. In addition, if we obtain regulatory approval for any of our product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution. Furthermore, upon the closing of this offering, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. Accordingly, we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in connection with our continuing operations. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our research and development programs or any future commercialization efforts.

We expect that our existing cash, cash equivalents and investments, together with anticipated net proceeds from this offering, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through at least the first quarter of 2017. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:

 

•

the progress and results of our Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109;

 

•

the cost of manufacturing clinical supplies of our product candidates;

 

•

the scope, progress, results and costs of pre-clinical development, laboratory testing and clinical trials for our other product candidates, including SER-262, SER-287 and SER-155;

 

•

the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our product candidates;

 

•

the costs and timing of future commercialization activities, including manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution, for any of our product candidates for which we receive marketing approval;

 

•

the revenue, if any, received from commercial sales of our product candidates for which we receive marketing approval;

 

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•

the costs and timing of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending any intellectual property-related claims;

 

•

the effect of competing technological and market developments; and

 

•

the extent to which we acquire or invest in businesses, products and technologies, including entering into licensing or collaboration arrangements for product candidates, although we currently have no commitments or agreements to complete any such transactions.

Any additional fundraising efforts may divert our management from their day-to-day activities, which may adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates. In addition, we cannot guarantee that future financing will be available in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Moreover, the terms of any financing may adversely affect the holdings or the rights of our stockholders and the issuance of additional securities, whether equity or debt, by us, or the possibility of such issuance, may cause the market price of our shares to decline. The sale of additional equity or convertible securities would dilute all of our stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness could result in increased fixed payment obligations and we may be required to agree to certain restrictive covenants, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire, sell, or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. We could also be required to seek funds through arrangements with collaborators or others at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable and we may be required to relinquish rights to some of our technologies or product candidates or otherwise agree to terms unfavorable to us, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and prospects.

If we are unable to obtain funding on a timely basis, we may be required to significantly curtail, delay, or discontinue one or more of our research or development programs or the commercialization of any product candidates, or be unable to expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business opportunities, as desired, which could materially affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our limited operating history may make it difficult for you to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.

Since our inception in October 2010, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to developing SER-109, researching SER-262, building our intellectual property portfolio, developing our supply chain, planning our business, raising capital and providing general and administrative support for these operations. All but one of our product candidates, SER-109, are still in pre-clinical development. We recently completed our Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109, our lead product candidate, but have not completed any other clinical trials for this or any other product candidate. We have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully complete any Phase 2 clinical study or any Phase 3 or other pivotal clinical trials, obtain regulatory approvals, manufacture a commercial scale product, or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. Additionally, we expect our financial condition and operating results to continue to fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. Consequently, any predictions you make about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history.

 

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Risks Related to the Discovery, Development and Regulatory Approval

of Our Product Candidates

We are very early in our development efforts and may not be successful in our efforts to use our microbiome therapeutics platform to build a pipeline of product candidates and develop marketable drugs.

We are using our microbiome therapeutics platform to develop Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics, with an initial focus on developing SER-109 for the prevention of further recurrences of CDI in patients suffering from recurrent CDI. While we believe our pre-clinical and Phase 1b/2 clinical data to date has validated our platform to a degree, we are at an early stage of development and our platform has not yet, and may never lead to, approvable or marketable drugs. We are developing additional product candidates that we intend to be used to prevent non-Clostridium difficile infection and to treat inflammatory and metabolic diseases. We may have problems applying our technologies to these other areas, and our new product candidates may not be as effective in preventing infection and disease as our initial product candidates. Even if we are successful in identifying additional product candidates, they may not be suitable for clinical development, including as a result of their harmful side effects, limited efficacy or other characteristics that indicate that they are unlikely to be products that will receive marketing approval and achieve market acceptance. The success of our product candidates will depend on several factors, including the following:

 

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completion of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials with positive results;

 

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receipt of marketing approvals from applicable regulatory authorities;

 

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obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity for our product candidates;

 

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making arrangements with third-party manufacturers for, or establishing our own, commercial manufacturing capabilities;

 

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launching commercial sales of our products, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others;

 

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entering into new collaborations throughout the development process as appropriate, from pre-clinical studies through to commercialization;

 

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acceptance of our products, if and when approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors;

 

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effectively competing with other therapies;

 

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obtaining and maintaining coverage and adequate reimbursement by third-party payors, including government payors, for our products, if approved;

 

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protecting our rights in our intellectual property portfolio;

 

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operating without infringing or violating the valid and enforceable patents or other intellectual property of third parties;

 

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maintaining a continued acceptable safety profile of the products following approval; and

 

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maintaining and growing an organization of scientists and business people who can develop and commercialize our products and technology.

If we do not successfully develop and commercialize product candidates based upon our technological approach, we will not be able to obtain product revenue in future periods, which likely would result in significant harm to our financial position and adversely affect our stock price.

 

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Our product candidates are based on microbiome therapeutics, which is an unproven approach to therapeutic intervention.

All of our product candidates are based on microbiome therapy, a therapeutic approach that is designed to treat disease by restoring the function of a dysbiotic microbiome. We have not, nor to our knowledge has any other company, received regulatory approval for a therapeutic based on this approach. We cannot be certain that our approach will lead to the development of approvable or marketable products. In addition, our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics may have different effectiveness rates in various indications and in different geographical areas. Finally, the FDA or other regulatory agencies may lack experience in evaluating the safety and efficacy of products based on microbiome therapeutics, which could result in a longer than expected regulatory review process, increase our expected development costs and delay or prevent commercialization of our product candidates.

Our microbiome therapeutics platform relies on third parties for biological materials, including human stool. Some biological materials have not always met our expectations or requirements, and any disruption in the supply of these biological materials could materially adversely affect our business. For example, if any supplied biological materials are contaminated with disease organisms, we would not be able to use such biological materials. Although we have control processes and screening procedures, biological materials are susceptible to damage and contamination and may contain active pathogens. Improper storage of these materials, by us or any third-party suppliers, may require us to destroy some of our raw materials or products.

Clinical drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process, with an uncertain outcome. We may incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialization of our product candidates.

We dosed the first patient in a Phase 2 clinical study of our lead product, SER-109, in May 2015. Our other product candidates are in pre-clinical development. It is impossible to predict when or if any of our product candidates will prove effective and safe in humans or will receive regulatory approval, and the risk of failure through the development process is high. Before obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of any product candidate, we must complete pre-clinical development and then conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates in humans. Clinical testing is expensive, difficult to design and implement, can take many years to complete and is uncertain as to outcome. A failed clinical trial can occur at any stage of testing. The outcome of pre-clinical testing and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later clinical trials, and interim results of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results. For example, in anticipation of our Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109, we have refined the formulation of the inner capsule and changed the manufacturing process that we expect to use for commercial production. This formulation has not previously been clinically tested. The Phase 2 clinical study is the first clinical trial using this formulation and we cannot assure you that the results of this new formulation will be consistent with those experienced in the Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or adverse safety profiles, notwithstanding promising results in earlier studies, and we cannot be certain that we will not face similar setbacks.

In addition, we cannot be certain as to what type and how many clinical trials the FDA will require us to conduct before we may successfully gain approval to market SER-109 or any of our other product candidates. Prior to approving a new therapeutic product, the FDA generally requires that safety and efficacy be demonstrated in two adequate and well-controlled clinical trials. In some situations, evidence from a Phase 2 trial and a Phase 3 trial or from a single Phase 3 trial can be sufficient for FDA approval, such as in cases where the trial or trials provide highly reliable and statistically strong evidence of an important clinical benefit. In the course of our discussions with the FDA, the FDA has

 

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indicated that we may be required to conduct more than one Phase 3 clinical trial of SER-109 in order to gain approval. Additional clinical trials could cause us to incur significant development costs, delay or prevent the commercialization of SER-109 or otherwise adversely affect our business.

We may experience numerous unforeseen events during, or as a result of, clinical trials that could delay or prevent our ability to receive marketing approval or commercialize our product candidates, including:

 

•

regulators or institutional review boards may not authorize us or our investigators to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site;

 

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we may experience delays in reaching, or fail to reach, agreement on acceptable clinical trial contracts or clinical trial protocols with prospective trial sites;

 

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clinical trials of our product candidates may demonstrate undesirable side effects or produce negative or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical trials or abandon product development programs;

 

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the number of patients required for clinical trials of our product candidates may be larger than we anticipate, enrollment in these clinical trials may be slower than we anticipate or participants may drop out of these clinical trials at a higher rate than we anticipate;

 

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our third-party contractors may fail to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all;

 

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we may have to suspend or terminate clinical trials of our product candidates for various reasons, including a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;

 

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regulators or institutional review boards may require that we or our investigators suspend or terminate clinical research for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements or a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;

 

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the cost of clinical trials of our product candidates may be greater than we anticipate;

 

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the supply or quality of our product candidates or other materials necessary to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates may be insufficient or inadequate;

 

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regulators may revise the requirements for approving our product candidates, or such requirements may not be as we anticipate; and

 

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regarding trials managed by any future collaborators, our collaborators may face any of the above issues, and may conduct clinical trials in ways they view as advantageous to them but potentially suboptimal for us.

If we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other testing of our product candidates beyond those that we currently contemplate, if we are unable to successfully complete clinical trials of our product candidates or other testing, if the results of these trials or tests are not positive or are only modestly positive or if there are safety concerns, we may:

 

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be delayed in obtaining marketing approval for our product candidates;

 

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lose the support of any future collaborators, requiring us to bear more of the burden of development of certain compounds;

 

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not obtain marketing approval at all;

 

•

obtain marketing approval in some countries and not in others;

 

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obtain approval for indications or patient populations that are not as broad as we intend or desire;

 

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obtain approval with labeling that includes significant use or distribution restrictions or safety warnings;

 

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be subject to additional post-marketing testing requirements; or

 

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have the product removed from the market after obtaining marketing approval.

We recently completed our Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109 and dosed the first patient in a Phase 2 clinical study for this product candidate in May 2015. Although most clinical research performed in the United States must be authorized in advance by the FDA under its investigational new drug application, or IND, regulations, we did not conduct our Phase 1b/2 clinical study under an IND pursuant to the FDA’s exercise of enforcement discretion with regard to IND requirements for use of fecal microbiota for transplantation to treat CDI not responsive to standard therapies. Although the FDA provided confirmation that it intends to exercise enforcement discretion with respect to our Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109, it stated that continued clinical evaluation of SER-109 will require an IND. In April 2015, the FDA authorized the conduct of our Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109 under an IND. We intend to conduct all future clinical studies of SER-109 under this IND. Unlike with SER-109, we expect that the FDA will require an IND before we initiate clinical testing of our other product candidates and may also require us to conduct more extensive pre-clinical tests prior to the start of clinical trials than were required for SER-109.

Our product development costs will increase if we experience delays in clinical testing or marketing approvals. We do not know whether any of our pre-clinical studies or clinical trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured or will be completed on schedule, or at all. Significant pre-clinical or clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, potentially impairing our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and harming our business and results of operations.

If we experience delays or difficulties in the enrollment of patients in clinical trials, our receipt of necessary regulatory approvals could be delayed or prevented.

We may not be able to initiate or continue clinical trials for our product candidates if we are unable to locate and enroll a sufficient number of eligible patients to participate in these trials as required by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. We are developing our lead product candidate, SER-109, to prevent further recurrences of CDI in patients suffering from recurrent CDI. We estimate the addressable population of patients with recurrent CDI to be between 85,000 and 110,000 patients per year in the United States, and accordingly, there is a limited number of patients from which to draw for clinical studies.

Patient enrollment is also affected by other factors including:

 

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the severity of the disease under investigation;

 

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the patient eligibility criteria for the study in question;

 

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the perceived risks and benefits of the product candidate under study;

 

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the availability of other treatments for the disease under investigation;

 

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the existence of competing clinical trials;

 

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the efforts to facilitate timely enrollment in clinical trials;

 

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our payments for conducting clinical trials;

 

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the patient referral practices of physicians;

 

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the ability to monitor patients adequately during and after treatment; and

 

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the proximity and availability of clinical trial sites for prospective patients.

Our inability to enroll a sufficient number of patients for our clinical trials would result in significant delays and could require us to abandon one or more clinical trials altogether. Enrollment delays in our clinical trials may result in increased development costs for our product candidates, which would cause the value of our company to decline and limit our ability to obtain additional financing.

If we are not able to obtain, or if there are delays in obtaining, required regulatory approvals, we will not be able to commercialize our product candidates or will not be able to do so as soon as anticipated, and our ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.

Our product candidates and the activities associated with their development and commercialization, including their design, testing, manufacture, safety, efficacy, recordkeeping, labeling, storage, approval, advertising, promotion, sale and distribution, are subject to comprehensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory agencies in the United States and by the EMA and similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. Failure to obtain marketing approval for a product candidate in any jurisdiction will prevent us from commercializing the product candidate in that jurisdiction, and may affect our plans for commercialization in other jurisdictions as well. We have not received approval to market any of our product candidates from regulatory authorities in any jurisdiction. We have only limited experience in filing and supporting the applications necessary to gain marketing approvals and expect to rely on third parties to assist us in this process. Securing marketing approval requires the submission of extensive pre-clinical and clinical data and supporting information to regulatory authorities for each therapeutic indication to establish the product candidate’s safety and efficacy. Securing marketing approval also requires the submission of information about the product manufacturing process to, and inspection of manufacturing facilities by, the regulatory authorities. Our product candidates may not be effective, may be only moderately effective or may prove to have undesirable or unintended side effects, toxicities or other characteristics that may preclude our obtaining marketing approval or prevent or limit commercial use.

The process of obtaining marketing approvals, both in the United States and abroad, is expensive and may take many years. The scope and amount of clinical data required to obtain marketing approvals can vary substantially from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and it may be difficult to predict whether a particular regulatory body will require additional or different studies than those conducted by a sponsor, especially for novel product candidates such as our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. The FDA or foreign regulatory authorities may delay, limit, or deny approval to market our product candidates for many reasons, including: our inability to demonstrate that the clinical benefits of our product candidates outweigh any safety or other perceived risks; the regulatory authority’s disagreement with the interpretation of data from nonclinical or clinical studies; the regulatory agency’s requirement that we conduct additional pre-clinical studies and clinical trials; changes in marketing approval policies during the development period; changes in or the enactment of additional statutes or regulations, or changes in regulatory review process for each submitted product application; or the regulatory authority’s failure to approve the manufacturing processes or third-party manufacturers with which we contract. Regulatory authorities have substantial discretion in the approval process and may refuse to accept a marketing application as deficient. In addition, varying interpretations of the data obtained from pre-clinical and clinical testing could delay, limit or prevent marketing approval of a product candidate. Any marketing approval we ultimately obtain may be limited or subject to restrictions or post-approval commitments that render the approved product not commercially viable. Of the large number of drugs in development, only a small percentage successfully complete the FDA or other regulatory approval processes and are commercialized.

 

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Furthermore, our product candidates may not receive marketing approval even if they achieve their specified endpoints in clinical trials. Clinical data is often susceptible to varying interpretations and many companies that have believed that their products performed satisfactorily in clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain FDA approval for their products. The FDA or foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our trial design and our interpretation of data from nonclinical and clinical studies. Upon the FDA’s review of data from any pivotal trial, it may request that the sponsor conduct additional analyses of the data and, if it believes the data are not satisfactory, could advise the sponsor to delay filing a marketing application.

Even if we eventually complete clinical testing and receive approval of a biologics license application, or BLA, or foreign marketing authorization for one of our product candidates, the FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory agency may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly additional clinical trials which may be required after approval. The FDA or the applicable foreign regulatory agency may also approve SER-109 for a more limited indication and/or a narrower patient population than we originally request, and the FDA, or applicable foreign regulatory agency, may not approve the labeling that we believe is necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of SER-109. Any delay in obtaining, or inability to obtain, applicable regulatory approval would delay or prevent commercialization of SER-109 and would materially adversely impact our business and prospects.

The development of therapeutic products targeting the underlying biology of the human microbiome is an emerging field, and it is possible that the FDA and other regulatory authorities could issue regulations or new policies in the future affecting our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics that could adversely affect our product candidates.

If we experience delays in obtaining approval or if we fail to obtain approval of our product candidates, the commercial prospects for our product candidates may be harmed and our ability to generate revenues will be materially impaired.

A fast track designation by the FDA may not actually lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process.

We may seek fast track designation for some of our product candidates. If a drug or biologic is intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition and nonclinical or clinical data demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for this condition, the drug or biologic sponsor may apply for FDA fast track designation. Fast track designation provides increased opportunities for sponsor meetings with the FDA during pre-clinical and clinical development, in addition to the potential for rolling review once a marketing application is filed. The FDA has broad discretion whether or not to grant this designation, and even if we believe a particular product candidate is eligible for this designation, we cannot assure you that the FDA would decide to grant it. Even if we do receive fast track designation, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures. Fast track designation does not assure ultimate approval by the FDA. The FDA may withdraw fast track designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program.

A Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA for our product candidates may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process, and it does not increase the likelihood that our product candidates will receive marketing approval.

We have received Breakthrough Therapy designation for SER-109, and we may seek a Breakthrough Therapy designation for our other product candidates. A breakthrough therapy is defined as a drug or biologic that is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition,

 

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and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug or biologic may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed in early clinical development. For drugs that have been designated as breakthrough therapies, interaction and communication between the FDA and the sponsor can help to identify the most efficient path for clinical development. Drugs designated as breakthrough therapies by the FDA are also eligible for rolling review of the associated marketing application, meaning that the agency may review portions of the marketing application before the sponsor submits the complete application, as well as priority review, where the agency aims to act on the application within six months.

Designation as a breakthrough therapy is within the discretion of the FDA. Accordingly, even if we believe one of our product candidates meets the criteria for designation as a breakthrough therapy, the FDA may disagree and instead determine not to make such designation. The availability of Breakthrough Therapy designation was established recently with the passage of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act of 2012, and the FDA has only recently released additional guidance as to the criteria it uses in designating drugs as breakthrough therapies. As a result, we cannot be sure that our evaluation of our product candidates as qualifying for Breakthrough Therapy designation will meet the FDA’s expectations. In any event, the receipt of a Breakthrough Therapy designation for a product candidate may not result in a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures and does not assure ultimate approval by the FDA. In addition, not all products designated as breakthrough therapies ultimately will be shown to have the substantial improvement over available therapies suggested by the preliminary clinical evidence at the time of designation. As a result, if the Breakthrough Therapy designation for SER-109 or any future designation we receive is no longer supported by subsequent data, the FDA may rescind the designation.

We may seek orphan drug designation for some of our product candidates, but may not be able to obtain it.

Regulatory authorities in some jurisdictions, including the United States and Europe, may designate drugs and biologics for relatively small patient populations as orphan drugs. In the United States, the FDA may designate a drug or biologic as an orphan drug if it is intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is defined as a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals annually in the United States.

Generally, if a product with an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first marketing approval for the indication for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to a period of marketing exclusivity, which precludes the EMA or the FDA from approving another marketing application for the same drug or biologic for that time period. The applicable period is seven years in the United States and ten years in Europe. The European exclusivity period can be reduced to six years if a product no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation or if the product is sufficiently profitable so that market exclusivity is no longer justified. Orphan drug exclusivity may be lost if the FDA or EMA determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantity of the drug or biologic to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.

We may seek orphan drug designation and exclusivity for some of our product candidates. However, even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity for a product, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product from competition because different drugs can be approved for the same condition. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the later drug is clinically superior in that it is shown to be safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care.

 

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Risks Related to our Dependence on Third Parties and Manufacturing

We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties to conduct our clinical trials, and those third parties may not perform satisfactorily, including failing to meet deadlines for the completion of such trials.

We expect to continue to rely on third parties, such as contract research organizations, or CROs, clinical data management organizations, medical institutions and clinical investigators, to conduct and manage our clinical trials, including our Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109.

Our reliance on these third parties for research and development activities will reduce our control over these activities but does not relieve us of our responsibilities. For example, we remain responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and protocols for the trial. Moreover, the FDA requires us to comply with regulatory standards, commonly referred to as good clinical practices, for conducting, recording and reporting the results of clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, safety and welfare of trial participants are protected. Other countries’ regulatory agencies also have requirements for clinical trials with which we must comply. We also are required to register ongoing clinical trials and post the results of completed clinical trials on a government-sponsored database, ClinicalTrials.gov, within specified timeframes. Failure to do so can result in fines, adverse publicity and civil and criminal sanctions.

Furthermore, these third parties may also have relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, do not meet expected deadlines, experience work stoppages, terminate their agreements with us or need to be replaced, or do not conduct our clinical trials in accordance with regulatory requirements or our stated protocols, we may need to enter into new arrangements with alternative third parties, which could be difficult, costly or impossible, and our clinical trials may be extended, delayed, or terminated or may need to be repeated. If any of the foregoing occur, we may not be able to obtain, or may be delayed in obtaining, marketing approvals for our product candidates and may not be able to, or may be delayed in our efforts to, successfully commercialize our product candidates.

We also expect to rely on other third parties to store and distribute drug supplies for our clinical trials. Any performance failure on the part of our distributors could delay clinical development or marketing approval of our product candidates or commercialization of our products, producing additional losses and depriving us of potential product revenue.

We rely on third parties for the manufacture of our product candidates for pre-clinical and clinical testing and expect to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our product candidates or that such quantities may not be available at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialization efforts.

We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the manufacture of our product candidates for pre-clinical and clinical testing, as well as for commercial manufacture if any of our product candidates receive marketing approval. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our product candidates on a timely basis or at all, or that such quantities will be available at an acceptable cost or quality, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialization efforts.

 

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We may be unable to establish any agreements with third-party manufacturers on acceptable terms or at all. Even if we are able to establish agreements with third-party manufacturers, reliance on third-party manufacturers entails additional risks, including:

 

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failure of third-party manufacturers to comply with regulatory requirements and maintain quality assurance;

 

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breach of manufacturing agreements by the third-party manufacturers;

 

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failure to manufacture our product according to our specifications;

 

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failure to manufacture our product according to our schedule or at all;

 

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misappropriation or disclosure of our proprietary information, including our trade secrets and know-how; and

 

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termination or nonrenewal of agreements by third-party manufacturers at times that are costly or inconvenient for us.

Third-party manufacturers may not be able to comply with current good manufacturing processes, or cGMP, regulations or similar regulatory requirements outside the United States. Our failure, or the failure of our third-party manufacturers, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including clinical holds, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, license revocations, seizures or recalls of product candidates or products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect supplies of our products. The contract manufacturer we rely on to produce SER-109 has never produced a FDA-approved therapeutic. If our contract manufacturer is unable to comply with cGMP regulation or if the FDA does not approve their facility upon a pre-approval inspection, SER-109 may not be approved or may be delayed in obtaining approval. In addition, there are a limited number of manufacturers that operate under cGMP regulations and that might be capable of manufacturing our products. Therefore, our product candidates and any future products that we may develop may compete with other products for access to manufacturing facilities. Any failure to gain access to these limited manufacturing facilities could severely impact the clinical development, marketing approval and commercialization of our product candidates.

Any performance failure on the part of our existing or future manufacturers could delay clinical development or marketing approval. Except for a backup facility in California, we do not currently have arrangements in place for redundant supply or a second source for required raw materials used in the manufacture of our product candidates or for the manufacture of finished SER-109 product. If our current contract manufacturers cannot perform as agreed, we may be required to replace such manufacturers and we may be unable to replace them on a timely basis or at all. Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacture of our product candidates or products could delay, prevent or impair our development and commercialization efforts.

We have no experience manufacturing our product candidates at commercial scale, and if we decide to establish our own manufacturing facility, we cannot assure you that we can manufacture our product candidates in compliance with regulations at a cost or in quantities necessary to make them commercially viable.

We have a pilot manufacturing facility at our Cambridge location where we conduct process development, scale-up activities and a portion of the manufacture of Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. The FDA and other comparable foreign regulatory agencies must, pursuant to inspections that are conducted after submitting a BLA or relevant foreign marketing submission, confirm that the manufacturing processes for the product meet cGMP. We do not have any manufacturing facilities that meet the FDA’s cGMP requirements for the production of any product candidates used in humans.

 

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We may establish a manufacturing facility for our product candidates for production at a commercial scale. We have no experience in commercial-scale manufacturing of our product candidates. We currently intend to develop our manufacturing capacity in part by expanding our current facility or building additional facilities. This activity will require substantial additional funds and we would need to hire and train significant numbers of qualified employees to staff these facilities. We may not be able to develop commercial-scale manufacturing facilities that are adequate to produce materials for additional later-stage clinical trials or commercial use.

The equipment and facilities employed in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals are subject to stringent qualification requirements by regulatory agencies, including validation of facility, equipment, systems, processes and analytics. We may be subject to lengthy delays and expense in conducting validation studies, if we can meet the requirements at all.

Risks Related to Commercialization of Our Product Candidates and Other Legal Compliance Matters

Even if any of our product candidates receives marketing approval, it may fail to achieve the degree of market acceptance by physicians, patients, hospitals, third-party payors and others in the medical community necessary for commercial success.

If any of our product candidates receives marketing approval, it may nonetheless fail to gain sufficient market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors and others in the medical community. For example, current CDI treatment involves the use of antibiotics that are well established in the medical community or the use of fecal microbiota transplantation, or FMT, and physicians may continue to rely on these treatments. If our product candidates receive approval but do not achieve an adequate level of acceptance, we may not generate significant product revenue and we may not become profitable. The degree of market acceptance of our approved product candidates, if any, will depend on a number of factors, including:

 

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their efficacy, safety and other potential advantages compared to alternative treatments;

 

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the clinical indications for which our products are approved;

 

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our ability to offer them for sale at competitive prices;

 

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their convenience and ease of administration compared to alternative treatments;

 

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the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies and of physicians to prescribe these therapies;

 

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the strength of marketing and distribution support;

 

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the availability of third-party coverage and adequate reimbursement for our product candidates;

 

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the prevalence and severity of their side effects and their overall safety profiles;

 

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any restrictions on the use of our products together with other medications;

 

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interactions of our products with other medicines patients are taking; and

 

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inability of certain types of patients to take our product.

 

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We currently have no sales organization. If we are unable to establish effective sales, marketing and distribution capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties with such capabilities, we may not be successful in commercializing our product candidates if and when they are approved.

We do not have a sales or marketing infrastructure and have no experience in the sale, marketing or distribution of pharmaceutical products. To achieve commercial success for any product for which we obtain marketing approval, we will need to establish a sales and marketing organization or make arrangements with third parties to perform sales and marketing functions and we may not be successful in doing so.

In the future, we expect to build a focused sales and marketing infrastructure to market or co-promote our product candidates in the United States and potentially elsewhere, if and when they are approved. There are risks involved with establishing our own sales, marketing and distribution capabilities. For example, recruiting and training a sales force is expensive and time-consuming and could delay any product launch. If the commercial launch of a product candidate for which we recruit a sales force and establish marketing capabilities is delayed or does not occur for any reason, we would have prematurely or unnecessarily incurred these commercialization expenses. This may be costly, and our investment would be lost if we cannot retain or reposition our sales and marketing personnel.

Factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize our products on our own include:

 

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our inability to recruit, train and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel;

 

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the inability of sales personnel to obtain access to or educate physicians on the benefits of our products;

 

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the lack of complementary products to be offered by sales personnel, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies with more extensive product lines;

 

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unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization; and

 

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inability to obtain sufficient coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors and governmental agencies.

Outside the United States, we may rely on third parties to sell, market and distribute our product candidates. We may not be successful in entering into arrangements with such third parties or may be unable to do so on terms that are favorable to us. In addition, our product revenue and our profitability, if any, may be lower if we rely on third parties for these functions than if we were to market, sell and distribute any products that we develop ourselves. We likely will have little control over such third parties, and any of them may fail to devote the necessary resources and attention to sell and market our products effectively. If we do not establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities successfully, either on our own or in collaboration with third parties, we will not be successful in commercializing our product candidates.

We face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing competing products before or more successfully than we do.

The development and commercialization of new drug and biologic products is highly competitive and is characterized by rapid and substantial technological development and product innovations. We face competition with respect to our current product candidates, and will face competition with respect to any product candidates that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future, from major pharmaceutical companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies

 

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worldwide. We are aware of a number of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Merck, Shire, Sanofi, Pfizer and Novartis, as well as smaller, early-stage companies, that are pursuing the development of products, including microbiome therapeutics, for the prevention of CDI and other disease indications we are targeting. Some of these competitive products and therapies are based on scientific approaches that are the same as or similar to our approach, and others may be based on entirely different approaches. For example, FMT is a procedure that has resulted in high cure rates for recurrent CDI and our competitors and physicians may continue to seek to standardize and implement this procedure. Potential competitors also include academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research organizations that conduct research, seek patent protection and establish collaborative arrangements for research, development, manufacturing and commercialization.

Many of the companies against which we are competing or against which we may compete in the future have significantly greater financial resources, established presence in the market and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, pre-clinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and reimbursement and marketing approved products than we do. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors.

These third parties compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, sales and marketing and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.

Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize products that are more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient or are less expensive than any products that we may develop. Our competitors also may obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market, especially for any competitor developing a microbiome therapeutic which will likely share our same regulatory approval requirements. In addition, our ability to compete may be affected in many cases by insurers or other third-party payors seeking to encourage the use of generic or biosimilar products.

Even if we are able to commercialize any product candidates, the products may become subject to unfavorable pricing regulations or third-party coverage and reimbursement policies, any of which would harm our business.

Our ability to commercialize any product candidates successfully will depend, in part, on the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels.

Obtaining and maintaining adequate reimbursement for our products may be difficult. We cannot be certain if and when we will obtain an adequate level of reimbursement for our products by third-party payors. Even if we do obtain adequate levels of reimbursement, third-party payors, such as government or private healthcare insurers, carefully review and increasingly question the coverage of, and challenge the prices charged for, drugs. Reimbursement rates from private health insurance companies vary depending on the company, the insurance plan and other factors. A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for drugs. We

 

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may also be required to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies to justify coverage and reimbursement or the level of reimbursement relative to other therapies. If coverage and reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval.

There may be significant delays in obtaining reimbursement for newly approved drugs, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the drug is approved by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. Moreover, eligibility for reimbursement does not imply that a drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. Interim reimbursement levels for new drugs, if applicable, may also not be sufficient to cover our costs and may not be made permanent. Reimbursement rates may vary according to the use of the drug and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. Net prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors and by any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of drugs from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the United States. Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement rates from both government-funded and private payors for any approved products that we develop could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products and our overall financial condition.

The regulations that govern marketing approvals, pricing, coverage and reimbursement for new drug products vary widely from country to country. Current and future legislation may significantly change the approval requirements in ways that could involve additional costs and cause delays in obtaining approvals. Some countries require approval of the sale price of a drug before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after marketing or product licensing approval is granted. In some foreign markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control, including possible price reductions, even after initial approval is granted. As a result, we might obtain marketing approval for a product in a particular country, but then be subject to price regulations that delay our commercial launch of the product, possibly for lengthy time periods, and negatively impact the revenues we are able to generate from the sale of the product in that country. Adverse pricing limitations may hinder our ability to recoup our investment in one or more product candidates, even if our product candidates obtain marketing approval. There can be no assurance that our product candidates, if they are approved for sale in the United States or in other countries, will be considered medically necessary for a specific indication or cost-effective, or that coverage or an adequate level of reimbursement will be available.

Product liability lawsuits against us could cause us to incur substantial liabilities and limit commercialization of any products that we may develop.

We face an inherent risk of product liability exposure related to the testing of our product candidates in clinical trials and will face an even greater risk if we commercially sell any products that we may develop. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against claims that our product candidates or products caused injuries, we will incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:

 

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regulatory investigations, product recalls or withdrawals, or labeling, marketing or promotional restrictions;

 

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decreased demand for any product candidates or products that we may develop;

 

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injury to our reputation and significant negative media attention;

 

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withdrawal of clinical trial participants;

 

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•

significant costs to defend the related litigation;

 

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substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients;

 

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loss of revenue;

 

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reduced resources of our management to pursue our business strategy; and

 

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the inability to commercialize any products that we may develop.

We currently hold $3.0 million in product liability insurance coverage in the aggregate, with a per occurrence limit of $3.0 million, which may not be adequate to cover all liabilities that we may incur. We may need to increase our insurance coverage as we expand our clinical trials or if we commence commercialization of our product candidates. Insurance coverage is increasingly expensive. We may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in an amount adequate to satisfy any liability that may arise.

We may face competition from biosimilars, which may have a material adverse impact on the future commercial prospects of our product candidates.

Even if we are successful in achieving regulatory approval to commercialize a product candidate faster than our competitors, we may face competition from biosimilars. In the United States, the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act, or BCPIA, enacted in 2010 as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, created an abbreviated approval pathway for biological products that are demonstrated to be “highly similar,” or biosimilar, to or “interchangeable” with an FDA-approved biological product. This new pathway could allow competitors to reference data from innovative biological products 12 years after the time of approval of the innovative biological product. This data exclusivity does not prevent another company from developing a product that is highly similar to the innovative product, generating its own data and seeking approval. Data exclusivity only assures that another company cannot rely upon the data within the innovator’s application to support the biosimilar product’s approval.

In each of his proposed budgets for fiscal years 2013 through 2015, President Obama has proposed to cut this 12-year period of exclusivity down to seven years. He also proposed to prohibit additional periods of exclusivity due to minor changes in product formulations, a practice often referred to as “evergreening.” It is possible that Congress may take these or other measures to reduce or eliminate periods of exclusivity. The BCPIA is complex and only beginning to be interpreted and implemented by the FDA. As a result, its ultimate impact is subject to uncertainty. The FDA has issued several guidance documents to date discussing the biosimilar pathway, and the FDA recently approved the first biosimilar under the BCPIA in March 2015. However, several issues still remain unclear with respect to the FDA’s final implementation of the BCPIA, and such FDA implementation could have a material adverse effect on the future commercial prospects for our product candidates.

In Europe, the European Commission has granted marketing authorizations for several biosimilars pursuant to a set of general and product class-specific guidelines for biosimilar approvals issued over the past few years. In Europe, a competitor may reference data supporting approval of an innovative biological product, but will not be able to get on the market until 10 years after the time of approval of the innovative product. This 10-year marketing exclusivity period will be extended to 11 years if, during the first eight of those 10 years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an approval for one or more new therapeutic indications that bring significant clinical benefits compared with existing therapies. In addition, companies may be developing biosimilars in other countries that could compete with our products. If competitors are able to obtain marketing approval for biosimilars referencing our products, our products may become subject to competition from such biosimilars, with the attendant competitive pressure and consequences.

 

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Failure to obtain marketing approval in international jurisdictions would prevent our product candidates from being marketed abroad.

In order to market and sell our products in the European Union and many other jurisdictions, we or our collaborators must obtain separate marketing approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. The approval procedure varies among countries and can involve additional testing. The time required to obtain approval in foreign countries may differ substantially from that required to obtain FDA approval. Clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other countries. The regulatory approval process outside the United States generally includes all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. In addition, in many countries outside the United States, it is required that the product be approved for reimbursement before the product can be approved for sale in that country. We or our collaborators may not obtain approvals for our product candidates from regulatory authorities outside the United States on a timely basis, if at all. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions, and approval by one regulatory authority outside the United States does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions or by the FDA. However, a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country may have a negative effect on the regulatory process in others. We may not be able to file for marketing approvals and may not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our products in any market.

Any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval could be subject to post-marketing restrictions or withdrawal from the market, and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or if we experience unanticipated problems with our products, when and if any of them are approved.

Any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval, along with the manufacturing processes, post-approval clinical data, labeling, advertising and promotional activities for such product, will be subject to the continual requirements of and review by the FDA and other regulatory authorities. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration and listing requirements, cGMP requirements relating to manufacturing, quality control, quality assurance and corresponding maintenance of records and documents, requirements regarding the distribution of samples to physicians and recordkeeping. We and our contract manufacturers will also be subject to continual review and periodic inspections to assess compliance with cGMP. Accordingly, we and others with whom we work must continue to expend time, money and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including manufacturing, production and quality control.

Even if marketing approval of a product candidate is granted, the approval may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to specific conditions of approval, including a requirement to implement a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, or REMS, which could include requirements for a medication guide, communication plan, or restricted distribution system. If any of our product candidates receives marketing approval, the accompanying label may limit the approved use of our drug, which could limit sales of the product.

The FDA may also impose requirements for costly post-marketing studies or clinical trials and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of our approved products. The FDA closely regulates the post-approval marketing and promotion of drugs and biologics to ensure they are marketed only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved labeling. The FDA imposes stringent restrictions on manufacturers’ communications regarding off-label use, and if we market our products outside of their approved indications, we may be subject to enforcement action for off-label marketing. Violations of the FDA’s restrictions relating to the promotion of prescription drugs may also lead to investigations alleging violations of federal and state health care fraud and abuse laws, as well as state consumer protection laws.

 

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In addition, if a regulatory agency or we later discover previously unknown problems with our products, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, problems with manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, the regulatory agency may impose restrictions on the products or us, including requiring withdrawal of the product from the market. Any failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements may yield various results, including:

 

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litigation involving patients taking our products;

 

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restrictions on such products, manufacturers or manufacturing processes;

 

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restrictions on the labeling or marketing of a product;

 

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restrictions on product distribution or use;

 

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requirements to conduct post-marketing studies or clinical trials;

 

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warning letters;

 

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withdrawal of products from the market;

 

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suspension or termination of ongoing clinical trials;

 

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refusal to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications that we submit;

 

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recall of products;

 

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fines, restitution or disgorgement of profits or revenues;

 

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suspension or withdrawal of marketing approvals;

 

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damage to relationships with potential collaborators;

 

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unfavorable press coverage and damage to our reputation;

 

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refusal to permit the import or export of our products;

 

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product seizure or detention;

 

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injunctions; or

 

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imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

Noncompliance with similar European Union requirements regarding safety monitoring or pharmacovigilance can also result in significant financial penalties. Similarly, failure to comply with U.S. and foreign regulatory requirements regarding the development of products for pediatric populations and the protection of personal health information can also lead to significant penalties and sanctions.

Any government investigation of alleged violations of law could require us to expend significant time and resources in response, and could generate negative publicity. Any failure to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements may significantly and adversely affect our ability to commercialize and generate revenues. If regulatory sanctions are applied or if regulatory approval is withheld or withdrawn, the value of our company and our operating results will be adversely affected.

 

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Our relationships with customers, physicians and third-party payors will be subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, which could expose us to criminal sanctions, civil penalties, exclusion from governmental healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future earnings.

Healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors will play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of any product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Our future arrangements with third-party payors, physicians and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute any products for which we obtain marketing approval. Restrictions under applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations include the following:

 

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the federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program, such as Medicare and Medicaid;

 

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the federal False Claims Act imposes criminal and civil penalties, including civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities for knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent or making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government;

 

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the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, imposes criminal and civil liability for executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters;

 

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HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act and its implementing regulations, also imposes obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information;

 

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the federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act requires applicable manufacturers of covered drugs to report payments and other transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals, and ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Data from the first reporting period, which began in August 2013, is now publicly available. Manufacturers will be required to submit subsequent reports to the government by the 90th day of each calendar year;

 

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analogous state and foreign laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government and may require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; and

 

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state and foreign laws that govern the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.

The risk of our being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that many of them have not been fully interpreted by the regulatory authorities or the courts, and their provisions are open

 

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to a variety of interpretations. Any action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. The shifting compliance environment and the need to build and maintain a robust system to comply with multiple jurisdictions with different compliance and reporting requirements increases the possibility that a healthcare company may violate one or more of the requirements.

Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, imprisonment, exclusion of products from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.

Recently enacted and future legislation may increase the difficulty and cost for us to obtain marketing approval of and commercialize our product candidates and affect the prices we may obtain.

In the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could prevent or delay marketing approval of our product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to profitably sell any product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval.

In the United States, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, or the MMA, changed the way Medicare covers and pays for pharmaceutical products. The MMA expanded Medicare coverage for outpatient drug purchases by those covered by Medicare under a new Part D and introduced a new reimbursement methodology based on average sales prices for Medicare Part B physician-administered drugs. In addition, the MMA authorized Medicare Part D prescription drug plans to limit the number of drugs that will be covered in any therapeutic class in their formularies. The MMA’s cost reduction initiatives and other provisions could decrease the coverage and price that we receive for any approved products. While the MMA applies only to drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries, private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates. Therefore, any reduction in reimbursement that results from the MMA may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. Similar regulations or reimbursement policies may be enacted in international markets which could similarly impact our business.

More recently, in 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, or collectively the Affordable Care Act, a sweeping law intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add new transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms.

Among the provisions of the Affordable Care Act of importance to our potential product candidates are the following:

 

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establishment of a new pathway for approval of lower-cost biosimilars to compete with biologic products, such as those we are developing;

 

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an annual, nondeductible fee payable by any entity that manufactures or imports specified branded prescription drugs and biologic agents;

 

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•

an increase in the statutory minimum rebates a manufacturer must pay under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program;

 

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expansion of healthcare fraud and abuse laws, including the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute, new government investigative powers and enhanced penalties for noncompliance;

 

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a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices;

 

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extension of manufacturers’ Medicaid rebate liability;

 

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expansion of eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs;

 

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expansion of the entities eligible for discounts under the Public Health Service pharmaceutical pricing program;

 

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new requirements to report financial arrangements with physicians and teaching hospitals;

 

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a new requirement to annually report drug samples that manufacturers and distributors provide to physicians; and

 

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a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research.

In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. In August 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, was unable to reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect on April 1, 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will remain in effect through 2024 unless additional Congressional action is taken. On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which, among other things, reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals. These new laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding and otherwise affect the prices we may obtain.

We expect that the Affordable Care Act, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain profitability, or commercialize our products.

Legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for pharmaceutical products. We cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether the FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what the impact of such changes on the marketing approvals of our product candidates, if any, may be. In addition, increased scrutiny by Congress of the FDA’s approval process may significantly delay or prevent marketing approval, as well as subject us to more stringent product labeling and post-marketing testing and other requirements.

Governments outside the United States tend to impose strict price controls, which may adversely affect our revenues, if any.

In some countries, particularly the countries of the European Union, the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with

 

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governmental authorities can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval for a product. In addition, there can be considerable pressure by governments and other stakeholders on prices and reimbursement levels, including as part of cost containment measures. Political, economic and regulatory developments may further complicate pricing negotiations, and pricing negotiations may continue after coverage and reimbursement have been obtained. Reference pricing used by various European Union member states and parallel distribution or arbitrage between low-priced and high-priced member states, can further reduce prices. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our product candidate to other available therapies. If coverage and reimbursement of our products are unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, our business could be harmed, possibly materially.

If we fail to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur costs that could harm our business.

We are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures and the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. Our operations involve the use of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals and biological materials such as human stool. Our operations also produce hazardous waste products. We generally contract with third parties for the disposal of these materials and wastes. We cannot eliminate the risk of contamination or injury from these materials. In the event of contamination or injury resulting from our use of hazardous materials, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources. We also could incur significant costs associated with civil or criminal fines and penalties for failure to comply with such laws and regulations.

Although we maintain workers’ compensation insurance to cover us for costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees resulting from the use of hazardous materials, this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not maintain insurance for environmental liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us in connection with our storage or disposal of biological, hazardous or radioactive materials.

In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These current or future laws and regulations may impair our research, development or production efforts. Our failure to comply with these laws and regulations also may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.

Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

If we are unable to adequately protect our proprietary technology, or obtain and maintain issued patents which are sufficient to protect our product candidates, others could compete against us more directly, which would have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

Our success depends in large part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other intellectual property protection in the United States and other countries with respect to our proprietary technology and products. We seek to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications in the United States and abroad related to our novel technologies and product candidates. We also rely on trade secrets to protect aspects of our business that are not amenable to, or that we do not consider appropriate for, patent protection.

The patent prosecution process is expensive and time-consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost, in a timely manner,

 

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or in all jurisdictions. Prosecution of our patent portfolio is at a very early stage, and we are just beginning to reach the statutory deadlines for deciding whether and where to initiate prosecution in specific foreign jurisdictions by filing national state applications based on our Patent Cooperation Treaty, or PCT, applications. As those deadlines come due, we will have to decide whether and where to pursue patent protection for the various inventions claimed in our patent portfolio, and we will only have the opportunity to obtain patents in those jurisdictions where we pursue protection. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection. It is possible that defects of form in the preparation or filing of our patents or patent applications may exist, or may arise in the future, such as, with respect to proper priority claims, inventorship, claim scope or patent term adjustments. If there are material defects in the form or preparation of our patents or patent applications, such patents or applications may be invalid and unenforceable. Moreover, our competitors may independently develop equivalent knowledge, methods and know-how. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties, which may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results.

If, in the future, we obtain licenses from third parties, in some circumstances, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain the patents, covering technology that we license from third parties. We may also require the cooperation of our licensors to enforce any licensed patent rights, and such cooperation may not be provided. Therefore, these patents and applications may not be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business. Moreover, if we do obtain necessary licenses, we will likely have obligations under those licenses, and any failure to satisfy those obligations could give our licensor the right to terminate the license. Termination of a necessary license could have a material adverse impact on our business.

Our patent portfolio is in the early stages of prosecution. We currently have three issued U.S. patents. Although we have numerous patent applications pending, substantive prosecution has begun in only a small number of those applications. We cannot provide any assurances that any of our pending patent applications will mature into issued patents and, if they do, that such patents or our current patents will include claims with a scope sufficient to protect our product candidates or otherwise provide any competitive advantage. For example, we are pursuing claims to therapeutic, binary compositions of certain bacterial populations. Any claims that may issue may provide coverage for such binary compositions and/or their use. However, such claims would not prevent a third party from commercializing alternative compositions that do not include both of the bacterial populations claimed in pending applications, potential applications or patents that have or may issue. There can be no assurance that any such alternative composition will not be equally effective. Further, given that our SER-109 product candidate is a complex composition with some variation from lot-to-lot and that, likewise, third-party compositions may have similar complexity and variability, it is possible that a patent claim may provide coverage for some but not all lots of a product candidate or third-party product. These and other factors may provide opportunities for our competitors to design around our patents, should they issue.

Moreover, other parties have developed technologies that may be related or competitive to our approach, and may have filed or may file patent applications and may have received or may receive patents that may overlap or conflict with our patent applications, either by claiming similar methods or by claiming subject matter that could dominate our patent position. In addition, given the early stage of prosecution of our portfolio, it may be some time before we understand how patent offices react to our patent claims and whether they identify prior art of relevance that we have not already considered.

Publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore, we cannot know with certainty whether we

 

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were the first to make the inventions claimed in any owned patents or pending patent applications, or that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions, nor can we know whether those from whom we may license patents were the first to make the inventions claimed or were the first to file. For these and other reasons, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our patent rights are subject to a level of uncertainty. Our pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect our technology or products, in whole or in part, or which effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and products. Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our patents or narrow the scope of our patent protection.

We may be subject to a third-party preissuance submission of prior art to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, or become involved in opposition, derivation, reexamination, inter partes review, post-grant review or interference proceedings challenging our patent rights or the patent rights of others. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate, our patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize our technology or products and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize products without infringing third-party patent rights. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop or commercialize current or future product candidates. Furthermore, an adverse decision in an interference proceeding can result in a third party receiving the patent right sought by us, which in turn could affect our ability to develop, market or otherwise commercialize our product candidates. The issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our patents are subject to a level of uncertainty.

The patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies generally is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions and has in recent years been the subject of much litigation. Due to legal standards relating to patentability, validity, enforceability and claim scope of patents covering biotechnological and pharmaceutical inventions, our ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patents is uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions. Even if issued, a patent’s validity, inventorship, ownership or enforceability is not conclusive. Accordingly, rights under any existing patent or any patents we might obtain or license may not cover our product candidates, or may not provide us with sufficient protection for our product candidates to afford a commercial advantage against competitive products or processes, including those from branded and generic pharmaceutical companies.

The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain, and we cannot ensure that:

 

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any of our pending patent applications, if issued, will include claims having a scope sufficient to protect our product candidates or any other products or product candidates;

 

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any of our pending patent applications will issue as patents at all;

 

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we will be able to successfully commercialize our product candidates, if approved, before our relevant patents expire;

 

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we were the first to make the inventions covered by any existing patent and pending patent applications;

 

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we were the first to file patent applications for these inventions;

 

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others will not develop similar or alternative technologies that do not infringe or design around our patents;

 

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others will not use pre-existing technology to effectively compete against us;

 

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any of our patents, if issued, will be found to ultimately be valid and enforceable;

 

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third parties will not compete with us in jurisdictions where we do not pursue and obtain patent protection;

 

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•

we will be able to obtain and/or maintain necessary or useful licenses on reasonable terms or at all;

 

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any patents issued to us will provide a basis for an exclusive market for our commercially viable products, will provide us with any competitive advantages or will not be challenged by third parties;

 

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we will develop additional proprietary technologies or product candidates that are separately patentable; or

 

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our commercial activities or products will not infringe upon the patents or proprietary rights of others.

Any litigation to enforce or defend our patent rights, even if we were to prevail, could be costly and time-consuming and would divert the attention of our management and key personnel from our business operations. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate and the damages or other remedies awarded if we were to prevail may not be commercially meaningful. Even if we are successful, domestic or foreign litigation, or USPTO or foreign patent office proceedings, may result in substantial costs and distraction to our management. We may not be able, alone or with our licensors or potential collaborators, to prevent misappropriation of our proprietary rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect such rights as fully as in the United States. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or other proceedings, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation or other proceedings. In addition, during the course of this kind of litigation or proceedings, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments or public access to related documents. If investors perceive these results to be negative, the market price for our common stock could be significantly harmed.

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets and know-how, our business and competitive position would be harmed.

In addition to seeking patents for some of our technology and product candidates, we also rely on trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information, to maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect these trade secrets, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We also seek to enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees, advisors and consultants. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Our trade secrets may also be obtained by third parties by other means, such as breaches of our physical or computer security systems. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. Moreover, if any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them, or those to whom they communicate it, from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position would be harmed.

Changes in U.S. patent law could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our products.

As is the case with other biotechnology companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biotechnology industry involves both technological and legal complexity, and is therefore costly, time-consuming and

 

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inherently uncertain. In addition, recent patent reform legislation could further increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents. On September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the Leahy-Smith Act, was signed into law. The Leahy-Smith Act includes a number of significant changes to U.S. patent law. These include provisions that affect the way patent applications are prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation. The USPTO recently developed new regulations and procedures to govern administration of the Leahy-Smith Act, and many of the substantive changes to patent law associated with the Leahy-Smith Act, in particular the first to file provisions, only became effective on March 16, 2013. A third party that files a patent application in the USPTO after that date but before us could therefore be awarded a patent covering an invention of ours even if we had made the invention before it was made by the third party. This will require us to be cognizant going forward of the time from invention to filing of a patent application. Thus, for our U.S. patent applications containing a priority claim after March 16, 2013, there is a greater level of uncertainty in the patent law. Moreover, some of the patent applications in our portfolio will be subject to examination under the pre-Leahy-Smith Act law and regulations, while other patents applications in our portfolio will be subject to examination under the law and regulations, as amended by the Leahy-Smith Act. This introduces additional complexities into the prosecution and management of our portfolio.

In addition, the Leahy-Smith Act limits where a patentee may file a patent infringement suit and provides opportunities for third parties to challenge any issued patent in the USPTO. These provisions apply to all of our U.S. patents, even those issued before March 16, 2013. Because of a lower evidentiary standard in USPTO proceedings compared to the evidentiary standard in U.S. federal court necessary to invalidate a patent claim, a third party could potentially provide evidence in a USPTO proceeding sufficient for the USPTO to hold a claim invalid even though the same evidence would be insufficient to invalidate the claim if first presented in a federal court action. Accordingly, a third party may attempt to use the USPTO procedures to invalidate our patent claims because it may be easier for them to do so relative to challenging the patent in a federal court action. It is not clear what, if any, impact the Leahy-Smith Act will have on the operation of our business. However, the Leahy-Smith Act and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

In addition, recent United States Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances and weakened the rights of patent owners in certain situations. From time to time, the U.S. Supreme Court, other federal courts, the United States Congress, or the USPTO, may change the standards of patentability and any such changes could have a negative impact on our business.

A number of recent cases decided by the Supreme Court have involved questions of when claims reciting abstract ideas, laws of nature, natural phenomena and/or natural products are eligible for a patent, regardless of whether the claimed subject matter is otherwise novel and inventive. These cases include Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., 569 U.S. 12-398 (2013) or Myriad; Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International, 573 U.S. 13-298 (2014); and Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc., or Prometheus, 566 U.S. 10-1150 (2012). In response to these cases, the USPTO has issued guidance to the examining corps.

The full impact of these decisions is not yet known. The Myriad decision, issued on June 13, 2013, is the most recent Supreme Court decision to address patent eligibility of natural products. Our current product candidates include natural products, therefore, this decision and its interpretation by the courts and the USPTO may impact prosecution, defense and enforcement of our patent portfolio. In Myriad, the Court held that claims to isolated genomic DNA are not patentable, but claims to complementary DNA, or cDNA, molecules, which are not genomic sequences, may be patent eligible

 

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because they are not a natural product. The effect of the decision on patents for other isolated natural products is uncertain. However, on March 4, 2014, the USPTO issued a memorandum to patent examiners providing guidance for examining claims that recite laws of nature, natural phenomena or natural products under the Myriad and Prometheus decisions. The guidance did not limit the application of Myriad to DNA but, rather, applied the decision broadly to other natural products, which may include our product candidates. The March 4, 2014 memorandum and the USPTO’s interpretation of the cases and announced examination rubric received widespread criticism from stakeholders during a public comment period and was superseded by interim guidance published on December 15, 2014. The USPTO’s interpretation of the case law and new guidelines for examination may influence, possibly adversely, prosecution and defense of certain types of claims in our portfolio.

In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain future patents, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on these and other decisions by Congress, the federal courts and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change or be interpreted in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce any patents that may issue to us in the future. In addition, these events may adversely affect our ability to defend any patents that may issue in procedures in the USPTO or in courts.

Third parties may initiate legal proceedings alleging that we are infringing their intellectual property rights, the outcome of which would be uncertain and could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business.

Our commercial success depends upon our ability, and the ability of our collaborators, to develop, manufacture, market and sell our product candidates and use our proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. There is considerable intellectual property litigation in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. While no such litigation has been brought against us and we have not been held by any court to have infringed a third party’s intellectual property rights, we cannot guarantee that our technology, products or use of our products do not infringe third-party patents.

We are aware of numerous patents and pending applications owned by third parties in the fields in which we are developing product candidates, both in the United States and elsewhere. However, we may have failed to identify relevant third-party patents or applications. For example, applications filed before November 29, 2000 and certain applications filed after that date that will not be filed outside the United States remain confidential until patents issue. Moreover, it is difficult for industry participants, including us, to identify all third-party patent rights that may be relevant to our product candidates and technologies because patent searching is imperfect due to differences in terminology among patents, incomplete databases and the difficulty in assessing the meaning of patent claims. We may fail to identify relevant patents or patent applications or may identify pending patent applications of potential interest but incorrectly predict the likelihood that such patent applications may issue with claims of relevance to our technology. In addition, we may be unaware of one or more issued patents that would be infringed by the manufacture, sale or use of a current or future product candidate, or we may incorrectly conclude that a third-party patent is invalid, unenforceable or not infringed by our activities. Additionally, pending patent applications that have been published can, subject to certain limitations, be later amended in a manner that could cover our technologies, our products or the use of our products. We are aware of several pending patent applications containing one or more claims that could be construed to cover some of our product candidates or technology, should those claims issue in their original form or in the form presently being pursued. In addition, we are aware of a third-party patent family that includes issued and allowed patents, including in the United States, with claims that, if valid and enforceable, could be construed to cover some of our product candidates or their methods of use.

 

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The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are characterized by extensive litigation regarding patents and other intellectual property rights. Other parties may allege that our product candidates or the use of our technologies infringes patent claims or other intellectual property rights held by them or that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization. We may become party to, or threatened with, future adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our products and technology, including interference or derivation proceedings before the USPTO and similar bodies in other countries. Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing intellectual property rights and intellectual property rights that may be granted in the future. If we were to challenge the validity of an issued U.S. patent in court, such as an issued U.S. patent of potential relevance to some of our product candidates or methods of use, we would need to overcome a statutory presumption of validity that attaches to every U.S. patent. This means that in order to prevail, we would have to present clear and convincing evidence as to the invalidity of the patent’s claims. There is no assurance that a court would find in our favor on questions of infringement or validity.

Patent and other types of intellectual property litigation can involve complex factual and legal questions, and their outcome is uncertain. If we are found, or believe there is a risk we may be found, to infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights, we could be required or may choose to obtain a license from such third party to continue developing and marketing our products and technology. However, we may not be able to obtain any such license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. We could be forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing the infringing technology or product. In addition, we could be found liable for monetary damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to have willfully infringed a patent. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercializing our product candidates or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could materially harm our business. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties could have a similar negative impact on our business.

Even if we are successful in these proceedings, we may incur substantial costs and divert management time and attention in pursuing these proceedings, which could have a material adverse effect on us. If we are unable to avoid infringing the patent rights of others, we may be required to seek a license, defend an infringement action or challenge the validity of the patents in court, or redesign our products. Patent litigation is costly and time-consuming. We may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a successful conclusion. In addition, intellectual property litigation or claims could force us to do one or more of the following:

 

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cease developing, selling or otherwise commercializing our product candidates;

 

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pay substantial damages for past use of the asserted intellectual property;

 

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obtain a license from the holder of the asserted intellectual property, which license may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all; and

 

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in the case of trademark claims, redesign, or rename, some or all of our product candidates or other brands to avoid infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may not be possible and, even if possible, could be costly and time-consuming.

Any of these risks coming to fruition could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

 

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Issued patents covering our product candidates could be found invalid or unenforceable or could be interpreted narrowly if challenged in court.

Competitors may infringe our intellectual property, including our patents or the patents of our licensors. As a result, we may be required to file infringement claims to stop third-party infringement or unauthorized use. This can be expensive, particularly for a company of our size, and time-consuming. If we initiated legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent, if and when issued, covering one of our product candidates, the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering our product candidate is invalid and/or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge include alleged failures to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness or non-enablement, or failure to claim patent eligible subject matter. Grounds for unenforceability assertions include allegations that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. Third parties may also raise similar claims before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms include re-examination, post grant review and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions, such as opposition proceedings. Such proceedings could result in revocation or amendment of our patents in such a way that they no longer cover our product candidates or competitive products. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to validity, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, of which we and the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our product candidates. Moreover, even if not found invalid or unenforceable, the claims of our patents could be construed narrowly or in a manner that does not cover the allegedly infringing technology in question. Such a loss of patent protection would have a material adverse impact on our business.

Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for noncompliance with these requirements.

Periodic maintenance fees on any issued patent are due to be paid to the USPTO and foreign patent agencies in several stages over the lifetime of the patent and, in some jurisdictions, during the pendency of a patent application. The USPTO and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. While an inadvertent lapse can in many cases be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Noncompliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application include, but are not limited to, failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. In such an event, our competitors might be able to enter the market, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our patents and other intellectual property.

It is our policy to enter into confidentiality and intellectual property assignment agreements with our employees, consultants, contractors and advisors. These agreements generally provide that inventions conceived by the party in the course of rendering services to us will be our exclusive property. However, these agreements may not be honored and may not effectively assign intellectual

 

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property rights to us. For example, even if we have a consulting agreement in place with an academic advisor pursuant to which such academic advisor is required to assign any inventions developed in connection with providing services to us, such academic advisor may not have the right to assign such inventions to us, as it may conflict with his or her obligations to assign all such intellectual property to his or her employing institution.

Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or ownership. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, valuable intellectual property. Such an outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees.

We may be subject to claims by third parties asserting that our employees or we have misappropriated their intellectual property, or claiming ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.

Many of our employees were previously employed at universities or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. We may also engage advisors and consultants who are concurrently employed at universities or other organizations or who perform services for other entities. Although we try to ensure that our employees, advisors and consultants do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or our employees, advisors or consultants have used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such party’s former or current employer or in violation of an agreement with another party. Although we have no knowledge of any such claims being alleged to date, if such claims were to arise, litigation may be necessary to defend against any such claims.

In addition, while it is our policy to require our employees, consultants, advisors and contractors who may be involved in the development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who in fact develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. Our and their assignment agreements may not be self-executing or may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property. Similarly, we may be subject to claims that an employee, advisor or consultant performed work for us that conflicts with that person’s obligations to a third party, such as an employer, and thus, that the third party has an ownership interest in the intellectual property arising out of work performed for us. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. Although we have no knowledge of any such claims being alleged to date, if such claims were to arise, litigation may be necessary to defend against any such claims.

If we fail in prosecuting or defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in prosecuting or defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.

If our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest and our business may be adversely affected.

Our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names, which we need to build name recognition

 

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among potential collaborators or customers in our markets of interest. At times, competitors may adopt trade names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market confusion. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other registered trademarks or trademarks that incorporate variations of our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names. Over the long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively and our business may be adversely affected. Our efforts to enforce or protect our proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade secrets, domain names, copyrights or other intellectual property may be ineffective and could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.

We will not seek to protect our intellectual property rights in all jurisdictions throughout the world and we may not be able to adequately enforce our intellectual property rights even in the jurisdictions where we seek protection.

Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on product candidates in all countries and jurisdictions throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States could be less extensive than in the United States, assuming that rights are obtained in the United States and assuming that rights are pursued outside the United States. The statutory deadlines for pursuing patent protection in individual foreign jurisdictions are based on the priority date of each of our patent applications. For all of the patent families in our portfolio, including the families that may provide coverage for our lead product candidates, the relevant statutory deadlines have not yet expired. Therefore, for each of the patent families that we believe provide coverage for our lead product candidates, we will need to decide whether and where to pursue protection outside the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. Consequently, even if we do elect to pursue patent rights outside the United States, we may not be able to obtain relevant claims and/or we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions.

Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we do not pursue and obtain patent protection to develop their own products and further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These products may compete with our products and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing. Even if we pursue and obtain issued patents in particular jurisdictions, our patent claims or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent third parties from so competing.

The laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in certain foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of some countries, particularly developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, especially those relating to biotechnology. This could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents, if obtained, or the misappropriation of our other intellectual property rights. For example, many foreign countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner must grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against third parties, including government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, patents may provide limited or no benefit. Patent protection must ultimately be sought on a country-by-country basis, which is an expensive and time-consuming process with uncertain outcomes. Accordingly, we may choose not to seek patent protection in certain countries, and we will not have the benefit of patent protection in such countries.

 

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If our ability to obtain and, if obtained, enforce our patents to stop infringing activities is inadequate, third parties may compete with our products, and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing. Accordingly, our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property we develop or license.

Risks Related to Employee Matters and Managing Growth and Other Risks

Related to Our Business

Our future success depends on our ability to retain key executives and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel.

We are highly dependent on Roger Pomerantz, our President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as the other principal members of our management, scientific and clinical team, including Eric Shaff, our Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, David Cook, our Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research & Development, John Aunins, our Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Bioprocess Development, Michele Trucksis, our Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, and Matthew Henn, our Head of Drug Discovery & Bioinformatics and Vice President. Although we have entered into employment agreements with our executive officers, each of them may terminate their employment with us at any time. We do not maintain “key person” insurance for any of our executives or other employees.

Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, clinical, manufacturing and sales and marketing personnel will also be critical to our success. The loss of the services of our executive officers or other key employees could impede the achievement of our research, development and commercialization objectives and seriously harm our ability to successfully implement our business strategy. Furthermore, replacing executive officers and key employees may be difficult and may take an extended period of time because of the limited number of individuals in our industry with the breadth of skills and experience required to successfully develop, gain regulatory approval of and commercialize products. Competition to hire from this limited pool is intense, and we may be unable to hire, train, retain or motivate these key personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for similar personnel. We also experience competition for the hiring of scientific and clinical personnel from universities and research institutions. In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development and commercialization strategy. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain high quality personnel, our ability to pursue our growth strategy will be limited.

We expect to expand our development and regulatory capabilities and potentially implement sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, and as a result, we may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, which could disrupt our operations.

We expect to experience significant growth in the number of our employees and the scope of our operations, particularly in the areas of lead discovery and product development, regulatory affairs, clinical affairs and manufacturing and, if any of our product candidates receives marketing approval, sales, marketing and distribution. To manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. Due to our limited financial resources and the limited experience of our management team in managing a company with such anticipated growth, we may not be able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train

 

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additional qualified personnel. The expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and business development resources. Any inability to manage growth could delay the execution of our business plans or disrupt our operations.

A variety of risks associated with operating internationally could materially adversely affect our business.

We currently have limited international operations, but our business strategy incorporates potentially expanding internationally if any of our product candidates receive regulatory approval. We currently plan to rely on collaborators to commercialize any approved products outside of the United States. Doing business internationally involves a number of risks, including but not limited to:

 

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multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations, such as privacy regulations, tax laws, export and import restrictions, employment laws, regulatory requirements and other governmental approvals, permits and licenses;

 

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failure by us to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for the use of our products in various countries;

 

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additional potentially relevant third-party patent rights;

 

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complexities and difficulties in obtaining protection and enforcing our intellectual property;

 

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difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations;

 

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complexities associated with managing multiple payor reimbursement regimes, government payors or patient self-pay systems;

 

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limits in our ability to penetrate international markets;

 

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financial risks, such as longer payment cycles, difficulty collecting accounts receivable, the impact of local and regional financial crises on demand and payment for our products and exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations;

 

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natural disasters, political and economic instability, including wars, terrorism and political unrest, outbreak of disease, boycotts, curtailment of trade and other business restrictions;

 

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certain expenses including, among others, expenses for travel, translation and insurance; and

 

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regulatory and compliance risks that relate to maintaining accurate information and control over sales and activities that may fall within the purview of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, its books and records provisions, or its anti-bribery provisions.

Any of these factors could significantly harm our future international expansion and operations and, consequently, our results of operations.

Our business and operations would suffer in the event of system failures.

Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems and those of our current and future contractors and consultants are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures. While we are not aware of any such material system failure, accident or security breach to date, if such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of our development programs and our business operations. For example, the loss of clinical trial data from completed or future clinical trials could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data. Likewise, we rely on third parties to manufacture our product candidates and conduct clinical trials, and similar events relating to their

 

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computer systems could also have a material adverse effect on our business. To the extent that any disruption or security breach were to result in a loss of, or damage to, our data or applications, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur liability and the further development and commercialization of our product candidates could be delayed.

Acquisitions or joint ventures could disrupt our business, cause dilution to our stockholders and otherwise harm our business.

We may acquire other businesses, products or technologies as well as pursue strategic alliances, joint ventures, technology licenses or investments in complementary businesses. We have not made any acquisitions to date, and our ability to do so successfully is unproven. Any of these transactions could be material to our financial condition and operating results and expose us to many risks, including:

 

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disruption in our relationships with future customers or with current or future distributors or suppliers as a result of such a transaction;

 

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unanticipated liabilities related to acquired companies;

 

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difficulties integrating acquired personnel, technologies and operations into our existing business;

 

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diversion of management time and focus from operating our business to acquisition integration challenges;

 

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increases in our expenses and reductions in our cash available for operations and other uses;

 

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possible write-offs or impairment charges relating to acquired businesses; and

 

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inability to develop a sales force for any additional product candidates.

Foreign acquisitions involve unique risks in addition to those mentioned above, including those related to integration of operations across different cultures and languages, currency risks and the particular economic, political and regulatory risks associated with specific countries.

Also, the anticipated benefit of any acquisition may not materialize. Future acquisitions or dispositions could result in potentially dilutive issuances of our equity securities, the incurrence of debt, contingent liabilities or amortization expenses or write-offs of goodwill, any of which could harm our financial condition. We cannot predict the number, timing or size of future joint ventures or acquisitions, or the effect that any such transactions might have on our operating results.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock and this Offering

An active trading market for our common stock may not develop.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. The initial public offering price for our common stock was determined through negotiations with the underwriters. Although we have applied to list our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market, an active trading market for our shares may never develop or be sustained following this offering. If an active market for our common stock does not develop, it may be difficult for you to sell shares you purchase in this offering without depressing the market price for the shares or at all.

 

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The price of our common stock may be volatile and fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for purchasers of our common stock in this offering.

Our stock price is likely to be volatile. The stock market in general and the market for smaller biopharmaceutical companies in particular have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, you may not be able to sell your common stock at or above the initial public offering price. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors, including:

 

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the success of competitive products or technologies;

 

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actual or anticipated changes in our growth rate relative to our competitors;

 

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results of clinical trials of our product candidates or those of our competitors;

 

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developments related to any future collaborations;

 

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regulatory or legal developments in the United States and other countries;

 

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development of new product candidates that may address our markets and may make our product candidates less attractive;

 

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changes in physician, hospital or healthcare provider practices that may make our product candidates less useful;

 

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announcements by us, our partners or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations or capital commitments;

 

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developments or disputes concerning patent applications, issued patents or other proprietary rights;

 

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the recruitment or departure of key personnel;

 

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the level of expenses related to any of our product candidates or clinical development programs;

 

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failure to meet or exceed financial estimates and projections of the investment community or that we provide to the public;

 

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the results of our efforts to discover, develop, acquire or in-license additional product candidates or products;

 

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actual or anticipated changes in estimates as to financial results, development timelines or recommendations by securities analysts;

 

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variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;

 

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changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems;

 

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market conditions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors;

 

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general economic, industry and market conditions; and

 

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the other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section.

After this offering, our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders, if they choose to act together, will continue to have the ability to control or significantly influence all matters submitted to stockholders for approval.

Upon the closing of this offering, based on the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of May 31, 2015, our executive officers, directors and stockholders who owned more than 5% of our outstanding common stock before this offering and their respective affiliates will, in the aggregate, hold shares representing approximately 73.0% of our outstanding voting stock. As a result, if these stockholders were to choose to act together, they would be able to control or significantly influence all

 

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matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, as well as our management and affairs. For example, these persons, if they choose to act together, would control or significantly influence the election of directors and approval of any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. This concentration of ownership control may:

 

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delay, defer or prevent a change in control;

 

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entrench our management and the board of directors; or

 

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impede a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us that other stockholders may desire.

If you purchase shares of common stock in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of your investment.

The initial public offering price of our common stock is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. Therefore, if you purchase shares of our common stock in this offering, you will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds our net tangible book value per share after this offering. To the extent shares subsequently are issued under outstanding options or warrants, you will incur further dilution. Based on an initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, you will experience immediate dilution of $10.71 per share as of March 31, 2015, representing the difference between our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share, which gives effect to this offering, and the initial public offering price. In addition, purchasers of common stock in this offering will have contributed approximately 42.7% of the aggregate price paid by all purchasers of our stock but will own only approximately 17.1% of our common stock outstanding after this offering.

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering, together with our existing cash, cash equivalents and investments, to advance the clinical development of SER-109 for the prevention of further recurrences of CDI in patients suffering from recurrent CDI; to advance the development of our other product candidates, SER-262, SER-287 and SER-155; and the remainder, if any, to fund current and future research and development activities and for working capital and other general corporate purposes. However, our use of these proceeds may differ substantially from our current plans. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material 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, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

A significant portion of our total outstanding shares are eligible to be sold into the market in the near future, which could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our common stock. After this offering, we will have outstanding 36,653,502 shares of common stock based on the number of shares outstanding as of May 31, 2015. This includes the shares that we are selling in this offering, which may be resold in the public market immediately without restriction, unless purchased by our affiliates or existing stockholders. The remaining

 

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30,403,502 shares are currently restricted as a result of securities laws or lock-up agreements but will become eligible to be sold 180 days after the date of this offering, unless held by one of our affiliates, in which case the resale of those securities will be subject to volume limitations under Rule 144 of the Securities Act. Moreover, after this offering, holders of an aggregate of 22,959,114 shares of our common stock, including shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants, will have rights, subject to specified conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other stockholders, until such shares can otherwise be sold without restriction under Rule 144 or until the rights terminate pursuant to the terms of the investors’ rights agreement between us and such holders. We also intend to register all shares of common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. Once we register these shares, they can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates and the lock-up agreements described in the “Underwriting” section of this prospectus.

We are an “emerging growth company,” and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, and may remain an emerging growth company until the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the closing of this offering. However, if certain events occur prior to the end of such five-year period, including if we become a “large accelerated filer,” our annual gross revenues exceed $1.0 billion or we issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we will cease to be an emerging growth company prior to the end of such five-year period. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include:

 

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being permitted to provide only two years of audited financial statements, in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements, with correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure in this prospectus;

 

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not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting;

 

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not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements;

 

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reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation; and

 

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exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

We have taken advantage of reduced reporting burdens in this prospectus. In particular, in this prospectus, we have not included all of the executive compensation related information that would be required if we were not an emerging growth company. We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be reduced or more volatile. In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of these accounting standards until they would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably

 

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elected not to avail ourselves of this exemption and, therefore, we will be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives and corporate governance practices.

As a public company, and particularly after we are no longer an emerging growth company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of The NASDAQ Global Market and other applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, we expect that these rules and regulations may make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, which in turn could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors.

We are evaluating these rules and regulations, and cannot predict or estimate the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. These rules and regulations are often subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices.

Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, we will be required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting. However, while we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. To achieve compliance with Section 404 within the prescribed period, we will be engaged in a process to document and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging. In this regard, we will need to continue to dedicate internal resources, potentially engage outside consultants and adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting. Despite our efforts, there is a risk that we will not be able to conclude, within the prescribed timeframe or at all, that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404. If we identify one or more material weaknesses, it could result in an adverse reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they issue an adverse or misleading opinion regarding our stock, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business. We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by securities and industry analysts. If no or few securities or industry analysts commence coverage of us, the trading price for our stock would be negatively impacted. In the event we obtain securities or industry analyst coverage, if any of the analysts who cover us issue an adverse or misleading opinion regarding us, our business model, our intellectual property or our

 

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stock performance, or if our target animal studies and operating results fail to meet the expectations of analysts, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

Provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of our company, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

Provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws that will become effective upon the closing of this offering may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of our company that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for your shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors. Among other things, these provisions include those establishing:

 

•

a classified board of directors with three-year staggered terms, which may delay the ability of stockholders to change the membership of a majority of our board of directors;

 

•

no cumulative voting in the election of directors, which limits the ability of minority stockholders to elect director candidates;

 

•

the exclusive right of our board of directors to elect a director to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the board of directors or the resignation, death or removal of a director, which prevents stockholders from filling vacancies on our board of directors;

 

•

the ability of our board of directors to authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock and to determine the terms of those shares, including preferences and voting rights, without stockholder approval, which could be used to significantly dilute the ownership of a hostile acquirer;

 

•

the ability of our board of directors to alter our bylaws without obtaining stockholder approval;

 

•

the required approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares entitled to vote at an election of directors to adopt, amend or repeal our bylaws or repeal the provisions of our restated certificate of incorporation regarding the election and removal of directors;

 

•

a prohibition on stockholder action by written consent, which forces stockholder action to be taken at an annual or special meeting of our stockholders;

 

•

the requirement that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by the chairman of the board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president or the board of directors, which may delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or to take action, including the removal of directors; and

 

•

advance notice procedures that stockholders must comply with in order to nominate candidates to our board of directors or to propose matters to be acted upon at a stockholders’ meeting, which may 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 us.

Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period

 

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of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. Furthermore, our restated certificate of incorporation that will become effective upon the closing of this offering specifies that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for most legal actions involving actions brought against us by stockholders. We believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law by chancellors particularly experienced in resolving corporate disputes, efficient administration of cases on a more expedited schedule relative to other forums and protection against the burdens of multi-forum litigation. However, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers. The enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that, in connection with any applicable action brought against us, a court could find the choice of forum provisions contained in our restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in such action.

Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gain.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business. In addition, our loan and security agreement with Comerica Bank currently prohibits us from paying dividends on our equity securities, and any future debt agreements may likewise preclude us from paying dividends. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

We could be subject to securities class action litigation.

In the past, securities class action litigation has often been brought against a company following a decline in the market price of its securities. This risk is especially relevant for us because biopharmaceutical companies have experienced significant stock price volatility in recent years. If we face such litigation, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could harm our business.

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this prospectus, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy, prospective products, product approvals, research and development costs, timing and likelihood of success, plans and objectives of management for future operations and future results of anticipated products, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions described under the sections in this prospectus titled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere in this prospectus. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks, including, without limitation, the following:

 

•

our status as a development-stage company and our expectation to incur losses in the future;

 

•

our future capital needs and our need to raise additional funds;

 

•

our ability to build a pipeline of product candidates and develop and commercialize drugs;

 

•

our unproven approach to therapeutic intervention;

 

•

our ability to enroll patients in clinical trials, timely and successfully complete those trials and receive necessary regulatory approvals;

 

•

our ability to establish our own manufacturing facilities and to receive or manufacture sufficient quantities of our product candidates;

 

•

our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights;

 

•

federal, state, and foreign regulatory requirements, including FDA regulation of our product candidates;

 

•

our ability to obtain and retain key executives and attract and retain qualified personnel; and

 

•

our ability to successfully manage our growth.

Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified and some of which are beyond our control, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Moreover, we operate in an evolving environment. New risk factors and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all risk factors and uncertainties. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement relating to this offering completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

 

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INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA

We obtained the industry, market and competitive position data in this prospectus from our own internal estimates and research as well as from industry and general publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. Industry publications, studies and surveys generally state that they have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the market or industry data presented herein, our estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors,” “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this prospectus.

TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADENAMES

We own or have rights to use a number of registered and common law trademarks, service marks and/or trade names in connection with our business in the United States and/or in certain foreign jurisdictions, including, but not limited to, “Ecobiotic”.

Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks, logos and trade names referred to in this prospectus are without the ^® and ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensors to these trademarks, service marks and trade names. This prospectus contains additional trademarks, service marks and trade names of others, which are the property of their respective owners. All trademarks, service marks and trade names appearing in this prospectus are, to our knowledge, the property of their respective owners. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trademarks, service marks, copyrights or trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $89.8 million, or $103.7 million if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares, assuming an initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

A $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease our net proceeds from this offering by approximately $5.8 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. An increase or decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease our net proceeds from this offering by approximately $14.9 million, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price per share and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

We currently estimate that we will use the net proceeds from this offering as follows:

 

•

approximately $25 million to advance the clinical development of SER-109 for the prevention of further recurrences of CDI in patients suffering from recurrent CDI, which we expect will be sufficient to complete our Phase 2 clinical study that we initiated in May 2015;

 

•

approximately $40 million to advance the development of our other product candidates, SER-262, SER-287 and SER-155, which we expect will be sufficient to complete pre-clinical studies and, if supported, file an investigational new drug application, for one or more of these product candidates; and

 

•

the remainder, if any, to fund current and future research and development activities and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

This expected use of the net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to in-license, acquire, or invest in additional businesses, technologies, products or assets, although currently we have no specific agreements, commitments or understandings in this regard. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot predict with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the closing of this offering or the amounts that we will actually spend on the uses set forth above. Predicting the cost necessary to develop product candidates can be difficult and we anticipate that we will need additional funds to complete the development of SER-262, SER-287, SER-155 and any other product candidates we identify. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures and the extent of clinical development may vary significantly depending on numerous factors, including the progress of our development efforts, the status of and results from pre-clinical studies and any ongoing clinical trials or clinical trials we may commence in the future, as well as any collaborations that we may enter into with third parties for our product candidates and any unforeseen cash needs. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds from this offering.

Pending our use of the net proceeds from this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation investments, including short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments and U.S. government securities.

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. We do not anticipate paying any dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of our existing loan and security agreement with Comerica Bank preclude us from paying cash dividends without Comerica’s consent.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our cash, cash equivalents and investments and our capitalization as of March 31, 2015:

 

•

on an actual basis;

 

•

on a pro forma basis, after giving effect to:

 

•

the automatic conversion of all shares of our preferred stock outstanding at March 31, 2015 into an aggregate of 22,866,987 shares of our common stock in connection with this offering;

 

•

the exercise for cash of a warrant to purchase 454,545 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share, which occurred on April 29, 2015;

 

•

the outstanding warrant to purchase our Series A-2 preferred stock becoming a warrant to purchase our common stock in connection with this offering; and

 

•

the filing and effectiveness of our restated certificate of incorporation; and

 

•

on a pro forma as adjusted basis, after giving effect to the pro forma adjustments listed above as well as the sale by us of 6,250,000 shares of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

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Our capitalization following the closing of this offering will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. You should read this table together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus and the sections of this prospectus titled “Selected Consolidated Financial Data,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Description of Capital Stock.”

 

		As of March 31, 2015
		Actual				Pro Forma				Pro Forma As  Adjusted(1)
		(in thousands, except share data)
Cash, cash equivalents and investments		$	104,316			$	104,321			$	196,028
Preferred stock warrant liability		$	1,369			$	—			$	—
Long-term debt, net of discount, including current portion			2,216				2,216				2,216
Convertible preferred stock (Series A, A-2, B, C, D and D-1), $0.001 par value; 24,348,003 shares authorized, 22,866,987 shares issued and outstanding, actual; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted			136,053				—				—
Stockholders’ equity (deficit):
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; no shares authorized, issued or outstanding, actual; 10,000,000 shares authorized and no shares issued or outstanding, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted			—				—				—
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 38,000,000 shares authorized, 7,081,970 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 200,000,000 shares authorized, 30,403,502 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; 200,000,000 shares authorized, 36,653,502 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma as adjusted			7				30				37
Additional paid-in capital			2,520				139,924				229,707
Accumulated other comprehensive income			31				31				31
Accumulated deficit			(35,803	)			(35,803	)			(35,803	)
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)			(33,245	)			104,182				193,972
Total capitalization		$	106,393			$	106,398			$	196,188

 

(1)

A $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash, cash equivalents and investments, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization by approximately $5.8 million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. An increase or decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash, cash equivalents and investments, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization by approximately $14.9 million, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price per share and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

The number of shares of common stock shown as outstanding in the table above excludes:

 

•

3,989,246 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of March 31, 2015, at a weighted average exercise price of $3.63 per share;

 

•

92,127 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant to purchase Series A-2 preferred stock that will become a warrant to purchase common stock, at an exercise price of $1.78 per share, in connection with this offering;

 

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•

850,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options to be granted in connection with this offering under our 2015 Incentive Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, to some of our directors, executive officers and employees, at an exercise price per share equal to the initial public offering price in this offering;

 

•

1,350,000 shares of our common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2015 Incentive Plan as well as shares of our common stock that become available pursuant to provisions in our 2015 Incentive Plan that automatically increase the share reserve under our 2015 Incentive Plan as described in “Executive and Director Compensation—Incentive Plans—2015 Incentive Award Plan”; and

 

•

365,000 shares of our common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2015 ESPP, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as shares of our common stock that become available pursuant to provisions in our 2015 ESPP that automatically increase the share reserve under our 2015 ESPP as described in “Executive and Director Compensation—Incentive Plans—2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.”

Mayo Warrants

On June 6, 2014, we issued two warrants to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, or the Mayo Foundation, in connection with our research and option agreement with the Mayo Foundation. The first warrant, or the funding warrant, for the purchase of 454,545 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share was exercised in full on April 29, 2015. The second warrant is an incentive warrant tied to certain milestones that, as of the date of this prospectus, had not been accomplished. The incentive warrant will terminate upon the closing of this offering.

 

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DILUTION

If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our common stock and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.

Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) as of March 31, 2015 was $(35.3) million, or $(4.99) per share of common stock. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) is the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities and preferred stock, which is not included within stockholders’ equity (deficit). Historical net tangible book value per share is our historical net tangible book value (deficit) divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2015.

Our pro forma net tangible book value as of March 31, 2015 was $102.1 million, or $3.36 per share of common stock. Pro forma net tangible book value represents the amount of our total tangible assets less total liabilities, after giving effect to (1) the automatic conversion of all shares of our preferred stock outstanding as of March 31, 2015 into an aggregate of 22,866,987 shares of our common stock in connection with this offering, (2) the exercise for cash of a warrant to purchase 454,545 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share, which occurred on April 29, 2015, and (3) the outstanding warrant to purchase our Series A-2 preferred stock becoming a warrant to purchase our common stock in connection with this offering. Pro forma net tangible book value per share represents our pro forma net tangible book value divided by the total number of shares outstanding as of March 31, 2015, after giving effect to the pro forma adjustments described in (1) and (2) above.

After giving effect to our sale of 6,250,000 shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2015 would have been approximately $194.0 million, or $5.29 per share. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of $1.93 per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of $10.71 per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. Dilution per share to new investors is determined by subtracting pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the assumed initial public offering price per share paid by new investors. The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:

 

Assumed initial public offering price per share						$	16.00
Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of March 31, 2015		$	(4.99	)
Increase per share attributable to the conversion of all shares of preferred stock outstanding, the exercise of a warrant to purchase common stock and a warrant to purchase preferred stock becoming a warrant to purchase common stock in connection with this offering			8.35
Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2015			3.36
Increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors purchasing shares in this offering			1.93
Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering							5.29
Dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering						$	10.71

A $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value by $5.8 million, our pro forma as adjusted net

 

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tangible book value per share after this offering by approximately $0.16 and dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering by approximately $0.84, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. An increase of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by approximately $0.25 and decrease the dilution per share to new investors participating in this offering by approximately $0.25, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions. A decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would decrease the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by approximately $0.27 and increase the dilution per share to new investors participating in this offering by approximately $0.27, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions.

If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering would be $5.53 per share, representing an immediate increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of $2.17 to existing stockholders and immediate dilution of $10.47 in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering, assuming an initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

The following table summarizes, on a pro forma as adjusted basis described above, the number of shares of our common stock, the total consideration and the average price per share (i) paid to us by existing stockholders and (ii) to be paid by new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

		Shares Purchased								Total Consideration								Average Price Per Share
		Number				Percent				Amount				Percent
Existing stockholders			30,403,502				82.9	%		$	134,241,021				57.3	%		$	4.42
New investors			6,250,000				17.1				100,000,000				42.7			$	16.00
Total			36,653,502				100.0	%		$	234,241,021				100.0	%

A $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease the total consideration paid by new investors by approximately $6.3 million and, in the case of an increase, would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by 1.5 percentage points and, in the case of a decrease, would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by 1.6 percentage points, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. An increase or decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease the total consideration paid by new investors by approximately $16.0 million and, in the case of an increase, would increase the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by 3.7 percentage points and, in the case of a decrease, would decrease the percentage of total consideration paid by new investors by 4.2 percentage points, assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price.

 

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The table above assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares in this offering. If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full, the number of shares of our common stock held by existing stockholders would be reduced to 80.9% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares of common stock held by new investors participating in the offering would be increased to 19.1% of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering.

The above discussion and tables exclude:

 

•

3,989,246 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of March 31, 2015, at a weighted average exercise price of $3.63 per share;

 

•

92,127 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of a warrant to purchase Series A-2 preferred stock that will become a warrant to purchase common stock, at an exercise price of $1.78 per share, in connection with this offering;

 

•

850,000 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options to be granted in connection with this offering under our 2015 Incentive Plan, which will become effective in connection with this offering, to some of our directors, executive officers and employees, at an exercise price per share equal to the initial public offering price in this offering;

 

•

1,350,000 shares of our common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2015 Incentive Plan as well as shares of our common stock that become available pursuant to provisions in our 2015 Incentive Plan that automatically increase the share reserve under our 2015 Incentive Plan as described in “Executive and Director Compensation—Incentive Plans—2015 Incentive Award Plan”; and

 

•

365,000 shares of our common stock that will become available for future issuance under our 2015 ESPP, which will become effective in connection with this offering, as well as shares of our common stock that become available pursuant to provisions in our 2015 ESPP that automatically increase the share reserve under our 2015 ESPP as described in “Executive and Director Compensation—Incentive Plans—2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.”

To the extent that outstanding options are exercised, 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 may result in further dilution to our stockholders.

Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc., or Nestlé, an existing stockholder affiliated with one of our directors, has indicated an interest to purchase $19.0 million in shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, Nestlé may determine to increase or reduce the amount of its indication of interest, or otherwise elect not to purchase any shares. It is also possible that the number of shares allocated in this offering to Nestlé may be greater or smaller than the amount of its indication of interest, or no shares may be allocated to Nestlé.

 

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SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

You should read the following selected consolidated financial data together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus and the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section of this prospectus. We have derived the consolidated statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2013 and 2014 from our audited consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus. We have derived the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2012 from our audited consolidated financial statements not included in this prospectus. The consolidated statement of operations data for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of March 31, 2015 have been derived from our unaudited consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus and have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited data reflects all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial information in those statements. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results that should be expected in the future, and results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2015.

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31,
		2012				2013				2014				2014				2015
		(in thousands, except per share data)
Consolidated Statement of Operations Data:
Revenue		$	—			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	—
Operating expenses:
Research and development			2,077				4,805				10,718				1,032				5,561
General and administrative			956				1,247				4,364				640				2,606
Total operating expenses			3,033				6,052				15,082				1,672				8,167
Loss from operations			(3,033	)			(6,052	)			(15,082	)			(1,672	)			(8,167	)
Other income (expense):
Interest income (expense), net			(93	)			(42	)			(209	)			(37	)			(17	)
Revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability			—				(8	)			(1,418	)			20				213
Total other income (expense), net			(93	)			(50	)			(1,627	)			(17	)			196
Net loss			(3,126	)			(6,102	)			(16,709	)			(1,689	)			(7,971	)
Accretion of convertible preferred stock to redemption value			(276	)			(875	)			(1,291	)			(233	)			—
Net loss attributable to common stockholders		$	(3,402	)		$	(6,977	)		$	(18,000	)		$	(1,922	)		$	(7,971	)
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted(1)		$	(0.59	)		$	(1.09	)		$	(2.67	)		$	(0.29	)		$	(1.15	)
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted(1)			5,725				6,395				6,748				6,686				6,913
Pro forma net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted (unaudited)(2)										$	(0.74	)						$	(0.27	)
Pro forma weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted (unaudited)(2)											20,684								29,780

 

(1)	See Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus for further details on the calculation of basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders.

(2)	See Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus for further details on the calculation of basic and diluted pro forma net loss per share attributable to common stockholders.

 

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		As of December 31,												As of March  31, 2015
		2012				2013				2014
		(in thousands)
Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:
Cash, cash equivalents and investments		$	6,215			$	1,654			$	114,185			$	104,316
Working capital(1)			6,067				649				109,140				101,649
Total assets			6,538				2,125				117,345				108,628
Preferred stock warrant liability			—				164				1,582				1,369
Long-term debt, net of discount, including current portion			—				838				2,504				2,216
Convertible preferred stock			10,708				11,583				136,077				136,053
Total stockholders’ deficit			(4,348	)			(11,116	)			(26,721	)			(33,245	)

 

(1)	We define working capital as current assets less current liabilities.

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations together with the section titled “Selected Consolidated Financial Data” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion and other parts of this prospectus contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements regarding our plans, objectives, expectations, intentions and projections. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus.

Overview

We are a microbiome therapeutics platform company developing a novel class of biological drugs, which are designed to treat disease by restoring the function of a dysbiotic microbiome. Our lead product candidate, SER-109, is designed to prevent further recurrences of Clostridium difficile infection, or CDI, a debilitating infection of the colon, by treating the dysbiosis of the colonic microbiome and, if approved by the FDA, could be a first-in-field drug. Using our microbiome therapeutics platform, we are developing additional product candidates, including SER-262 to prevent an initial recurrence of primary CDI, SER-287 to treat inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, including ulcerative colitis and SER-155 to treat enteric pathogens, such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We are also conducting research on metabolic diseases, such as early-stage, non-insulin dependent diabetes; other inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s disease; and infections related to antibiotic use, cancer chemotherapy and immune suppression.

Since our inception in October 2010, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to developing SER-109, researching SER-262 and SER-287, building our intellectual property portfolio, developing our supply chain, business planning, raising capital and providing general and administrative support for these operations. From our inception through March 31, 2015, we have financed our operations through private placements of our convertible preferred stock, the issuance of convertible promissory notes and borrowings under a loan and security agreement, as amended, with Comerica Bank, or the loan and security agreement. Through March 31, 2015, we had received gross proceeds of $137.0 million from such transactions and we had repaid $0.7 million of the total $3.0 million borrowed under the loan and security agreement.

We are a development stage company and have not generated any revenue. All of our product candidates other than SER-109 are still in pre-clinical development. Our ability to generate product revenue sufficient to achieve profitability will depend heavily on the successful development and eventual commercialization of one or more of our product candidates. Since our inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net loss was $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, $6.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, $16.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 and $1.7 million and $8.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, respectively. As of March 31, 2015, we had an accumulated deficit of $35.8 million.

We expect that our expenses will increase substantially in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we:

 

•

advance the clinical development of SER-109 for the prevention of further recurrences of CDI in patients suffering from recurrent CDI, through a Phase 2 clinical study;

 

 

•

initiate clinical development of SER-262 to be used following antibiotic treatment of primary CDI to prevent an initial recurrence of CDI;

 

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•

initiate Phase 1 clinical development of SER-287 for the treatment of IBD, including ulcerative colitis;

 

•

conduct research and continue pre-clinical development of additional Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics, including SER-155 for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria;

 

•

make strategic investments in manufacturing capabilities, including potentially planning and building a small-scale commercial manufacturing facility;

 

•

maintain our current intellectual property portfolio and opportunistically acquire complementary intellectual property; and

 

•

seek to obtain regulatory approvals for our product candidates.

In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for any of our product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to product manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution. Furthermore, upon the closing of this offering, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company.

As a result, we will need additional financing to support our continuing operations. Until such time as we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through a combination of public or private equity or debt financings or other sources, which may include collaborations with third parties. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Our inability to raise capital as and when needed would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy. We will need to generate significant revenue to achieve profitability, and we may never do so.

We expect that our existing cash, cash equivalents and investments, together with anticipated net proceeds from this offering, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through at least the first quarter of 2017. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

Financial Operations Overview

Revenue

We have not generated any revenue since our inception and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the near future.

Operating Expenses

Our operating expenses since inception have consisted primarily of research and development activities and general and administrative costs.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for our research activities, including our discovery efforts, and the development of our product candidates, which include:

 

•

expenses incurred under agreements with third parties, including contract research organizations, or CROs, that conduct research, pre-clinical activities and clinical trials on our behalf as well as contract manufacturing organizations, or CMOs, that manufacture drug products for use in our pre-clinical and clinical trials;

 

•

salaries, benefits and other related costs, including stock-based compensation expense, for personnel in our research and development functions;

 

•

costs of outside consultants, including their fees, stock-based compensation and related travel expenses;

 

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•

the cost of laboratory supplies and acquiring, developing and manufacturing pre-clinical study and clinical trial materials;

 

•

costs related to compliance with regulatory requirements; and

 

•

facility-related expenses, which include direct depreciation costs and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and other operating costs.

We expense research and development costs as incurred. We recognize external development costs based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using information provided to us by our vendors and our clinical investigative sites. Payments for these activities are based on the terms of the individual agreements, which may differ from the pattern of costs incurred, and are reflected in our financial statements as prepaid or accrued research and development expenses.

Our primary focus of research and development since inception has been on our microbiome therapeutics platform and the subsequent development of SER-109 and SER-262. Our direct research and development expenses are tracked on a program-by-program basis and consist primarily of external costs, such as fees paid to investigators, consultants and CROs in connection with our pre-clinical studies and clinical trials and regulatory fees. We do not allocate employee-related costs and other indirect costs to specific research and development programs because these costs are deployed across multiple product programs under development and, as such, are classified as costs of our microbiome therapeutics platform research, along with external costs directly related to our microbiome therapeutics platform.

The table below summarizes our research and development expenses incurred on our platform and by product development program.

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31,
		2012				2013				2014				2014				2015
		(in thousands)
Microbiome therapeutics platform		$	2,077			$	3,424			$	7,584			$	877			$	2,314
SER-109			—				729				3,122				143				3,185
SER-262			—				652				12				12				62
Total research and development expenses		$	2,077			$	4,805			$	10,718			$	1,032			$	5,561

Research and development activities are central to our business model. Product candidates in later stages of clinical development generally have higher development costs than those in earlier stages of clinical development, primarily due to the increased size and duration of later-stage clinical trials. We expect that our research and development expenses will continue to increase in the foreseeable future as we initiate clinical trials for certain product candidates, including SER-262 and SER-287, continue to discover and develop additional product candidates, including SER-155, and pursue later stages of clinical development of our product candidates.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and other related costs, including stock-based compensation, for personnel in our executive, finance, corporate and business development and administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include legal fees relating to patent and corporate matters; professional fees for accounting, auditing, tax and consulting services; insurance costs; travel expenses; and facility-related expenses, which include direct depreciation costs and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and other operating costs.

 

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We anticipate that our general and administrative expenses will increase in the future as we increase our headcount to support the expected growth in our research and development activities and the potential commercialization of our product candidates. We also expect to incur increased expenses associated with being a public company, including increased costs of accounting, audit, legal, regulatory and tax-related services associated with maintaining compliance with exchange listing and SEC requirements, director and officer insurance costs and investor and public relations costs.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Interest Income (Expense), Net.    Interest income (expense), net consists of interest earned on our cash, cash equivalents and investments as well as interest expense incurred on our debt. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, interest expense consisted of interest at the stated rate on borrowings under our loan and security agreement, amortization of deferred financing costs and interest expense related to the accretion of debt discount associated with (1) the fair value of preferred stock warrant we issued in connection with the loan and security agreement and (2) a final payment due at maturity. In 2012, interest expense consisted of interest on our outstanding convertible promissory notes at the stated interest rate and interest expense related to the amortization of deferred financing costs. In June 2012, all of our outstanding convertible promissory notes and accrued interest were converted into shares of our Series A convertible preferred stock.

Revaluation of Preferred Stock Warrant Liability.    Revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability consists of the net gain or loss associated with the change in the fair value of our preferred stock warrant liability. We have issued a warrant for the purchase of our Series A-2 convertible preferred stock that we believe is a financial instrument that may require a transfer of assets because of the redemption feature of the underlying stock. Therefore, we have classified this warrant as a liability that we remeasure to fair value at each reporting period, and we record the changes in the fair value as a component of other income (expense), net. In connection with this offering, the underlying convertible preferred stock will be converted into common stock, the preferred stock warrant will become exercisable for common stock instead of preferred stock and the fair value of the warrant liability at that time will be reclassified to additional paid-in capital.

Income Taxes

Since our inception in 2010, we have not recorded any U.S. federal or state income tax benefits for the net losses we have incurred in each year or our earned research and development tax credits, due to our uncertainty of realizing a benefit from those items. As of December 31, 2014, we had federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of $20.3 million and $19.9 million, respectively, both of which begin to expire in 2031. As of December 31, 2014, we also had federal and state research and development tax credit carryforwards of $0.8 million and $0.4 million, respectively, which begin to expire in 2031 and 2026, respectively.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, in the United States of America. The preparation of our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs and expenses and related disclosures. We believe that the estimates and assumptions involved in the accounting policies described below may have the greatest potential impact on our consolidated financial statements and, therefore, consider these to be our critical accounting policies. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions.

 

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Accrued Research and Development Expenses

As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our accrued research and development expenses. This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with our personnel to identify services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated costs incurred for the services when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of the actual costs. The majority of our service providers invoice us in arrears for services performed, on a pre-determined schedule or when contractual milestones are met; however, some require advanced payments. We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in our financial statements based on facts and circumstances known to us at that time. Examples of estimated accrued research and development expenses include fees paid to:

 

•

CROs in connection with performing research services on our behalf and clinical trials;

 

•

investigative sites or other providers in connection with clinical trials;

 

•

vendors in connection with pre-clinical and clinical development activities; and

 

•

vendors related to product manufacturing, development and distribution of pre-clinical and clinical supplies.

We base our expenses related to pre-clinical studies and clinical trials on our estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to quotes and contracts with multiple CROs that conduct and manage clinical trials on our behalf. The financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation, vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. There may be instances in which payments made to our vendors will exceed the level of services provided and result in a prepayment of the clinical expense. Payments under some of these contracts depend on factors such as the successful enrollment of patients and the completion of clinical trial milestones. In accruing service fees, we estimate the time period over which services will be performed, enrollment of patients, number of sites activated and the level of effort to be expended in each period. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from our estimate, we adjust the accrual or amount of prepaid expense accordingly. Although we do not expect our estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, our understanding of the status and timing of services performed relative to the actual status and timing of services performed may vary and may result in us reporting amounts that are too high or too low in any particular period. To date, we have not made any material adjustments to our prior estimates of accrued research and development expenses.

Stock-Based Compensation

We measure stock options and other stock-based awards granted to employees and directors based on the fair value on the date of grant and recognize the corresponding compensation expense of those awards, net of estimated forfeitures, over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award. Generally, we issue stock options and restricted stock awards with only service-based vesting conditions and record the expense for these awards using the straight-line method.

We measure stock-based awards granted to consultants and non-employees based on the fair value of the award on the date at which the related service is complete. Compensation expense is recognized over the period during which services are rendered by such consultants and non-employees until completed. At the end of each financial reporting period prior to completion of the service, the fair value of these awards is remeasured using the then-current fair value of our common stock and updated assumption inputs in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model.

We estimate the fair value of each stock option grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Use of this model requires that we make assumptions as to the volatility of our common stock,

 

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the expected term of our stock options, the risk-free interest rate for a period that approximates the expected term of our stock options and our expected dividend yield. Because we are currently a private company and lack company-specific historical and implied volatility information, we estimate our expected volatility based on the historical volatility of a group of publicly traded peer companies. We expect to continue to do so until such time as we have adequate historical data regarding the volatility of our traded stock price. We use the simplified method prescribed by Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107, Share-Based Payment, to calculate the expected term of options granted to employees and directors. We base the expected term of options granted to consultants and non-employees on the contractual term of the options. We determine the risk-free interest rate by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. Expected dividend yield is based on the fact that we have never paid cash dividends and do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

The assumptions we used to determine the fair value of stock options granted to employees and directors are as follows, presented on a weighted average basis:

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31, 2015
		2012				2013				2014
Risk-free interest rate			0.92	%			1.27	%			1.83	%			1.57	%
Expected term (in years)			6.0				6.0				6.0				6.0
Expected volatility			109.4	%			85.9	%			83.5	%			76.0	%
Expected dividend yield			0	%			0	%			0	%			0	%

These assumptions represented our best estimates, but the estimates involve inherent uncertainties and the application of our judgment.

We did not grant any stock options to employees or directors during the three months ended March 31, 2014.

We recognize compensation expense for only the portion of awards that are expected to vest. In developing a forfeiture rate estimate for pre-vesting forfeitures, we have considered our historical experience of actual forfeitures.

The following table summarizes the classification of our stock-based compensation expenses recognized in our consolidated statements of operations:

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31,
		2012				2013				2014				2014				2015
		(in thousands)
Research and development		$	26			$	177			$	1,068			$	32			$	623
General and administrative			2				32				1,000				13				704
		$	28			$	209			$	2,068			$	45			$	1,327

Determination of the Fair Value of Common Stock

We are a privately held company with no active public market of our common stock. Therefore, our board of directors has estimated the fair value of our common stock at various dates, with input from management, considering our most recently available third-party valuations of common stock and our board of directors’ assessment of additional objective and subjective factors that it believed were relevant and which may have changed from the date of the most recent valuation through the date of the grant.

In the absence of a public trading market for our common stock, our determination of the fair value of our common stock was performed using methodologies, approaches and assumptions

 

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consistent with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Accounting and Valuation Guide, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation. We performed these contemporaneous valuations, with the assistance of a third-party specialist, at various dates, which resulted in valuations of our common stock of $0.48 per share as of April 1, 2013, $0.71 per share as of May 23, 2014, $3.14 per share as of October 1, 2014, $7.79 per share as of November 17, 2014 and $15.77 per share as of February 18, 2015. In addition to these valuations, our board of directors considered various objective and subjective factors to determine the fair value of our common stock as of each grant date, including:

 

•

the prices at which we sold shares of preferred stock and the superior rights and preferences of the preferred stock relative to our common stock at the time of each grant;

 

•

the progress of our research and development programs, including the status of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates;

 

•

our stage of development and commercialization and our business strategy;

 

•

external market conditions affecting the biotechnology industry;

 

•

trends within the biotechnology industry;

 

•

our financial position, including cash on hand, and our historical and forecasted performance and operating results;

 

•

the lack of an active public market for our common stock and our preferred stock;

 

•

the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event, such as an initial public offering, or IPO, or sale of our company in light of prevailing market conditions; and

 

•

the analysis of IPOs and the market performance of similar companies in the biopharmaceutical industry.

There are significant judgments and estimates inherent in these valuations. These judgments and estimates include assumptions regarding our future operating performance, the stage of development of our product candidates, the timing of a potential IPO or other liquidity event and the determination of the appropriate valuation methodology at each valuation date. If we had made different assumptions, our stock-based compensation expense, net loss attributable to common stockholders and net loss per share attributable to common stockholders could have been significantly different.

Once a public trading market for our common stock has been established in connection with the closing of this offering, it will no longer be necessary for our board of directors to estimate the fair value of our common stock in connection with our accounting for granted stock options and restricted stock, as the fair value of our common stock will be its trading price on The NASDAQ Global Market.

Valuation Methodologies

Our common stock valuations were performed using the option-pricing method, or OPM, or a hybrid of the probability-weighted expected return method, or PWERM, and the OPM, which we refer to as the hybrid method. The method selected was based on availability and the quality of information to develop the assumptions for the methodology.

OPM.    The OPM treats common stock and preferred stock as call options on the total equity value of a company, with exercise prices based on the value thresholds at which the allocation among the various holders of a company’s securities changes. Under this method, the common stock has value only if the funds available for distribution to stockholders exceed the value of the liquidation preferences at the time of a liquidity event, such as a strategic sale or merger. The common stock is modeled as a call option on the underlying equity value at a predetermined exercise price. In the model, the exercise price is based on a comparison with the total equity value rather than, as in the

 

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case of a regular call option, a comparison with a per share stock price. Thus, common stock is considered to be a call option with a claim on the enterprise at an exercise price equal to the remaining value immediately after the preferred stock liquidation preference is paid.

The OPM uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to price the call options. This model defines the fair values of securities as functions of the current fair value of a company and uses assumptions such as the anticipated timing of a potential liquidity event and the estimated volatility of the equity securities.

PWERM.    Under the PWERM methodology, the fair value of common stock is estimated based upon an analysis of future values for the company, assuming various outcomes. The common stock value is based on the probability-weighted present value of expected future investment returns considering each of the possible outcomes available as well as the rights of each class of stock. The future value of the common stock under each outcome is discounted back to the valuation date at an appropriate risk-adjusted discount rate and probability weighted to arrive at an indication of value for the common stock.

Hybrid Method.    The hybrid method is a PWERM where the equity value in one of the scenarios is calculated using an OPM. In the hybrid method used by us, two types of future-event scenarios were considered: an IPO and a remaining private scenario. The enterprise value for the IPO scenario was determined using a market approach. The enterprise value for the remaining private scenario was determined using the OPM backsolve approach. The relative probability of each type of future-event scenario was determined by our board of directors based on an analysis of market conditions at the time, including then-current IPO valuations of similarly situated companies, and expectations as to the timing and likely prospects of the future-event scenarios.

Option Grants

The following table summarizes by grant date the number of shares subject to options granted since January 1, 2013, the per share exercise price of the options, the fair value of common stock underlying the options on date of grant and the per share estimated fair value of the options:

 

Grant Date		Number of Shares Subject to Options Granted				Per Share Exercise Price of Options(1)				Fair Value of Common Stock per Share on Date of Option Grant				Per Share Estimated Fair Value of Options(2)(3)
May 17, 2013			700,000			$	0.48			$	0.48			$	0.35
November 6, 2013			299,000			$	0.48			$	0.48			$	0.34
August 7, 2014			1,775,751			$	0.71			$	4.32	(4)		$	3.92
August 21, 2014			59,500			$	0.71			$	4.32	(4)		$	3.92
October 7, 2014			206,500			$	3.14			$	6.70	(5)		$	5.42
December 9, 2014			320,192			$	7.79			$	7.79			$	5.38
March 25, 2015			606,624			$	15.77			$	15.77			$	10.50
March 30, 2015			5,000			$	15.77			$	15.77			$	10.50
April 2, 2015			25,000			$	15.77			$	15.77			$	10.50

 

(1)

The Per Share Exercise Price of Options represents the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant, as determined by our board of directors, after taking into account our most recently available contemporaneous valuation of our common stock as well as additional factors that may have changed since the date of such contemporaneous valuation through the date of grant.

(2)	The Per Share Estimated Fair Value of Options reflects the weighted average fair value of options granted on each grant date, determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model.

(3)

For purposes of recording stock-based compensation for grants of options to non-employees, we measure the fair value of the award on the service completion date (vesting date). At the end of each reporting period prior to completion of the services, we remeasure the value of any unvested portion of the option based on the then-current fair value of the option

 

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and adjust the expense accordingly. The weighted average fair value amounts presented in this column for grants to employees, directors and non-employees reflect only the grant-date fair value of options granted to non-employees and not any subsequently remeasured fair value of those options.

(4)

At the time of the option grants on August 7, 2014 and August 21, 2014, our board of directors determined that the fair value of our common stock of $0.71 per share calculated in the contemporaneous valuation as of May 23, 2014 reasonably reflected the per share fair value of common stock as of the grant date. However, as described below, the fair value of common stock at the date of these grants was subsequently adjusted to $4.32 per share in connection with a retrospective fair value assessment for accounting purposes.

(5)

At the time of the option grants on October 7, 2014, our board of directors determined that the fair value of our common stock of $3.14 per share calculated in the contemporaneous valuation as of October 1, 2014 reasonably reflected the per share fair value of common stock as of the grant date. However, as described below, the fair value of common stock at the date of these grants was subsequently adjusted to $6.70 per share in connection with a retrospective fair value assessment for accounting purposes.

In the course of preparing for this offering, in November 2014, we performed a retrospective fair value assessment and concluded that the fair value of our common stock underlying stock options we granted during August 2014, with an exercise price of $0.71 per share, was $4.32 per share for accounting purposes and that the fair value of our common stock underlying stock options we granted on October 7, 2014, with an exercise price of $3.14 per share, was $6.70 per share for accounting purposes. The values of $4.32 per share and $6.70 per share, which we applied to determine the fair values of the August 2014 and October 2014 options for accounting purposes and to determine related stock-based compensation expense, were based in part upon a valuation of our common stock as of August 7, 2014, performed on a retrospective basis with the assistance of a third-party specialist, and upon a revised valuation of our common stock as of October 1, 2014, performed on a retrospective basis with the assistance of a third-party specialist, taking into account an increased probability of executing a successful IPO in 2015 and initial feedback from potential investors in our Series C convertible preferred stock offering. These common stock valuations as of August 7, 2014 and October 1, 2014 were performed using the hybrid method.

Valuation of Warrant to Purchase Convertible Preferred Stock

We classify a warrant to purchase shares of our Series A-2 convertible preferred stock as a liability on our balance sheets as this warrant is a free-standing financial instrument that may require us to transfer assets upon exercise. The warrant was initially recorded at fair value on date of grant, and it is subsequently remeasured to fair value at each balance sheet date. Changes in fair value of this warrant are recognized as a component of other income (expense), net in our consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. We will continue to adjust the liability for changes in fair value until the earlier of the exercise or expiration of the warrant.

We use the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which incorporates assumptions and estimates, to value the preferred stock warrant. We assess these assumptions and estimates on a quarterly basis as additional information impacting the assumptions is obtained. Estimates and assumptions impacting the fair value measurement include the fair value per share of the underlying Series A-2 convertible preferred stock, the remaining contractual term of the warrant, risk-free interest rate, expected dividend yield and expected volatility of the price of the underlying preferred stock. We determine the fair value per share of the underlying preferred stock by taking into consideration our most recent sales of our convertible preferred stock, results obtained from third-party valuations and additional factors that we deem relevant. We have historically been a private company and lack company-specific historical and implied volatility information of our stock. Therefore, we estimate expected stock volatility based on the historical volatility of publicly traded peer companies for a term equal to the remaining contractual term of the warrant. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve for time periods approximately equal to the remaining contractual term of the warrant. We have estimated a 0% dividend yield based on the expected dividend yield and the fact that we have never paid or declared dividends.

 

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In connection with this offering, the underlying convertible preferred stock will be converted to common stock, the preferred stock warrant will become exercisable for common stock instead of preferred stock and the fair value of the warrant liability at that time will be reclassified to additional paid-in capital.

Emerging Growth Company Status

The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, permits an ‘‘emerging growth company’’ such as us to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected to ‘‘opt out’’ of this provision and, as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards when they are required to be adopted by public companies that are not emerging growth companies.

Results of Operations

Comparison of Three Months Ended March 31, 2014 and 2015

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015:

 

		Three Months Ended March 31,								Increase (Decrease)
		2014				2015
		(in thousands)
Revenue		$	—			$	—			$	—
Operating expenses:
Research and development			1,032				5,561				4,529
General and administrative			640				2,606				1,966
Total operating expenses			1,672				8,167				6,495
Loss from operations			(1,672	)			(8,167	)			(6,495	)
Other income (expense):
Interest income (expense), net			(37	)			(17	)			20
Revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability			20				213				193
Total other income (expense), net			(17	)			196				213
Net loss		$	(1,689	)		$	(7,971	)		$	(6,282	)

Research and Development Expenses

 

		Three Months Ended March 31,								Increase (Decrease)
		2014				2015
		(in thousands)
Microbiome therapeutics platform		$	877			$	2,314			$	1,437
SER-109			143				3,185				3,042
SER-262			12				62				50
Total research and development expenses		$	1,032			$	5,561			$	4,529

 

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Research and development expenses were $1.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared to $5.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The increase of $4.5 million was due primarily to the following:

 

•

an increase of $1.4 million in research expenses related to our microbiome therapeutics platform, due primarily to higher payroll and consultant costs of $1.3 million, which included an increase in stock-based compensation expense of $0.6 million, due primarily to an increase in employee headcount and, to a lesser extent, an increase in laboratory supply costs and facility-related costs;

 

•

an increase of $3.0 million in expenses related to our SER-109 program, due primarily to higher clinical trial costs of $1.7 million, higher bioprocess development costs of $1.1 million and higher sequencing costs of $0.2 million; and

 

•

an increase of $0.1 million in expenses of our SER-262 program in connection with various pre-clinical and development activities related to the program.

We expect that our research and development expenses will continue to increase in the foreseeable future as we initiate clinical trials for certain product candidates, including SER-262 and SER-287, continue to discover and develop additional product candidates, including SER-155, and pursue later stages of clinical development of our product candidates.

General and Administrative Expenses

 

		Three Months Ended March 31,								Increase (Decrease)
		2014				2015
		(in thousands)
Personnel related (including stock-based compensation)		$	149			$	1,400			$	1,251
Professional fees			438				827				389
Facility-related and other			53				379				326
Total general and administrative expenses		$	640			$	2,606			$	1,966

General and administrative expenses were $0.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014, compared to $2.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The increase of $2.0 million was primarily due to an increase in personnel related costs of $1.3 million, which included an increase of $0.7 million in stock-based compensation, an increase in professional fees of $0.4 million and an increase in facility-related and other costs of $0.3 million. Personnel related costs increased primarily due to the hiring of eight additional employees from March 31, 2014 to March 31, 2015 to support corporate operations and business development activities, including the hiring of our Chief Executive Officer in June 2014 and our Chief Financial Officer in November 2014. The increase in professional fees was due to an increase in accounting, audit and legal fees as a result of ongoing business activities. The increase in facility-related and other costs was primarily due to an increase in office-related expenses and rent expense resulting from our new facility for research and development that commenced in February 2015.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income (expense), net for the three months ended March 31, 2014 was an expense of less than $0.1 million, compared to income of $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The $0.2 million increase in other income, net was primarily due to gains recorded to adjust the fair value of our preferred stock warrant liability due to a decrease in the fair value of the underlying Series A-2 convertible preferred stock over that period.

 

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Comparison of Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2014

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014:

 

		Year Ended December 31,								Increase (Decrease)
		2013				2014
		(in thousands)
Revenue		$	—			$	—			$	—
Operating expenses:
Research and development			4,805				10,718				5,913
General and administrative			1,247				4,364				3,117
Total operating expenses			6,052				15,082				9,030
Loss from operations			(6,052	)			(15,082	)			(9,030	)
Other income (expense):
Interest income (expense), net			(42	)			(209	)			(167	)
Revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability			(8	)			(1,418	)			(1,410	)
Total other income (expense), net			(50	)			(1,627	)			(1,577	)
Net loss		$	(6,102)			$	(16,709)			$	(10,607)

Research and Development Expenses

 

		Year Ended December 31,								Increase (Decrease)
		2013				2014
		(in thousands)
Microbiome therapeutics platform		$	3,424			$	7,584			$	4,160
SER-109			729				3,122				2,393
SER-262			652				12				(640	)
Total research and development expenses		$	4,805			$	10,718			$	5,913

Research and development expenses were $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, compared to $10.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase of $5.9 million was due primarily to the following:

 

•

an increase of $4.2 million in research expenses related to our microbiome therapeutics platform, due primarily to higher payroll and consultant costs of $2.1 million, which included an increase in stock-based compensation expense of $0.9 million; an increase in laboratory supply costs of $0.7 million; an increase in facility-related costs of $0.5 million; and an increase in licensing costs of $0.3 million;

 

•

an increase of $2.4 million in expenses related to our SER-109 program, due primarily to higher clinical trial costs of $2.1 million and higher contract manufacturing costs of $0.4 million, partially offset by lower animal studies costs; and

 

•

a decrease of $0.6 million in expenses of our SER-262 program due to our shifted focus to SER-109 and our microbiome therapeutics platform research. Beginning in 2015, we expect to increase our expenses in connection with our current pre-clinical and planned clinical development activities related to SER-262.

 

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We expect that our research and development expenses will continue to increase in the foreseeable future as we initiate clinical trials for certain product candidates, including SER-262 and SER-287, continue to discover and develop additional product candidates, including SER-155, and pursue later stages of clinical development of our product candidates.

General and Administrative Expenses

 

		Year Ended December 31,								Increase (Decrease)
		2013				2014
		(in thousands)
Personnel related (including stock-based compensation)		$	419			$	2,047			$	1,628
Professional fees			691				1,785				1,094
Facility-related and other			137				532				395
Total general and administrative expenses		$	1,247			$	4,364			$	3,117

General and administrative expenses were $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, compared to $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase of $3.2 million was primarily due to an increase in personnel related costs of $1.6 million, which included an increase of $1.0 million in stock-based compensation, an increase in professional fees of $1.1 million and an increase in facility-related and other costs of $0.4 million. Personnel related costs increased primarily due to the hiring of 11 new employees to support corporate operations and business development activities, including the hiring of our Chief Executive Officer in June 2014 and our Chief Financial Officer in November 2014. The increase in professional fees was due to an increase in accounting, audit and legal fees as a result of ongoing business activities. The increase in facility-related and other costs was primarily due to an increase in rent expense resulting from exercising an option of our lease to increase the rentable square footage.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income (expense), net for the year ended December 31, 2013 was an expense of $0.1 million, compared to an expense of $1.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. During the year ended December 31, 2014, there was an increase of $0.2 million in interest expense incurred on borrowings under our loan and security agreement, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2013. In addition, the revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability for the year ended December 31, 2014 consisted of a $1.4 million loss to adjust the fair value of our preferred stock warrant liability due primarily to an increase in the fair value of the underlying Series A-2 convertible preferred stock over that period. This preferred stock warrant liability relates to a warrant we issued in September 2013 in connection with entering into the loan and security agreement.

 

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Comparison of Years Ended December 31, 2012 and 2013

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013:

 

		Year Ended December 31,								Increase (Decrease)
		2012				2013
		(in thousands)
Revenue		$	—			$	—			$	—
Operating expenses:
Research and development			2,077				4,805				2,728
General and administrative			956				1,247				291
Total operating expenses			3,033				6,052				3,019
Loss from operations			(3,033	)			(6,052	)			(3,019	)
Other income (expense):
Interest income (expense), net			(93	)			(42	)			51
Revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability			—				(8	)			(8	)
Total other income (expense), net			(93	)			(50	)			43
Net loss		$	(3,126	)		$	(6,102	)		$	(2,976	)

Research and Development Expenses

 

		Year Ended December 31,								Increase (Decrease)
		2012				2013
		(in thousands)
Microbiome therapeutics platform		$	2,077			$	3,424			$	1,347
SER-109			—				729				729
SER-262			—				652				652
Total research and development expenses		$	2,077			$	4,805			$	2,728

Research and development expenses for the year ended December 31, 2012 were $2.1 million, compared to $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The increase of $2.7 million was primarily due to the following:

 

•

an increase of $1.3 million in research expenses related to our microbiome therapeutics platform, due primarily to increased spending on employee headcount and animal studies;

 

•

$0.7 million in initial expenses related to our SER-109 program, consisting primarily of spending on animal studies; and

 

•

$0.7 million in initial expenses of our SER-262 program, consisting primarily of spending on animal studies.

 

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General and Administrative Expenses

 

		Year Ended December 31,								Increase (Decrease)
		2012				2013
		(in thousands)
Personnel related (including stock-based compensation)		$	633			$	419				(214	)
Professional fees			233				691				458
Facility-related and other			90				137				47
Total general and administrative expenses		$	956			$	1,247			$	291

General and administrative expenses were $1.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, compared to $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The increase of $0.3 million was primarily due to increased professional fees of $0.5 million due to increased accounting and legal fees as a result of ongoing business activities, partially offset by decreased personnel related costs of $0.2 million.

Other Income (Expense), Net

Other income (expense), net for the year ended December 31, 2012 was a net expense of $0.1 million, consistent with the amount of expense for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Since our inception, we have not generated any revenue and have incurred recurring net losses. We have financed our operations since inception primarily through private placements of our convertible preferred stock, the issuance of convertible promissory notes and borrowings under our loan and security agreement. From our inception through March 31, 2015, we had received gross proceeds of $137.0 million from such transactions and we had repaid $0.7 million of the total $3.0 million borrowed under the loan and security agreement. As of March 31, 2015, we had cash, cash equivalents and investments totaling $104.3 million and an accumulated deficit of $35.8 million.

On September 9, 2013, we entered into the loan and security agreement, which provided for total borrowings of up to $3.0 million. Through March 31, 2015, we had borrowed the full $3.0 million available under the loan and security agreement and had made $0.7 million of scheduled principal repayments. Under the loan and security agreement, we are obligated to make monthly, interest-only payments on any term loans funded under the facility until August 1, 2014 and, thereafter, to pay 30 consecutive, equal monthly installments of principal and interest from September 1, 2014 through February 1, 2017, the maturity date. Term loans under the loan and security agreement bear interest at an annual rate equal to 3.0% plus the greater of (1) the bank’s prime rate and (2) the LIBOR rate plus 2.5% (the greater of which equated to 6.25% at March 31, 2015). In addition, a final payment of $60,000 is due upon the earlier of the maturity date, acceleration of the term loans or prepayment of all or part of the term loans. Borrowings under the loan and security agreement are secured by substantially all of our assets, except for our intellectual property, which is subject to a negative pledge.

There are no financial covenants associated with the loan and security agreement. There are negative covenants restricting our activities, including limitations on dispositions, mergers or acquisitions; encumbering our intellectual property; incurring indebtedness or liens; paying dividends; making investments; and engaging in certain other business transactions. The obligations under the loan and security agreement are subject to acceleration upon the occurrence of specified events of default, including a material adverse change in our business, operations or financial or other condition.

 

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In connection with entering into the loan and security agreement, in September 2013, we issued the lender a warrant to purchase 92,127 shares of our Series A-2 convertible preferred stock at an exercise price of $1.78 per share.

Cash Flows

The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash for each of the periods presented:

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31,
		2012				2013				2014				2014				2015
		(in thousands)
Cash used in operating activities		$	(2,925	)		$	(5,321	)		$	(10,358	)		$	(1,423	)		$	(8,340	)
Cash used in investing activities			(319	)			(184	)			(1,103	)			(80	)			(59,469	)
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities			9,435				944				123,992				500				(1,331	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		$	6,191			$	(4,561	)		$	112,531			$	(1,003	)		$	(69,140	)

Operating Activities.    During the three months ended March 31, 2015, operating activities used $8.3 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $8.0 million and cash used from changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $1.6 million, partially offset by non-cash charges of $1.2 million. Net cash used for changes in our operating assets and liabilities during the three months ended March 31, 2015 consisted of a $0.7 million increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets, a $0.2 million decrease in accounts payable and a $0.7 million decrease in accrued expenses and other current liabilities. The decreases in our accounts payable and accrued expenses were due to the timing of payments and a decrease in amounts accrued for clinical trial and contracted manufacturing expenses. The increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets was due primarily to prepayments made for clinical trial activities.

During the three months ended March 31, 2014, operating activities used $1.4 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $1.7 million, partially offset by non-cash charges of $0.1 million and by cash provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $0.2 million. Net cash provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities during the three months ended March 31, 2014 consisted primarily of a $0.1 million increase in accounts payable and a $0.1 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities. The increase in accounts payable was due to the timing of vendor invoicing and payments. The increase in our accrued expenses was primarily due to an increase in our accruals for consultant fees.

During the year ended December 31, 2014, operating activities used $10.4 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $16.7 million, partially offset by non-cash charges of $4.1 million and by cash provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $2.3 million. Net cash provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2014 consisted primarily of a $0.8 million increase in accounts payable and a $1.5 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities. The increase in accounts payable was due to an overall increase in our development activities, primarily driven by expenditures in connection with advancing the development of SER-109. The increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities was due to an increase in accruals for development and manufacturing costs related to SER-109; payroll and payroll-related costs due primarily to bonuses; legal and audit-related professional fees; and facility-related costs.

During the year ended December 31, 2013, operating activities used $5.3 million of cash, resulting from our net loss of $6.1 million, partially offset by non-cash charges of $0.3 million and from cash provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $0.5 million. Net cash provided by

 

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changes in our operating assets and liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2013 consisted primarily of a $0.3 million increase in accounts payable and a $0.2 million increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities. The increase in accounts payable was due to the timing of vendor invoicing and payments. The increase in accrued expenses and other current liabilities was primarily due to an increase in our accruals for consultant fees.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, operating activities used $3.0 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $3.1 million, partially offset by cash provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $0.1 million. Net cash provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities during the year ended December 31, 2012 consisted primarily of a $0.1 million increase in accounts payable due to the timing of vendor invoicing and payments.

Investing Activities.    During the three months ended March 31, 2015, we used $59.5 million of cash in investing activities, consisting of purchases of investments of $59.3 million and purchases of property and equipment of $0.2 million.

During the three months ended March 31, 2014, we used $0.1 million of cash in investing activities, consisting of purchases of property and equipment.

During the year ended December 31, 2014, we used $1.1 million of cash in investing activities, primarily consisting of purchases of property and equipment of $1.0 million.

During the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013, we used $0.3 million and $0.2 million of cash, respectively, in investing activities, primarily for purchases of property and equipment.

Financing Activities.    During the three months ended March 31, 2015, net cash used in financing activities was $1.3 million as a result of principal repayments of $0.3 million of borrowings under our loan and security agreement and payments of initial public offering costs of $1.1 million, both of which were partially offset by proceeds from the exercise of stock options of $0.1 million.

During the three months ended March 31, 2014, net cash provided by financing activities was $0.5 million as a result of net proceeds of $0.5 million received from borrowings under our loan and security agreement.

During the year ended December 31, 2014, net cash provided by financing activities was $124.0 million as a result of net proceeds of $123.2 million received from our sale of Series B, Series C, Series D and Series D-1 convertible preferred stock and $2.0 million from borrowings under our loan and security agreement. These amounts were partially offset by principal repayments of $0.4 million of borrowings under our loan and security agreement and payments of IPO costs related to this offering of $0.8 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2013, net cash provided by financing activities was $0.9 million as a result of net proceeds of $0.9 million borrowings under our loan and security agreement.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, net cash provided by financing activities was $9.4 million as a result of net proceeds of $8.9 million received from our issuance of our Series A and Series A-2 convertible preferred stock and proceeds of $0.5 million from our issuance of convertible promissory notes, which were converted to Series A convertible preferred stock.

 

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Funding Requirements

We expect our expenses to increase substantially in connection with our ongoing development activities related to SER-109, which is still in clinical development, and our follow-on therapeutics and other programs. In addition, upon the closing of this offering, we expect to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if and as we:

 

•

conduct our Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109, our lead product candidate;

 

•

continue the research and development of our other product candidates, including commencing clinical trials for SER-262 and SER-287;

 

•

seek to enhance our microbiome therapeutics platform and discover and develop additional product candidates, including SER-155;

 

•

seek regulatory approvals for any product candidates that successfully complete clinical trials;

 

•

potentially establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure and scale-up manufacturing capabilities to commercialize any products for which we may obtain regulatory approval;

 

•

maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;

 

•

add clinical, scientific, operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our product development and potential future commercialization efforts and to support our transition to a public company; and

 

•

experience any delays or encounter any issues with any of the above, including but not limited to failed studies, complex results, safety issues or other regulatory challenges.

We expect that our existing cash and cash equivalents, together with anticipated net proceeds from this offering, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through at least the first quarter of 2017. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we may use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development of SER-109 or our follow-on programs and because the extent to which we may enter into collaborations with third parties for development of these product candidates is unknown, we are unable to estimate the amounts of increased capital outlays and operating expenses associated with completing the research and development of our product candidates. Our future capital requirements for SER-109 or our other programs will depend on many factors, including:

 

•

the progress and results of our Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109;

 

•

the cost of manufacturing clinical supplies of our product candidates;

 

•

the scope, progress, results and costs of pre-clinical development, laboratory testing and clinical trials for our other product candidates, including SER-287, SER-262 and SER-155;

 

•

the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our product candidates;

 

•

the costs and timing of future commercialization activities, including manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution, for any of our product candidates for which we receive marketing approval;

 

•

the revenue, if any, received from commercial sales of our product candidates for which we receive marketing approval;

 

•

the costs and timing of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending any intellectual property-related claims;

 

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•

the effect of competing technological and market developments; and

 

•

the extent to which we acquire or invest in businesses, products and technologies, including entering into licensing or collaboration arrangements for product candidates, although we currently have no commitments or agreements to complete any such transactions.

Identifying potential product candidates and conducting pre-clinical testing and clinical trials is a time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes years to complete, and we may never generate the necessary data or results required to obtain marketing approval and achieve product sales. In addition, our product candidates, if approved, may not achieve commercial success. Our commercial revenues, if any, will be derived from sales of products that we do not expect to be commercially available for many years, if ever. Accordingly, we will need to obtain substantial additional funds to achieve our business objectives.

Adequate additional funds may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. We do not currently have any committed external source of funds. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a common stockholder. Additional debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends and may require the issuance of warrants, which could potentially dilute your ownership interest.

If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs, or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development programs or any future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations at March 31, 2015 and the effect such obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flows in future periods:

 

		Payments Due by Period
		Total				Less Than 1 Year				1 -  3 Years				4 -  5 Years				More Than 5 Years
		(in thousands)
Operating lease commitments(1)		$	2,277			$	986			$	1,291			$	—			$	—
Debt obligations(2)			2,606				1,311				1,295				—				—
Total		$	4,883			$	2,297			$	2,586			$	—			$	—

 

(1)

Amounts in the table reflect payments due for our laboratory and office space in Cambridge, Massachusetts under two operating lease agreements that expire in February 2016 and January 2018. In April 2015, we entered into an additional lease for office and laboratory space in Cambridge, Massachusetts with a term expiring in April 2020. Future payments due under this lease are $0.3 million during the year ending December 31, 2015, $0.4 million during the years ending December 31, 2016 and 2017, $0.4 million during the years ending December 31, 2018 and 2019, and $0.1 million thereafter. Such amounts are not reflected in the table.

(2)	Reflects the contractually required principal and interest payments payable pursuant to our loan and security agreement.

We enter into contracts in the normal course of business with CROs for clinical trials, pre-clinical research studies and testing, manufacturing and other services and products for operating purposes. These contracts generally provide for termination upon notice, and therefore we believe that our non-cancelable obligations under these agreements are not material.

 

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, No. 2014-10, Development Stage Entities. The amendments in this update removed all incremental financial reporting requirements, including inception-to-date information and certain other disclosures currently required under GAAP, in the financial statements of development stage companies. The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2014 and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. We elected to early adopt this guidance and, therefore, have not presented inception-to-date and other related disclosures in our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern. The amendments in this update will explicitly require a company’s management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, and to provide related footnote disclosures in certain circumstances. The new standard will be effective in the first annual period ending after December 15, 2016. Early application is permitted. We are currently evaluating the potential impact of the adoption of this standard, but we believe its adoption will have no impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation: Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis, or ASU 2015-02, which modifies existing consolidation guidance for reporting organizations that are required to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities. ASU 2015-02 will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, and requires either a retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adoption. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2015-02, but believe its adoption will have no material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standards-setting bodies that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure about Market Risk

Interest Rate Fluctuation Risk

We are exposed to market risk related to changes in interest rates. As of March 31, 2015, our cash, cash equivalents and investments consisted of cash, money market accounts and investments in corporate bonds and commercial paper with remaining maturities of less than one year. Our primary exposure to market risk is interest income sensitivity, which is affected by changes in the general level of U.S. interest rates. However, because of the short-term nature of the instruments in our portfolio, an immediate 10% change in market interest rates would not have a material impact on the fair market value of our investment portfolio or on our financial position or results of operations.

As of March 31, 2015, we had $2.2 million of borrowings outstanding under term loans pursuant to our loan and security agreement with Comerica Bank. These term loans bear interest at an annual rate equal to 3.0% plus the greater of (1) the bank’s prime rate and (2) the LIBOR rate plus 2.5%, thereby exposing us to interest rate risk. Based on the $2.2 million of principal outstanding as of March 31, 2015, an immediate 10% change in the bank’s prime rate or the LIBOR rate would not have a material impact on our debt-related obligations, financial position or results of operations.

 

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BUSINESS

Overview

We are a microbiome therapeutics platform company developing a novel class of biological drugs, which we refer to as Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. The human microbiome is an ecology of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses, that, when unhealthy, or dysbiotic, can leave the body more susceptible to infections, metabolic disorders, allergies, autoimmune disease, inflammation and other conditions. Our drugs are designed to restore health by repairing the function of a dysbiotic microbiome. We are initially focused on implementing our microbiome therapeutics platform to develop Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics that treat dysbiosis in the colonic microbiome, one of the most diverse microbiomes in the human body. SER-109, our lead product candidate is designed to prevent further recurrences of Clostridium difficile infection, or CDI, a debilitating infection of the colon and, if approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, could be a first-in-field drug. In our Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109 in recurrent CDI patients, 97% of patients achieved a clinical cure, which we defined as the absence of CDI requiring antibiotic treatment during the eight-week period after SER-109 dosing. SER-109 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA. Breakthrough Therapy designation is intended to expedite the development and review of drugs or biologics that treat serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions and that preliminary clinical evidence indicates may be a substantial improvement over existing therapies. We initiated a Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109 for recurrent CDI and dosed the first patient in May 2015. We expect study results in the middle of 2016.

The human microbiome is one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on earth, with a population of more than 100 trillion microorganisms that live in our intestines, mouth, skin and elsewhere in the body. Among the microbiomes in the human body, the colonic microbiome is one of the most diverse microbial communities. In a healthy, symbiotic state the colonic microbiome plays an important role in human health, helping the body digest food, resist pathogens, regulate the metabolic systems and synthesize essential nutrients and vitamins. However, the colonic microbiome may change in composition for a variety of reasons, including in response to long-term or high-dose antibiotics and following gastrointestinal infection. These changes in composition result in the loss of key microbes, resulting in a state of dysbiosis. Dysbiosis of the colonic microbiome is associated with a wide range of disease and infections, such as gastrointestinal infection and inflammatory and metabolic diseases.

While the study of the human microbiome is not new, the scientific community’s understanding of the microbiome, and the colonic microbiome in particular, has been significantly advanced through genomics, which has enabled the broader understanding of the human microbiome at the organismal, functional and community level. Recently published scientific research has correlated dysbiosis in the colonic microbiome with numerous diseases and conditions in humans and in animal models, including: infections, metabolic disorders, allergies, autoimmune disease, inflammation and other non-specific conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. Information regarding the impact of the colonic microbiome on various disease states is still emerging, although an increasing number of publications are appearing in leading scientific journals. There are currently no FDA-approved therapeutics that are designed to restore the microbiome to a healthy state.

We are developing a new approach to treating disease by restoring a dysbiotic colonic microbiome to a healthy state using our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. Our approach is premised on the hypothesis that the proximal cause of many diseases is a dysbiosis in the natural state of the colonic microbiome that perpetuates the conditions that allow disease to take hold and flourish. We believe that the restoration of a dysbiotic colonic microbiome using rationally designed therapeutics represents a paradigm shift in the approach to treating the underlying disease. Our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics, which are derived from our microbiome therapeutics platform, are rationally designed ecological compositions, consisting of discrete combinations of beneficial microorganisms with targeted functional properties that provide the ability to re-establish keystone features of a functional microbiome in settings of disease.

 

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Our approach to discovery and design is based on an iterative bedside-to-bench-to-bedside drug discovery strategy that begins with data on the human microbiome that we gather from clinical studies. From this data, we identify the ecological differences between a healthy and a diseased microbiome, which we then use to rationally design potential Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. After further in-lab testing, selected Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutic candidates are moved back into the clinic for testing with humans. We apply a comparative genomic systems biology framework that leverages proprietary computation, microbiology and screening capabilities to design lead candidates targeted at these ecological deficiencies. We are able to apply this framework and experience to existing clinical data sets, as well as to the proprietary clinical data set we have generated through our SER-109 clinical trial. We believe we can utilize our knowledge and data to design Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics to treat various medical conditions, such as non-Clostridium difficile infection and inflammatory and metabolic diseases. We also have advanced capabilities in the fermentation of colonic bacteria and the formulation of vegetative and spore forms of bacteria into therapeutics. We believe that the combination of experience, proprietary data and proprietary know-how that comprise our microbiome therapeutics platform provides us with a competitive advantage in the design and development of microbiome therapeutics. Further, our approach and platform, which enable the rational design, testing, optimization, formulation and manufacturing of Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics, provide a framework that we believe can significantly reduce the time typically required to advance therapeutics to the clinic.

Using our microbiome therapeutics platform, we are developing our lead clinical product candidate, SER-109, which is designed to durably repair dysbiosis in the colonic microbiome in the setting of recurrent CDI. CDI is caused by the use of broad spectrum antibiotics which induce dysbiosis of the microbiome resulting in a colonization by Clostridium difficile, or C. difficile, a spore forming bacterium. CDI leads to severe and persistent diarrhea in infected individuals, but can also lead to more severe outcomes, such as inflammation of the colon, toxic megacolon and death. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, has identified CDI as one of the top three most urgent antibiotic-resistant bacterial threats in the United States. It is the most common cause of hospital acquired infection in the United States and has overtaken methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. CDI is responsible for the deaths of approximately 29,000 Americans each year. We estimate the incidence of primary CDI in the United States is between 640,000 and 820,000 patients per year. While the epidemiological data are varied outside the United States, we believe that, due to the widespread use of antibiotics, CDI is a growing global disease. The standard of care for CDI is to treat with antibiotics. In many cases, antibiotic treatments may resolve the acute infection caused by C. difficile. However, these antibiotic treatments kill bacteria indiscriminately, inducing a dysbiosis of the microbiome and potentially making patients more susceptible to a recurrence of CDI. For those patients who experience a recurrence of their CDI, we believe it is this dysbiosis of the microbiome, not the presence of C. difficile, which is the proximal cause of disease. Research suggests that the risk of recurrence is approximately 25% after the primary occurrence of CDI, 40% after a first recurrence and greater than 60% for those experiencing two or more recurrences. In addition, a recent randomized trial comparing two antibiotics for the treatment of primary CDI indicated that 8% of patients receiving fidaxomicin and 9% of patients receiving vancomycin did not respond to these antibiotics two days after completing their antibiotic regimen. Based on this information, we estimate that the addressable population of patients in the United States with recurrent CDI, defined as patients who have experienced at least three occurrences of CDI in the past nine months, is between 85,000 and 110,000 patients per year.

SER-109 is a bacterial spore ecology consisting of an average of 50 bacterial species derived from healthy donors’ fecal matter that is designed to prevent further recurrences of CDI in patients suffering from recurrent CDI by restoring the dysbiotic microbiome to a state of health. In our recently completed open label Phase 1b/2 clinical study, 29 of 30 patients, or 97%, achieved a clinical cure, which we defined as the absence of CDI requiring antibiotic treatment during the eight-week period after SER-109 dosing. The study demonstrated that SER-109 is well-tolerated and has a favorable safety profile with no serious adverse events considered by the investigators to be attributable to SER-109 treatment. We also

 

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performed an analysis of the microbiome using next-generation sequencing technology and microbiological analysis. These studies demonstrated a re-establishment of keystone organisms and a rapid increase in bacterial diversity, which enable the restoration of the microbiome to a healthy state. SER-109 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA. We initiated a Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109 for recurrent CDI and dosed the first patient in May 2015. We expect study results in the middle of 2016. We are conducting manufacturing process pre-validation studies of SER-109 to support a Phase 3 clinical trial and a potential biologics license application and commercial launch.

We believe the results of our open label Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109 provide validation of the hypothesis underlying our microbiome therapeutics platform, supporting its further use to develop additional Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. Using the data we obtained from the SER-109 clinical trial, we are developing SER-262 as an Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutic designed to be used following antibiotic treatment of primary CDI to prevent the initial recurrence of CDI. SER-262 consists of bacteria that are a subset of the bacterial ecology comprising SER-109. Unlike SER-109, SER-262 strains are clonally isolated and produced in fermenters and do not require donations from human sources. Pre-clinical studies of SER-262 have demonstrated efficacy in preventing the initial recurrence of CDI in mouse and hamster models. We intend to initiate clinical studies of SER-262 in the middle of 2016.

In addition to our CDI product candidates, we are utilizing our microbiome therapeutics platform to develop SER-287 to treat inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, including ulcerative colitis, and SER-155 to treat enteric pathogens, such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We are also researching Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic diseases, such as early-stage, non-insulin dependent diabetes; other inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s disease; and infections related to antibiotic use, cancer chemotherapy and immune suppression.

The following chart summarizes our current product pipeline:

 

 

(1)	We are developing SER-262 to be used following antibiotic treatment of primary CDI to prevent initial recurrence of CDI.

 

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We have assembled a world class group of scientists, clinicians, directors and investors, who have established our leadership in the field of microbiome therapeutics. We were co-founded by Drs. Noubar Afeyan, David Berry and Geoffrey von Maltzahn of Flagship VentureLabs, the innovation foundry of Flagship Ventures, which has founded 27 life sciences companies. Through Flagship VentureLabs’ contribution of foundational scientific concepts and intellectual property, assembly of our management team and critical early-stage support, we launched as the first company focused on the ecological nature of the microbiome. Led by Dr. Roger Pomerantz, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, our experienced management team possesses core capabilities in microbiome therapeutics, infectious disease, drug development, commercialization, chemistry, manufacturing and controls, or CMC, public company management and finance. Dr. Pomerantz, an infectious disease physician-scientist, has extensive experience in infectious disease drug development and commercialization, licensing and acquisitions gained over a 10-year career in senior executive positions at Merck & Co, Johnson & Johnson and Tibotec Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Pomerantz led the development and commercialization of eight FDA-approved infectious disease drugs in his career. In addition to Dr. Pomerantz, our management team includes Mr. Eric Shaff, Dr. David Cook, Dr. John Aunins, Dr. Michele Trucksis and Dr. Matthew Henn. Collectively, our management team has successfully developed 18 approved pharmaceutical drugs in infectious disease and other indications. Our management team has extensive experience in microbial ecology, microbiology and live biologicals, with a collective 23 years studying the microbiome and over 60 published papers on the science of the microbiome. Additionally, our team has extensive experience in building out commercial capabilities in specialty diseases and has a track record for success in launching vaccine products, which have analogous manufacturing processes to that of Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. In November and December 2014, we completed two preferred stock financings, which included as investors several prominent mutual funds and healthcare dedicated funds, as well as an affiliate of Nestlé Health Science.

Our Strategy

Our goal is to become the leading biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing microbiome therapeutics to address significant unmet medical needs. The critical components of our strategy include:

 

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Rapidly advancing the development of our lead product candidate, SER-109, for the prevention of further recurrences of CDI in patients with recurrent CDI.    SER-109 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA, which provides for intensive guidance from the FDA in an effort to expedite the drug development process. Based on the results from our recently completed Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109, we dosed the first patient in a Phase 2 clinical study in May 2015 in patients with three or more occurrences of CDI within the previous nine months. We expect to enroll 87 patients in a double-blinded and placebo-controlled clinical trial, with patients randomized in a ratio of 2:1 into a SER-109 arm or placebo arm. The primary endpoint of the trial will be the absence of CDI recurrence requiring antibiotic treatment during the eight-week follow-up period after dosing. We also plan to follow patients for an additional 16 weeks to document the safety profile of SER-109 compared to placebo. Secondary endpoints include the time to CDI recurrence and the proportion of patients experiencing CDI recurrence at four weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks. We also plan to compare changes in the composition of the colonic microbiome from baseline to Week 24 post-treatment using genomic analysis. In addition, subjects that recur in either arm of the study will have the option to enroll in a parallel open label safety study in which patients will receive SER-109. We expect results from the Phase 2 clinical study in the middle of 2016. Following the analysis of the data to come from our Phase 2 clinical study, we plan to meet with the FDA to present Phase 2 safety and efficacy results and a proposed protocol for the Phase 3 clinical trial. We plan to initiate the Phase 3 clinical trial in 2016.

 

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•

Advancing the clinical development of SER-262 to be used following antibiotic treatment of primary CDI to prevent an initial recurrence of CDI.    We are developing SER-262 as a therapeutic to be used following antibiotic treatment of primary CDI to prevent an initial recurrence of CDI. SER-262 contains a subset of the bacterial ecology comprising SER-109, however, SER-262 is not derived from human stool and is made in bacterial fermenters in a rational in vitro design. Pre-clinical studies of SER-262 have demonstrated efficacy similar to SER-109 in mouse and hamster models of CDI. We intend to initiate clinical studies of SER-262 in the middle of 2016.

 

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Initiating the clinical development of SER-287 for the treatment of IBD, including ulcerative colitis.    We have an active pre-clinical program to develop SER-287 for the treatment of IBD, including ulcerative colitis, which, based on current research and our experience with SER-109, we believe can be treated by restoring the underlying dysbiotic microbiome. We anticipate initiating a Phase 1b proof-of-concept clinical trial for SER-287 for ulcerative colitis by the end of 2015.

 

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Developing SER-155 for the treatment of antibiotic resistant bacteria.    We are designing and developing SER-155, an Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutic that is expected to have activity against enteric bacterial pathogens. We expect SER-155 to be used for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to eliminate colonization and prevent infection.

 

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Leveraging our leading microbiome therapeutics platform to develop additional innovative and novel Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics across a range of medical conditions with high unmet need.    We believe that the combination of experience, proprietary data and proprietary know-how related to the microbiome and of the production of microbial strains provides us a competitive advantage in the design and development of microbiome therapeutics. Our platform enables us to build upon our existing and growing clinical experience to rationally approach the treatment of acute and complex chronic diseases. We intend to leverage this advantage to develop additional innovative Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics.

 

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Commercializing our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics, including SER-109, directly in the United States and with collaborators outside the United States.    We have retained the worldwide rights to SER-109 and SER-262 and expect to initially maintain similar rights with respect to other Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics we develop. We believe the market for recurrent CDI is sufficiently concentrated to permit us to effectively commercialize SER-109 in the United States with a direct sales force of less than 100 individuals. We intend to leverage the experience gained by commercializing SER-109 in the United States to further build our direct sales force to address the larger patient population to be addressed by SER-262. Outside the United States and for chronic diseases in larger populations, we expect to rely on collaborators to commercialize our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics.

 

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Developing manufacturing capabilities sufficient to support commercialization of any approved Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutic candidates.    If approved by the FDA, we believe SER-109 could be a first-in-field drug, which will require manufacturing capabilities that are distinct from other biologic drugs. We intend to make strategic investments in manufacturing capabilities to help ensure that we maintain control of our know-how and also because we believe these capabilities will be necessary and highly advantageous for the development of future Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics such as SER-262. Our bioprocess and manufacturing personnel are focused on creating a platform of manufacturing expertise that will set the stage for further advances in the emerging field of microbiome therapeutics.

 

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Understanding the Microbiome and Its Impact on Disease

The human microbiome is one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on earth with a population of more than 100 trillion microorganisms that live in our intestines, mouth, skin and elsewhere in the body. These microbiomes have numerous beneficial functions necessary to supporting health, such as digesting food, preventing disease-causing bacteria from invading the body, regulating our immune system and synthesizing essential nutrients and vitamins. Among the various microbiomes in the human body, the colonic microbiome is one of the most diverse microbial communities. At up to 100 billion to one trillion cells per milliliter, it is among the densest microbial ecosystems ever observed. In a healthy, symbiotic state the colonic microbiome enables the body to function normally. However, we believe the colonic microbiome can change in composition, such as in response to long-term or high-dose exposure to antibiotics or following a gastrointestinal infection. As a result, there is a loss of key microbes that results in a state of dysbiosis. Dysbiosis of the microbiome is associated with a wide range of disease and infections.

Although bacteria are often associated with infection and disease, much of the bacteria that colonize the human body are essential for life. Until recently, few scientific studies existed that focused on the benefits of the bacteria comprising the microbiome. In 2005, the National Institutes of Health funded the Human Microbiome Project, or HMP, which had as one of its goals the characterization of the microbiome with enough specificity to enable the study of variations in the microbiome and their influence on disease.

Historically, researchers studied microbes in patients by isolating pathogens and growing them in culture. This process typically identifies only a limited diversity of microbial species. The HMP used genomic sequencing technologies to analyze 5,000 samples, representing more than 3.5 terabases of genome sequence data, to identify specific genetic signals found only in bacteria. HMP researchers calculate that more than 10,000 microbial species occupy the human ecosystem, and these researchers believe they have characterized the normal range of microbial variation in the U.S. population. Importantly, HMP researchers have discovered that different consortia of microbes may accomplish the same metabolic activity, and the presence of those metabolic activities is more important than the exact species of microbe providing the function. Results from the HMP have provided a robust baseline microbiome against which disease states can be compared.

With data developed by the HMP, numerous scientific studies are emerging in both animals and humans, suggesting that many human diseases can be correlated with dysbiosis of the microbiome. These include infections and diseases, such as CDI or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, or VRE; metabolic disorders, such as early-stage, non-insulin dependent diabetes, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; allergies; autoimmune disease; inflammatory diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and pouchitis; and other non-specific conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. Examples of some studies include:

 

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The results of a study published in PLOS Pathogens in 2012 suggested that a mixture of six different bacteria found naturally in the gastrointestinal system of mice, when isolated from stool and reintroduced into the infected mice, was effective at suppressing CDI. Researchers in the study found that a single treatment of the bacteria was sufficient and that the suppression lasted for months.

 

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An article published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences in 2011 reviewed data from various animal and human studies linking alterations in the colonic microbiome with type 1 diabetes. The article concluded, among other things, that the microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract, through their impact on the development of the immune system and the structure of the intestine, are vital to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes, though the mechanisms by which this occurred were still unclear.

 

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A study published in Nature in 2006 suggested that the microbiome of obese mice demonstrated an increased capacity to harvest energy from the diet. Additionally, the study suggested this trait was transmissible, and the colonization of germ-free mice with the microbiota from obese mice resulted in significantly greater total body fat than colonization with microbiota from a lean mouse. These results suggest the microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract is a contributing factor to the pathophysiology of obesity.

 

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An article published in Science in 2011 suggested that a bacterium found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans appeared to keep mice safe from food allergies. The study noted that mice given antibiotics early in life were far more susceptible to peanut sensitization, a model of human peanut allergy. When these mice were given a solution containing Clostridia, a common class of bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract, the animals’ peanut sensitization disappeared. The same reaction was not obtained when another common type of bacteria, Bacteroides, was introduced to similarly situated mice. Researchers concluded that the Clostridia were operating in the gastrointestinal tract to keep peanut proteins that caused allergic reactions out of the blood stream.

There are currently no microbiome therapeutics approved by the FDA. We believe that the ability to develop drugs that are able to modulate the microbiome and return a dysbiotic microbiome to its healthy state presents a significant opportunity to improve human health.

Our Microbiome Therapeutics Platform

We are developing a new approach to restoring health in settings of microbiome dysbiosis by using our microbiome therapeutics platform to develop Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. Our microbiome therapeutics platform is premised on the hypothesis that the proximal cause or significant contributor to multifactorial diseases is a dysbiosis of the colonic microbiome. We believe this represents a paradigm shift in approaching the way the underlying disease is defined and can be treated. Our microbiome therapeutics are a novel class of biological drugs designed to treat disease by restoring a dysbiotic microbiome to a state of health. They represent rationally defined ecological compositions, consisting of discrete combinations of beneficial microorganisms with targeted functional properties that provide the ability to re-establish keystone features of a functional microbiome in settings of disease.

Our microbiome therapeutics platform integrates genomic and related data sets, proprietary algorithms and computational analysis, sequencing and screening and clinical insights. This platform allows us to rationally design, test, optimize, formulate and manufacture Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. Our microbiome therapeutics platform provides a framework that we believe can significantly reduce the time typically required to advance therapeutics to the clinic. The following diagram depicts the steps in our fully end-to-end microbiome therapeutics platform:

 

 

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Clinical Trials and Cohort Studies

Our discovery process begins with human data derived from clinical trials and cohort studies, which we use as a basis for designing our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. This allows us to compare the colonic microbiome of healthy normal individuals to those in a dysbiotic state, revealing the ecological signatures of microbiome differences that we target using our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. Additionally, our experience with SER-109 serves as a critical dataset for humans, instructing us on how the introduction of certain keystone microbes can facilitate and augment the restoration of a dysbiotic colonic microbiome for other indications. Using these proprietary insights and tools we can evaluate emerging data sets that link a change in the microbiome with various diseases and define therapeutic lead candidates. A study conducted with fecal transplantation in the setting of insulin resistance suggested that lean donor microbiomes can increase insulin sensitivity in subjects with metabolic syndrome. By using our genomic data sets and our proprietary tools combined with our experience with SER-109, we integrate clinical results into bench research to design our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics.

Ecobiotic Candidate Design

We have developed a candidate design program to assist us in identifying the keystone structural and functional elements of healthy microbiomes, the deficiencies present in disease states and the functional profile of a microbial ecological network that can return the microbiome to a healthy state. The following diagram depicts the steps in our candidate design program:

 

Our candidate design program applies computational comparative genomics and systems biology methods to analyze existing clinical data sets, such as those derived from the SER-109 Phase 1b/2 clinical study, to elucidate the structure and function of a healthy microbiome relative to a microbiome in a disease state. The structure is defined in terms of the organisms that comprise the ecology of the microbiome while the function is defined in terms of the genes and metabolic pathways inherent to the organisms that comprise that ecology. Structure and functional properties of a microbiome are determined using our proprietary algorithms that derive actual ecological networks that characterize the microbiome of subjects with a particular disease or that are in a state of health. Our algorithms define those organisms that impact the structure of the microbial communities and the health of the microbiome, which we refer to as keystone organisms, and their associated critical, functional biological pathways. Keystone organisms and their associated critical, functional biological pathways may exist in low, moderate, or high abundance in an ecology of microbes, but are often missing or at reduced levels in an individual with disease. By comparing the ecologies in healthy and disease states, we are able to identify the ecological deficiencies and missing keystone components that characterize the disease state and are the target of our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics.

Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics are rationally designed to solve for the microbiome ecological deficiencies identified between disease and health states. Rational design involves the determination, prioritization and optimization of microbial network ecologies with the greatest therapeutic potential based on critical factors, such as the evolutionary relationships of the microbes, theoretical and empirically defined functional capabilities, safety profile of strains and various bioprocessing parameters. We maintain a proprietary design and discovery database that captures and integrates

 

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key information about microbial strains. Our design algorithms in combination with our functional screening capabilities enable us to identify lead candidate compositions that possess the necessary functional profile to restore the ecological deficiency that causes the dysbiosis.

Strain Library and Lead Screening

To facilitate the screening of network ecologies and individual strains, we have developed and maintain proprietary know-how on the isolation, cultivation and fermentation of a host of microbial strains. Using information from our strain library, we develop and execute moderate- to high-throughput in vitro and ex vivo screens that evaluate the efficacy and functional properties of lead candidates and individual microbial strains that comprise the lead candidate ecologies. Once we have a lead candidate we screen the therapeutic to evaluate its efficacy and functional properties in disease relevant models. We conduct experiments in specific in vivo models on a reduced set of candidates that are relevant to the disease indications we are investigating.

Bioprocess and Formulation

Our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics in development consist of combinations of bacteria or bacterial spores rather than single strains. As a result, we must be able to produce, purify and formulate multiple strains of bacteria economically and be able to test the composition of a combination product for quality control. Our bioprocess development and manufacturing processes are designed to address each of these elements.

 

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Fermentation:    We employ platform fermentation processes as starting conditions for current good manufacturing processes, or cGMP, production schemes and, when required, plan to develop strain specific process parameters.

 

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Purification:    Similar to fermentation, we use small-scale purification operations to complete bench-scale manufacturing and quickly assess the final process yield, quality and robustness.

 

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Formulation:    Our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics are combinations of cells and bacterial spores and can be administered by a number of methods and by different routes to effect the primary goal of delivering the bacteria to the intended location in a condition where they are able to replicate and correct dysbiosis. Currently, our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics are designed to be administered in oral form.

 

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Analytical:    We intend to address quality control requirements for our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics using proprietary microbiological and sequence-based testing schemes, including high-throughput quantitative analytics to assess the identity, potency and purity of the final product.

Pre-clinical and Clinical Testing

One of the key competitive advantages of microbiome therapeutics is that we believe they will not need to undergo the same pre-clinical testing that other modalities such as small molecules require. Because the components of our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics are found naturally in the body, we do not expect to need carcinogenicity studies or studies designed to evaluate how our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics interact with other drugs. Further, we expect that we will not need to conduct traditional Phase 1 pharmacokinetic studies. Clinical pharmacokinetic studies are performed to examine the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of a drug under investigation. Because our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics are not absorbed and, therefore, remain in the colonic microbiome, we believe such trials will not be necessary and we expect to proceed directly to patients with the disease that we are studying. These pre-clinical and clinical studies are costly and time-consuming and the ability to proceed in development without them provides an advantage as compared to traditional drug development. For example, based on our correspondence with the FDA, further pre-clinical studies will not be needed by the FDA for SER-109. In addition, we have confirmed

 

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with the FDA that we do not need Phase 2 dose ranging studies. While we expect to file INDs for our future product candidates, we have not yet discussed with the FDA what testing will be required, but we believe the same requirements for SER-109 will apply across our other product candidates.

Our Management Team

We were co-founded by Drs. Noubar Afeyan, David Berry and Geoffrey von Maltzahn of Flagship VentureLabs, the innovation foundry of Flagship Ventures, which has founded 27 life sciences companies. Through Flagship VentureLabs’ contribution of foundational scientific concepts and intellectual property, assembly of our management team and critical early-stage support, we launched as a company focused on the ecological nature of the microbiome. We are led by a team of experienced pharmaceutical industry executives and recognized experts in infectious diseases, microbiome therapeutics and biological manufacturing.

Our management team includes Dr. Roger Pomerantz, our Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, who has extensive experience in infectious disease, drug development and commercialization, licensing and acquisitions gained over a 10-year career in senior executive positions at Merck & Co, Johnson & Johnson and Tibotec Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Eric Shaff, our Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, has over 10 years of corporate finance and accounting experience in the biotechnology industry, including as Vice President of Finance at Genzyme Corporation and, most recently, Vice President of Corporate Finance at Momenta Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Shaff was responsible for overall financial management at Momenta, including public company reporting, accounting and risk management. Dr. David Cook, our Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research & Development, has served in a variety of executive positions in his 22-year career including as the Chief Operating Officer for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the founding Chief Executive Officer at Anza Therapeutics, a biotechnology start-up developing a novel microbial vaccine platform. Dr. John Aunins, our Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Bioprocess Development, has worked in the biotechnology field for 24 years. Dr. Aunins has deep experience in bioprocess development, manufacturing support and project leadership. He led process and product development teams at Merck Research Laboratories for Vaqta, Varivax, Zostavax, ProQuad, Rotateq and Gardasil. Dr. Michele Trucksis, our Chief Medical Officer, has over 25 years of clinical research and medical experience focused in infectious diseases. Prior to joining our company, Dr. Trucksis was Executive Director, Team Leader & Clinical Lead at Merck Research Laboratories, where she was responsible for medical, clinical and global product development and strategy in antibacterials and antifungals. Dr. Matthew Henn, our Head of Drug Discovery & Bioinformatics and Vice President, has over 16 years of combined research experience in microbial ecology, genomics and bioinformatics. Prior to joining our company, he was the Director of Viral Genomics and Assistant Director of the Genome Sequencing Center for Infectious Diseases at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.

Our Product Pipeline

We believe our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics represent a novel approach with potential application across a broad range of human diseases. Our most advanced drug development programs are focused on the area of gastrointestinal infections, where the causal link between dysbiosis of the microbiome and susceptibility to disease has been established. In addition to our CDI product candidates, SER-109 and SER-262, we are utilizing our microbiome therapeutics platform to develop Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics to treat IBD, including ulcerative colitis, and enteric pathogens, such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We are also researching Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic diseases, such as early-stage, non-insulin dependent diabetes; other inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s disease; and infections related to antibiotic use, cancer chemotherapy and immune suppression.

 

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The following chart summarizes our current product pipeline:

 

 

(1)	We are developing SER-262 to be used following antibiotic treatment of primary CDI to prevent initial recurrence of CDI.

Our CDI Product Candidates

We are developing SER-109 as an Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutic designed to prevent further recurrences of CDI in patients suffering from recurrent CDI, defined as at least three occurrences of CDI in a nine-month period, by restoring the dysbiotic microbiome to a healthy state. In our recently completed Phase 1b/2 clinical study, 26 of 30 patients, or 87% of patients, achieved the primary efficacy endpoint of experiencing no diarrhea associated with a positive C. difficile test during the eight weeks post-treatment. Additionally, 29 of 30 patients, or 97% of patients, achieved a clinical cure, which we defined as the absence of CDI requiring antibiotic treatment during the eight-week period after SER-109 dosing. The results of the trial suggest a favorable safety profile with no serious adverse events considered by the investigators to be attributable to SER-109. We also performed an analysis of the microbiome using next-generation sequencing technology and microbiological analysis. These studies demonstrated a re-establishment of keystone organisms and a rapid increase in bacterial diversity, which enable the restoration of the microbiome towards a healthy state. SER-109 has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA. We initiated a Phase 2 clinical study of SER-109 for recurrent CDI and dosed the first patient in May 2015. We expect study results in the middle of 2016. We are conducting manufacturing process pre-validation studies of SER-109 to support a Phase 3 clinical trial and a potential biologics license application and commercial launch.

We are also developing SER-262 to be used following antibiotic treatment of primary CDI to prevent an initial recurrence of CDI. Pre-clinical studies of SER-262 have demonstrated efficacy similar to SER-109 in mouse and hamster models of CDI. We intend to initiate clinical studies of SER-262 in the middle of 2016.

If approved, we believe these two product candidates will enable us to provide a more effective and safer treatment for preventing the recurrence of CDI than the current standard of care.

 

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Clostridium difficile Infection, or CDI

C. difficile is a Gram-positive, toxin-producing, spore forming bacterium that causes severe and persistent diarrhea in infected individuals, but can also lead to more severe outcomes, such as pseudomembraneous colitis, toxic megacolon and death. C. difficile bacteria express toxins that disrupt the structural architecture of cells causing leakage of fluids through the gastrointestinal epithelium. The cells disrupted by these toxins eventually undergo apoptosis and die, releasing their contents into the colon, resulting in inflammation of the colon, severe and persistent diarrhea and, in the most serious cases, death.

CDI is generally not present in healthy adults, although approximately 1% to 5% of adults may carry low levels of C. difficile without clinical symptoms. CDI is most often associated with the prior use of antibiotics, although age and poor immune status are important risk factors as well. Antibiotics are thought to decrease resistance to CDI by causing dysbiosis in the microbiome. Since C. difficile spores are able to survive for long periods of time outside the body, and because healthcare settings are often sites of significant antibiotic use, CDI transmission rates in hospitals, long-term acute care facilities and nursing homes have been increasing. CDI is also a cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized cancer patients and bone marrow transplant patients as their immune systems are suppressed by cytotoxic drugs, which are drugs that inhibit or prevent the function of cells, and they may be heavily treated with antibiotics to treat infections. More recently, the rise of community-acquired CDI has been recognized as a growing problem.

The CDC has identified C. difficile as one of the top three most urgent antibiotic-resistant bacterial threats in the United States. It is the most common cause of hospital acquired infection in the United States, having overtaken MRSA. CDI is responsible for the deaths of approximately 29,000 Americans each year. CDI is also very costly to the healthcare system. According to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the economic burden of CDI in 2008 in U.S. acute care facilities alone was estimated to be as much as $4.8 billion. In addition, a summary of studies published in 2009 in The Journal of Hospital Infection, calculated that the treatment cost per episode of primary CDI was as much as $5,000 and as much as $18,000 per recurrence of CDI. The CDC estimates the incidence of primary CDI by focusing on 10 catchment areas covering 11 million residents. Based on this analysis, it is estimated that there are approximately 453,000 new cases of primary CDI per year. Further, according to a 2014 article in the American Journal of Infection Control, from 2001 to 2010, incidence of CDI per 1,000 patients discharged increased from 4.5 to 8.2 with an average hospital stay of eight days. We believe the CDC method underestimates incidence based on several factors. First, residents who are diagnosed outside of their catchment area are not included in estimates. Second, many of the CDC diagnostic labs use a lower sensitivity test, which results in about 20% lower detection rates than the current most sensitive method. In addition, the CDC approach misses community cases, which are estimated to account for 30% to 40% of total cases. As a result, we estimate the incidence of primary CDI in the United States is between 640,000 and 820,000 patients per year. Additional research suggests that the risk of recurrence is approximately 25% after primary CDI, 40% after a first recurrence and greater than 60% for those experiencing two or more recurrences. In addition, in a recent randomized trial comparing two antibiotics for primary CDI, 8% of patients receiving fidaxomicin and 9% of patients receiving vancomycin did not respond two days after completing their antibiotic regimen. Based on this information, we estimate that the addressable population of patients in the United States with recurrent CDI, defined as patients who have experienced at least three occurrences of CDI in the past nine months, is between 85,000 and 110,000 patients per year.

Outside of the United States, it is difficult to estimate the incidence of CDI, primarily given the lack of standardized national surveillance schemes. However, data from the recently completed EUCLID study, the largest ever prevalence study of CDI across Europe, were presented at the 2014 European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. The study results suggest that the incidence of CDI in Europe has increased from 4.1 to 7.9 cases per 10,000 patient bed days between 2008 and 2012-13.

 

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Current and developing treatment alternatives and their limitations

The treatment alternatives for patients with CDI include antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, or FMT, over-the-counter probiotics, antibodies and vaccines.

Antibiotics

The current standard of care for CDI is to treat with antibiotics, such as metronidazole and vancomycin. Metronidazole has been found to be effective for primary CDI, but approximately 29% of patients experience recurrence. It is not recommended for severe disease, nor is it used beyond first recurrence due to side effects. Vancomycin is more expensive, but has a lower relapse rate of 25%. In addition, fidaxomicin, a recently approved antibiotic for CDI, may have higher initial efficacy compared to metronidazole, but it does not have a label claim to reduce or prevent CDI recurrence. No antibiotic therapeutics are currently approved for treatment of recurrence of CDI.

Recurrent CDI, defined as three or more occurrences of CDI in a nine-month period, is not well addressed by any of the available antibiotics. When a patient has recurred two or more times after the initial occurrence, antibiotic relapse rates are greater than 60% and the probability of additional relapse increases with successive cycles. Some physicians resort to pulse-taper regimens of vancomycin lasting six weeks or more, but there are no well-controlled clinical studies that show such regimens are effective. In extreme cases, patients are treated continuously for years with vancomycin, even while they continue to experience gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.

The primary limitation of antibiotics is that their use appears to exacerbate dysbiosis. Recent research in animal models has shown that antibiotic use not only eliminates many healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, but also leads to the release of nutrients that facilitate the growth of C. difficile. Antibiotics have also been shown to change the ratio of primary versus secondary bile acids in the colon by killing bacteria required to metabolize bile acids. This shift to a predominance of primary bile acids further facilitates the growth of C. difficile, as it requires primary bile acids for germination of its spores. As a result, antibiotic use may induce a lasting dysbiosis that makes it possible for C. difficile to colonize a person and then cause, or further perpetuate, disease.

Fecal microbiota transplantation

FMT, also known as a stool transplantation, is a procedure during which donated stool, including fecal microbes, is typically instilled via colonoscopy into a patient with CDI. We believe that the impressive efficacy of FMT, which has resulted in cure rates for recurrent CDI ranging from 81% to 93%, essentially confirms the role of dysbiosis as a cause of the disease. However, FMT presents several challenges for effective treatment of the disease. FMT has the potential to transmit infectious or allergenic agents between hosts, involves the transmission of potentially hundreds of unknown strains of bacteria, fungi and viruses from donor to subject, and is difficult to perform on a mass scale. Additionally, FMT is inherently non-standardized so that different desired and/or undesired material may be transmitted in any given donation. FMT is not approved by the FDA and we believe it may be unable to gain such approval since the product, to our knowledge, cannot be standardized and characterized according to current regulatory requirements for identity, potency, purity and safety.

Probiotic therapies

Probiotics represent a group of products typically available over the counter in supplements and in some foods, which contain a smaller number of species of bacteria. However, to date there have been no clinical studies that have established the ability of probiotics to repair a dysbiosis of the microbiome. Further, there is neither a legally recognized definition of, nor a standard of identity for, the term probiotic in the United States or Europe. Recently, the European Food Safety Authority rejected many of the claims of health benefits associated with probiotics because the microbes had not been

 

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sufficiently characterized, the claimed effect was not considered beneficial and human studies in support of the claims had not been made available. As a result, after December 14, 2012, food and nutritional supplements companies were no longer allowed to communicate health benefits for their products on account of probiotic content in the European Union.

Antibodies and vaccines

Antibodies and vaccines are also in development to treat CDI. Antibodies suppress toxins to alleviate the symptoms of CDI, but they do not address the underlying dysbiosis of the microbiome, which we believe is the cause of recurrent CDI. Antibodies also require intravenous infusion and are more costly to produce relative to other treatments, such as antibiotics. The efficacy of vaccines in treating CDI in humans currently remains unproven. In addition, it is difficult to define a target population for a CDI vaccine, given that the at-risk patient population is largely elderly individuals who typically respond less robustly to vaccination therapies.

SER-109

SER-109 is a bacterial spore ecology consisting of an average of 50 bacterial species derived from healthy donors’ fecal matter that is designed to prevent further recurrences of CDI in patients suffering from recurrent CDI by restoring a dysbiotic microbiome to a state of health. In our open label Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109, we evaluated the effect of treatment with SER-109 in patients with three or more occurrences of CDI in a 12-month period. Of the 30 patients enrolled in the trial, 29, or 97%, achieved a clinical cure, which we defined as the absence of CDI requiring antibiotic treatment during the eight-week period after SER-109 dosing. The trial demonstrated that SER-109 is well-tolerated and suggested a favorable safety profile with no serious adverse events considered by the investigators to be attributable to the SER-109 treatment. We also performed an analysis of the microbiome using next-generation sequencing technology and microbiological analysis. These studies demonstrated a re-establishment of keystone organisms and a rapid increase in bacterial diversity, which enable the restoration of the microbiome to a healthy state.

SER-109 is formulated as oral capsules for single-dose administration after completion of antibiotics. A single dose of SER-109 comprises 100 million spores that we anticipate delivering in four small oral capsules. The spores in SER-109 are intended to germinate in the gastrointestinal tract and immediately compete for the same nutrients required by C. difficile. The spore forming organisms from SER-109 are also intended to shift the balance of bile acids toward secondary acids that are less efficient for promoting germination of C. difficile spores. The following picture is a commercial prototype of a single dose of SER-109 (and is not necessarily a single dose of SER-109 for our Phase 2 clinical study):

 

 

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Phase 1b/2 clinical study design

The Phase 1b/2 clinical study was a two part trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SER-109 in approximately 30 patients with recurrent CDI, defined as three or more occurrences of CDI in the previous 12 months.

Part 1 of the study evaluated a single dose of SER-109 administered orally in 30 capsules over two days, with the dose derived from approximately 75 grams of stool. Part 2 of the study evaluated a single dose of SER-109 administered orally in a range of one to 12 capsules over one day. The dose in Part 2 was based on spore count, as opposed to fecal mass, which is expected to allow for a more precise dosing regimen. The target dose in Part 2 was 1x10⁸ spores per dose, which was approximately 17-fold lower than the mean dose in Part 1. The SER-109 doses were derived from seven different healthy human donors. Prior to receiving treatment with SER-109, patients were on antibiotic therapy consisting of either fidaxomicin, vancomycin or metronidazole to control their CDI symptoms. At least 24 hours prior to starting treatment with SER-109, antibiotic therapy was discontinued.

The trial was designed to enroll patients between the ages of 18 and 90 years, with relapsed, laboratory-confirmed CDI with three or more occurrences in the previous 12 months. Enrolled patients must have undergone treatment for CDI with at least three courses of antibiotic therapy in the last 12 months and have a life expectancy of greater than three months. Patients with acute leukemia, recent bone marrow transplant or recent chemotherapy, as well as patients with a history of IBD or IBS with diarrhea, total colectomy or liver cirrhosis were excluded from the trial. The following table identifies patient demographics following enrollment in the trial:

 

Cohort		Mean Dose (spore units)		Male/Female		Age Median (Range)		Number of CDI Recurrences in Prior 12 months Median (Range)
1		1.7x109		5 / 10		71 years (22 – 88)		3 (2 – 6)
2		1.0x108		5 / 10		58 years (39 – 83)		3 (2 – 5)

The primary safety measures were an evaluation of adverse events, laboratory values, vital signs and physical examination of findings prior to and after dosing with SER-109 over a 24-week time period. Evaluations occurred by telephone calls, in-home assessments or clinic visits by qualified personnel. Patients were assessed at Days 2 and 4 and Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 post-treatment. The primary efficacy measure was the absence of CDI (defined in this study as more than three unformed bowel movements in a 24-hour period with laboratory confirmation of the presence of C. difficile toxin in the stool) during the eight weeks after initiating therapy. Eight weeks was selected as the measurement period for the primary endpoint based on our clinical advisory board’s experience that a significant majority of CDI recurrences occur within eight weeks. Secondary efficacy measures included minimum effective dose, time to CDI recurrence following SER-109, time without diarrhea during the follow-up period and change in diversity of the colonic microbiome at Day 4 and Weeks 1, 2, 4 and 8 as measured by deep sequencing of patient stool samples. Stool samples were collected pre-treatment and on Day 4 and Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 post-treatment.

Phase 1b/2 clinical study results

Efficacy.    Twenty-six of 30 patients, or 87% of patients, in the Phase 1b/2 clinical study achieved the primary efficacy endpoint of experiencing no recurrence of CDI during the eight weeks post-treatment. These 26 patients consisted of 13 patients in each of Part 1 and Part 2 of the study. Among the 26 patients was one patient who experienced an initial recurrence on Day 26 and was re-treated, per protocol, with a dose from the same donor. Following re-treatment, this patient also achieved the

 

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primary efficacy endpoint. Efficacy results were not dependent upon the initial human donor or the dose over the range of 3.4x10⁷ to 2.3x10¹⁰ spores.

Of those patients who did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint, one patient had a recurrence of CDI on Day 5 and did not receive a second treatment with SER-109. The three other patients who failed the protocol-defined primary efficacy endpoint were determined by their attending investigator to be recovering from their diarrheal episode by the time they submitted their stool sample for CDI testing. In each case, the investigator advised the patient to refrain from antibiotic use and the patients’ condition resolved without antibiotic therapy. All three patients were determined to be clinically CDI free at eight weeks. As a result, the clinical cure rate for the study, which we defined as the absence of CDI requiring antibiotic treatment during the eight-week period after SER-109 dosing, was 97%, or 29 of 30 patients.

We also tested a total of 27 patients at Week 8 for C. difficile carriage, where a patient carries the C. difficile bacterium but does not experience symptoms related to C. difficile. Of the 27 patients tested, 24 patients, or 89% of patients, tested negative for C. difficile carriage. Among the three patients who were not tested for C. difficile carriage, one patient did not continue with the study to Week 8 and samples were not collected for two patients at Week 8. In addition, 22 patients continued to participate in the Phase 1b/2 clinical study and did not receive additional antibiotics. Of these patients, 21, or 95% of patients, experienced no recurrence of CDI 24 weeks after treatment.

We also performed an analysis of the microbiome using next-generation sequencing technology and microbiological analysis to evaluate long-term changes in the microbiome, including the restoration of bacterial diversity in the colon of patients. These studies demonstrated a rapid increase in bacterial diversity and a restructuring of the microbiome towards a healthy state. Upon introduction, SER-109 appears to engraft its bacterial species into the microbiome, with some of these species persisting in the patient’s gastrointestinal tract for at least 24 weeks after dosing. In addition, in some patients we noted the repopulation of organisms that were not in SER-109 and had not been detected in the patient prior to treatment. We believe this phenomenon, which we refer to as augmentation, is an important element for restoration of bacterial diversity and repair of dysbiosis. Engraftment and augmentation, as well as the clinical resolution of CDI, were not dependent on the dose of SER-109 administered.

We believe the engraftment and augmentation observed with SER-109 could have important medical implications for treating other infectious agents. For example, in the Phase 1b/2 clinical study, we observed that some patients were not only infected with C. difficile, but were also colonized with other harmful organisms at high levels. Importantly, after SER-109 treatment, levels of these organisms declined by as much as 100,000-fold. For example, we identified multiple patients in the trial with high levels of VRE, which are drug-resistant bacteria that colonize the gastrointestinal tract and can cause serious bloodstream infections. In patients identified with VRE, the VRE was reduced below the limit of detection of our assays after treatment.

Safety.    In Part 1 of the study, 80% of the patients experienced at least one adverse event, all of which were treatment emergent adverse events, or TEAEs. A TEAE was defined as an adverse event that started or worsened at or during the time of or after the date of the first dose of SER-109 through the final follow-up visit. Five, or 33%, of the patients were judged by the investigator to have a TEAE attributable to SER-109 and all were mild or moderate. In Part 2, 100% of the patients experienced at least one adverse event, all of which were TEAEs. Nine, or 60%, of the patients were judged by the investigator to have a TEAE attributable to SER-109 and all were mild or moderate. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal disorders and diarrhea. The majority of TEAEs were mild in severity and consistent with post-antibiotic recovery from CDI. One patient in Part 2 had a severe adverse event of chest pain, which was not considered related to SER-109. Two patients each in Part 1 and Part 2 had more than one serious adverse event, none of which was considered related to SER-109. There were no deaths in Part 1 or Part 2.

 

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Clinical development plan

We initially proposed to the FDA a Phase 3 clinical trial and then a Phase 2/3 clinical trial, in each case in an effort to advance the clinical development of SER-109. However, in our subsequent interactions with the FDA, we determined that it would be more expedient to commence a Phase 2 study while we developed the final manufacturing requirements and analytic assay validation that would have been required before we could start a Phase 3 or combined Phase 2/3 clinical trial. Because the FDA cleared us to proceed with the Phase 2 clinical study, we were able to dose the first patient in this study in May 2015. We expect initial clinical study results in the middle of 2016. Following the analysis of the data to come from our Phase 2 clinical study, we plan to meet with the FDA to present Phase 2 safety and efficacy results and a proposed protocol for the Phase 3 clinical trial. We are conducting pre-validation studies of our manufacturing process for SER-109, and we expect to obtain sufficient data from these studies for a Phase 3 clinical trial. We plan to initiate the Phase 3 clinical trial in 2016.

The FDA has indicated that we do not need to conduct further pre-clinical studies of SER-109. We believe this conclusion is the result of several factors, including the following:

 

•

gastrointestinal bacteria are host-specific and animal data would not be more representative than our human clinical data;

 

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SER-109’s favorable safety profile in patients in the Phase 1b/2 clinical study;

 

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ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics are unlikely to result in systemic exposure because they are not absorbed outside of the gastrointestinal tract;

 

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engraftment of spores is not dependent on dose; and

 

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SER-109 comprises spores from microbes found in a healthy human gastrointestinal tract.

Taken together, we believe these parameters allow for rapid and inexpensive development relative to typical drug discovery and development.

Phase 2 clinical study design

The Phase 2 clinical study is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial with two treatment arms enrolling a total of 87 patients. We plan to enroll eligible patients at 35 sites in the United States. Patients will be randomized 2:1 to receive either a single oral dose of SER-109 in four capsules or a matching placebo in four capsules. Based on the assumptions we have made for the recurrence rate of CDI and assuming we conduct final analyses for a minimum of 78 patients, our Phase 2 clinical study is sufficiently large, with the power of the study over 90%, to demonstrate that SER-109 is superior to placebo. If our assumptions about the recurrence rate of CDI are incorrect, the statistical power of the Phase 2 clinical study will be affected, and it may be more difficult to show that SER-109 is superior to placebo. In preparation for the clinical study, we have refined the formulation of the inner capsule and changed the manufacturing process to enable production to meet commercial requirements. We believe that the manufacturing and formulation changes have resulted in a more pure form of SER-109 that is comparable in potency to that used in the Phase 1b/2 clinical study based on a pre-clinical mouse C. difficile model.

The Phase 2 clinical study is designed to enroll patients 18 years or older with a documented history of three or more occurrences of CDI in the previous nine months, as compared to 12 months in our Phase 1b/2 clinical study. Additionally, enrolled patients must have been clinically responsive to ten to 21 days of standard of care antibiotics and show no evidence of diarrhea for two or more consecutive days prior to randomization. In contrast, enrolled patients in our Phase 1b/2 clinical study were permitted to be on long-term antibiotic therapy. Inclusion and exclusion criteria for the Phase 2 clinical study are generally similar to our Phase 1b/2 clinical study, but are more restricted in some patient populations. For example, the criteria exclude patients on steroids or on maintenance

 

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immunotherapy and those with a history of untreated celiac disease or gluten enteropathy. However, the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the Phase 2 clinical study is less restrictive in other patient populations. For example, the criteria exclude patients with IBS or IBD only if active within the past 24 months, as compared to patients with any history of these diseases in our Phase 1b/2 clinical study, and patients with an absolute neutrophil count, or ANC, less than 500/mm³, as compared to patients with an ANC less than 1000/mm³ in the Phase 1b/2 clinical study.

The primary efficacy objective in the Phase 2 clinical study will be to demonstrate the superiority of SER-109 compared to placebo in the prevention of recurrent CDI in adult patients up to eight weeks after treatment. In this study, an episode of recurrent CDI will be defined as three or more unformed stools per day over two days with a positive C. difficile stool test and requiring antibiotic treatment. By comparison, our Phase 1b/2 clinical study defined an episode of recurrent CDI as three unformed stools over one day with a positive C. difficile stool test and did not require antibiotic treatment. The decision to treat with antibiotics will be based on the physician’s clinical assessment of the patient in accordance with the guidelines set forth in our Phase 2 clinical study protocol. The primary safety objective will be to evaluate the safety of SER-109 in these patients up to 24 weeks after treatment as determined by clinical and laboratory safety assessments. During the follow-up period (Weeks 9-12), patients will be contacted by phone weekly and asked about adverse events and diarrheal symptoms. If diarrheal symptoms meeting the definition of recurrent CDI occur during the follow-up period, patients will be asked to return to the clinic for a clinical evaluation and a C. difficile test. In addition, patients will return to the clinic at Week 12 for safety evaluations. Following the Week 12 visit, patients will be contacted by phone at Weeks 16, 20 and 24 and asked about adverse events and diarrheal symptoms.

We also plan to evaluate secondary objectives including the time to CDI recurrence, if any, in patients who receive SER-109 compared to those who receive placebo, and the proportion of patients experiencing clinical CDI recurrence up to four, 12 and 24 weeks post-treatment in patients who receive SER-109 compared to placebo. In addition, exploratory objectives include comparing the changes in the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiome from baseline to 24 weeks post-treatment using genomic analysis and measuring quality of life and health outcomes up to 24 weeks post-treatment.

After all enrolled patients complete the Phase 2 clinical study, which will occur 24 weeks following dosing of each patient, or have discontinued before that time point, an analysis of the efficacy and safety endpoints will be performed. Following the analysis of this data, we plan to meet with the FDA to present Phase 2 safety and efficacy results and a proposed protocol for the Phase 3 clinical trial. We plan to initiate the Phase 3 clinical trial in 2016.

Open label extension study. Patients in either arm of the Phase 2 clinical study who relapse and experience an episode of recurrent CDI within eight weeks of treatment will be permitted to enroll in an open label extension study in which they will receive a single dose of SER-109. Participation in the open label extension will be conditioned upon the patient’s continued satisfaction of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We believe that providing the open label extension will assist in facilitating enrollment in the Phase 2 clinical study by providing participants the opportunity to ultimately receive SER-109 if they are initially enrolled in the placebo group. In addition, we believe the open label study will provide additional safety data and may provide us with greater understanding of the impact of a second dose of SER-109.

Manufacturing

SER-109 is a purified ecology of spores produced through a process of extraction from a natural human stool source, obtained from qualified, highly tested donors. The donor raw material is collected in a controlled setting, under a protocol that stringently ensures that donors meet qualification criteria.

 

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Donors are required to be in good health, and to possess a medical history and a lifestyle that minimizes the risk of infectious disease transmission. Donors are tested for infectious agents and screened for gastrointestinal and other health factors. After initial qualification, the donor is eligible to donate for a defined period of time, and donors are monitored periodically for health status changes during the donation period. In the middle, and at the end of the donation period, the qualification assessment is repeated to help ensure the donor has maintained their health status. After successful completion of an exit screening the donations are released from quarantine for use in manufacturing.

We initially process the donor material and then transfer a production intermediate to a contract manufacturing organization, or CMO, to isolate the spores and to concentrate them for conversion to the oral capsule dosage form. The purified, concentrated drug substance is tested for identity, potency and purity, and subsequently formulated and filled into capsules at a controlled potency. The final drug product dosage form is four hard capsules for oral administration. Steps are specifically built into the process to remove and kill non-spore microbes. We are conducting pre-validation studies demonstrating the ability of the process to inactivate and clear the potential pathogens of concern, and we expect to obtain sufficient data from these studies for a Phase 3 clinical trial.

Raw materials, intermediates, drug substance and drug product are tested using cGMP assays developed with our know-how to assess the key quality attributes of identity, potency and purity of the natural product. Identity testing has been developed to assure the presence of live spore forms in the product. Potency assays assure the dose of spores, and assess stability of the spores and the product form during storage. Proprietary microbiological purity assays have been developed to enable testing for microbial contaminants in the presence of the live spore product.

Once ingested, SER-109 spores administered to a patient multiply rapidly within the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the dosage required to treat a patient is modest. Moreover, based on the size of the recurrent CDI market, we expect the number of SER-109 doses necessary to meet expected market demand to also be modest. As a result, we believe we can address market demand with a relatively small-scale manufacturing process. Additionally, the need for donors to address anticipated market supply is also modest. If approved, we anticipate that we will be able to produce a sufficient commercial supply of SER-109 to meet estimated demand using donations from fewer than 20 human donors.

SER-262

We are developing SER-262, which is a multi-strain Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutic intended to be used following antibiotic treatment of primary CDI to prevent an initial recurrence of CDI. We are designing SER-262 to increase and improve diversity in the colonic microbiome after antibiotics following CDI. The results of our Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109 provided multiple insights that we are employing in the spore ecology used in SER-262, which consists of a subset of bacteria found in SER-109. Pre-clinical studies of SER-262 candidates have demonstrated efficacy in mouse and hamster models of CDI.

As part of our pre-clinical development of SER-262 we have screened multiple SER-262 candidates for efficacy, compositional optimization and pre-clinical safety in animal models. SER-262 candidates provided significant protection against CDI with reduced mortality, minimum weight loss and clinical score measures of efficacy. Protection was observed using some candidates across a 100-fold dose range with the magnitude of the efficacy signal decreasing at lower doses. Through additional screening of various compositions, we intend to identify an optimal composition of SER-262. We plan to conduct additional mouse and hamster studies as well as conduct further in vitro characterization of individual strains, including whole genome sequencing, sporulation efficiency and fermentation requirements in preparation for filing an IND.

 

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The results of some of these pre-clinical studies are depicted in the diagrams below.

We intend to file an IND to initiate clinical studies of SER-262 in the middle of 2016. Each of the strains used in our pre-clinical studies were purified from a qualified donor who participated in the SER-109 Phase 1b/2 clinical study. We believe that the prior clinical use of these strains may ease concerns over their safety in humans and may also limit pre-clinical toxicological studies that might otherwise be required. Additionally, given our ability to grow the spores in bacterial fermenters we will not require any additional donations from human donors for purposes of manufacturing SER-262.

SER-262 represents the continued evolution of our platform and capabilities, validating our ability to extend our technology to new indications. SER-262, unlike SER-109, is made in bacterial fermenters and in a rational in vitro design similar to a fixed dose combination of small or large molecules. We intend to use this approach going forward for future Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics, which will eliminate the need for ongoing human donors in the CMC process.

Manufacturing

To manufacture SER-262, bacterial components for formulation will be fermented and purified as spores. The bacterial components will originate from cGMP master cell banks that will be manufactured and released starting from proprietary research cell banks. Research cell banks have been made for each strain by clonal isolation and multiple rounds of purification, followed by banking. We expect these banks will be ready for transfer to cGMP manufacturing for master cell banking following testing for identity and microbiological purity. The strains have been cultured in controlled fermentations with above-target yields on average to meet projected initial clinical testing needs. Optimization is on-going to define cultivation conditions that promote spore formation. We expect that subsequent purification processing, and formulation chemistries and processes, will enable final drug products containing both purified spores and combinations of spores with vegetative bacteria.

Other Product Candidates and Products in Discovery

SER-287

We have an active pre-clinical program to develop an Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutic for IBD, including ulcerative colitis. Consistent with our approach to rational drug design, we based this program on clinical observations and hypotheses about the role of a dysbiotic microbiome as the proximal cause of disease.

 

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Recent published third-party research reported changes in the microbiome in a cohort of patients with IBD, including ulcerative colitis, compared to healthy individuals. The changes include higher levels of Enterobacteriaceae and lower levels of Clostridiales. The changes in these organisms are a form of dysbiosis, and we believe that if we can repopulate keystone organisms and functional pathways we could restore the microbiome thereby treating ulcerative colitis.

Based on this research and our experience with SER-109, we believe that we can use a complex spore ecology to restore the underlying dysbiosis of ulcerative colitis. SER-109 is comprised of organisms in the class of Clostridiales, which engraft after treatment with SER-109. SER-109 has also been shown to reduce the colonization of Enterobacteriaceae in CDI patients. We are developing SER-287 to treat ulcerative colitis. To derive SER-287, we will use data generated in our studies of SER-109. We are currently researching SER-287 and anticipate initiating a Phase 1b proof-of-concept clinical trial for SER-287 for ulcerative colitis by the end of 2015.

SER-155

We have an active pre-clinical program to develop Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics for other infectious diseases. The Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109 provided initial evidence suggesting that Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics have the potential to eliminate colonization by microbial pathogens, such as VRE and Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae. Enterobacteriaceae, such as Klebsiella, Morganella and Proteus, normally are present at low levels in the healthy colon, but like C. difficile, they can overgrow after antibiotic use. Enterobacteriaceae can include multidrug resistant organisms, or MDROs, that represent significant public health concerns. For example, carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, is a significant problem in the United States. VRE, CRE and other MDROs colonize the gastrointestinal tract after antibiotic use and can spread through contact with patients and healthcare workers both in institutional and in community settings.

We are currently designing and developing SER-155, an Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutic that is expected to have activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative enteric bacterial pathogens. We expect SER-155 to be used for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to eliminate colonization and prevent infection. The selection of indication will be based on pre-clinical screening efforts, and the assessment of clinical development plan, regulatory path and market opportunities. We plan to conduct additional mouse and hamster studies as well as conduct further in vitro characterization of individual strains, including whole genome sequencing, sporulation efficiency and fermentation requirements in preparation for filing an IND.

Sales and Marketing

In light of our stage of development, we have not yet established a commercial organization. If SER-109 is approved in the United States, we plan to commercialize it with our own focused specialty sales force. We believe we can effectively commercialize SER-109 with a commercial team of 100 or fewer sales representatives that will target gastrointestinal and infectious disease physicians, which are the two primary groups of physicians who treat multiple recurrent CDI patients.

In addition, we expect to utilize a variety of types of collaboration, distribution and other marketing arrangements with one or more third parties to commercialize SER-109 and SER-262 in markets outside the United States.

 

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Manufacturing

The production of live bacterial products is highly specialized. Owing to their hardiness and environmental persistence, production of spore-forming organisms poses unique considerations for product, personnel and facility protection. Manufacturing activities with spores are subject to additional regulations. We believe that many of the challenges associated with manufacturing bacterial combinations are overcome by the low dose requirements of our product. For example, we expect that a typical fermentation will yield thousands of doses per liter. Additionally, because a given total dose is split between several strains, the per-strain requirements for production may be even lower. As a result, we believe the high productivity relative to the dose level will enable production scales for both clinical and commercial supply to be modest.

We have developed a supply chain for producing and testing materials to ensure the availability of future clinical trial supplies. Our development processes are designed to provide that all raw materials, process technologies and analytical tests we use are scalable and transferable to a cGMP manufacturing environment. These include the following core elements:

 

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Fermentation.    We believe that microscale screening is possible for optimization of the bacterial cultures of interest in our current and foreseeable candidates. These screens will focus a given strain on the fermentation platform that is best-suited for optimization and scale-up. Small-scale fermentation systems (0.1 L to 20 L) enable the optimization of a wide variety of culture conditions and have been demonstrated to be scalable to commercial fermentation processes and enable technology transfer to clinical and final manufacturing scales. We employ platform fermentation processes as starting conditions for cGMP production schemes, and when required, will develop strain specific process parameters. To develop master cell banks and bulk drug substance for commercial product, we plan to use bacterial strains originating from the research cell bank, so we expect the research cell banks and final drug product will be genetically and physiologically similar.

 

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Purification.    Similar to fermentation, we believe small-scale purification, formulation, filling and dosage preparation operations are available to complete bench-scale manufacturing and/or spores, which quickly assess the final process yield, quality and robustness.

 

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Formulation.    Our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics are combinations of live bacteria and can be administered by a number of methods and by different routes. The primary goal in developing formulation is to deliver the bacteria to the intended location in a condition where they are able to replicate and correct dysbiosis. Formulation development will generally use approved excipients and preservatives, and will include screening of both liquid and solid formulations to maximize the opportunity for extended stability with minimal cold-chain requirements.

 

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Analytical.    We intend to address quality control requirements for our Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics using proprietary microbiological and sequence-based testing schemes. We have available and are further developing quality control and in-process analytical tools that can quantitatively measure the composition of spore, vegetative microbe and spore/vegetative combinations, which we believe enable a wide variety of drug substances to be manufactured. Throughout the bioprocess and formulation development platform we plan to use high-throughput quantitative analytics to assess the identity, potency and purity of the final product.

We currently have a pilot manufacturing facility at our Cambridge location where we conduct process development, scale-up activities and a portion of the cGMP manufacture of Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics. We currently intend to establish a manufacturing facility for our product candidates for production at a commercial scale which we may do by expanding our current facility or building additional facilities.

 

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Intellectual Property

We strive to protect the proprietary technology that we believe is important to our business, including seeking and, if granted, maintaining patents intended to cover our product candidates and compositions, their methods of use and processes for their manufacture and any other aspects of inventions that are commercially important to the development of our business. We also rely on trade secrets to protect aspects of our business that are not amenable to, or that we do not consider appropriate for, patent protection.

We plan to continue to expand our intellectual property estate by filing patent applications directed to compositions, methods of treatment, methods of manufacture and methods for patient selection created or identified from our ongoing development of our product candidates. Our success will depend on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other proprietary protection for commercially important technology, inventions and know-how related to our business, defend and enforce any patents that we may obtain, preserve the confidentiality of our trade secrets and operate without infringing the valid and enforceable patents and proprietary rights of third parties. We also rely on know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our proprietary position and, in the future, may rely on or leverage in-licensing opportunities. We seek to obtain domestic and international patent protection, and endeavor to promptly file patent applications for new commercially valuable inventions.

The patent positions of biopharmaceutical companies like us are generally uncertain and involve complex legal, scientific and factual questions. In addition, the coverage claimed in a patent may be challenged in courts after issuance. Moreover, many jurisdictions permit third parties to challenge issued patents in administrative proceedings, which may result in further narrowing or even cancellation of patent claims. We cannot predict whether the patent applications we are currently pursuing will issue as patents in any particular jurisdiction or at all, whether the claims of any patent applications, should they issue, will cover our product candidates, or whether the claims of any issued patents will provide sufficient protection from competitors or otherwise provide any competitive advantage.

Because patent applications in the United States and certain other jurisdictions are maintained in secrecy for 18 months or potentially even longer, and because publication of discoveries in the scientific or patent literature often lags behind actual discoveries and patent application filings, we cannot be certain of the priority of inventions covered by pending patent applications. Accordingly, we may not have been the first to invent the subject matter disclosed in some of our patent applications or the first to file patent applications covering such subject matter, and we may have to participate in interference proceedings or derivation proceedings declared by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, to determine priority of invention.

Our patent portfolio includes patent applications in the early stages of prosecution and three issued patents. For our pending applications, we anticipate determining, in advance of the applicable deadlines, whether to pursue these applications and if so will pursue them in the United States and selected ex-U.S. jurisdictions. Substantive patent prosecution before the USPTO was begun in four applications from two patent families, and three of these have issued as patents. We believe that issued claims will provide protection for SER-109, SER-262, SER-287 and SER-155.

Our patent estate leverages both offensive and defensive strategies. As of May 31, 2015, we owned a total of nine patent application families that include Patent Cooperation Treaty, or PCT, applications and/or U.S. patent applications, and some of these families are described briefly below. We also own two additional patent application families that include only U.S. provisional applications that will not themselves be examined and for which the deadline to file PCT applications and/or U.S.

 

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non-provisional applications has not yet expired. The pending patent applications as of May 31, 2015 in six of the patent application families in our portfolio are described briefly below. We expect to pursue additional applications in these families over time.

 

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A family related to binary combinations of microbes that includes the following issued and pending applications: (i) an issued U.S. patent, which claims therapeutic compositions that include selected binary combinations of microbes; (ii) an issued U.S. patent, which claims methods of using such compositions to treat or prevent CDI; (iii) a continuation U.S. patent application and (iv) a PCT application claiming similar methods and compositions. We have initiated the filing of national stage applications based on this PCT application in 11 ex-U.S. jurisdictions. Patents issuing from or based on these applications, if any, are expected to expire in 2033, assuming all required maintenance fees are paid and absent any applicable patent term extension or patent term adjustment. We expect this patent application family to provide patent protection for SER-109, SER-262, SER-287 and SER-155.

 

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A family related to combinations of bacterial spores that includes the following issued and pending applications: (i) one issued U.S. patent and one U.S. application that claim certain methods of treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, including Crohn’s disease and colitis, using combinations of bacterial spores and (ii) a PCT application claiming similar methods, as well as related compositions. The time period for electing to pursue foreign patent protection by filing national stage applications in individual jurisdictions based on this PCT application has not yet expired, and we will need to decide whether and where to pursue ex-U.S. protection before expiration of the applicable deadlines. Patents issuing from or based on these applications, if any, are expected to expire in 2034, assuming all required maintenance fees are paid and absent any applicable patent term extension or patent term adjustment. We expect this patent application family to provide patent protection for SER-109, SER-262, SER-287 and SER-155.

 

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A family that includes a pending PCT application related to compositions of matter and methods for new combinations of microbes for treating gastrointestinal diseases. The time period for electing to pursue US and foreign patent protection by filing national stage applications in individual jurisdictions based on this PCT application has not yet expired, and we will need to decide whether and where to pursue U.S. and ex-U.S. protection before expiration of the applicable deadlines. If we do pursue protection in one or more jurisdictions, patents based on this application, if granted, are expected to expire in 2034, assuming all required maintenance fees are paid and absent any applicable patent term extension or patent term adjustment.

 

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A family that includes a pending PCT application related to Ecobiotic quality control and characterization methods. The time period for electing to pursue U.S. and foreign patent protection by filing national stage applications in individual jurisdictions based on this PCT application has not yet expired, and we will need to decide whether and where to pursue US and ex-US protection before expiration of the applicable deadlines. If we do pursue protection in one or more jurisdictions, patents based on this application, if granted, are expected to expire in 2034, assuming all required maintenance fees are paid and absent any applicable patent term adjustment.

 

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A family that includes a pending PCT application related to methods of restructuring of a host microbiome using microbial populations identified using our network-based discovery platforms. The time period for electing to pursue U.S. and foreign patent protection by filing national stage applications in individual jurisdictions based on this PCT application has not yet expired, and we will need to decide whether and where to pursue U.S. and ex-U.S. protection before expiration of the applicable deadlines. If we do pursue protection in one or more jurisdictions, patents based on this application, if granted, are expected to expire in 2034, assuming all required maintenance fees are paid.

 

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A family that includes a pending PCT application related to compositions of matter and methods of treating disorders with compositions that include, for example, ternary combinations of microbes. The time period for electing to pursue U.S. and foreign patent protection by filing national stage applications in individual jurisdictions based on this PCT application has not yet expired, and we will need to decide whether and where to pursue U.S. and ex-U.S. protection before expiration of the applicable deadlines. If we do pursue protection in one or more jurisdictions, patents based on this application, if granted, are expected to expire in 2034, assuming all required maintenance fees are paid and absent any applicable patent term extension or patent term adjustment.

Patent term

The base term of a U.S. patent is 20 years from the filing date of the earliest-filed non-provisional, patent application from which the patent claims priority. The term of a U.S. patent can be lengthened by patent term adjustment, which compensates the owner of the patent for administrative delays at the USPTO. In some cases, the term of a U.S. patent is shortened by terminal disclaimer that reduces its term to that of an earlier-expiring patent.

The term of a U.S. patent may be eligible for patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Act, to account for at least some of the time the drug is under development and regulatory review after the patent is granted. With regard to a drug for which FDA approval is the first permitted marketing of the active ingredient, the Hatch-Waxman Act allows for extension of the term of one U.S. patent that includes at least one claim covering the composition of matter of such an FDA-approved drug, an FDA-approved method of treatment using the drug and/or a method of manufacturing the FDA-approved drug. The extended patent term cannot exceed the shorter of five years beyond the non-extended expiration of the patent or fourteen years from the date of the FDA approval of the drug, and a patent cannot be extended more than once or for more than a single product. During the period of extension, if granted, the scope of exclusivity is limited to the approved product for approved uses. Some foreign jurisdictions, including Europe and Japan, have analogous patent term extension provisions, which allow for extension of the term of a patent that covers a drug approved by the applicable foreign regulatory agency. In the future, if and when our product candidates receive FDA approval, we expect to apply, if appropriate, for patent term extension on patents covering those product candidates, their methods of use and/or methods of manufacture.

Trade secrets

In addition to patents, we rely on trade secrets and know-how to develop and maintain our competitive position. We typically rely on trade secrets to protect aspects of our business that are not amenable to, or that we do not consider appropriate for, patent protection. We protect trade secrets and know-how by establishing confidentiality agreements and invention assignment agreements with our employees, consultants, scientific advisors, contractors and collaborators. These agreements provide that all confidential information developed or made known during the course of an individual or entities’ relationship with us must be kept confidential during and after the relationship. These agreements also provide that all inventions resulting from work performed for us or relating to our business and conceived or completed during the period of employment or assignment, as applicable, shall be our exclusive property. In addition, we take other appropriate precautions, such as physical and technological security measures, to guard against misappropriation of our proprietary information by third parties.

 

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Competition

The development and commercialization of new drug and biologic products is highly competitive and is characterized by rapid and substantial technological development and product innovations. We face competition with respect to our current product candidates, and will face competition with respect to any product candidates that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future, from major pharmaceutical companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies worldwide. We are aware of a number of large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Merck, Shire, Sanofi, Pfizer and Novartis, as well as smaller, early-stage companies, that are pursuing the development of products, including microbiome therapeutics, for the prevention of CDI and other disease indications we are targeting. Some of these competitive products and therapies are based on scientific approaches that are the same as or similar to our approach, and others may be based on entirely different approaches. For example, FMT is a procedure that has resulted in high cure rates for recurrent CDI and our competitors and physicians may continue to seek to standardize and implement this procedure. Potential competitors also include academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research organizations that conduct research, seek patent protection and establish collaborative arrangements for research, development, manufacturing and commercialization.

Many of the companies against which we are competing or against which we may compete in the future have significantly greater financial resources, established presence in the market and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, pre-clinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors.

These third parties compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, sales and marketing and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.

The key competitive factors affecting the success of SER-109 and any other product candidates that we develop, if approved, are likely to be their efficacy, safety, convenience, price, the level of competition and the availability of reimbursement from government and other third-party payors.

Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize products that are more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient or are less expensive than any products that we may develop. Our competitors also may obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market, especially for any competitor developing a microbiome therapeutic which will likely share our same regulatory approval requirements. In addition, our ability to compete may be affected in many cases by insurers or other third-party payors seeking to encourage the use of lower cost products.

Government Regulation

The FDA and other regulatory authorities at federal, state and local levels, as well as in foreign countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, quality control, import, export, safety, effectiveness, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, record keeping, approval, advertising, promotion, marketing, post-approval monitoring and post-approval reporting of drugs and biologics such as those we are developing. We, along with our contract manufacturers, will be required to navigate the various pre-clinical, clinical and commercial approval requirements of the governing regulatory agencies of the countries in which we wish to conduct studies

 

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or seek approval for our product candidates. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and ensuring subsequent compliance with appropriate federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.

In the United States, the FDA regulates drug and biologic products under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, its implementing regulations and other laws, including, in the case of biologics, the Public Health Service Act. Our product candidates are subject to regulation by the FDA as biologics. Biologics require the submission of a biologics license application, or BLA, and approval by the FDA before being marketed in the United States. None of our product candidates has been approved by the FDA for marketing in the United States, and we currently have no BLAs pending. If we fail to comply with applicable FDA or other requirements at any time during product development, clinical testing, the approval process or after approval, we may become subject to administrative or judicial sanctions. These sanctions could include the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications, suspension or revocation of approved applications, warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspensions of manufacturing or distribution, injunctions, fines, civil penalties or criminal prosecution. Any FDA enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on us.

The process required by the FDA before our biologic product candidates may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:

 

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completion of pre-clinical laboratory tests and animal studies performed in accordance with the FDA’s good laboratory practice, or GLP, regulations;

 

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submission to the FDA of an IND, which must become effective before clinical trials in the United States may begin;

 

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performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the product candidate for each proposed indication, conducted in accordance with the FDA’s good clinical practice, or GCP, regulations;

 

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submission to the FDA of a BLA;

 

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satisfactory completion of an FDA inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the product is produced to assess compliance with cGMP regulations; and

 

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FDA review and approval of the BLA prior to any commercial marketing, sale or shipment of the product.

The testing and approval process requires substantial time, effort and financial resources, and we cannot be certain that any approvals for our product candidates will be granted on a timely basis, if at all.

Pre-clinical and Clinical Trials

Once a product candidate is identified for development, it enters the pre-clinical testing stage. Pre-clinical studies include laboratory evaluations of drug chemistry, formulation and stability, as well as studies to evaluate toxicity in animals, which must be conducted in accordance with GLP requirements. The results of the pre-clinical studies, together with manufacturing information and analytical data, are submitted to the FDA as part of an IND. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day time period, raises concerns or questions about the conduct of the clinical trial, including concerns that human research subjects will be exposed to unreasonable health risks. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before the clinical trial can begin. Submission of an IND may result in the FDA not allowing clinical trials to commence or not allowing clinical trials to commence on the terms

 

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originally specified in the IND. A separate submission to an existing IND must also be made for each successive clinical trial conducted during product development, and the FDA must grant permission, either explicitly or implicitly by not objecting, before each clinical trial can begin.

Clinical trials involve the administration of the product candidate to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the clinical trial and the parameters and criteria to be used in monitoring safety and evaluating effectiveness. Each protocol must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. An independent institutional review board, or IRB, for each medical center proposing to participate in a clinical trial must also review and approve the clinical trial before it can begin at that center, and the IRB must monitor the clinical trial until it is completed. The FDA, the IRB, or the sponsor may suspend or discontinue a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Clinical testing also must satisfy extensive GCP requirements, including requirements for informed consent.

For purposes of BLA approval, clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases, which may overlap or be combined.

 

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Phase 1 — Phase 1 clinical trials involve initial introduction of the investigational product into healthy human subjects or patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism and distribution of the investigational product in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible, to gain early evidence on effectiveness.

 

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Phase 2 — Phase 2 clinical trials involve administration of the investigational product to a limited patient population with a specified disease or condition to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, optimal dosages and dosing schedule and to identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks.

 

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Phase 3 — Phase 3 clinical trials involve administration of the investigational product to an expanded patient population to further evaluate dosage, to provide statistically significant evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally at multiple geographically dispersed clinical trial sites. These clinical trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit ratio of the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product approval.

In some cases, the FDA may condition approval of a BLA on the sponsor’s agreement to conduct additional clinical trials to further assess the biologic’s safety and effectiveness after BLA approval. Such post-approval clinical trials are typically referred to as Phase 4 clinical trials.

Although most clinical research performed in the United States in support of a BLA must be authorized in advance by the FDA, under the IND regulations and procedures described above, there are certain circumstances under which clinical trials can be conducted without submission of an IND. For example, a sponsor who wishes to conduct a clinical trial outside the United States may, but need not, obtain FDA authorization to conduct the clinical trial under an IND. Similarly, the FDA may exercise enforcement discretion to permit sponsors to conduct certain types of clinical investigations without an IND. Pursuant to the FDA guidance document “Enforcement Policy Regarding Investigational New Drug Requirements for Use of Fecal Microbiota for Transplantation to Treat Clostridium difficile Infection Not Responsive to Standard Therapies” (July 2013), the FDA currently exercises enforcement discretion regarding the IND requirements for the use of FMT to treat CDI not responsive to standard therapies, provided that the treating physician obtains adequate informed consent from the patient or his or her legally authorized representative for the use of FMT products. The FDA provided confirmation that it intends to exercise enforcement discretion with respect to our Phase 1b/2 clinical study of SER-109, a modified FMT product, and accordingly, we did not conduct

 

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this trial under an IND. However, the guidance document states that the FDA will continue to work with any sponsors who wish to submit INDs for this use of FMT, and we intend to conduct all future clinical studies of SER-109, including our Phase 2 clinical study and our planned Phase 3 clinical trial, under an IND.

Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the biologic and finalize a process for manufacturing the biologic in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and manufacturers must develop, among other things, methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final biological product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.

BLA Submission and FDA Review

The results of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, together with other detailed information, including extensive manufacturing information and information on the composition of the biologic, are submitted to the FDA in the form of a BLA requesting approval to market the biologic for one or more specified indications. The submission of a BLA requires payment of a substantial user fee unless a waiver is granted. Each BLA submitted to the FDA is reviewed for administrative completeness and reviewability within 60 days of the FDA’s receipt of the application. If the BLA is found to be complete, the FDA will file the BLA, triggering a full review of the application. The FDA may refuse to file any BLA that it deems incomplete or not properly reviewable at the time of submission.

Once a BLA has been accepted for filing, by law the FDA has 180 days to review the application and respond to the applicant. However, the review process is often significantly extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, the FDA has a goal of reviewing BLAs within ten months of the 60-day filing date for standard review or six months for priority review, but the overall timeframe is often extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification. The FDA reviews a BLA to determine, among other things, whether the biological product is safe, pure and potent and whether the facility or facilities in which it is manufactured meet standards designed to assure the product’s continued safety, purity and potency. The FDA may refer the application to an advisory committee for review, evaluation and recommendation as to whether the application should be approved. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but it generally follows such recommendations. Before approving a BLA, the FDA will inspect the facility or the facilities at which the biologic product is manufactured, and will not approve the product unless cGMP compliance is satisfactory. The FDA may also inspect the sites at which the clinical trials were conducted to assess their compliance with GCP requirements, and will not approve the biologic unless compliance with such requirements is satisfactory.

The FDA may deny approval of a BLA if the applicable statutory and regulatory criteria are not satisfied, or it may require additional pre-clinical or clinical data. Even if such data are submitted, the FDA may ultimately decide that the BLA does not satisfy the criteria for approval. Data from clinical trials are not always conclusive and the FDA may interpret data differently than sponsors. Once the FDA approves a BLA, such approval may limit the indicated uses for which the biologic may be marketed. The FDA may also require implementation of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, which can include a medication guide, communication plan, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, physician training, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. The FDA also may condition approval on, among other things, changes to proposed labeling claims or the development of adequate controls and specifications. Once approved, the FDA may

 

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withdraw the product approval if compliance with pre- and post-marketing regulatory standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. The FDA may require one or more Phase 4 post-market studies and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialization, and may limit further marketing based on the results of these post-marketing studies.

The biologic testing and approval processes require substantial time, effort and financial resources, and each may take several years to complete. The FDA may not grant approval on a timely basis, or at all. Even if we believe a clinical trial has demonstrated safety and efficacy of one of our product candidates for the treatment of a disease or condition, the results may not be satisfactory to the FDA. Pre-clinical and clinical data may be interpreted by the FDA in different ways, which could delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. We may encounter difficulties or unanticipated costs in our efforts to secure necessary governmental approvals which could delay or preclude us from marketing our product candidates. The FDA may limit the indications for use or place other conditions on any approvals that could restrict the commercial application of our products. After approval, certain changes to the approved biologic, such as adding new indications, manufacturing changes or additional labeling claims, are subject to further FDA review and approval. Depending on the nature of the change proposed, a BLA supplement must be filed and approved before the change may be implemented. For many proposed post-approval changes to a BLA, the FDA has up to 180 days to review the application. As with new BLAs, the review process is often significantly extended by the FDA requests for additional information or clarification.

Expedited Development and Review Programs

The FDA maintains several programs intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new drugs and biologics to address unmet medical needs in the treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions. These programs include fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation, priority review designation and accelerated approval, and the purpose of these programs is to provide important new drugs to patients earlier than under standard FDA review procedures.

A new drug or biologic is eligible for fast track designation if it is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for such disease or condition. Fast track designation provides increased opportunities for sponsor meetings with the FDA during pre-clinical and clinical development, in addition to the potential for rolling review once a marketing application is filed, meaning that the agency may review portions of the marketing application before the sponsor submits the complete application, as well as priority review, discussed below. In addition, a new drug or biologic may be eligible for breakthrough therapy designation if it is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. Breakthrough therapy designation provides all the features of fast track designation in addition to intensive guidance on an efficient drug development program beginning as early as Phase 1, and FDA organizational commitment to expedited development, including involvement of senior managers and experienced review staff in a cross-disciplinary review, where appropriate.

Any product submitted to the FDA for approval, including a product with fast track or breakthrough therapy designation, may also be eligible for additional FDA programs intended to expedite the review process, including priority review designation and accelerated approval. A product is eligible for priority review if it has the potential to provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious disease or condition. The FDA aims

 

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to review applications for new products designated for priority review within six months, compared to ten months under standard review. Additionally, products intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions may receive accelerated approval. Products are eligible for accelerated approval if they can be shown to have an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or an effect on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality which is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. Accelerated approval is usually contingent on a sponsor’s agreement to conduct additional post-approval studies to verify and describe the product’s clinical benefit. In addition, the FDA currently requires, as a condition for accelerated approval, pre-approval of all promotional materials intended for dissemination or publication within 120 days following marketing approval, which could adversely impact the timing of commercial launch of the product.

Fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation, priority review designation and accelerated approval do not change the standards for approval but may expedite the development or review process. We have received Breakthrough Therapy designation for SER-109, and we may apply for one or more of the FDA’s expedited programs for our other product candidates. The FDA may disagree that our product candidates satisfy the criteria for such programs, such programs may fail to result in expedited development or review timelines, or the FDA may ultimately refuse to approve our product candidates despite their inclusion in any expedited programs. In addition, if the Breakthrough Therapy designation for SER-109 is no longer supported by subsequent data, FDA may rescind the designation.

Post-Approval Requirements

Approved biologics that are manufactured or distributed in the United States are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to recordkeeping, periodic reporting, product distribution, advertising and promotion and reporting of adverse experiences with the product. There also are continuing, annual user fee requirements for products and the establishments at which such products are manufactured, as well as new application fees for certain supplemental applications.

Any biologics manufactured or distributed by us or our contract manufactures pursuant to FDA approvals would be subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including recordkeeping requirements and reporting of adverse experiences associated with the product. Manufacturers and their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with ongoing regulatory requirements, including cGMP, which impose certain procedural and documentation requirements upon us and our contract manufacturers. Failure to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements can subject a manufacturer to possible legal or regulatory action, such as warning letters, suspension of manufacturing, product seizures, injunctions, civil penalties or criminal prosecution. We cannot be certain that we or our present or future third-party manufacturers or suppliers will be able to comply with the cGMP regulations and other ongoing FDA regulatory requirements. If we or our present or future third-party manufacturers or suppliers are not able to comply with these requirements, the FDA may halt our clinical trials, require us to recall a product from distribution or withdraw approval of the BLA for that product.

Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information, requirements for post-market studies or clinical trials to assess new safety risks, or imposition of

 

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distribution or other restrictions under a REMS. Other potential consequences include, among other things:

 

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restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;

 

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fines, warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical trials;

 

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refusal of the FDA to approve applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of product approvals;

 

•

product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; or

 

•

injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

The FDA closely regulates the post-approval marketing and promotion of biologics, including standards and regulations for direct-to-consumer advertising, off-label promotion, industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities, and promotional activities involving the internet and social media. A company can make only those claims relating to safety and efficacy that are approved by the FDA. Physicians may prescribe legally available biologics for uses that are not described in the product’s labeling and that differ from those tested by us and approved by the FDA. The FDA does not regulate the behavior of physicians in their choice of treatments. The FDA does, however, impose stringent restrictions on manufacturers’ communications regarding off-label use. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising and potential civil and criminal penalties.

Biosimilars

We believe that any of our product candidates approved under a BLA should qualify for a 12-year period of exclusivity against biosimilar competition currently permitted by the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act, or BPCIA. Specifically, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enacted in 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, collectively the Affordable Care Act, the BPCIA established an abbreviated pathway for the approval of biosimilar and interchangeable biological products. The new abbreviated regulatory pathway provides legal authority for the FDA to review and approve biosimilar biologics based on their similarity to an existing brand product, referred to as a reference product, including the possible designation of a biosimilar as interchangeable with a brand product. Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product cannot be approved by the FDA until 12 years after the original brand product was approved under a BLA. There is a risk that, as proposed by President Obama, Congress could amend the BPCIA to significantly shorten this exclusivity period or that the FDA will not consider our product candidates to be reference products for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for biosimilar competition sooner than anticipated. Moreover, the extent to which a biosimilar, once approved, will be substituted for any one of our reference products in a way that is similar to traditional generic substitution for non-biological drug products is not yet clear, and will depend on a number of marketplace and regulatory factors that are still developing. The BPCIA is complex and is only beginning to be interpreted and implemented by the FDA. As a result, its ultimate impact, implementation and meaning is subject to uncertainty. While it is uncertain when any such processes may be fully adopted by the FDA, any such processes that operate to limit the scope or length of exclusivity afforded by the BPCIA could have a material adverse effect on the future commercial prospects for our biological products. In addition, the period of exclusivity provided by the BPCIA only operates against third parties seeking approval via the abbreviated pathway, but would not prevent third parties from pursuing approval via the traditional approval pathway. In addition, foreign regulatory authorities may also provide for exclusivity periods for approved biological products. For

 

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example, biological products in the European Union may be eligible for at least a ten-year period of exclusivity.

Orphan Drug Designation

Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan designation to a drug or biologic intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or if it affects more than 200,000 individuals in the United States, there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making the product available in the United States for the disease or condition will be recovered from sales of the product. Orphan designation must be requested before submitting a BLA. Orphan designation does not convey any advantage in or shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process, though companies developing orphan products are eligible for certain incentives, including tax credits for qualified clinical testing and waiver of application fees.

If a product that has orphan designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease or condition for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to a seven-year period of marketing exclusivity during which the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same therapeutic agent for the same indication, except in limited circumstances, such as a subsequent product’s showing of clinical superiority over the product with orphan exclusivity. Competitors, however, may receive approval of different therapeutic agents for the indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity or obtain approval for the same therapeutic agent for a different indication than that for which the orphan product has exclusivity. Orphan product exclusivity could block the approval of one of our products for seven years if a competitor obtains approval for the same therapeutic agent for the same indication before we do, unless we are able to demonstrate that our product is clinically superior. Further, if a designated orphan product receives marketing approval for an indication broader than the rare disease or condition for which it received orphan designation, it may not be entitled to orphan exclusivity.

We may seek orphan designation for one or more of our product candidates, but the FDA may disagree with our analysis of the prevalence of a disease or condition or other criteria for designation and refuse to grant orphan status. We cannot guarantee that we will obtain designation or approval for any product candidate, or that we will be able to secure orphan product exclusivity if we do obtain approval.

Other Healthcare Laws

Although we currently do not have any products on the market, if our product candidates are approved and we begin commercialization, we will be subject to healthcare regulation and enforcement by the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. These laws include, without limitation, state and federal anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, false claims, privacy and security and physician sunshine laws and regulations.

The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits the offer, receipt, or payment of remuneration in exchange for or to induce the referral of patients or the use of products or services that would be paid for in whole or part by Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs. Remuneration has been broadly defined to include anything of value, including cash, improper discounts and free or reduced price items and services. The government has enforced the Anti-Kickback Statute to reach large settlements with healthcare companies based on sham research or consulting and other financial arrangements with physicians. Further, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute

 

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constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the False Claims Act (discussed below). Many states have similar laws that apply to their state healthcare programs as well as private payors.

The False Claims Act, or FCA, imposes liability on persons who, among other things, present or cause to be presented false or fraudulent claims for payment by a federal health care program. The FCA has been used to prosecute persons submitting claims for payment that are inaccurate or fraudulent, that are for services not provided as claimed, or for services that are not medically necessary. Actions under the FCA may be brought by the Attorney General or as a qui tam action by a private individual in the name of the government. Violations of the FCA can result in significant monetary penalties and treble damages. The federal government is using the FCA, and the accompanying threat of significant liability, in its investigation and prosecution of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies throughout the country, for example, in connection with the promotion of products for unapproved uses and other sales and marketing practices. The government has obtained multi-million and multi–billion dollar settlements under the FCA in addition to individual criminal convictions under applicable criminal statutes. In addition, companies have been forced to implement extensive corrective action plans, and have often become subject to consent decrees or corporate integrity agreements, severely restricting the manner in which they conduct their business. Given the significant size of actual and potential settlements, it is expected that the government will continue to devote substantial resources to investigating healthcare providers’ and manufacturers’ compliance with applicable fraud and abuse laws.

In addition, there has been a recent trend of increased federal and state regulation of payments made to physicians and other healthcare providers. The Affordable Care Act, among other things, imposed new reporting requirements on drug manufacturers for payments made by them to physicians and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Failure to submit required information may result in civil monetary penalties of up to an aggregate of $150,000 per year (or up to an aggregate of $1 million per year for “knowing failures”), for all payments, transfers of value or ownership or investment interests that are not timely, accurately and completely reported in an annual submission. Drug manufacturers were required to begin collecting data on August 1, 2013 and submit reports on aggregate payment data to the government for the first reporting period (August 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013) by March 31, 2014, and to report detailed payment data for the first reporting period and submit legal attestation to the accuracy of such data by June 30, 2014. Thereafter, drug manufacturers must submit reports by the 90th day of each subsequent calendar year. Certain states also mandate implementation of compliance programs, impose restrictions on drug manufacturer marketing practices and/or require the tracking and reporting of gifts, compensation and other remuneration to physicians.

We may also be subject to data privacy and security regulation by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, including the final omnibus rule published on January 25, 2013, imposes specified requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA’s privacy and security standards directly applicable to “business associates,” defined as independent contractors or agents of covered entities that create, receive, maintain or transmit protected health information in connection with providing a service for or on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also increased the civil and criminal penalties that may be imposed against covered entities, business associates and possibly other persons, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorney’s fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.

 

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The shifting commercial compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust systems to comply with different compliance and/or reporting requirements in multiple jurisdictions increase the possibility that a healthcare company may violate one or more of the requirements. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs and imprisonment, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results.

Coverage and Reimbursement

Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any product candidates for which we obtain regulatory approval. In both domestic and foreign markets, sales and reimbursement of any approved products will depend, in part, on the extent to which third-party payors, such as government health programs, commercial insurance and managed healthcare organizations provide coverage, and establish adequate reimbursement levels for, such products. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services and imposing controls to manage costs. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific products on an approved list, also known as a formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved products for a particular indication. Additionally, we may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of our products. If third-party payors do not consider our products to be cost-effective compared to other therapies, the payors may not cover our products as a benefit under their plans or, if they do, the level of reimbursement may not be sufficient to allow us to sell our products on a profitable basis.

The containment of healthcare costs also has become a priority of federal and state governments and the prices of drugs have been a focus in this effort. Governments have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit our net revenue and results.

Outside the United States, ensuring adequate coverage and payment for our products will face challenges. Pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to governmental control in many countries. Pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can extend well beyond the receipt of regulatory marketing approval for a product and may require us to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost effectiveness of our product candidates or products to other available therapies. Conducting such a clinical trial could be expensive and result in delays in our commercialization efforts. Third-party payors are challenging the prices charged for medical products and services, and many third-party payors limit reimbursement for newly approved healthcare products. Recent budgetary pressures in many countries are also causing governments to consider or implement various cost-containment measures, such as price freezes, increased price cuts and rebates. If budget pressures continue, governments may implement additional cost-containment measures. Cost-control initiatives could decrease the price we might establish for products that we may develop or sell, which would result in lower product revenues or royalties payable to us. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of our products.

Healthcare Reform

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changes to the healthcare system. It is uncertain what legislative proposals will be adopted or what actions federal, state or private payors for medical goods and services may take in response to any healthcare reform proposals or legislation. We cannot predict the effect medical or healthcare reforms may have on our business, and no assurance can be given that any such reforms will not have a material adverse effect.

By way of example, in March 2010, the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, which, among other things, includes changes to the coverage and payment for drug products under government health care programs. Among other things, the Affordable Care Act:

 

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expanded manufacturers’ rebate liability under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program by increasing the minimum rebate for both branded and generic drugs and revising the definition of ‘‘average manufacturer price,’’ or AMP, for calculating and reporting Medicaid drug rebates on outpatient prescription drug prices;

 

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extended Medicaid drug rebates, previously due only on fee-for-service utilization, to Medicaid managed care utilization, and created an alternate rebate formula for new formulations of certain existing products that is intended to increase the amount of rebates due on those drugs;

 

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expanded the types of entities eligible for the 340B drug discount program that mandates discounts to certain hospitals, community centers and other qualifying providers. With the exception of children’s hospitals, these newly eligible entities will not be eligible to receive discounted 340B pricing on orphan drugs. In addition, because 340B pricing is determined based on AMP and Medicaid drug rebate data, the revisions to the Medicaid rebate formula and AMP definition described above could cause the required 340B discounts to increase; and

 

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established the Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program by requiring manufacturers to provide a 50% point-of-sale-discount off the negotiated price of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period as a condition for the manufacturers’ outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D.

Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. In August 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, was unable to reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013 and, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will remain in effect through 2024 unless additional Congressional action is taken. In January 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, which, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including hospitals. Adoption of other new legislation at the federal or state level could further limit reimbursement for pharmaceuticals, including our product candidates if approved.

Employees

As of May 31, 2015, we had 46 full-time permanent employees. Eleven employees work in administration and operations and 35 work in research and development.

 

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Facilities

Research and Offices

Our corporate headquarters are located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where we currently sublease approximately 7,461 square feet of office space under a sublease that expires in February 2016. We also maintain a research and development facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where we lease approximately 13,568 square feet of space for office and laboratory facilities under a lease that expires in January 2018 and approximately 7,484 square feet under a lease that expires in April 2020.

Manufacturing

We currently conduct part of our manufacturing business in our leased laboratory facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We believe our current laboratory facilities are sufficient to meet our bioprocess development and manufacturing needs through mid-2015, after which we expect to require purpose-built or renovated space to prepare for commercialization of SER-109. SER-262, SER-287, SER-155 and other product candidates may be brought into the SER-109 facilities for economies of operation, or may remain external with contract manufacturing organizations, depending on business dynamics and development needs.

In preparation for commercial production of SER-109, we intend to bring raw material donor qualification and management and donation processing into a new facility operated by us that will meet commercial requirements. The location of this facility is yet to be determined. We estimate that capital costs for setting up such a facility will be approximately $2.0 million, and that it will be operated by our staff.

We plan to control the production of SER-109 under cGMP by making strategic investments in manufacturing, which may include collaborations with third parties, the design and renovation of existing facilities and the construction of new facilities.

Legal Proceedings

We are not party to any material legal proceedings.

 

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MANAGEMENT

Executive Officers, Key Employees and Directors

The following table sets forth the name, age and position of each of our executive officers, key employees and directors as of May 31, 2015.

 

Name		Age				Position
Executive Officers
Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.			58			President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
John G. Aunins, Ph.D.			54			Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Bioprocess Development
David N. Cook, Ph.D.			57			Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research & Development
Eric D. Shaff.			39			Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President
Michele Trucksis, Ph.D., M.D.			62			Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President
Other Key Employees
Matthew Henn, Ph.D.			40			Head of Drug Discovery & Bioinformatics and Vice President
Directors
Noubar B. Afeyan, Ph.D.(2)			52			Director
Dennis A. Ausiello, M.D.(3)			69			Director
Grégory Behar			45			Director
Werner Cautreels, Ph.D.(1)			62			Director
Peter Barton Hutt(2)(3)			80			Director
Richard N. Kender(1)(2)			59			Director
Lorence H. Kim, M.D.(1)(3)			41			Director

 

(1)	Member of the audit committee.

(2)	Member of the compensation committee.

(3)	Member of the nominating and corporate governance committee.

Executive Officers and Other Key Employees

Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D., has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since June 2014 and as Chairman of our board of directors since November 2013. Since July 2014, Dr. Pomerantz has been a Senior Partner at Flagship Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. From January 2011 to September 2013, Dr. Pomerantz was Worldwide Head of Licensing and Acquisitions and Senior Vice President at Merck & Co., Inc., or Merck, a pharmaceutical company, where he oversaw licensing and acquisitions for Merck Research Laboratories, the research and development division of Merck. From February 2010 to February 2013, Dr. Pomerantz served as Global Head of Infectious Diseases and Senior Vice President at Merck, where he oversaw pharmaceutical development and discovery of antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitic agents. Prior to Merck, Dr. Pomerantz was Global Head of Infectious Diseases for the pharmaceutical division of Johnson & Johnson, Inc., a multinational medical device, consumer goods and pharmaceutical corporation, where he was responsible for anti-infective agents worldwide. He joined Johnson & Johnson, Inc. in August 2005 as President of Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, Inc., now Janssen Therapeutics and a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of infectious diseases. Dr. Pomerantz has developed eight approved infectious disease drugs for diseases including HIV, HCV and tuberculosis. He also serves on the board of directors of Contrafect Corporation, a biotechnology company. Dr. Pomerantz received his B.A. in Biochemistry from The Johns Hopkins University and his M.D. from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. We believe Dr. Pomerantz’s extensive academic and clinical experience, as well as his knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, qualifies him to serve on our board of directors.

 

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John G. Aunins, Ph.D., has served as our Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Bioprocess Development since December 2012. Prior to joining our company, Dr. Aunins served on our Scientific Advisory Board from February 2012 to December 2012. From April 1989 to November 2011, Dr. Aunins served in various roles at Merck, most recently as Executive Science Director. At Merck, Dr. Aunins led process and product development teams for six licensed vaccines and multiple vaccine candidates. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and an adjunct Full Professor at the Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica e Biologica in Oeiras, Portugal. Dr. Aunins received his B.S. from the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

David N. Cook, Ph.D., has served as our Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research & Development since October 2012. From February 2010 to October 2012, Dr. Cook was the Chief Operating Officer at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, a global not-for-profit, research and development organization focused on the development of a safe and accessible vaccine for HIV. As Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Cook acted as the head of operations, overseeing seven international offices and research facilities. Dr. Cook received his A.B. from Harvard College and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

Matthew Henn, Ph.D., has served as our Head of Drug Discovery & Bioinformatics since December 2014 and as Vice President since May 2015. From June 2012 to December 2014, Dr. Henn served as our Head of Product Design. From April 2010 to June 2012, Dr. Henn was Director of Viral Genomics and, from May 2009 to April 2010, Assistant Director of the Genome Sequencing Center for Infectious Diseases at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, a biomedical research organization. Dr. Henn has over 60 peer-reviewed publications in microbiology and bioinformatics. He is a scientific advisor for the National Institutes of Health’s Viral Pathogen Bioinformatics Resource Center and served on the editorial board of Genome Medicine from 2010 to 2015. Dr. Henn received his B.S. from the University of New Hampshire and his Ph.D. in Ecosystem Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley.

Eric D. Shaff has served as our Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President since November 2014. From January 2012 to November 2014, Mr. Shaff was Vice President of Corporate Finance for Momenta Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company. From June 2004 to December 2011, Mr. Shaff held a number of corporate development and finance positions with Genzyme Corporation, a biotechnology company, most recently as Vice President of Finance/Controller for the Personalized Genetic Health division. Mr. Shaff received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and his MBA from Cornell University.

Michele Trucksis, Ph.D., M.D., has served as our Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President since January 2015. Dr. Trucksis has been an Associate Clinical Professor at Harvard Medical School since January 2005. From December 2006 to December 2014, Dr. Trucksis held various positions of increasing seniority at Merck Research Laboratories, the research and development division of Merck. Most recently, from June 2014 to December 2014, Dr. Trucksis served as Executive Director, Team Leader & Clinical Lead, Antifungals and Antibacterials where she was responsible for medical, clinical and global product development and strategy. From July 2011 to June 2014, Dr. Trucksis was Project Leader, Antifungals and Antibacterials, and from December 2006 to July 2011, she was Director in Clinical Pharmacology. Dr. Trucksis received her B.S. in Medical Technology from Youngstown State University, her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Kent State University and her M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Directors

Noubar B. Afeyan, Ph.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2010. Since 1999, Dr. Afeyan has served as the Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Flagship Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that he co-founded. Dr. Afeyan is serving or has served

 

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on the board of directors of several public and private companies, including BG Medicine, Inc., BIND Therapeutics, Inc., Eleven Biotherapeutics, Inc., Helicos Biosciences, Moderna Therapeutics, Inc. and Pronutria Biosciences, Inc. Dr. Afeyan received a B.S. from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We believe Dr. Afeyan is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive investment experience and his knowledge of the biotechnology industry.

Dennis A. Ausiello, M.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since April 2015. Dr. Ausiello serves as the Director of the Center for Assessment Technology and Continuous Health (CATCH), Jackson Distinguished Professor of Clinical Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Physician-in-Chief Emeritus at Massachusetts General Hospital. From 1996 to April 2013, Dr. Ausiello served as the Chief of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Ausiello is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Ausiello has also served on the board of directors of Pfizer Inc. since December 2006 and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals since April 2012, each a pharmaceutical company. Dr. Ausiello received his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. We believe that Dr. Ausiello is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive experience as a physician and as a director of pharmaceutical companies.

Grégory Behar has served as a member of our board of directors since December 2014. Mr. Behar has served as Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Health Science S.A., a health sciences company, since October 2014. From July 2011 to July 2014, Mr. Behar was President and Chief Executive Officer of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. (USA), a pharmaceutical company. From 2010 to July 2011, Mr. Behar was Corporate Vice President Region NECAR (North European Union, Canada and Australasia) for Boehringer-Ingelheim GmbH, a pharmaceutical company. Mr. Behar received his B.S. from the University of California, Los Angeles, a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing from EPFL in Switzerland and an MBA from INSEAD in France. We believe that Mr. Behar is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive business experience in the health sciences and pharmaceutical industries.

Werner Cautreels, Ph.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since March 2013. Dr. Cautreels has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Selecta Biosciences, a biotechnology company, since June 2010. From May 1998 to June 2010, Dr. Cautreels worked for Solvay Pharmaceuticals, the pharmaceutical division of the Solvay Group, which was acquired by Abbot Laboratories. Since 2009, Dr. Cautreels has served on the board of directors of Galapagos NV, a biotechnology company. Dr. Cautreels received a B.S. and M.S. and a doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Antwerp and an eMBA from Harvard Business School. We believe Dr. Cautreels is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive experience in the biotechnology industry.

Peter Barton Hutt has served as a member of our board of directors since May 2013. Mr. Hutt is senior counsel at Covington & Burling LLP, specializing in food and drug law. Mr. Hutt has served as a member of the board of directors of Q Therapeutics, Inc. since 2002, Xoma Corporation since 2005, Concert Pharmaceuticals since 2006, BIND Therapeutics, Inc. since 2008 DBV Technologies since 2009 and Flex Pharma, Inc. since 2014. Mr. Hutt previously served on the board of directors of Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Celera Corporation, which was acquired by Quest Diagnostics in 2011, and ISTA Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Bausch & Lomb in 2012. Mr. Hutt received a B.A. from Yale University, an LL.B. from Harvard Law School and an LL.M. from the New York University School of Law. We believe that Mr. Hutt is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his experience serving as a director of biotechnology companies and his legal and regulatory knowledge.

Richard N. Kender has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2014. From October 1978 to September 2013, Mr. Kender held positions in a variety of corporate areas at Merck,

 

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most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Licensing. Mr. Kender serves on the board of directors of INC Research Holdings, Inc., a contract research organization. Mr. Kender received a B.S. from Villanova University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. We believe Mr. Kender is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his extensive business experience and his knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry.

Lorence H. Kim, M.D., has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2014. Since April 2014, Dr. Kim has been the Chief Financial Officer of Moderna Therapeutics, a biotechnology company. From July 2000 to April 2014, Dr. Kim held a number of positions at Goldman, Sachs & Co., an investment bank, most recently as Managing Director and Co-Head of Biotechnology Investment Banking. Dr. Kim received an A.B. from Harvard University, an MBA in Healthcare Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine. We believe Dr. Kim is qualified to serve on our board of directors because of his investment experience and knowledge of the biotechnology industry.

Board Composition and Election of Directors

Director Independence

Our board of directors currently consists of eight members. Our board of directors has determined that, of our eight directors, Drs. Noubar B. Afeyan, Dennis A. Ausiello, Werner Cautreels and Lorence H. Kim and Messrs. Grégory Behar, Peter Barton Hutt and Richard N. Kender do not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of these directors is “independent” as that term is defined under the rules of The NASDAQ Global Market, or NASDAQ. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.

Classified Board of Directors

In accordance with our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws that will go into effect upon the closing of this offering, our board of directors will be divided into three classes with staggered, three-year terms. At each annual meeting of stockholders, the successors to directors whose terms then expire will be elected to serve from the time of election and qualification until the third annual meeting following election. Effective upon the closing of this offering, our directors will be divided among the three classes as follows:

 

•

the Class I directors will be Dennis A. Ausiello, Werner Cautreels and Roger J. Pomerantz, and their terms will expire at our first annual meeting of stockholders following this offering;

 

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the Class II directors will be Peter Barton Hutt, Richard N. Kender and Lorence H. Kim, and their terms will expire at our second annual meeting of stockholders following this offering; and

 

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the Class III directors will be Noubar B. Afeyan and Grégory Behar, and their terms will expire at the third annual meeting of stockholders following this offering.

Our restated certificate of incorporation that will go into effect upon the closing of this offering will provide that the authorized number of directors may be changed only by resolution of the board of directors. Any additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors will be distributed among the three classes so that, as nearly as possible, each class will consist of one-third of the directors. The division of our board of directors into three classes with staggered three-year terms may delay or prevent a change of our management or a change in control of our company. Our directors may be removed only for cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of our outstanding voting stock entitled to vote in the election of directors.

 

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In selecting board members, our board may consider many factors, such as personal and professional integrity, ethics and values; experience in corporate management, such as serving as an officer or former officer of a publicly held company; experience as a board member or executive officer of another publicly held company; diversity of expertise and experience in substantive matters pertaining to our business relative to other board members; and diversity of background and perspective, including, but not limited to, with respect to age, gender, race, place of residence and specialized experience.

Board Leadership Structure

Our board of directors is currently chaired by our President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Roger J. Pomerantz. Our corporate governance guidelines provide that, if the chairman of the board is a member of management or does not otherwise qualify as independent, the independent directors of the board may elect a lead director. Dr. Noubar B. Afeyan currently serves as our lead director. The lead director’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to: presiding over all meetings of the board of directors at which the chairman is not present, including any executive sessions of the independent directors; approving board meeting schedules and agendas; and acting as the liaison between the independent directors and the chief executive officer and chairman of the board. Our corporate governance guidelines further provide the flexibility for our board of directors to modify our leadership structure in the future as it deems appropriate.

Role of the Board in Risk Oversight

One of the key functions of our board of directors is informed oversight of our risk management process. Our board of directors does not have a standing risk management committee, but rather administers this oversight function directly through our board of directors as a whole, as well as through various standing committees of our board of directors that address risks inherent in their respective areas of oversight. In particular, our board of directors is responsible for monitoring and assessing strategic risk exposure and our audit committee has the responsibility to consider and discuss our major financial risk exposures and the steps our management has taken to monitor and control these exposures, including guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken. Our audit committee also monitors compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Our nominating and corporate governance committee monitors the effectiveness of our corporate governance practices, including whether they are successful in preventing illegal or improper liability-creating conduct. Our compensation committee assesses and monitors whether any of our compensation policies and programs has the potential to encourage excessive risk-taking. While each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of such risks, our entire board of directors is regularly informed through committee reports about such risks.

Board Committees

Our board of directors has established three standing committees—audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance—each of which operates under a charter that has been approved by our board of directors. Upon the closing of this offering, each committee’s charter will be available under the Corporate Governance section of our website at www.serestherapeutics.com. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained at or available through our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of this prospectus.

 

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Audit Committee

The audit committee’s responsibilities include:

 

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appointing, approving the compensation of, and assessing the independence of our registered public accounting firm;

 

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overseeing the work of our registered public accounting firm, including through the receipt and consideration of reports from such firm;

 

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reviewing and discussing with management and the registered public accounting firm our annual and quarterly financial statements and related disclosures;

 

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monitoring our internal control over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures and code of business conduct and ethics;

 

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discussing our risk management policies;

 

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establishing policies regarding hiring employees from the registered public accounting firm and procedures for the receipt and retention of accounting related complaints and concerns;

 

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meeting independently with our internal auditing staff, if any, registered public accounting firm and management;

 

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reviewing and approving or ratifying any related person transactions; and

 

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preparing the audit committee report required by Securities Exchange Commission, or SEC, rules.

The members of our audit committee are Werner Cautreels, Richard N. Kender and Lorence H. Kim. Mr. Kender serves as the chairperson of the committee. All members of our audit committee meet the requirements for financial literacy under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and NASDAQ. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Kender and Mr. Cautreels meet the independence requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and the applicable listing standards of NASDAQ. Since our board of directors has determined that Dr. Kim does not meet the requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act, we are relying on the independence phase-in rules for newly listed companies and plan to add a third independent director to the audit committee within one year of listing. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Kender is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by applicable SEC rules and has the requisite financial sophistication as defined under the applicable NASDAQ rules and regulations.

Compensation Committee

The compensation committee’s responsibilities include:

 

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annually reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to CEO compensation;

 

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determining our CEO’s compensation;

 

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reviewing and approving, or making recommendations to our board with respect to, the compensation of our other executive officers;

 

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overseeing an evaluation of our senior executives;

 

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overseeing and administering our cash and equity incentive plans;

 

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reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to director compensation;

 

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reviewing and discussing annually with management our “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”; and

 

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preparing the annual compensation committee report required by SEC rules.

 

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The members of our compensation committee are Noubar B. Afeyan, Peter Barton Hutt and Richard N. Kender. Dr. Afeyan serves as the chairperson of the committee. Our board of directors has determined that each of Dr. Afeyan and Messrs. Hutt and Kender is independent under the applicable NASDAQ rules and regulations, is a “non-employee director” as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act and is an “outside director” as that term is defined in Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The nominating and corporate governance committee’s responsibilities include:

 

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identifying individuals qualified to become board members;

 

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recommending to our board of directors the persons to be nominated for election as directors and to each board committee;

 

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reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to management succession planning;

 

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developing and recommending to our board of directors corporate governance principles; and

 

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overseeing an annual evaluation of our board of directors.

The members of our nominating and corporate governance committee are Dennis A. Ausiello, Peter Barton Hutt and Lorence H. Kim. Mr. Hutt serves as the chairperson of the committee. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Hutt and Drs. Ausiello and Kim are independent under the applicable NASDAQ rules and regulations.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

No member of our compensation committee is or has been our current or former officer or employee. None of our executive officers served as a director or a member of a compensation committee (or other committee serving an equivalent function) of any other entity, one of whose executive officers served as a director or member of our compensation committee during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.

Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct

We have adopted a written code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. Upon the closing of this offering, our code of business conduct and ethics will be available under the Corporate Governance section of our website at www.serestherapeutics.com. In addition, we intend to post on our website all disclosures that are required by law or the listing standards of NASDAQ concerning any amendments to, or waivers from, any provision of the code. The reference to our website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained at or available through our website, and you should not consider it to be a part of this prospectus.

 

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EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Executive Compensation

This section discusses the material components of the executive compensation program offered to our named executive officers, or NEOs, identified below. For 2014, our NEOs were:

 

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Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer;

 

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David A. Berry, M.D., Ph.D., former Interim President and Chief Executive Officer;

 

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Eric D. Shaff, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President; and

 

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David N. Cook, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research & Development.

This discussion may contain forward-looking statements that are based on our current plans, considerations, expectations and determinations regarding future compensation programs. Actual compensation programs that we adopt following the closing of this offering may differ materially from the currently planned programs summarized in this discussion.

We are an “emerging growth company” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act, and have elected to comply with the reduced compensation disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies under the JOBS Act.

2014 Summary Compensation Table

 

Name and Principal Position		Year				Salary ($)				Bonus ($)(4)				Option Awards ($)(5)				All Other Compensation ($)				Total ($)
Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.(1)			2014				247,917				233,750				6,567,603				69,393	(6)			7,118,663
President and Chief Executive Officer
David A. Berry, M.D., Ph.D.(2)			2014				136,500				—				—				—				136,500
Former Interim President and Chief Executive Officer			2013				125,667				—				—				—				125,667
Eric D. Shaff(3)			2014				35,192				12,205				1,413,756				—				1,461,153
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President
David N. Cook, Ph.D.			2014				300,000				99,000				—				—				399,000
Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research & Development			2013				300,000				—				113,119				21,201				434,320

 

(1)	We hired Dr. Pomerantz as our President and Chief Executive Officer effective June 1, 2014. Dr. Pomerantz’s 2014 annual base salary was $425,000. Dr. Pomerantz also serves as Chairman of our board of directors but receives no additional compensation for this service.

(2)

Dr. Berry served as our Interim President and Chief Executive Officer from March 29, 2013 through May 30, 2014. Dr. Berry is a Partner at Flagship Ventures and also served as a member of our board of directors during 2014. Dr. Berry received no compensation from us for his service as our Interim President and Chief Executive Officer or as a member of our board of directors during 2014. However, we paid Flagship Ventures Management, Inc., an affiliate of Flagship Ventures, a total of $136,500 for services provided to us by Dr. Berry during 2014. For a further discussion of the services agreement, refer to “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions—Services Agreement”.

(3)	We hired Mr. Shaff as our Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President effective November 19, 2014. Mr. Shaff’s 2014 annual base salary was $300,000.

(4)	Represents amounts paid under our annual cash bonus program. For additional information regarding these amounts, refer to “—Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table—Annual Cash Bonuses.”

(5)	Represents the aggregate grant date fair value of the option awards computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a description of the assumptions used in valuing these awards, see Note 10 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

(6)	Represents reimbursement of travel and lodging costs associated with working in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area.

 

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Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table

The primary elements of compensation for our NEOs are base salary, annual cash bonuses and long-term, equity-based compensation awards. The NEOs also participate in employee benefit plans and programs that we offer to our other full-time employees on the same basis.

Base Salary

Our NEOs receive base salary to compensate them for the satisfactory performance of duties to our company. The base salary payable to each NEO is intended to provide a fixed component of compensation reflecting the executive’s skill set, experience, role and responsibilities. Dr. Pomerantz’s and Mr. Shaff’s 2014 annual base salaries were determined as a result of negotiations with the NEO in connection with his commencing employment. Dr. Cook did not receive a base salary increase during 2014. Our board of directors approved, effective February 1, 2015, an increase in Dr. Pomerantz’s base salary to $439,875 and Mr. Cook’s base salary to $310,500.

Annual Cash Bonuses

Our NEOs have the opportunity to earn annual performance bonuses based on the achievement of short-term performance goals. Each of Dr. Pomerantz and Mr. Shaff are entitled to receive an annual bonus with a target amount equal to 50% and 30%, respectively, of his annual base salary, except that Mr. Shaff’s 2014 annual bonus was prorated to reflect his partial year of service.

In determining 2014 annual bonuses for our NEOs our board of directors considered our achievement of business development and financing milestones, completion of capital raising transactions and successful executive recruitment and hiring during 2014 and the individual NEO’s contributions to these successes. The actual amounts that our board of directors elected to pay our NEOs under our annual cash bonus program are set forth in the “Bonus” column of the Summary Compensation Table above.

Equity-Based Compensation

We generally offer stock options to our employees, including our NEOs, as the long-term incentive component of our compensation program. We typically grant options to employees when they commence employment with us and may thereafter grant additional options in the discretion of our board of directors or its compensation committee. Our stock options allow employees to purchase shares of our common stock at a price equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant, as determined by our board of directors, and may be intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Internal Revenue Code.

Our stock options typically vest as to 25% of the shares subject to the option on the first anniversary of the grant date (or service commencement date for initial grants) and as to 6.25% of the shares subject to the option every third month during the three-year period thereafter, subject to the holder’s continued service with us. From time to time, our board of directors may also construct alternate vesting schedules as it determines are appropriate to motivate particular employees. Stock options granted to our employees may be subject to accelerated vesting in certain circumstances, as described in the section titled “Employment Agreements.”

In connection with Dr. Pomerantz’s hire as our President and Chief Executive Officer, in August 2014, we granted him an option to purchase 1,675,751 shares of our common stock at an exercise price per share of $0.71, which our board of directors determined to be the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. The option is subject to our standard vesting terms described above. In connection with Mr. Shaff’s hire as our Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice

 

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President, in December 2014, we granted him an option to purchase 262,692 shares of our common stock at an exercise price per share of $7.79, which our board of directors determined to be the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. The option is subject to our standard vesting terms described above. Dr. Cook did not receive an equity award grant during 2014.

In connection with this offering, we intend to adopt a new incentive plan to facilitate the grant of cash and equity incentives to our directors, employees and consultants and to enable our company to obtain and retain the services of these individuals. Additional information about our new incentive plan is provided in the section titled “Incentive Plans—2015 Incentive Award Plan” below.

In addition, effective upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, we granted Mr. Shaff an option to purchase 100,000 shares of our common stock and Dr. Cook an option to purchase 90,000 shares of our common stock, each at an exercise price per share equal to the initial public offering price of our common stock in this offering. These options will vest as to 25% of the underlying shares on the first anniversary of the grant date and as to 6.25% of the underlying shares on the last day of each calendar quarter during the three-year period thereafter, subject to the holder’s continued service with us and potential accelerated vesting as described in the section titled “Employment Agreements.”

Retirement, Health, Welfare and Additional Benefits

Our NEOs are eligible to participate in our employee benefit plans and programs, including medical and dental benefits and life insurance, to the same extent as our other full-time employees, subject to the terms and eligibility requirements of those plans. We also sponsor a 401(k) defined contribution plan in which our NEOs may participate, subject to limits imposed by the Internal Revenue Code, to the same extent as all of our other full-time employees. We do not currently, nor did we during 2014, match contributions made by participants in the 401(k) plan or make other contributions to participant accounts. We do not typically provide any perquisites or special personal benefits to our NEOs, but have from time to time reimbursed commuting and relocation expenses for our NEOs.

Outstanding Equity Awards at 2014 Fiscal Year-End

 

		Option Awards
Name		Vesting Commencement Date				Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable				Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable(1)				Option Exercise Price ($)				Option Expiration Date
Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.			6/1/2014				—				1,675,751				0.71				8/6/2024
			9/9/2013				82,500				137,500				0.48				11/5/2023
David A. Berry, M.D., Ph.D.			—				—				—				—				—
Eric D. Shaff			11/17/2014				—				262,692				7.79				12/8/2024
David N. Cook, Ph.D.			10/24/2012				184,218				143,282				0.48				5/16/2023

 

(1)

All options vest as to 25% of the total shares subject to the option on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date, and as to 6.25% of the shares subject to the option on the last day of each calendar quarter during the three-year period thereafter, subject to the holder’s continued employment with us through the applicable vesting date and potential accelerated vesting as described in the section titled “Employment Agreements.”

 

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Employment Agreements

We have entered into employment agreements with each of our NEOs that will become effective on the closing of this offering. Certain key terms of these agreements are described below.

Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.

The employment agreement with Dr. Pomerantz entitles him to an initial annual base salary of $464,100, subject to periodic review and adjustment by our board of directors, and an annual target bonus opportunity of 50% of his annual base salary.

In the event Dr. Pomerantz’s employment is terminated by us without cause or he resigns for good reason, subject to his timely executing a release of claims in our favor, he is entitled to receive 12 months of continued base salary and up to 12 months of continued medical, dental or vision coverage pursuant to COBRA, if elected. If the termination occurs within 60 days prior to or 12 months following a change in control, Dr. Pomerantz is also entitled to accelerated vesting of his time-based equity awards.

Dr. Pomerantz has agreed to refrain from disclosing our confidential information during or at any time following his employment with us and from competing with us or soliciting our employees or consultants for 12 months following termination of his employment.

For purposes of the employment agreement:

 

•

“Cause” generally means Dr. Pomerantz’s (i) failure to substantially perform his duties with us (other than due to disability) or materially comply with our policies; (ii) material failure to carry out or comply with any lawful and reasonable directive of our board of directors; (iii) breach of a material provision of his employment agreement; (iv) conviction, plea of no contest or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or crime involving moral turpitude; (v) unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on our (or our affiliate’s) premises or while performing his duties and responsibilities under his employment agreement or (vi) commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, willful misconduct or breach of fiduciary duty against us or any of our affiliates.

 

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“Good reason” generally means, subject to certain notice requirements and cure rights, without Dr. Pomerantz’s consent, (i) a reduction in his base salary (except for a reduction of less than 10% contemporaneously affecting other senior executives); (ii) a material reduction in his authority or areas of responsibility or (iii) a relocation his primary office more than 50 miles outside of the Boston metropolitan area.

Eric D. Shaff and David N. Cook, Ph.D.

The employment agreements with Mr. Shaff and Dr. Cook entitle them to initial annual base salaries of $324,500 and $355,900, respectively, subject to periodic review and adjustment by our board of directors, and annual target bonus opportunities of 35% of their annual base salaries.

In the event either of Mr. Shaff or Dr. Cook is terminated by us without cause or he resigns for good reason, subject to his timely executing a release of claims in our favor, he is entitled to receive six months of continued base salary and up to six months of continued medical, dental or vision coverage pursuant to COBRA, if elected. If either of Mr. Shaff’s or Dr. Cook’s termination occurs within 60 days prior to or 12 months following a change in control, he is also entitled to accelerated vesting of his time-based equity awards.

 

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Each of Mr. Shaff and Dr. Cook has agreed to refrain from disclosing our confidential information during or at any time following his employment with us and from competing with us or soliciting our employees or consultants for 12 months following termination of his employment.

For purposes of the employment agreements, “cause” and “good reason” have the same meanings as in Dr. Pomerantz’s employment agreement.

Incentive Plans

2015 Incentive Award Plan

In June 2015, our board of directors adopted and our stockholders approved the 2015 Incentive Award Plan, or the 2015 Plan, effective the day prior to the public trading date of our common stock, under which we may grant cash and equity incentive awards to eligible service providers in order to attract, motivate and retain the talent for which we compete. The material terms of the 2015 Plan are summarized below.

Eligibility and Administration

Our employees, consultants and directors, and employees, consultants and directors of our subsidiaries, will be eligible to receive awards under the 2015 Plan. Following our initial public offering, the 2015 Plan will generally be administered by our board of directors with respect to awards to non-employee directors and by our compensation committee with respect to other participants, each of which may delegate its duties and responsibilities to committees of our directors and/or officers (referred to collectively as the plan administrator below), subject to certain limitations that may be imposed under the 2015 Plan, Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act and/or stock exchange rules, as applicable. The plan administrator will have the authority to make all determinations and interpretations under, prescribe all forms for use with, and adopt rules for the administration of, the 2015 Plan, subject to its express terms and conditions. The plan administrator will also set the terms and conditions of all awards under the 2015 Plan, including any vesting and vesting acceleration conditions.

Limitation on Awards and Shares Available

An aggregate of 2,200,000 shares of our common stock will initially be available for issuance under awards granted pursuant to the 2015 Plan. The number of shares initially available for issuance will be increased by (i) the number of shares represented by awards outstanding under our 2012 Plan (defined below) that are forfeited, lapse unexercised or are settled in cash and (ii) an annual increase on January 1 of each calendar year beginning in 2016 and ending in 2025, equal to the lesser of (a) 4% of the shares of common stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (b) such smaller number of shares as determined by our board of directors. No more than 17,200,000 shares of common stock may be issued upon the exercise of incentive stock options. Shares issued under the 2015 Plan may be authorized but unissued shares, or shares purchased in the open market or treasury shares.

If an award under the 2015 Plan is forfeited, expires or is settled for cash, any shares subject to such award may, to the extent of such forfeiture, expiration or cash settlement, be used again for new grants under the 2015 Plan. Awards granted under the 2015 Plan upon the assumption of, or in substitution for, awards authorized or outstanding under a qualifying equity plan maintained by an entity with which we enter into a merger or similar corporate transaction will not reduce the shares available for grant under the 2015 Plan.

 

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Awards

The 2015 Plan provides for the grant of stock options, including incentive stock options, or ISOs, and nonqualified stock options, or NSOs, restricted stock, dividend equivalents, stock payments, restricted stock units, or RSUs, stock appreciation rights, or SARs, and other stock- or cash-based awards. Certain awards under the 2015 Plan may constitute or provide for a deferral of compensation, subject to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, which may impose additional requirements on the terms and conditions of such awards. All awards under the 2015 Plan will be set forth in award agreements, which will detail the terms and conditions of the awards, including any applicable vesting and payment terms and post-termination exercise limitations. Awards other than cash awards generally will be settled in shares of our common stock, but the plan administrator may provide for cash settlement of any award. A brief description of each award type follows.

 

•

Stock Options.    Stock options provide for the purchase of shares of our common stock in the future at an exercise price set on the grant date. ISOs, by contrast to NSOs, may provide tax deferral beyond exercise and favorable capital gains tax treatment to their holders if certain holding period and other requirements of the Internal Revenue Code are satisfied. The exercise price of a stock option generally will not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the underlying share on the date of grant (or 110% in the case of ISOs granted to certain significant stockholders), except with respect to certain substitute options granted in connection with a corporate transaction. The term of a stock option may not be longer than ten years (or five years in the case of ISOs granted to certain significant stockholders). Vesting conditions determined by the plan administrator may apply to stock options and may include continued service, performance and/or other conditions.

 

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SARs.    SARs entitle their holder, upon exercise, to receive from us an amount equal to the appreciation of the shares subject to the award between the grant date and the exercise date. The exercise price of a SAR will generally not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the underlying share on the date of grant (except with respect to certain substitute SARs granted in connection with a corporate transaction), and the term of a SAR may not be longer than ten years. Vesting conditions determined by the plan administrator may apply to SARs and may include continued service, performance and/or other conditions.

 

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Restricted Stock and RSUs.    Restricted stock is an award of nontransferable shares of our common stock that remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met, and which may be subject to a purchase price. RSUs are contractual promises to deliver shares of our common stock in the future, which may also remain forfeitable unless and until specified conditions are met and may be accompanied by the right to receive the equivalent value of dividends paid on shares of our common stock prior to the delivery of the underlying shares. Delivery of the shares underlying RSUs may be deferred under the terms of the award or at the election of the participant, if the plan administrator permits such a deferral. Conditions applicable to restricted stock and RSUs may be based on continuing service, the attainment of performance goals and/or such other conditions as the plan administrator may determine.

 

•

Other Stock- or Cash-Based Awards.    Other stock- or cash-based awards are awards of cash, fully vested shares of our common stock and other awards valued wholly or partially by referring to, or otherwise based on, shares of our common stock. Other stock- or cash-based awards may be granted to participants and may also be available as a payment form in the settlement of other awards, as standalone payments and as payment in lieu of base salary, bonus, fees or other cash compensation otherwise payable to any individual who is eligible to receive awards. The plan administrator will determine the terms and conditions of other stock- or cash-based awards, which may include vesting conditions based on continued service, performance and/or other conditions.

 

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Performance Awards

Performance awards include any of the foregoing awards that are granted subject to vesting and/or payment based on the attainment of specified performance goals or other criteria the plan administrator may determine, which may or may not be objectively determinable. Performance criteria upon which performance goals are established by the plan administrator may include but are not limited to: (i) net earnings or losses (either before or after one or more of interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and non-cash equity-based compensation expense); (ii) gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth; (iii) net income (either before or after taxes) or adjusted net income; (iv) profits (including, but not limited to, gross profits, net profits, profit growth, net operation profit or economic profit), profit return ratios or operating margin; (v) budget or operating earnings (either before or after taxes or before or after allocation of corporate overhead and bonus); (vi) cash flow (including operating cash flow and free cash flow or cash flow return on capital); (vii) return on assets; (viii) return on capital or invested capital; (ix) cost of capital; (x) return on stockholders’ equity; (xi) total stockholder return; (xii) return on sales; (xiii) costs, reductions in costs and cost control measures; (xiv) expenses; (xv) working capital; (xvi) earnings or loss per share; (xvii) adjusted earnings or loss per share; (xviii) price per share or dividends per share (or appreciation in or maintenance of such price or dividends); (xix) regulatory achievements or compliance; (xx) implementation, completion or attainment of objectives relating to research, development, regulatory, commercial or strategic milestones or developments; (xxi) market share; (xxii) economic value or economic value added models; (xxiii) division, group or corporate financial goals; (xxiv) customer satisfaction/growth; (xxv) customer service; (xxvi) employee satisfaction; (xxvii) recruitment and maintenance of personnel; (xxviii) human resources management; (xxix) supervision of litigation and other legal matters; (xxx) strategic partnerships and transactions; (xxxi) financial ratios (including those measuring liquidity, activity, profitability or leverage); (xxxii) debt levels or reductions; (xxxiii) sales-related goals; (xxxiv) financing and other capital raising transactions; (xxxv) cash on hand; (xxxvi) acquisition activity; (xxxvii) investment sourcing activity; and (xxxviii) marketing initiatives.

Certain Transactions

In connection with certain transactions and events affecting our common stock, including a change in control, or change in any applicable laws or accounting principles, the plan administrator has broad discretion to take action under the 2015 Plan to prevent the dilution or enlargement of intended benefits, facilitate such transaction or event, or give effect to such change in applicable laws or accounting principles. This includes canceling awards, accelerating the vesting of awards, providing for the assumption or substitution of awards by a successor entity, adjusting the number and type of shares available and replacing or terminating awards under the 2015 Plan. In addition, in the event of certain non-reciprocal transactions with our stockholders, or an “equity restructuring,” the plan administrator will make equitable adjustments to the 2015 Plan and outstanding awards as it deems appropriate to reflect the equity restructuring.

Provisions of the 2015 Plan Relating to Director Compensation

The 2015 Plan provides that the plan administrator may establish compensation for non-employee directors from time to time subject to the 2015 Plan’s limitations. Prior to commencing this offering, our stockholders approved the initial terms of our non-employee director compensation program, which is described below under the heading “—Director Compensation.” Our board of directors or its authorized committee may modify the non-employee director compensation program from time to time in the exercise of its business judgment, taking into account such factors, circumstances and considerations as it shall deem relevant from time to time, provided that the sum of any cash compensation or other compensation and the grant date fair value of any equity awards granted as compensation for services as a non-employee director during any fiscal year may not

 

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exceed $700,000. The plan administrator may make exceptions to this limit for individual non-employee directors in extraordinary circumstances, as the plan administrator may determine in its discretion, provided that the non-employee director receiving such additional compensation may not participate in the decision to award such compensation or in other compensation decisions involving non-employee directors.

Foreign Participants, Claw-Back Provisions, Transferability and Participant Payments

With respect to foreign participants, the plan administrator may modify award terms, establish subplans and/or adjust other terms and conditions of awards, subject to the share limits described above. All awards will be subject to the provisions of any claw-back policy implemented by our company to the extent set forth in such claw-back policy or in the applicable award agreement. With limited exceptions for estate planning, domestic relations orders, certain beneficiary designations and the laws of descent and distribution, awards under the 2015 Plan are generally non-transferable prior to vesting, and are exercisable only by the participant. With regard to tax withholding obligations arising in connection with awards under the 2015 Plan, and exercise price obligations arising in connection with the exercise of stock options under the 2015 Plan, the plan administrator may, in its discretion, accept cash, wire transfer or check, shares of our common stock that meet specified conditions, a promissory note, a “market sell order”, such other consideration as it deems suitable or any combination of the foregoing.

Plan Amendment and Termination

Our board of directors may amend or terminate the 2015 Plan at any time; however, except in connection with certain changes in our capital structure, stockholder approval will be required for any amendment that increases the number of shares available under the 2015 Plan. The plan administrator will have the authority, without the approval of our stockholders, to amend any outstanding stock option or SAR to reduce its price per share. No award may be granted pursuant to the 2015 Plan after the tenth anniversary of the date on which our board of directors adopts the 2015 Plan.

2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

In June 2015, our board of directors adopted and our stockholders approved the 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the ESPP, effective the day prior to the public trading date of our common stock. The material terms of the ESPP are summarized below.

Shares Available; Administration

A total of 365,000 shares of our common stock are initially reserved for issuance under our ESPP. In addition, the number of shares available for issuance under the ESPP will be annually increased on January 1 of each calendar year beginning in 2016 and ending in 2025, by an amount equal to the least of: (a) 400,000 shares, (b) 1% of the shares outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (c) such smaller number of shares as is determined by our board of directors.

Our board of directors or its committee will have authority to interpret the terms of the ESPP and determine eligibility of participants. We expect that the compensation committee will be the initial administrator of the ESPP.

Eligibility

Our employees are eligible to participate in the ESPP if they are customarily employed by us or a participating subsidiary for more than 20 hours per week and more than five months in any calendar

 

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year. However, an employee may not be granted rights to purchase stock under our ESPP if such employee, immediately after the grant, would own (directly or through attribution) stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of our common or other class of stock.

Grant of Rights

The ESPP is intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code and stock will be offered under the ESPP during offering periods. The length of the offering periods under the ESPP will be determined by the plan administrator and may be up to 27 months long. Employee payroll deductions will be used to purchase shares on each purchase date during an offering period. The purchase dates for each offering period will be the final trading day in each offering period. Offering periods under the ESPP will commence when determined by the plan administrator. The plan administrator may, in its discretion, modify the terms of future offering periods.

The ESPP permits participants to purchase common stock through payroll deductions of up to 25% of their eligible compensation, which includes a participant’s gross base compensation for services to us, including overtime payments and excluding sales commissions, incentive compensation, bonuses, expense reimbursements, fringe benefits and other special payments. The plan administrator will establish a maximum number of shares that may be purchased by a participant during any offering period, which, in the absence of a contrary designation, will be 25,000 shares. In addition, no employee will be permitted to accrue the right to purchase stock under the ESPP at a rate in excess of $25,000 worth of shares during any calendar year during which such a purchase right is outstanding (based on the fair market value per share of our common stock as of the first day of the offering period).

On the first trading day of each offering period, each participant will automatically be granted an option to purchase shares of our common stock. The option will expire at the end of the applicable offering period, and will be exercised at that time to the extent of the payroll deductions accumulated during the offering period. The purchase price of the shares, in the absence of a contrary designation, will be 85% of the lower of the fair market value of our common stock on the first trading day of the offering period or on the purchase date, which will be the final trading day of the offering period. Participants may voluntarily end their participation in the ESPP at any time at least one week prior to the end of the applicable offering period, and will be paid their accrued payroll deductions that have not yet been used to purchase shares of common stock. Participation ends automatically upon a participant’s termination of employment.

A participant may not transfer rights granted under the ESPP other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise provided under the ESPP.

Certain Transactions

In the event of certain transactions or events affecting our common stock, such as any stock dividend or other distribution, change in control, reorganization, merger, consolidation or other corporate transaction, the plan administrator will make equitable adjustments to the ESPP and outstanding rights. In addition, in the event of the foregoing transactions or events or certain significant transactions, including a change in control, the plan administrator may provide for (1) either the replacement of outstanding rights with other rights or property or termination of outstanding rights in exchange for cash, (2) the assumption or substitution of outstanding rights by the successor or survivor corporation or parent or subsidiary thereof, if any, (3) the adjustment in the number and type of shares of stock subject to outstanding rights, (4) the use of participants’ accumulated payroll deductions to purchase stock on a new purchase date prior to the next scheduled purchase date and termination of any rights under ongoing offering periods or (5) the termination of all outstanding rights.

 

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Plan Amendment

The plan administrator may amend, suspend or terminate the ESPP at any time. However, stockholder approval of any amendment to the ESPP will be obtained for any amendment which increases the aggregate number or changes the type of shares that may be sold pursuant to rights under the ESPP, changes the corporations or classes of corporations whose employees are eligible to participate in the ESPP or changes the ESPP in any manner that would cause the ESPP to no longer be an employee stock purchase plan within the meaning of Section 423(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

2012 Stock Incentive Plan

Our board of directors and stockholders have approved the 2012 Stock Incentive Plan, or the 2012 Plan, under which we may grant stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards to employees, directors and consultants of our company. We have reserved a total of 4,309,653 shares of our common stock for issuance under the 2012 Plan.

Following the effectiveness of the 2015 Plan, we will not make any further grants under the 2012 Plan. However, the 2012 Plan will continue to govern the terms and conditions of the outstanding awards granted under it. As discussed above, shares of our common stock subject to outstanding awards granted under the 2012 Plan that are forfeited, lapse unexercised or are settled in cash and which following the effective date of the 2015 Plan are not issued under the 2012 Plan will be available for issuance under the 2015 Plan.

Administration

Our board of directors administers the 2012 Plan and has the authority to: (i) grant awards; (ii) adopt, amend and repeal administrative rules, guidelines and practices relating to the 2012 Plan; (iii) construe and interpret the 2012 Plan and any award agreements thereunder; and (iv) correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the 2012 Plan or any award. The board of directors may delegate its authority under the 2012 Plan to one or more committees or subcommittees.

Types of Awards; Eligibility

The 2012 Plan provides for the grant of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards to employees, officers, directors and consultants of our company and its qualifying parents and subsidiaries. As of the date of this prospectus, only awards of ISOs and NSOs are outstanding under the 2012 Plan.

Certain Transactions

If certain changes are made in, or events occur with respect to, our common stock, the 2012 Plan and outstanding awards will be appropriately adjusted in the class, number and, as applicable, exercise price of securities as determined by the board of directors. In the event of certain corporate transactions of our company, including a merger, consolidation, sale of our common stock, or our liquidation or dissolution, our board of directors may take the following actions as to options outstanding under the 2012 Plan: (i) provide that such awards will be assumed or substantially equivalent awards substituted, (ii) upon written notice to participants, provide that unexercised awards will terminate unless exercised, (iii) provide that outstanding awards will become exercisable, (iv) if the transaction involves cash payments in exchange for the sale of our common stock, terminate awards

 

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for a cash payment equal to the excess of the transaction price of the underlying shares over the exercise price of the applicable award, (v) provide that, in connection with our liquidation or dissolution, awards will convert into a right to receive liquidation proceeds and (vi) any combination of the foregoing.

Amendment and Termination

The board of directors may amend outstanding awards under the 2012 Plan, including by reducing the exercise price per share of the award, without participant consent and may amend, suspend or terminate the 2012 Plan; provided in each case, that any amendment, suspension or termination does not materially or adversely affect the rights of participants holding outstanding awards under the 2012 Plan. Any modification or amendment that requires stockholder approval under applicable law or, with respect to ISOs, Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code may not be effected without approval by the company’s stockholders.

Director Compensation

We have not historically provided annual cash retainers or other compensation to our directors but have, from time to time, granted equity awards to certain directors as compensation for their service on our board of directors. In 2014, we granted each of Dr. Kim and Mr. Kender an option to purchase 75,000 shares of our common stock for their service on our board of directors. Their options have an exercise price per share of $3.14 and are subject to our standard vesting terms described in “Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table—Equity-Based Compensation” above. None of our other directors received compensation for serving on our board of directors during 2014.

Drs. Berry and Pomerantz each served as directors and executive officers of our company during 2014. Refer to the Summary Compensation Table and related narrative disclosure above for information regarding the compensation they received from us during 2014.

Effective upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, our board of directors granted Dr. Dennis Ausiello, who was elected to serve as a member of our board of directors in April 2015, an option to purchase 75,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price per share equal to the initial public offering price of our common stock in this offering. These options will vest as to 25% of the underlying shares on April 17, 2016 and as to 6.25% of the underlying shares on the last day of each calendar quarter during the three-year period thereafter, subject to his continued service with us and accelerated vesting immediately prior to a change in control.

In addition, effective upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, our board of directors granted each of Drs. Afeyan, Cautreels and Kim, and Messrs. Behar, Hutt and Kender, an option to purchase 15,000 shares of our common stock at an exercise price per share equal to the initial public offering price of our common stock in this offering. These options will vest in a single installment on the earlier of the day before the next annual meeting of stockholders or the first anniversary of the grant date, subject to the director continuing to serve on our board of directors through that date and accelerated vesting immediately prior to a change in control.

 

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2014 Director Compensation Table

 

Name		Option Awards  ($)(1)				Total ($)
Noubar B. Afeyan, Ph.D.			—				—
Werner Cautreels, Ph.D.			—				—
Peter Barton Hutt			—				—
Lorence H. Kim, M.D.			407,302				407,302
Richard N. Kender			407,302				407,302
Grégory Behar			—				—

 

(1)

Represents the aggregate grant date fair value of the option awards granted during 2014 computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. For a description of the assumptions used in valuing these awards, see Note 10 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The following table shows the number of option awards and unvested stock awards held as of December 31, 2014 by each of our directors who are not NEOs:

 

Name		Stock Options (#)				Restricted Shares (#)
Noubar B. Afeyan, Ph.D.			—				—
Werner Cautreels, Ph.D.			100,000				—
Peter Barton Hutt			50,000				6,250
Lorence H. Kim, M.D.			75,000				—
Richard N. Kender			75,000				—
Grégory Behar			—				—

In June 2015, our board of directors adopted and our stockholders approved a compensation program for our non-employee directors, effective upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, under which each non-employee director will receive the following amounts for their services on our board of directors:

 

•

an option to purchase 30,000 shares of our common stock upon the director’s initial election or appointment to our board of directors that occurs after our initial public offering;

 

•

if the director has served on our board of directors for at least six months as of the date of an annual meeting of stockholders, an option to purchase 15,000 shares of our common stock on the date of the annual meeting;

 

•

an annual director fee of $35,000, or if the director serves as chairman of our board of directors or lead director, an annual director fee of $20,000; and

 

•

if the director serves on a committee of our board of directors, an additional annual fee as follows:

 

•

chairman of the audit committee—$15,000;

 

•

audit committee member other than the chairman—$7,500;

 

•

chairman of the compensation committee—$10,000;

 

•

compensation committee member other than the chairman—$5,000;

 

•

chairman of the nominating and corporate governance committee—$7,000; and

 

•

nominating and corporate governance committee member other than the chairman—$3,500.

Stock options granted to our non-employee directors under the program will have an exercise price equal to the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant and will expire not later than ten years after the date of grant. The stock options granted upon a director’s initial election or appointment will vest in four annual installments following the date of grant. The stock options granted annually to directors will vest in a single installment on the earlier of the day before the next annual meeting of stockholders or the first anniversary of the date of grant. In addition, all unvested stock options will vest in full upon the occurrence of a change in control.

 

 

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Director fees under the program will be payable in arrears in four equal quarterly installments not later than the 15th day following the final day of each fiscal quarter, provided that the amount of each payment will be prorated for any portion of a quarter that a director is not serving on our board of directors and no fee will be payable in respect of any period prior to the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Each member of our board of directors is entitled to be reimbursed for reasonable travel and other expenses incurred in connection with attending meetings of the board of directors and any committee of the board of directors on which he or she serves.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS

The following includes a summary of transactions since January 1, 2012 to which we have been a party in which the amount involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000, and in which any of our directors, executive officers or, to our knowledge, beneficial owners of more than 5% of our capital stock or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than equity and other compensation, termination, change in control and other arrangements, which are described under “Executive and Director Compensation.” We also describe below certain other transactions with our directors, executive officers and stockholders.

Preferred Stock Financings

Series A Preferred Stock Financing. In June 2012, we issued and sold to entities affiliated with Flagship Ventures in private placements an aggregate of 6,329,114 shares of our Series A preferred stock at a purchase price of $0.79 per share, for aggregate consideration of approximately $5.0 million, and issued 1,901,883 shares of our Series A preferred stock upon the conversion of convertible debt and accrued interest totaling $1.5 million.

Series A-2 Preferred Stock Financing. In November 2012, we issued and sold to investors in a private placement an aggregate of 2,247,192 shares of our Series A-2 preferred stock at a purchase price of $1.78 per share, for aggregate consideration of approximately $4.0 million.

Series B Preferred Stock Financing. In May 2014, we issued and sold to investors in private placements an aggregate of 4,831,359 shares of our Series B preferred stock at a purchase price of $2.20 per share, for aggregate consideration of approximately $10.6 million.

The following table sets forth the aggregate number of these securities acquired by our directors, executive officers and the listed holders of more than 5% of our capital stock. Each share of our preferred stock identified in the following table will convert into one share of common stock in connection with this offering.

 

Participants(1)		Series A				Series A-2				Series B
5% or Greater Stockholders
Entities affiliated with Flagship Ventures Funds(2)			8,230,997				1,123,596				2,272,727
Enso Ventures 2 Limited			—				1,123,596				681,818
Directors and Executive Officers
Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.			—				—				22,727
John Aunins, Ph.D.			—				—				34,090
David N. Cook, Ph.D.			—				—				45,454

 

(1)	Additional details regarding these stockholders and their equity holdings are provided under the caption “Principal Stockholders.”

(2)	Flagship Ventures Funds consists of Flagship VentureLabs IV LLC, Flagship Ventures Fund IV, L.P., Flagship Ventures Fund IV-Rx, L.P. and Flagship Ventures Fund 2007 L.P.

The following directors are associated with our principal stockholders as indicated in the table below:

 

Director		Principal Stockholder
Noubar B. Afeyan, Ph.D.		Flagship Ventures Funds
David A. Berry, M.D., Ph.D(1).		Flagship Ventures Funds
Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.		Flagship Ventures Funds

 

(1)	Dr. Berry served on our board of directors from March 2012 to May 2015.

 

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Services Agreement

In October 2010, we entered into a services agreement with Flagship Ventures Management, Inc., or Flagship Management, an affiliate of Flagship Ventures, under which Flagship Management provides us with personnel, advisory and administrative services on an as-needed basis. From October 19, 2010 to May 31, 2015, we paid Flagship Management an aggregate of $1.8 million for services provided under the services agreement, inclusive of the services provided by Dr. Berry, who served on our board of directors from March 2012 to May 2015 and as our Interim President and Chief Executive Officer from March 29, 2013 through May 30, 2014.

Standstill Agreement

In December 2014, in connection with the sale to Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc., or Nestlé, of shares of our Series D preferred stock, Nestlé agreed that it would not increase its ownership of our securities or acquire our assets without the prior consent of our board of directors. Nestlé also agreed not to participate in any tender or exchange offer for our securities; any merger or other business combination involving us; any recapitalization, restructuring, liquidation, dissolution, or other extraordinary transaction involving us; or take action to seek representation on our board of directors or otherwise influence our management. Except for confidential discussions with our board of directors, Nestlé is also prohibited from entering into any discussions or arrangements with third parties regarding these restrictions. The restrictions under the standstill agreement terminate upon the earlier of December 19, 2019 or the third anniversary of the consummation of this offering. As long as no senior executive from Nestlé is serving on our board of directors at the time, these standstill provisions also terminate upon a public announcement by us of the initiation of a sale process or of an offer from, or public attempt by, a third party to acquire all or a substantial portion of our securities or assets.

Investors’ Rights Agreement

We entered into an amended and restated investors’ rights agreement in December 2014 with the holders of our preferred stock, including entities with which certain of our directors are affiliated. This agreement provides for certain rights relating to the registration of such preferred stockholders’ shares of common stock and common stock issuable upon conversion of their preferred stock and a right of first refusal to purchase future securities sold by us. See “Description of Capital Stock — Registration Rights” for additional information.

Voting Agreement

We entered into an amended and restated voting agreement in December 2014, which was further amended in April 2015, by and among us and certain of our stockholders, pursuant to which the following directors were elected to serve as members on our board of directors and, as of the date of this prospectus, continue to so serve: Noubar B. Afeyan, Dennis A. Ausiello, Grégory Behar, Werner Cautreels, Peter Barton Hutt, Richard N. Kender, Lorence H. Kim and Roger J. Pomerantz. Pursuant to the voting agreement, Dr. Afeyan was initially selected to serve on our board of directors as the representative of holders of our preferred stock, as designated by Flagship Ventures Fund IV, L.P., Flagship Ventures Fund IV-Rx, L.P. and Flagship Ventures Fund 2007, L.P. Mr. Behar was initially selected to serve on our board of directors by Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc. Dr. Pomerantz was initially selected to serve on our board of directors in his capacity as our Chief Executive Officer, and his employment agreement provides that he will serve as a director so long as he serves as our Chief Executive Officer. Drs. Ausiello, Cautreels and Kim and Messrs. Hutt and Kender were initially selected to serve on our board of directors as independent directors, as designated by the holders of preferred stock.

The voting agreement will terminate upon the closing of this offering, and members previously elected to our board of directors pursuant to this agreement will continue to serve as directors until they

 

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resign, are removed or their successors are duly elected by the holders of our common stock. The composition of our board of directors after this offering is described in more detail under “Management—Board Composition and Election of Directors.”

Employment Agreements

We have entered into employment agreements with our named executive officers. For more information regarding the agreements with our named executive officers, see “Executive and Director Compensation — Employment Agreements.”

Indemnification Agreements

We intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. These agreements, among other things, require us or will require us to indemnify each director (and in certain cases their related venture capital funds) and executive officer to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, including indemnification of expenses, such as attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by the director or executive officer in any action or proceeding, including any action or proceeding by or in right of us, arising out of the person’s services as a director or executive officer.

Stock Option Grants to Executive Officers and Directors

We have granted stock options to our executive officers and certain of our directors as more fully described in the section titled “Executive and Director Compensation.”

Participation in this Offering

Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc., or Nestlé, an existing stockholder affiliated with one of our directors, has indicated an interest to purchase $19.0 million in shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, Nestlé may determine to increase or reduce the amount of its indication of interest, or otherwise elect not to purchase any shares. It is also possible that the number of shares allocated in this offering to Nestlé may be greater or smaller than the amount of its indication of interest, or no shares may be allocated to Nestlé.

Policies and Procedures for Related Person Transactions

Our board of directors has adopted a written related person transaction policy, to be effective upon the closing of this offering, setting forth the policies and procedures for the review and approval or ratification of related person transactions. This policy will cover, with certain exceptions set forth in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships, in which we were, are, or will be a participant, where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 in any fiscal year and a related person had, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest, including without limitation, purchases of goods or services by or from the related person or entities in which the related person has a material interest, indebtedness, guarantees of indebtedness and employment by us of a related person. In reviewing and approving any such transactions, our audit committee is tasked to consider all relevant facts and circumstances, including, but not limited to, whether the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in an arm’s length transaction and the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction. All of the transactions described in this section occurred prior to the adoption of this policy.

 

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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common stock, as of May 31, 2015, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of shares of common stock in this offering, by:

 

•

each person or group of affiliated persons known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock;

 

•

each of our named executive officers;

 

•

each of our directors; and

 

•

all of our executive officers and directors as a group.

The number of shares beneficially owned by each stockholder is determined under rules issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which the individual or entity has sole or shared voting power or investment power. Applicable percentage ownership is based on 30,403,502 shares of common stock outstanding as of May 31, 2015, assuming the conversion of all of our preferred stock into common stock in connection with this offering. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by an individual or entity and the percentage ownership of that person, shares of common stock subject to options, warrants or other rights held by such person that are currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 2015 are considered outstanding, although these shares are not considered outstanding for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Unless noted otherwise, the address of all listed stockholders is 215 First Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142. Each of the stockholders listed has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares beneficially owned by the stockholder unless noted otherwise, subject to community property laws where applicable.

 

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Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc., or Nestlé, an existing stockholder affiliated with one of our directors, has indicated an interest to purchase $19.0 million in shares of our common stock in this offering at the initial public offering price. However, because indications of interest are not binding agreements or commitments to purchase, Nestlé may determine to increase or reduce the amount of its indication of interest, or otherwise elect not to purchase any shares. It is also possible that the number of shares allocated in this offering to Nestlé may be greater or smaller than the amount of its indication of interest, or no shares may be allocated to Nestlé. The following table does not reflect any potential purchase by Nestlé, which purchase, if any, will increase the percentage of shares owned after this offering by Nestlé from that set forth in the table below. If Nestlé purchases $19.0 million in shares of our common stock at an assumed initial public offering price of $16.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, it will beneficially own 18.4% of the shares of our common stock after this offering.

 

		Number of Shares Beneficially Owned Prior to Offering				Percentage of Shares Beneficially Owned
Name of Beneficial Owner						Prior to Offering				After Offering
5% or Greater Stockholders
Entities affiliated with Flagship Ventures Funds(1)			16,627,320				54.7	%			45.4	%
Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc.(2)			5,555,555				18.3	%			15.2	%
Entities affiliated with Fidelity Management & Research Company(3)			2,466,457				8.1	%			6.7	%
Enso Ventures 2 Limited			1,805,414				5.9	%			4.9	%
Named Executive Officers and Directors
Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.(4)			656,399				2.1	%			1.8	%
Noubar B. Afeyan, Ph.D.(1)			16,627,320				54.7	%			45.4	%
Dennis A. Ausiello, M.D.			—				—				—
Grégory Behar			—				—				—
Werner Cautreels, Ph.D.(5)			62,500				*				*
Peter Barton Hutt(6)			78,125				*				*
Richard N. Kender			—				—				—
Lorence H. Kim, M.D.			—				—				—
David N. Cook, Ph.D.(7)			270,610				*				*
Eric D. Shaff			—				—				—
All executive officers and directors as a group (12 persons)(8)			17,916,544				57.5	%			47.9	%

 

*	Less than 1%.

 

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(1)

Consists of (a) 3,055,556 shares of common stock held by Flagship VentureLabs IV LLC (“Flagship VentureLabs”), (b) 1,944,444 shares of common stock held by Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc. for which Flagship VentureLabs exercises voting control under certain circumstances, which voting control terminates upon the closing of the company’s initial public offering, (c) 8,822,420 shares of common stock held by Flagship Ventures Fund IV, L.P. (“Flagship Fund IV”), (d) 2,205,603 shares of common stock held by Flagship Ventures Fund IV-Rx, L.P. (“Flagship Fund IV-Rx”) and (e) 599,297 shares of common stock held by Flagship Ventures Fund 2007, L.P. (“Flagship Fund 2007” and together with Flagship VentureLabs, Flagship Fund IV and Flagship Fund IV-Rx, the “Flagship Funds”). Flagship Fund IV is a member of Flagship VentureLabs and also serves as its manager. The general partner of each of Flagship Fund IV and Flagship Fund IV-Rx is Flagship Ventures Fund IV General Partner LLC (“Flagship Fund IV GP”), and the general partner of Flagship Fund 2007 is Flagship Ventures 2007 General Partner LLC (“Flagship Fund 2007 GP” and together with Flagship Fund IV GP, the “Flagship General Partners”). Noubar Afeyan is a director of Seres Therapeutics and a member of the Flagship General Partners. In addition, Dr. Afeyan serves as a managing member of the Flagship General Partners and may be deemed to possess voting and investment control over the shares held by the Flagship Funds. Neither of the Flagship General Partners directly own any of the shares held by the Flagship Funds, and each of the Flagship General Partners and Dr. Afeyan disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of its or his pecuniary interest therein. The mailing address of the Flagship Funds is One Memorial Drive, 7th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142.

(2)	Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc. is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Nestlé S.A., a publicly traded company. The address for Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc. is c/o Nestlé USA, Inc. 383 Main Ave, 5th Floor, Norwalk, CT 06851.

(3)

Consists of (a) 1,292,035 shares of common stock held by Fidelity Select Portfolios: Biotechnology Fund, (b) 352,270 shares of common stock held by Fidelity Advisor Series VII: Fidelity Advisor Biotechnology Fund, (c) 107,186 shares of common stock held by Fidelity Growth Company Comingled Pool, (d) 142,139 shares of common stock held by Fidelity Mt. Vernon Street Trust: Fidelity Series Growth Company Fund and (e) 572,827 shares of common stock held by Fidelity Mt. Vernon Street Trust: Fidelity Growth Company Fund. These accounts are managed by direct or indirect subsidiaries of FMR LLC. Edward C. Johnson 3d is a Director and the Chairman of FMR LLC and Abigail P. Johnson is a Director, the Vice Chairman and the President of FMR LLC. Members of the family of Edward C. Johnson 3d, including Abigail P. Johnson, are the predominant owners, directly or through trusts, of Series B voting common shares of FMR LLC, representing 49% of the voting power of FMR LLC. The Johnson family group and all other Series B stockholders have entered into a stockholders’ voting agreement under which all Series B voting common shares will be voted in accordance with the majority vote of Series B voting common shares. Accordingly, through their ownership of voting common shares and the execution of the shareholders’ voting agreement, members of the Johnson family may be deemed, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, to form a controlling group with respect to FMR LLC. Neither FMR LLC nor Edward C. Johnson 3d nor Abigail P. Johnson has the sole power to vote or direct the voting of the shares owned directly by the various investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act (“Fidelity Funds”) advised by Fidelity Management & Research Company (“FMR Co”), a wholly owned subsidiary of FMR LLC, which power resides with the Fidelity Funds’ Boards of Trustees. FMR Co carries out the voting of the shares under written guidelines established by the Fidelity Funds’ Boards of Trustees.

(4)	Includes 633,672 shares of common stock which Dr. Pomerantz has the right to acquire pursuant to outstanding stock options which are or will be immediately exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 2015.

(5)	Consists of 62,500 shares of common stock which Dr. Cautreels has the right to acquire pursuant to outstanding stock options which are or will be immediately exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 2015.

(6)	Includes 28,125 shares of common stock which Mr. Hutt has the right to acquire pursuant to outstanding stock options which are or will be immediately exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 2015.

(7)	Includes 40,937 shares of common stock which Dr. Cook has the right to acquire pursuant to outstanding stock options which are or will be immediately exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 2015.

(8)	Consists of (a) 16,929,720 shares of common stock and (b) 765,234 shares of common stock which the holders have the right to acquire pursuant to outstanding stock options which are or will be immediately exercisable within 60 days of May 31, 2015.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

The following description summarizes some of the terms of our restated certificate of incorporation and restated bylaws that will become effective upon the closing of this offering, our outstanding warrants, our amended and restated investors’ rights agreement and of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Because it is only a summary, it does not contain all the information that may be important to you. For a complete description, you should refer to our restated certificate of incorporation, restated bylaws, warrants and amended and restated investors’ rights agreement, copies of which have been or will be filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, as well as the relevant provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The description of our common stock and preferred stock reflects changes to our capital structure that will occur in connection with this offering.

Following the closing of this offering, our authorized capital stock will consist of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.

As of May 31, 2015, we had issued and outstanding:

 

•

7,536,515 shares of our common stock held of record by 23 stockholders;

 

•

8,230,997 shares of our Series A preferred stock that are convertible into 8,230,997 shares of our common stock as of such date;

 

•

2,247,192 shares of our Series A-2 preferred stock that are convertible into 2,247,192 shares of our common stock as of such date;

 

•

4,831,359 shares of our Series B preferred stock that are convertible into 4,831,359 shares of our common stock as of such date;

 

•

3,946,328 shares of our Series C preferred stock that are convertible into 3,946,328 shares of our common stock as of such date; and

 

•

3,611,111 shares of our Series D preferred stock that are convertible into 3,611,111 shares of our common stock as of such date.

In connection with this offering, all of the outstanding shares of our preferred stock will automatically convert into an aggregate of 22,866,987 shares of our common stock.

Common Stock

As of May 31, 2015, 30,403,502 shares of our common stock were held of record by 50 stockholders, assuming the conversion of all of our outstanding shares of preferred stock into shares of our common stock.

Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and do not have cumulative voting rights. An election of directors by our stockholders shall be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election. Subject to the supermajority votes for some matters, other matters shall be decided by the affirmative vote of our stockholders having a majority in voting power of the votes cast by the stockholders present or represented and voting on such matter. Our restated certificate of incorporation and restated bylaws also provide that our directors may be removed only for cause and

 

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only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote thereon. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote thereon is required to amend or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, several of the provisions of our restated certificate of incorporation. See below under “—Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws—Amendment of Restated Certificate of Incorporation.” Holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately any dividends as may be declared by our board of directors, subject to any preferential dividend rights of any series of preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.

In the event of our liquidation or dissolution, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately our net assets available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all debts and other liabilities and subject to the prior rights of any outstanding preferred stock. Holders of common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. Our outstanding shares of common stock are, and the shares offered by us in this offering will be, when issued and paid for, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of 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 and issue in the future.

Preferred Stock

Under the terms of our restated certificate of incorporation that will become effective upon the closing of this offering, our board of directors is authorized to direct us to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the discretion to determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.

The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions, future financings and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or could discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock. Upon the closing of this offering, there will be no shares of preferred stock outstanding, and we have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.

Options

As of May 31, 2015, options to purchase 3,977,746 shares of our common stock were outstanding under our 2012 Stock Incentive Plan.

Warrants

On June 6, 2014, we issued two warrants to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, or the Mayo Foundation, in connection with our research and option agreement with the Mayo Foundation. In each case, the warrant, unless earlier exercised or terminated, terminates upon the closing of this offering. The first warrant provided the Mayo Foundation a right to purchase 454,545 shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $0.01 per share. On April 29, 2015, the Mayo Foundation exercised the first warrant and was issued 454,545 shares of our common stock. The second warrant is contingent upon the accomplishment of certain milestones. As of the date of this prospectus, the Mayo Foundation had not accomplished any of the milestones, and, therefore, there were no shares of our common stock exercisable pursuant to this warrant.

 

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In connection with our loan and security agreement, we issued a warrant to Comerica Bank, or the Comerica Warrant, that is exercisable for 92,127 shares of Series A-2 preferred stock at an exercise price per share of $1.78. On May 16, 2014, Comerica Bank transferred this warrant to Comerica Ventures Incorporated. Upon the conversion of the Series A-2 preferred stock into common stock in connection with this offering, the warrant will become exercisable for 92,127 shares of common stock at an exercise price per share of $1.78. If unexercised, the warrant will expire on September 9, 2023.

Registration Rights

Upon the closing of this offering, holders of 22,959,114 shares of our common stock as of May 31, 2015, including shares issuable upon the exercise of the Comerica Warrant, or their transferees will be entitled to the following rights with respect to the registration of such shares for public resale under the Securities Act, pursuant to the amended and restated investors’ rights agreement by and among us and certain of our stockholders, or the investors’ rights agreement, until such shares can otherwise be sold without restriction under Rule 144, or until the rights otherwise terminate pursuant to the terms of the investors’ rights agreement. The registration of shares of common stock as a result of the following rights being exercised would enable holders to trade these shares without restriction under the Securities Act when the applicable registration statement is declared effective.

Demand Registration Rights

If at any time beginning 180 days after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the holders of a majority of the registrable securities request in writing that we effect a registration with respect to all or part of their registrable securities, we may be required to register all or part of the registrable securities then outstanding. We are obligated to effect at most two registrations in response to these demand registration rights. If the holders requesting registration intend to distribute their shares by means of an underwriting, the managing underwriter of such offering will have the right to limit the numbers of shares to be underwritten for reasons related to the marketing of the shares.

Piggyback Registration Rights

If at any time after this offering we propose to register any shares of our common stock under the Securities Act, subject to certain exceptions, the holders of registrable securities will be entitled to notice of the registration and to include their shares of registrable securities in the registration. If our proposed registration involves an underwriting, the managing underwriter of such offering will have the right to limit the number of shares to be underwritten for reasons related to the marketing of the shares.

Form S-3 Registration Rights

If the holders of at least 30% of the registrable securities then outstanding request in writing that we effect a registration with respect to registrable securities at an aggregate price to the public in the offering of at least $5,000,000, and we are entitled under the Securities Act to register our shares on a registration statement on Form S-3, we will be required to effect such registration. We will not be required to effect a registration pursuant to these Form S-3 registration rights if, within a given six-month period, we have already effected two registrations on Form S-3 for the holders of registrable securities.

 

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Expenses

Ordinarily, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, we will be required to pay all expenses incurred by us related to any registration effected pursuant to the exercise of these registration rights. These expenses may include all registration and filing fees, printing expenses, fees and disbursements of our counsel, reasonable fees and disbursements of a counsel for the selling security holders and blue sky fees and expenses.

Termination of Registration Rights

The registration rights terminate upon the earlier of five years after the closing of this offering, or, with respect to the registration rights of an individual holder, when the holder can sell all of such holder’s registrable securities in a three-month period without restriction under Rule 144 under the Securities Act.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Some provisions of Delaware law, our restated certificate of incorporation and our restated bylaws could make the following transactions more difficult: an acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; an acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or the removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interest, including transactions which provide for payment of a premium over the market price for our shares.

These provisions, summarized below, are intended to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of the increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

Undesignated Preferred Stock

The ability of our board of directors, without action by the stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences as designated by our board of directors could impede the success of any attempt to effect a change in control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deferring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.

Stockholder Meetings

Our restated bylaws provide that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by our chairman of the board, chief executive officer or president (in the absence of a chief executive officer), or by a resolution adopted by a majority of our board of directors.

Requirements for Advance Notification of Stockholder Nominations and Proposals

Our restated bylaws establish advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals to be brought before a stockholder meeting and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of the board of directors or a committee of the board of directors.

 

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Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent

Our restated certificate of incorporation eliminates the right of stockholders to act by written consent without a meeting.

Staggered Board

Our board of directors is divided into three classes. The directors in each class will serve for a three-year term, one class being elected each year by our stockholders. For more information on the classified board, see “Management—Board Composition and Election of Directors.” This system of electing and removing directors may tend to discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of the directors.

Removal of Directors

Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that no member of our board of directors may be removed from office by our stockholders except for cause and, in addition to any other vote required by law, upon the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote in the election of directors.

Stockholders Not Entitled to Cumulative Voting

Our restated certificate of incorporation does not permit stockholders to cumulate their votes in the election of directors. Accordingly, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote in any election of directors can elect all of the directors standing for election, if they choose, other than any directors that holders of our preferred stock may be entitled to elect.

Delaware Anti-Takeover Statute

We are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which prohibits persons deemed to be “interested stockholders” from engaging in a “business combination” with a publicly held Delaware corporation for three years following the date these persons become interested stockholders unless the business combination is, or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder was, approved in a prescribed manner or another prescribed exception applies. Generally, 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 voting stock. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. The existence of this law may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors.

Choice of Forum

Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative form, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for: (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty or other wrongdoing by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents to us or our stockholders; (3) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or our restated certificate of incorporation or restated bylaws; (4) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine

 

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the validity of our restated certificate of incorporation or restated bylaws; or (5) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our restated certificate of incorporation also provides that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock will be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to this choice of forum provision. It is possible that a court of law could rule that the choice of forum provision contained in our restated certificate of incorporation is inapplicable or unenforceable if it is challenged in a proceeding or otherwise.

Amendment of Restated Certificate of Incorporation

The amendment of any of the above provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation, except for the provision making it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock and the provision prohibiting cumulative voting, would require approval by holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote thereon.

The provisions of Delaware law, our restated certificate of incorporation and our restated bylaws could have the effect of discouraging others from attempting hostile takeovers and, as a consequence, they may also inhibit temporary fluctuations in the market price of our common stock that often result from actual or rumored hostile takeover attempts. These provisions may also have the effect of preventing changes in the composition of our board and management. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish transactions that stockholders may otherwise deem to be in their best interest.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock will be American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.

National Securities Exchange Listing

We have applied to have our common stock listed on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “MCRB.”

 

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

Immediately prior to this offering, there was no public market for our common stock. Future sales of substantial amounts of common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Upon the closing of this offering, we will have outstanding an aggregate of 36,653,502 shares of common stock, based on our shares outstanding as of May 31, 2015 and assuming the issuance of 6,250,000 shares of common stock offered by us in this offering and the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of our preferred stock into 22,866,987 shares of our common stock. Of these shares, all shares sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by our “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act, whose sales would be subject to the Rule 144 resale restrictions described below, other than the holding period requirement.

The remaining 30,403,502 shares of common stock will be “restricted securities,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. These restricted securities are eligible for public sale only if they are registered under the Securities Act or if they qualify for an exemption from registration under Rules 144 or 701 under the Securities Act, which are summarized below. We expect that substantially all of these shares will be subject to the 180-day lock-up period under the lock-up agreements described below. Upon expiration of the lock-up period, we estimate that approximately 30,403,502 shares will be available for sale in the public market, subject in some cases to applicable volume limitations under Rule 144.

In addition, of the 3,977,746 shares of our common stock that were subject to stock options outstanding as of May 31, 2015, options to purchase 516,388 shares of common stock were vested as of May 31, 2015 and, upon exercise, these shares will be eligible for sale subject to the lock–up agreements described below and Rules 144 and 701 promulgated under the Securities Act.

Lock-Up Agreements

We and each of our directors and executive officers and holders of substantially all of our outstanding capital stock, have agreed that, without the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. and BofA Merrill Lynch, on behalf of the underwriters, we and they will not, subject to limited exceptions described below, during the period ending 180 days after the date of this prospectus:

 

•

offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of, or publicly disclose an intention to take any such actions with respect to, any shares of our common stock, or any options or warrants to purchase any shares of our common stock, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive shares of our common stock, whether now owned or hereinafter acquired, owned directly or indirectly; or

 

•

request, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any of our common stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common stock,

whether any transaction described above is to be settled by delivery of our common stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.

In the case of our officers, directors and stockholders, these lock-up restrictions are subject to certain exceptions, including transfers (i) made as bona fide gifts; (ii) to any immediate family member or a trust or other legal entity; (iii) by will or intestacy; (iv) to us upon the vesting or exercise of an option, other award granted under our stock incentive plans or stock purchase plan or the conversion

 

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or exercise of warrants, in each case due to the net exercise of such option, award or warrant and/or to cover withholding tax obligations; (v) pursuant to our 2012 Stock Incentive Plan, to family members through gifts or domestic relations orders or to an executor or guardian upon death or disability; (vi) acquired in open market transactions; (vii) as part of a distribution, transfer or disposition without consideration to a holder’s limited or general partners; (vii) due to repurchases by us in connection with the termination of employment or other service relationship or the failure to meet certain conditions; (ix) in connection with the conversion of any convertible security into, or the exercise of any option or warrant for, our common stock in connection with the consummation of this offering; (x) pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction involving a change of control; and (xii) in connection with the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act.

In our case, these lock-up restrictions are subject to certain exceptions, including (i) the shares to be sold in this offering, (ii) grants of awards pursuant to equity incentive plans existing as of the date of this offering, (iii) the issuance of any shares of our common stock upon the exercise of options or equity-based awards granted under our equity incentive plans existing as of the date of this offering, (iv) the issuance of securities pursuant to employee stock purchase plans existing as of the date of this offering, (v) the issuance of securities upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities or the vesting of restricted stock outstanding as of the date of this offering, (vi) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 relating to any benefit plans or arrangements disclosed in this prospectus and the issuance of securities registered pursuant thereto and (vii) the issuance of stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of common stock in connection with any acquisition, collaboration, licensing or other joint venture or strategic transaction or any debt financing transaction involving us and an unaffiliated third party that includes a bona fide commercial relationship; provided that the issuance is not, in the aggregate, greater than 5% of our total outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the completion of this offering. In the case of issuances as described in (ii), (iii) and (vii) above, each recipient in the issuance must execute and deliver a lock-up agreement in connection with the securities received and we must enter stop transfer instructions with our transfer agent and registrar regarding the securities received.

Upon the expiration of the applicable lock-up periods, substantially all of the shares subject to such lock-up restrictions will become eligible for sale, subject to the limitations discussed above.

Rule 144

Affiliate Resales of Restricted Securities

In general, beginning 90 days after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, a person who is an affiliate of ours, or who was an affiliate at any time during the 90 days before a sale, who has beneficially owned shares of our common stock for at least six months would be entitled to sell in “broker’s transactions” or certain “riskless principal transactions” or to market makers, a number of shares within any three-month period that does not exceed the greater of:

 

•

1% of the number of shares of our common stock then outstanding, which will equal approximately 366,535 shares immediately after this offering; or

 

•

the average weekly trading volume in our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to such sale.

Affiliate resales under Rule 144 are also subject to the availability of current public information about us. In addition, if the number of shares being sold under Rule 144 by an affiliate during any three-month period exceeds 5,000 shares or has an aggregate sale price in excess of $50,000, the

 

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seller must file a notice on Form 144 with the Securities and Exchange Commission and             concurrently with either the placing of a sale order with the broker or the execution directly with a market maker.

Non-Affiliate Resales of Restricted Securities

In general, beginning 90 days after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, a person who is not an affiliate of ours at the time of sale, and has not been an affiliate at any time during the three months preceding a sale, and who has beneficially owned shares of our common stock for at least six months but less than a year, is entitled to sell such shares subject only to the availability of current public information about us. If such person has held our shares for at least one year, such person can resell under Rule 144(b)(1) without regard to any Rule 144 restrictions, including the 90-day public company requirement and the current public information requirement.

Non-affiliate resales are not subject to the manner of sale, volume limitation or notice filing provisions of Rule 144.

Rule 701

In general, under Rule 701, any of an issuer’s employees, directors, officers, consultants or advisors who purchases shares from the issuer in connection with a compensatory stock or option plan or other written agreement before the effective date of a registration statement under the Securities Act is entitled to sell such shares 90 days after such effective date in reliance on Rule 144. An affiliate of the issuer can resell shares in reliance on Rule 144 without having to comply with the holding period requirement, and non-affiliates of the issuer can resell shares in reliance on Rule 144 without having to comply with the current public information and holding period requirements.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has indicated that Rule 701 will apply to typical stock options granted by an issuer before it becomes subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act, along with the shares acquired upon exercise of such options, including exercises after an issuer becomes subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act.

Equity Plans

We intend to file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register all shares of common stock subject to outstanding stock options and common stock issued or issuable under our stock plans. We expect to file the registration statement covering shares offered pursuant to our stock plans shortly after the date of this prospectus, permitting the resale of such shares by nonaffiliates in the public market without restriction under the Securities Act and the sale by affiliates in the public market, subject to compliance with the resale provisions of Rule 144 and expiration of or release from the lock-up agreements described above.

Registration Rights

Upon the closing of this offering, the holders of 22,959,114 shares of common stock, which includes all of the shares of common stock issuable upon the automatic conversion of our preferred stock in connection with this offering and shares issuable upon the exercise of the Comerica Warrant, or their transferees will be entitled to various rights with respect to the registration of these shares under the Securities Act. Registration of these shares under the Securities Act would result in these shares becoming fully tradable without restriction under the Securities Act immediately upon the effectiveness of the registration statement, except for shares purchased by affiliates. See “Description of Capital Stock—Registration Rights” for additional information. Shares covered by a registration statement will be eligible for sale in the public market upon the expiration or release from the terms of the lock-up agreement.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS

The following discussion is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to non-U.S. holders (as defined below) of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock issued pursuant to this offering, but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax consequences. The consequences of other U.S. federal tax laws, such as estate and gift tax laws, and any applicable state, local or non-U.S. tax laws are not discussed. This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, judicial decisions and published rulings and administrative pronouncements of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, in effect as of the date of this offering. These authorities may change or be subject to differing interpretations. Any such change or differing interpretation may be applied retroactively in a manner that could adversely affect a non-U.S. holder of our common stock. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the IRS regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock.

This discussion is limited to non-U.S. holders that hold our common stock as a “capital asset” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to a non-U.S. holder’s particular circumstances, including the impact of the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. In addition, it does not address consequences relevant to non-U.S. holders subject to particular rules, including, without limitation:

 

•

U.S. expatriates and certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;

 

•

persons subject to the alternative minimum tax;

 

•

persons holding our common stock as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction strategy or as part of a conversion transaction or other integrated investment;

 

•

banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions;

 

•

real estate investment trusts or regulated investment companies;

 

•

brokers, dealers or traders in securities or currencies;

 

•

“controlled foreign corporations,” “passive foreign investment companies,” and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;

 

•

S corporations, partnerships or other entities or arrangements treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or investors in any such entities;

 

•

tax-exempt or governmental organizations;

 

•

persons deemed to sell our common stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code;

 

•

persons who hold or receive our common stock pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation;

 

•

persons for whom our stock constitutes “qualified small business stock” within the meaning of Section 1202 of the Code; and

 

•

tax-qualified retirement plans.

If a partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend on the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. Accordingly, partnerships holding our common stock and the partners in such partnerships should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences to them.

 

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THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED AS LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION OF OUR COMMON STOCK ARISING UNDER OTHER U.S. FEDERAL TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.

Definition of a “non-U.S. holder”

For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. holder” is any beneficial owner of our common stock that is neither a “U.S. person,” a partnership, or an entity disregarded as separate from its owner, each for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. person is any of the following:

 

•

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

•

a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia;

 

•

an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

 

•

a trust that (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and the control of one or more U.S. persons (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code), or (2) has made a valid election under applicable Treasury Regulations to continue to be treated as a U.S. person.

Distributions

As described in the section titled “Dividend Policy,” we do not anticipate declaring or paying dividends to holders of our common stock in the foreseeable future. However, if we do make distributions on our common stock, such distributions of cash or property on our common stock will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Amounts not treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes will constitute a return of capital and first be applied against and reduce a non-U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in its common stock, but not below zero. Any excess will be treated as capital gain and will be treated as described below under “Sale or Other Taxable Disposition.”

Subject to the discussion below on effectively connected income, dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder of our common stock will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividends (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty, provided the non-U.S. holder furnishes a valid IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable documentation) certifying qualification for the lower treaty rate). A non-U.S. holder that does not timely furnish the required documentation, but that qualifies for a reduced treaty rate, may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under any applicable income tax treaty.

If dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder are effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the non-U.S. holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such dividends are attributable), the non-U.S. holder will be exempt from the U.S. federal withholding tax

 

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described above. To claim the exemption, the non-U.S. holder must furnish to the applicable withholding agent a valid IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States.

Any such effectively connected dividends will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates. A non-U.S. holder that is a corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on such effectively connected dividends, as adjusted for certain items. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding any applicable tax treaties that may provide for different rules.

Sale or Other Taxable Disposition

Subject to the discussions below on backup withholding and foreign accounts, a non-U.S. holder will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other disposition of our common stock unless:

 

•

the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the non-U.S. holder maintains a permanent establishment in the United States to which such gain is attributable);

 

•

the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met; or

 

•

our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest, or USRPI, by reason of our status as a U.S. real property holding corporation, or a “USRPHC”, for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Gain described in the first bullet point above will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates. A non-U.S. holder that is a corporation also may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) of such effectively connected gain, as adjusted for certain items.

A non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet point above will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on any gain derived from the disposition, which may be offset by certain U.S. source capital losses of the non-U.S. holder (even though the individual is not considered a resident of the United States) provided the non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.

With respect to the third bullet point above, we believe we are not currently and do not anticipate becoming a USRPHC. Because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends on the fair market value of our USRPIs relative to the fair market value of our other business assets and our non-U.S. real property interests, however, there can be no assurance we are not a USRPHC or will not become one in the future. Even if we are or were to become a USRPHC, gain arising from the sale or other taxable disposition by a non-U.S. holder of our common stock will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if such class of stock is “regularly traded,” as defined by applicable Treasury Regulations, on an established securities market, and such non-U.S. holder owned, actually or constructively, 5% or less of such class of our stock throughout the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the sale or other disposition or the non-U.S. holder’s holding period for such stock; if the foregoing exception does not apply, then if we are or were to become a USRPHC a purchaser may be required to withhold 10% of the proceeds payable to a non-U.S. holder from a sale of our common stock and such non-U.S. holder generally will be taxed on its net gain derived from the disposition at the graduated U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code).

 

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Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding potentially applicable income tax treaties that may provide for different rules.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Payments of dividends on our common stock will not be subject to backup withholding provided the applicable withholding agent does not have actual knowledge or reason to know such holder is a U.S. person and the holder either certifies its non-U.S. status, such as by providing a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E, or W-8ECI, or otherwise establishes an exemption. However, information returns are required to be filed with the IRS in connection with any dividends on our common stock paid to the non-U.S. holder, regardless of whether any tax was actually withheld. In addition, proceeds of the sale or other taxable disposition of our common stock within the United States or conducted through certain U.S.-related brokers generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting, if the applicable withholding agent receives the certification described above and does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that such holder is a U.S. person, or the holder otherwise establishes an exemption. Proceeds of a disposition of our common stock conducted through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker generally will not be subject to backup withholding or information reporting.

Copies of these information returns that are filed with the IRS may also be made available under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement to the tax authorities of the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is established.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be allowed as a refund or a credit against a non-U.S. holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Additional Withholding Tax on Payments Made to Foreign Accounts

Withholding taxes may be imposed under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, on certain types of payments made to non-U.S. financial institutions and certain other non-U.S. entities. Specifically, a 30% withholding tax may be imposed on dividends on, or gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock paid to a “foreign financial institution” or a “non-financial foreign entity” (each as defined in the Code), unless (1) the foreign financial institution undertakes certain diligence and reporting obligations, (2) the non-financial foreign entity either certifies it does not have any “substantial United States owners” (as defined in the Code) or furnishes identifying information regarding each substantial United States owner, or (3) the foreign financial institution or non-financial foreign entity otherwise qualifies for an exemption from these rules. If the payee is a foreign financial institution and is subject to the diligence and reporting requirements in (1) above, it must enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify accounts held by certain “specified United States persons” or “United States-owned foreign entities” (each as defined in the Code), annually report certain information about such accounts, and withhold 30% on certain payments to non-compliant foreign financial institutions and certain other account holders. Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules.

The withholding provisions described above will generally apply to payments of dividends on our common stock and will apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of such stock on or after January 1, 2017. Because we may not know the extent to which a distribution is a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes at the time it is made, for purposes of these withholding rules we may treat the entire distribution as a dividend. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of these withholding provisions.

 

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UNDERWRITING

We and the underwriters named below will enter into an underwriting agreement with respect to the shares being offered. Subject to certain conditions, each underwriter shall severally agree to purchase the number of shares indicated in the following table. Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated are the representatives of the underwriters.

 

Underwriters		Number of Shares
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith                    Incorporated
Leerink Partners LLC
Canaccord Genuity Inc.
Total			6,250,000

The underwriters are committed to take and pay for all of the shares being offered, if any are taken, other than the shares covered by the option described below unless and until this option is exercised.

The underwriters have an option to buy up to an additional 937,500 shares from us to cover sales by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than the total number set forth in the table above. They may exercise that option for 30 days. If any shares are purchased pursuant to this option, the underwriters will severally purchase shares in approximately the same proportion as set forth in the table above.

The following table shows the per share and total underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid by us to the underwriters. Such amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase 937,500 additional shares.

 

Paid by the Company		No Exercise				Full Exercise
Per Share		$				$
Total		$				$

Shares sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any shares sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $         per share from the initial public offering price. After the initial offering of the shares, the representatives may change the offering price and the other selling terms. The offering of the shares by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject any order in whole or in part.

We and our officers, directors and holders of substantially all of our outstanding capital stock have agreed with the underwriters, subject to certain exceptions, that we and they will not dispose of or hedge any of our or their capital stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of common stock during the period ending 180 days after the date of this prospectus, except with the prior written consent of the representatives. For more information, see “Shares Eligible for Future Sale—Lock Up Agreements.”

Prior to the offering, there has been no public market for our shares. The initial public offering price will be negotiated among us and the representatives. Among the factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price of the shares, in addition to prevailing market conditions, will be our historical performance, estimates of our business potential and earnings prospects, an assessment of our management and the consideration of the above factors in relation to market valuation of companies in related businesses.

 

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An application has been made to list our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “MCRB.”

In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell shares of common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than they are required to purchase in the offering, and a short position represents the amount of such sales that have not been covered by subsequent purchases. A “covered short position” is a short position that is not greater than the amount of additional shares for which the underwriters’ option described above may be exercised. The underwriters may cover any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional shares or purchasing shares in the open market. In determining the source of shares to cover the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase additional shares pursuant to the option described above. “Naked” short sales are any short sales that create a short position greater than the amount of additional shares for which the option described above may be exercised. The underwriters must cover any such naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of common stock made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the completion of the offering.

The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representatives have repurchased shares sold by or for the account of such underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.

Purchases to cover a short position and stabilizing transactions, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the company’s stock, and together with the imposition of the penalty bid, may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the common stock. As a result, the price of the common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time. These transactions may be effected on The NASDAQ Global Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.

The underwriters do not expect sales to discretionary accounts to exceed five percent of the total number of shares offered.

We estimate that total expenses of this offering payable by us, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $3.2 million. We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for expenses relating to clearance of this offering with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (in an amount not to exceed $30,000).

We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have provided, and may in the future provide, a variety of these services to the issuer and to persons and entities with relationships with the issuer, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.

 

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In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps and other financial instruments for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and trading activities may involve or relate to assets, securities and/or instruments of the issuer (directly, as collateral securing other obligations or otherwise) and/or persons and entities with relationships with the issuer. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such assets, securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they should acquire, long and/or short positions in such assets, securities and instruments.

Selling Restrictions

European Economic Area

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive, or a Relevant Member State, each underwriter has represented and agreed that with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State, or the Relevant Implementation Date, it has not made and will not make an offer of shares to the public in that Relevant Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Directive, except that it may, with effect from and including the Relevant Implementation Date, make an offer of shares to the public in that Relevant Member State at any time:

 

(a)

to legal entities which are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities;

 

(b)

to any legal entity which has two or more of (1) an average of at least 250 employees during the last financial year; (2) a total balance sheet of more than €43,000,000 and (3) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000, as shown in its last annual or consolidated accounts;

 

(c)

to fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives for any such offer; or

 

(d)

in any other circumstances which do not require the publication by the Issuer of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of shares to the public” in relation to any shares in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the shares, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State and the expression Prospectus Directive means Directive 2003/71/EC and includes any relevant implementing measure in each Relevant Member State.

Each underwriter has represented and agreed that:

 

(a)

it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act, or FSMA) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the shares in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to the Issuer; and

 

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(b)

it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the shares in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

Hong Kong

The shares may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.

Singapore

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore, or the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 by a relevant person which is: (a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or (b) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest in that trust shall not be transferable for six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares under Section 275 except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA; (2) where no consideration is given for the transfer; or (3) by operation of law.

Japan

The securities have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan, or the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law, and each underwriter has agreed that it will not offer or sell any securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Latham & Watkins LLP. Certain legal matters will be passed upon for the underwriters by Ropes & Gray LLP.

EXPERTS

The financial statements as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014 included in this prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 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

We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of common stock offered hereby. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. For further information about us and the common stock offered hereby, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed thereto. Statements contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any contract or any other document that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement are not necessarily complete, and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. Upon the closing of this offering, we will be required to file periodic reports, proxy statements, and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You may read and copy this information at the Public Reference Room of the Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the public reference rooms by calling the Securities and Exchange Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. The Securities and Exchange Commission also maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information about registrants, like us, that file electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The address of that site is www.sec.gov.

 

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INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

		Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm			F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets			F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss			F-4
Consolidated Statements of Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Deficit			F-5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows			F-6
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements			F-7

 

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

Seres Therapeutics, Inc.

In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, of convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ deficit and of cash flows present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Seres Therapeutics, Inc., formerly known as Seres Health, Inc., and its subsidiary at December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

April 8, 2015

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

 

		December 31,								March 31, 2015				Pro Forma March 31, 2015
		2013				2014
										(unaudited)				(unaudited)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	1,654			$	114,185			$	45,045			$	45,045
Investments			—				—				59,271				59,271
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			51				58				768				768
Total current assets			1,705				114,243				105,084				105,084
Property and equipment, net			352				1,264				1,313				1,313
Restricted cash			37				139				139				139
Deferred offering costs			—				1,684				2,079				2,079
Deferred financing costs			31				15				13				13
Total assets		$	2,125			$	117,345			$	108,628			$	108,628
Liabilities, Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable		$	393			$	2,166			$	1,109			$	1,109
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			263				1,737				1,126				1,126
Notes payable, current portion			400				1,200				1,200				1,200
Total current liabilities			1,056				5,103				3,435				3,435
Notes payable, net of discount			438				1,304				1,016				1,016
Preferred stock warrant liability			164				1,582				1,369				—
Total liabilities			1,658				7,989				5,820				4,451
Commitments and contingencies (Note 12)
Convertible preferred stock (Series A, A-2, B, C, D and D-1), $0.001 par value; 11,806,272 shares authorized at December 31, 2013 and 24,348,003 shares authorized at December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015 (unaudited); 10,478,189 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2013 and 22,866,987 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015 (unaudited); aggregate liquidation preference of $137,283 and $139,992 at December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015 (unaudited), respectively; no shares issued or outstanding pro forma at March 31, 2015 (unaudited)			11,583				136,077				136,053				—
Stockholders’ equity (deficit):
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 24,500,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2013 and 38,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015 (unaudited); 6,855,000, 6,890,250 and 7,081,970 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2013 and 2014 and March 31, 2015 (unaudited), respectively; 29,948,957 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma at March 31, 2015 (unaudited)			7				7				7				30
Additional paid-in capital			—				1,104				2,520				139,919
Accumulated other comprehensive income			—				—				31				31
Accumulated deficit			(11,123	)			(27,832	)			(35,803	)			(35,803	)
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)			(11,116	)			(26,721	)			(33,245	)			104,177
Total liabilities, convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity (deficit)		$	2,125			$	117,345			$	108,628			$	108,628

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31,
		2012				2013				2014				2014				2015
														(unaudited)
Revenue		$	—			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	—
Operating expenses:
Research and development expenses			2,077				4,805				10,718				1,032				5,561
General and administrative expenses			956				1,247				4,364				640				2,606
Total operating expenses			3,033				6,052				15,082				1,672				8,167
Loss from operations			(3,033	)			(6,052	)			(15,082	)			(1,672	)			(8,167	)
Other income (expense):
Interest income (expense), net			(93	)			(42	)			(209	)			(37	)			(17	)
Revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability			—				(8	)			(1,418	)			20				213
Total other income (expense), net			(93	)			(50	)			(1,627	)			(17	)			196
Net loss			(3,126	)			(6,102	)			(16,709	)			(1,689	)			(7,971	)
Accretion of convertible preferred stock to redemption value			(276	)			(875	)			(1,291	)			(233	)			—
Net loss attributable to common stockholders		$	(3,402	)		$	(6,977	)		$	(18,000	)			$ (1,922	)		$	(7,971	)
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted		$	(0.59	)		$	(1.09	)		$	(2.67	)		$	(0.29	)		$	(1.15	)
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted			5,725,120				6,394,916				6,748,037				6,686,389				6,912,725
Pro forma net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted (unaudited)										$	(0.74	)						$	(0.27	)
Pro forma weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted (unaudited)											20,683,511								29,779,712
Other comprehensive income:
Unrealized gain on investments, net of tax of $0			—				—				—				—				31
Total other comprehensive income			—				—				—				—				31
Comprehensive loss		$	(3,126	)		$	(6,102	)		$	(16,709	)		$	(1,689	)		$	(7,940	)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK

AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

(In thousands, except share data)

 

		Series A, A-2, B, C, D and D-1 Convertible Preferred Stock								Common Stock								Additional Paid-in Capital				Accumulated Deficit				Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income				Total Stockholders’ Deficit
										Shares				Par Value
		Shares				Amount
Balance at December 31, 2011			—			$	—				2,400,000			$	2			$	—			$	(981	)		$	—			$	(979	)
Issuance of common stock			—				—				3,000,000				3				—				—				—				3
Issuance of Series A convertible preferred stock, net of issuance costs of $70			6,329,114				4,930				—				—				—				—				—				—
Conversion of promissory notes and accrued interest into Series A convertible preferred stock			1,901,883				1,502				—				—				—				—				—				—
Issuance of Series A-2 convertible preferred stock			2,247,192				4,000				—				—				—				—				—				—
Issuance of restricted common stock			—				—				2,440,000				2				—				—				—				2
Repurchase of unvested restricted common stock			—				—				(250,000	)			—				—				—				—				—
Stock-based compensation expense			—				—				—				—				28				—				—				28
Accretion of convertible preferred stock to redemption value			—				276				—				—				(28	)			(248	)			—				(276	)
Net loss			—				—				—				—				—				(3,126	)			—				(3,126	)
Balance at December 31, 2012			10,478,189				10,708				7,590,000				7				—				(4,355	)			—				(4,348	)
Repurchase of unvested restricted common stock			—				—				(735,000	)			—				—				—				—				—
Stock-based compensation expense			—				—				—				—				209				—				—				209
Accretion of convertible preferred stock to redemption value			—				875				—				—				(209	)			(666	)			—				(875	)
Net loss			—				—				—				—				—				(6,102	)			—				(6,102	)
Balance at December 31, 2013			10,478,189				11,583				6,855,000				7				—				(11,123	)			—				(11,116	)
Issuance of Series B convertible preferred stock, net of issuance costs of $71			4,831,359				10,558				—				—				—				—				—				—
Issuance of Series C convertible preferred stock, net of issuance costs of $187			3,946,328				47,813				—				—				—				—				—				—
Issuance of Series D and D-1 convertible preferred stock, net of issuance costs of $168			3,611,111				64,832				—				—				—				—				—				—
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options			—				—				28,687				—				5				—				—				5
Issuance of common stock			—				—				6,563				—				5				—				—				5
Issuance of common stock warrant			—				—				—				—				317				—				—				317
Stock-based compensation expense			—				—				—				—				2,068				—				—				2,068
Accretion of convertible preferred stock to redemption value			—				1,291				—				—				(1,291	)			—				—				(1,291	)
Net loss			—				—				—				—				—				(16,709	)			—				(16,709	)
Balance at December 31, 2014			22,866,987				136,077				6,890,250				7				1,104				(27,832	)			—				(26,721	)
Series D convertible preferred stock issuance costs			—				(24	)			—				—				—				—				—				—
Issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options			—				—				191,720				—				89				—				—				89
Stock-based compensation expense			—				—				—				—				1,327				—				—				1,327
Unrealized gain on investments			—				—				—				—				—				—				31				31
Net loss			—				—				—				—				—				(7,971	)			—				(7,971	)
Balance at March 31, 2015 (unaudited)			22,866,987			$	136,053				7,081,970			$	7			$	2,520			$	(35,803	)		$	31			$	(33,245	)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31,
		2012				2013				2014				2014				2015
														(unaudited)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss		$	(3,126	)		$	(6,102	)		$	(16,709	)		$	(1,689)			$	(7,971	)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Stock-based compensation expense			28				209				2,068				45				1,327
Depreciation and amortization expense			25				88				190				30				92
(Gain) loss from revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability			—				8				1,418				(20	)			(213	)
Licensing fees paid in common stock warrant			—				—				317				—				—
Non-cash interest expense			—				19				81				16				30
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			(29	)			(21	)			(7	)			30				(710	)
Accounts payable			103				281				810				99				(189	)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities			74				197				1,474				66				(706	)
Net cash used in operating activities			(2,925	)			(5,321	)			(10,358	)			(1,423	)			(8,340	)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment			(292	)			(174	)			(1,001	)			(80	)			(214	)
Purchases of investments			—				—				—				—				(59,255	)
Changes in restricted cash			(27	)			(10	)			(102	)			—				—
Net cash used in investing activities			(319	)			(184	)			(1,103	)			(80	)			(59,469	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of convertible preferred stock, net of issuance costs			8,930				—				123,203				—				(24	)
Proceeds from issuance of promissory notes			500				—				—				—				—
Proceeds from issuance of notes payable and preferred stock warrant, net of issuance costs			—				944				2,000				500				—
Proceeds from exercise of stock options			—				—				5				—				89
Proceeds from issuance of common stock and restricted common stock			5				—				5				—				—
Repayment of notes payable			—				—				(400	)			—				(300	)
Payments of initial public offering costs			—				—				(821	)			—				(1,096	)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			9,435				944				123,992				500				(1,331	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			6,191				(4,561	)			112,531				(1,003	)			(69,140	)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			24				6,215				1,654				1,654				114,185
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period		$	6,215			$	1,654			$	114,185			$	651			$	45,045
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest		$	—			$	20			$	122			$	—			$	40
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Conversion of promissory notes and accrued interest into shares of convertible preferred stock		$	1,502			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	—
Accretion of convertible preferred stock to redemption value		$	276			$	875			$	1,291			$	233			$	—
Issuance of preferred stock warrant in connection with notes payable		$	—			$	156			$	—			$	—			$	—
Deferred offering costs included in accounts payable and accrued expenses		$	—			$	—			$	863			$	—			$	162
Property and equipment purchases included in accounts payable		$	—			$	—			$	101			$	—			$	28

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

1.	Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation

Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in October 2010 under the name Newco LS21, Inc. In October 2011, the company changed its name to Seres Health, Inc., and in May 2015, the company changed its name to Seres Therapeutics, Inc. The Company is a microbiome therapeutics platform company developing a novel class of biological drugs, which are designed to restore health by repairing the function of a dysbiotic microbiome. The Company’s lead product candidate, SER-109, is designed to prevent further recurrences of Clostridium difficile infection (“CDI”), a debilitating infection of the colon, and, if approved by the FDA, could be a first-in-field drug. Using its microbiome therapeutics platform, the Company is developing additional product candidates, including SER-262 to prevent an initial recurrence of primary CDI and other product candidates to treat inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis, and enteric pathogens, such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Company is also conducting research on metabolic diseases, such as early-stage, non-insulin dependent diabetes; other inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s disease; and infections related to antibiotic use, cancer chemotherapy and immune suppression.

The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the biotechnology industry including, but not limited to, new technological innovations, protection of proprietary technology, dependence on key personnel, compliance with government regulations and the need to obtain additional financing. Product candidates currently under development will require significant additional research and development efforts, including extensive pre-clinical and clinical testing and regulatory approval, prior to commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel infrastructure and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities.

The Company’s product candidates are in development. There can be no assurance that the Company’s research and development will be successfully completed, that adequate protection for the Company’s intellectual property will be obtained, that any products developed will obtain necessary government regulatory approval or that any approved products will be commercially viable. Even if the Company’s product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will generate significant revenue from product sales. The Company operates in an environment of rapid change in technology and substantial competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In addition, the Company is dependent upon the services of its employees and consultants.

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis of continuity of operations, realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. The Company has experienced negative cash flows and had an accumulated deficit of $27,832 and $35,803 as of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, respectively. The Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2014 of $114,185 will enable it to fund its operating expense and capital expenditure requirements through at least December 31, 2015. The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and investments of $104,316 at March 31, 2015 will enable it to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through at least March 31, 2016. The future viability of the Company is dependent on its ability to generate cash from operating activities or to raise additional capital to finance its operations. The Company’s failure to raise capital as and when needed could have a negative impact on its financial condition and ability to pursue its business strategies.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

The Company is seeking to complete an initial public offering of its common stock. Upon the closing of a qualified public offering, the Company’s outstanding convertible preferred stock will automatically convert into shares of common stock (see Note 9).

In the event the Company does not complete an initial public offering, the Company expects to seek additional funding through private financings, debt financing, collaboration agreements or government grants. The Company may not be able to obtain financing on acceptable terms, or at all, and the Company may not be able to enter into collaboration arrangements or obtain government grants. The terms of any financing may adversely affect the holdings or the rights of the Company’s stockholders. If the Company is unable to obtain funding, the Company could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate its research and development programs, product portfolio expansion or commercialization efforts, which could adversely affect its business prospects. Although management continues to pursue these plans, there is no assurance that the Company will be successful in obtaining sufficient funding on terms acceptable to the Company to fund continuing operations, if at all.

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiary after elimination of all intercompany accounts and transactions.

 

2.	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in these consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, the accrual of research and development expenses and the valuation of common stock, stock-based awards and the preferred stock warrant liability. Estimates are periodically reviewed in light of changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Actual results could differ from the Company’s estimates.

Unaudited Interim Financial Information

The accompanying balance sheet as of March 31, 2015, the statements of operations and comprehensive loss and of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, and the statement of convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ deficit for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are unaudited. The unaudited interim financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited annual financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair statement of the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2015 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015. The financial data and other information disclosed in these notes related to the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015 are unaudited. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015, any other interim periods, or any future year or period.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

Unaudited Pro Forma Information

The accompanying unaudited pro forma consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2015 has been prepared to give effect to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock into 22,866,987 shares of common stock and the warrant to purchase Series A-2 convertible preferred stock outstanding as of March 31, 2015 becoming a warrant to purchase 92,127 shares of common stock (see Note 8) as if the proposed initial public offering had occurred on March 31, 2015.

In the accompanying consolidated statements of operations, unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2015 have been prepared to give effect to the automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock into shares of common stock and the outstanding warrant to purchase Series A-2 convertible preferred stock becoming a warrant to purchase shares of common stock (see Note 8) as if the proposed initial public offering had occurred on the later of January 1, 2014 or the issuance date of the convertible preferred stock.

Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term, highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or less at acquisition date to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents, which consist of money market accounts, corporate bonds and commercial paper purchased with original maturities of less than 90 days from the date of purchase, are stated at fair value.

Restricted Cash

The Company held cash of $37 as of December 31, 2013 and $139 as of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015 in a separate restricted bank account as a security deposit for the lease of the Company’s facilities and as collateral for the Company’s credit card program with Comerica Bank. The Company has classified these deposits as long-term restricted cash on its balance sheet.

Investments

The Company classifies its available-for-sale investments as current assets on the consolidated balance sheet if they mature within one year from the balance sheet date.

The Company classifies all of its investments as available-for-sale securities. The Company’s investments are measured and reported at fair value using quoted prices in active markets for similar securities. Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity (deficit). The cost of securities sold is determined on a specific identification basis, and realized gains and losses are included in other income (expense) within the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. If any adjustment to fair value reflects a decline in the value of the investment that the Company considers to be “other than temporary’, the Company reduces the investment to fair value through a charge to the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. No such adjustments were necessary during the periods presented.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

Concentration of Credit Risk and of Significant Suppliers

Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents. The Company has all cash and cash equivalents balances at one accredited financial institution, in amounts that exceed federally insured limits. The Company does not believe that it is subject to unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships.

The Company is dependent on third-party manufacturers to supply products for research and development activities of its programs, including pre-clinical and clinical testing. These programs could be adversely affected by a significant interruption in the supply of such drug substance products.

Fair Value Measurements

Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:

 

•

Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

•

Level 2—Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices), such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.

 

•

Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques.

The Company’s cash equivalents, investments and preferred stock warrant liability are carried at fair value, determined according to the fair value hierarchy described above (see Note 3). The carrying values of the Company’s accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of these liabilities. The carrying value of the Company’s outstanding debt as of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015 approximates fair value based on the variable interest rate for the borrowings outstanding as well as short duration of the term of the note (see Note 7). The fair value of the outstanding debt was estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on current market interest rates for debt issuances with similar remaining years to maturity, adjusted for credit risk, which represents a Level 3 measurement.

Deferred Offering Costs

The Company capitalizes certain legal, accounting and other third-party fees that are directly associated with in-process equity financings as deferred offering costs (non-current) until such financings are consummated. After consummation of the equity financing, these costs are recorded in stockholders’ equity (deficit) as a reduction of additional paid-in capital generated as a result of the

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

offering. As of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, the Company had recorded $1,684 and $2,079, respectively, of deferred offering costs in contemplation of a probable 2015 equity financing. Should the equity financing no longer be considered probable of being consummated, all deferred offering costs will be charged to operating expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. The Company did not record any deferred offering costs as of December 31, 2013.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation expense is recognized using the straight-line method over the useful life of the asset. Laboratory equipment is depreciated over five years. Computer equipment and furniture and office equipment are depreciated over three years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the related asset. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance of assets are charged to expense as incurred. Upon retirement or sale, the cost and related accumulated depreciation of assets disposed of are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is included in loss from operations.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets consist of property and equipment. Long-lived assets to be held and used are tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. Factors that the Company considers in deciding when to perform an impairment review include significant underperformance of the business in relation to expectations, significant negative industry or economic trends and significant changes or planned changes in the use of the assets. If an impairment review is performed to evaluate a long-lived asset for recoverability, the Company compares forecasts of undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the long-lived asset to its carrying value. An impairment loss would be recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of an asset are less than its carrying amount. The impairment loss would be based on the excess of the carrying value of the impaired asset over its fair value, determined based on discounted cash flows. To date, the Company has not recorded any impairment losses on long-lived assets.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include salaries, stock-based compensation and benefits of employees, third-party license fees and other operational costs related to the Company’s research and development activities, including allocated facility-related expenses and external costs of outside vendors engaged to conduct both pre-clinical studies and clinical trials.

Research Contract Costs and Accruals

The Company has entered into various research and development contracts with research institutions and other companies. These agreements are generally cancelable, and related payments are recorded as research and development expenses as incurred. The Company records accruals for

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

estimated ongoing research costs. When evaluating the adequacy of the accrued liabilities, the Company analyzes progress of the studies, including the phase or completion of events, invoices received and contracted costs. Significant judgments and estimates are made in determining the accrued balances at the end of any reporting period. Actual results could differ from the Company’s estimates. The Company’s historical accrual estimates have not been materially different from the actual costs.

Patent Costs

All patent-related costs incurred in connection with filing and prosecuting patent applications are expensed as incurred due to the uncertainty about the recovery of the expenditure. Amounts incurred are classified as general and administrative expenses.

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation

The Company measures all stock options and other stock-based awards granted to employees and directors based on the fair value on the date of the grant and recognizes compensation expense of those awards, net of estimated forfeitures, over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award. Generally, the Company issues stock options and restricted stock awards with only service-based vesting conditions and records the expense for these awards using the straight-line method.

The Company measures stock-based awards granted to consultants and non-employees based on the fair value of the award on the date on which the related service is complete. Compensation expense is recognized over the period during which services are rendered by such consultants and non-employees until completed. At the end of each financial reporting period prior to completion of the service, the fair value of these awards is remeasured using the then-current fair value of the Company’s common stock and updated assumption inputs in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model.

The Company classifies stock-based compensation expense in its consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss in the same manner in which the award recipient’s payroll costs are classified or in which the award recipients’ service payments are classified.

The Company recognizes compensation expense for only the portion of awards that are expected to vest. In developing a forfeiture rate estimate, the Company has considered its historical experience to estimate pre-vesting forfeitures for service-based awards. The impact of a forfeiture rate adjustment will be recognized in full in the period of adjustment, and if the actual forfeiture rate is materially different from the Company’s estimate, the Company may be required to record adjustments to stock-based compensation expense in future periods.

The fair value of each stock option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company historically has been a private company and lacks company-specific historical and implied volatility information. Therefore, it estimates its expected stock volatility based on the historical volatility of a publicly traded set of peer companies and expects to continue to do so until such time as it has adequate historical data regarding the volatility of its own

 

F-12

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Table of Contents

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

traded stock price. The expected term of the Company’s stock options has been determined utilizing the “simplified” method for awards that qualify as “plain-vanilla” options. The expected term of stock options granted to non-employees is equal to the contractual term of the option award. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. Expected dividend yield is based on the fact that the Company has never paid cash dividends and does not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements or in the Company’s tax returns. Deferred taxes are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. Changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded in the provision for income taxes. The Company assesses the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent it believes, based upon the weight of available evidence, that it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established through a charge to income tax expense. Potential for recovery of deferred tax assets is evaluated by estimating the future taxable profits expected and considering prudent and feasible tax planning strategies.

The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in the financial statements by applying a two-step process to determine the amount of tax benefit to be recognized. First, the tax position must be evaluated to determine the likelihood that it will be sustained upon external examination by the taxing authorities. If the tax position is deemed more-likely-than-not to be sustained, the tax position is then assessed to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The amount of the benefit that may be recognized is the largest amount that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The provision for income taxes includes the effects of any resulting tax reserves, or unrecognized tax benefits, that are considered appropriate as well as the related net interest and penalties.

Warrant to Purchase Convertible Preferred Stock

The Company classifies a warrant to purchase shares of its Series A-2 convertible preferred stock as a liability on its consolidated balance sheets as this warrant is a free-standing financial instrument that may require the Company to transfer assets upon exercise. The warrant was initially recorded at fair value on date of grant, and it is subsequently remeasured to fair value at each balance sheet date. Changes in fair value of the warrant are recognized as a component of other income (expense), net in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company will continue to adjust the liability for changes in fair value until the earlier of the exercise or expiration of the warrant or the warrant becoming a warrant to purchase common stock instead of preferred stock.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which incorporates assumptions and estimates, to value the preferred stock warrant. The Company has assessed these assumptions and

 

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Table of Contents

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

estimates on a quarterly basis as additional information impacting the assumptions is obtained. Estimates and assumptions impacting the fair value measurement include the fair value per share of the underlying Series A-2 convertible preferred stock, the remaining contractual term of the warrant, risk-free interest rate, expected dividend yield and expected volatility of the price of the underlying preferred stock. The Company determines the fair value per share of the underlying preferred stock by taking into consideration the most recent sales of its convertible preferred stock, results obtained from third-party valuations and additional factors that are deemed relevant. The Company historically has been a private company and lacks company-specific historical and implied volatility information of its stock. Therefore, it estimates its expected stock volatility based on the historical volatility of publicly traded peer companies for a term equal to the remaining contractual term of the warrant. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve for time periods approximately equal to the remaining contractual term of the warrant. Expected dividend yield is based on the fact that the Company has never paid cash dividends and does not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

Segment Data

The Company manages its operations as a single segment for the purposes of assessing performance and making operating decisions. The Company’s singular focus is on developing Ecobiotic microbiome therapeutics to treat dysbiosis in the colonic microbiome. No revenue has been generated since inception, and all tangible assets are held in the United States.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss includes net loss as well as other changes in stockholders’ equity (deficit) that result from transactions and economic events other than those with stockholders. There was no difference between net loss and comprehensive loss for each of the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2014. For the three months ended March 31, 2015, other comprehensive income (loss) consisted of changes in unrealized gains (losses) from available-for-sale investments.

Net Loss per Share

Basic net loss per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net loss per share is computed using the sum of the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period and, if dilutive, the weighted average number of potential shares of common stock, including the assumed exercise of stock options and warrants and unvested restricted stock. The Company applies the two-class method to calculate its basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, as its convertible preferred stock and common stock are participating securities. The two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that treats a participating security as having rights to earnings that otherwise would have been available to common stockholders. However, the two-class method does not impact the net loss per share of common stock as the Company was in a net loss position for each of the periods presented and preferred stockholders do not participate in losses.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

The Company’s convertible preferred stock contractually entitles the holders of such shares to participate in dividends but does not contractually require the holders of such shares to participate in losses of the Company. Similarly, restricted stock awards granted by the Company entitle the holder of such awards to dividends declared or paid by the board of directors, regardless of whether such awards are unvested, as if such shares were outstanding common shares at the time of the dividend. However, the unvested restricted stock awards are not entitled to share in the residual net assets (deficit) of the Company. Accordingly, in periods in which the Company reports a net loss attributable to common stockholders, diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is the same as basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, since dilutive common shares are not assumed to have been issued if their effect is anti-dilutive.

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (‘‘FASB’’) issued Accounting Standards Update (‘‘ASU’’) 2014-10, Development Stage Entities. The amendments in this update removed all incremental financial reporting requirements, including inception-to-date information and certain other disclosures currently required under GAAP, in the financial statements of development stage companies. The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2014 and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance and, therefore, has not presented inception-to-date disclosures in its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern. The amendments in this update will explicitly require a company’s management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern, and to provide related footnote disclosures in certain circumstances. The new standard will be effective in the first annual period ending after December 15, 2016. Early application is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of the adoption of this standard, but believes its adoption will have no impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation: Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis (Topic 810) (“ASU 2015-02”), which modifies existing consolidation guidance for reporting organizations that are required to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities. ASU 2015-02 will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, and requires either a retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adoption. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of ASU 2015-02, but believes its adoption will have no material impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

3.	Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities

The following tables present information about the Company’s assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2013 and 2014 and March 31, 2015 that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and indicate the level of the fair value hierarchy utilized to determine such fair values:

 

		Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2013 Using:
		Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total
Assets:
Cash equivalents		$	—			$	1,301			$	—			$	1,301
		$	—			$	1,301			$	—			$	1,301
Liabilities:
Liability for preferred stock warrant		$	—			$	—			$	164			$	164
		$	—			$	—			$	164			$	164

 

		Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2014 Using:
		Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total
Liabilities:
Liability for preferred stock warrant		$	—			$	—			$	1,582			$	1,582
		$	—			$	—			$	1,582			$	1,582

 

		Fair Value Measurements as of March 31, 2015 Using:
		Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total
		(unaudited)
Assets:
Cash equivalents		$	—			$	29,078			$	—			$	29,078
Investments			—				59,271				—				59,271
		$	—			$	88,349			$	—			$	88,349
Liabilities:
Liability for preferred stock warrant		$	—			$	—			$	1,369			$	1,369
		$	—			$	—			$	1,369			$	1,369

As of December 31, 2013 and March 31, 2015, the Company’s cash equivalents, which were invested in money market funds, corporate bonds and commercial paper with original maturities of less than 90 days from the date of purchase, were valued based on Level 2 inputs. The fair values of the Company’s investments, which consisted of corporate bonds and commercial paper as of March 31, 2015, were determined using Level 2 inputs. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, there were no transfers between Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.

The warrant liability in the table above is comprised of the values of a warrant for the purchase of Series A-2 convertible preferred stock (see Note 8) and is based on significant inputs not observable in the market, which represents a Level 3 measurement within the fair value hierarchy.

 

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Table of Contents

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

4.	Investments

As of March 31, 2015, the fair value of available-for-sale investments by type of security was as follows:

		March 31, 2015 (unaudited)
		Amortized Cost				Gross Unrealized Gain				Gross Unrealized Loss				Fair Value
Investments:
Corporate bonds		$	25,785			$	—			$	(8	)		$	25,777
Commercial paper			33,455				39				—				33,494
		$	59,240			$	39			$	(8	)		$	59,271

Investments with original maturities of less than 90 days are included in cash and cash equivalents on the consolidated balance sheets and are not included in the table above. The Company did not hold any investments as of December 31, 2013 and 2014.

As of March 31, 2015, the Company’s corporate bonds and commercial paper had remaining maturities of less than 12 months.

 

5.	Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equipment, net consisted of the following:

 

		December 31,								March 31, 2015
		2013				2014
										(unaudited)
Laboratory equipment		$	402			$	1,260			$	1,271
Computer equipment			29				115				115
Furniture and office equipment			12				58				165
Leasehold improvements			22				114				114
Construction in progress			—				—				23
			465				1,547				1,688
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization			(113	)			(283	)			(375	)
		$	352			$	1,264			$	1,313

Depreciation and amortization expense was $25, $88 and $190 for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively, and $30 and $92 for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, respectively.

 

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Table of Contents

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

6.	Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following:

 

		December 31,								March 31, 2015
		2013				2014
										(unaudited)
Development and manufacturing costs		$	181			$	598			$	317
Payroll and payroll-related costs			22				547				304
Professional fees			45				314				234
Facility and other			15				278				271
		$	263			$	1,737			$	1,126

 

7.	Notes Payable

On September 9, 2013, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement with Comerica Bank, which provided for borrowings of up to $3,000 through August 2014. On September 9, 2013, the Company received $1,000 from borrowings under the agreement, and from March to August 2014, the Company received $2,000 from additional borrowings under the agreement. Through December 31, 2014, the Company borrowed the full $3,000 available under the loan and security agreement and had made $400 of scheduled principal repayments. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company made $300 of scheduled principal repayments. Borrowings under the loan and security agreement are collateralized by substantially all of the Company’s assets, except for its intellectual property.

In accordance with the terms of the loan and security agreement, the Company is obligated to make monthly, interest-only payments on any term loans funded under the agreement until August 1, 2014. Thereafter, the Company is obligated to pay 30 consecutive, equal monthly installments of principal and interest from September 1, 2014 through February 1, 2017, the maturity date. Term loans under the loan and security agreement bear interest at an annual rate equal to 3.0% plus the greater of (1) the bank’s prime rate and (2) the LIBOR rate plus 2.5% (the greater of which equated to 6.25% at December 31, 2014). In addition, a final payment of $60 is due upon the earlier of the maturity date, acceleration of the term loans or prepayment of all or part of the term loans. That amount is being recorded as additional interest expense over the term of the loan and security agreement, using the effective interest method.

In connection with entering into the loan and security agreement, the Company granted to the lender a warrant to purchase 92,127 shares of Series A-2 convertible preferred stock at an exercise price of $1.78 per share (see Note 8). The Company recorded the grant date fair value of the warrant of $156 as a debt discount and as a preferred stock warrant liability on the grant date. The debt discount, which also reflected $26 of fees paid to the lender, is being accreted to the carrying value of the debt, using the effective interest method.

Accretion of the debt discount recorded as additional interest expense was $19 and $66 for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively, and $0 and $12 for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, respectively. As of December 31, 2013 and 2014 and March 31, 2015, the unamortized debt discount was $162, $96 and $84, respectively.

 

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Table of Contents

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

There are no financial covenants associated with the loan and security agreement; however, there are negative covenants restricting the Company’s activities, including limitations on dispositions, mergers or acquisitions, encumbering or granting a security interest in its intellectual property, incurring indebtedness or liens, paying dividends, making certain investments and engaging in certain other business transactions. The obligations under the loan and security agreement are subject to acceleration upon the occurrence of specified events of default, including a material adverse change in the Company’s business, operations or financial or other condition.

As of December 31, 2014, annual principal repayment requirements under the loan and security agreement were $1,200 during each of the years ending December 31, 2015 and 2016, and $200 during the year ending December 31, 2017.

 

8.	Preferred Stock Warrant Liability

In September 2013, the Company issued a warrant to purchase 92,127 shares of Series A-2 convertible preferred stock in connection with a loan and security agreement (see Note 7). The warrant was immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $1.78 per share and has a contractual term of ten years from issuance. The fair value of the warrant at issuance was estimated to be $156 and was recorded as a debt discount and as a preferred stock warrant liability.

The Company remeasures the fair value of the liability for this preferred stock warrant at each reporting date from its grant date, with any adjustments being recorded as a component of other income (expense), net in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. The Company recorded losses of $8 and $1,418 for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014, respectively, and gains of $20 and $213 for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, respectively, to reflect the change in fair value of this preferred stock warrant.

The following assumptions and inputs were used in determining the fair value of the preferred stock warrant liability valued using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model:

 

		Year Ended December 31,								Three Months Ended March 31,
		2013				2014				2014				2015
										(unaudited)
Risk-free interest rate			3.20	%			2.17	%			2.82	%			1.83	%
Expected term (in years)			9.7				8.7				9.5				8.5
Expected volatility			86.0	%			84.0	%			86.0	%			80.0	%
Expected dividend yield			0	%			0	%			0	%			0	%
Fair value of Series A-2 convertible preferred stock		$	2.07			$	17.18			$	1.56			$	14.87

 

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Table of Contents

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

The following table provides a rollforward of the fair value of the Company’s preferred stock warrant liability:

 

		Fair Value
Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	—
Issuance of Series A-2 preferred stock warrant			156
Loss on revaluation			8
Balance as of December 31, 2013			164
Loss on revaluation			1,418
Balance as of December 31, 2014			1,582
Gain on revaluation			(213	)
Balance as of March 31, 2015 (unaudited)		$	1,369

Upon the closing of an initial public offering in which the Series A-2 convertible preferred stock is converted into common stock, the preferred stock warrant will become exercisable for common stock instead of preferred stock, and the preferred stock warrant liability, remeasured at fair value at that time, will be reclassified to additional paid-in capital.

 

9.	Convertible Preferred Stock

The Company has issued Series A, Series A-2, Series B, Series C, Series D and Series D-1 convertible preferred stock (collectively, the “Convertible Preferred Stock”). The Convertible Preferred Stock is classified outside of stockholders’ equity (deficit) because the shares contain redemption features that are not solely within the control of the Company. As of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, the Company’s certificate of incorporation, as amended and restated, authorized the Company to issue 24,348,003 shares of $0.001 par value preferred stock.

In June 2012, the Company issued 3,797,468 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock at an issuance price of $0.79 per share for proceeds of $3,000, net of issuance costs of $70. At that same time, convertible promissory notes in the amount of $1,400 and accrued interest of $102 were converted into 1,901,883 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock.

In October 2012, the Company issued 2,531,646 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock at an issuance price of $0.79 per share for proceeds of $2,000.

In November 2012, the Company issued 2,247,192 shares of Series A-2 convertible preferred stock at an issuance price of $1.78 per share for proceeds of $4,000.

In May 2014, the Company issued 4,831,359 shares of Series B convertible preferred stock at an issuance price of $2.20 per share for proceeds of $10,558, net of issuance costs of $71.

In November 2014, the Company issued 3,946,328 shares of Series C convertible preferred stock at an issuance price of $12.1632 per share for proceeds of $47,813, net of issuance costs of $187.

 

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Table of Contents

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

In December 2014, the Company issued 2,222,222 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock and 1,388,889 shares of Series D-1 convertible preferred stock at an issuance price of $18.00 per share for aggregate proceeds of $64,832, net of issuance costs of $168.

Convertible Preferred Stock consisted of the following:

 

		December 31, 2013
		Preferred Shares Authorized				Preferred Shares Issued and Outstanding				Carrying Value				Liquidation Preference				Common Stock Issuable Upon Conversion
Series A convertible preferred stock			8,230,997				8,230,997			$	7,231			$	7,301				8,230,997
Series A-2 convertible preferred stock			3,575,275				2,247,192				4,352				4,352				2,247,192
			11,806,272				10,478,189			$	11,583			$	11,653				10,478,189
		December 31, 2014
		Preferred Shares Authorized				Preferred Shares Issued and Outstanding				Carrying Value				Liquidation Preference				Common Stock Issuable Upon Conversion
Series A convertible preferred stock			8,230,997				8,230,997			$	7,767			$	7,861				8,230,997
Series A-2 convertible preferred stock			2,339,319				2,247,192				4,665				4,700				2,247,192
Series B convertible preferred stock			4,831,359				4,831,359				11,000				11,146				4,831,359
Series C convertible preferred stock			3,946,328				3,946,328				47,813				48,376				3,946,328
Series D convertible preferred stock			3,611,111				2,222,222				39,900				40,123				2,222,222
Series D-1 convertible preferred stock			1,388,889				1,388,889				24,932				25,077				—
			24,348,003				22,866,987			$	136,077			$	137,283				21,478,098
		March 31, 2015 (unaudited)
		Preferred Shares Authorized				Preferred Shares Issued and Outstanding				Carrying Value				Liquidation Preference				Common Stock Issuable Upon Conversion
Series A convertible preferred stock			8,230,997				8,230,997			$	7,767			$	8,016				8,230,997
Series A-2 convertible preferred stock			2,339,319				2,247,192				4,665				4,793				2,247,192
Series B convertible preferred stock			4,831,359				4,831,359				11,000				11,366				4,831,359
Series C convertible preferred stock			3,946,328				3,946,328				47,813				49,331				3,946,328
Series D convertible preferred stock			3,611,111				3,611,111				64,808				66,486				3,611,111
Series D-1 convertible preferred stock			1,388,889				—				—				—				—
			24,348,003				22,866,987			$	136,053			$	139,992				22,866,987

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

The holders of the Convertible Preferred Stock have the following rights and preferences:

Voting Rights

The holders of Convertible Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, together with the holders of common stock, on all matters submitted to stockholders for a vote and have the right to vote the number of shares equal to the number of shares of common stock into which such Convertible Preferred Stock could convert on the record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote. In addition, holders of Series A, Series A-2, Series B and Series C convertible preferred stock, voting as separate class, are entitled to elect one director of the Company.

Dividends

The holders of Convertible Preferred Stock are entitled to receive dividends in preference to any dividend on common stock at the rate of 8% of the Original Issue Price (as defined below) per share, per annum compounded. Dividends are payable only when, as, and if declared by the board of directors. As of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, no dividends had been declared or paid by the Company. The Original Issue Price is $0.79 per share for Series A convertible preferred stock, $1.78 per share for Series A-2 convertible preferred stock, $2.20 per share for Series B convertible preferred stock, $12.16 per share for Series C convertible preferred stock, $18.00 per share for Series D convertible preferred stock and $18.00 per share for Series D-1 convertible preferred stock, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Convertible Preferred Stock.

Liquidation Preference

In the event of any liquidation, voluntary or involuntary, dissolution or winding up of the Company or Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined below), holders of Convertible Preferred Stock are entitled to receive, in preference to all other stockholders, and to the extent available, an amount equal to the Original Issue Price per share, adjusted for any stock dividends, stock splits or reclassifications, plus any accruing dividends accrued but unpaid, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid. In the event that proceeds are not sufficient to permit payment in full to these holders, the proceeds will be ratably distributed among the holders of Convertible Preferred Stock on a pari passu basis to the full preferential amount each such holder is otherwise entitled to receive.

After payments have been made in full to the holders of convertible preferred stock, then, to the extent available, holders of the common stock will receive the remaining amounts available for distribution ratably in proportion to the number of common shares held by them provided, however, if the holders of any series of Convertible Preferred Stock would receive a greater amount of the proceeds if they had converted their shares of Convertible Preferred Stock, then such holders shall not receive any proceeds under the preceding paragraph and will receive proceeds on an as converted to common stock basis.

Unless (i) the holders of at least 60% of the then outstanding shares of the Convertible Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class and (ii) the holders of the majority of the then outstanding shares of Series C convertible preferred stock, voting as a separate class, elect otherwise, a Deemed

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

Liquidation Event shall include a merger or consolidation (other than one in which stockholders of the Company own a majority by voting power of the outstanding shares of the surviving or acquiring corporation) or a sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.

Conversion

Each share of Series A, Series A-2, Series B, Series C and Series D convertible preferred stock is convertible into common stock at the option of the stockholder at any time after the date of issuance. Each share of Series A, Series A-2, Series B, Series C and Series D convertible preferred stock will automatically be converted into shares of common stock, at the applicable conversion ratio of each series then in effect, upon a qualified public offering, defined as any listing of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE or NASDAQ.

Except with respect to Series D-1 convertible preferred stock, the conversion ratio of each series of Convertible Preferred Stock is determined by dividing the Original Issue Price of each series of preferred stock by the Conversion Price of each series. The Conversion Price is $0.79 for Series A, $1.78 for Series A-2, $2.20 for Series B, $12.16 for Series C and $18.00 for Series D, each being subject to adjustment as set forth in the Company’s certificate of incorporation, as amended and restated, unless the holders of at least 60% of the outstanding Series A, Series A-2, Series B, Series C and Series D convertible preferred stock agree that no such adjustment shall be made. As of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, all outstanding shares of Series A, Series A-2, Series B, Series C and Series D convertible preferred stock were convertible into common stock on a 1-for-1 basis.

As of December 31, 2014, each share of Series D-1 convertible preferred stock was automatically convertible into Series D convertible preferred stock upon either (i) the expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (“HSR Act”), such that a holder of Series D-1 convertible preferred stock could acquire shares of Series D preferred stock, or (ii) if applicable, a transfer of shares of Series D-1 convertible preferred stock to a person that would not be required to make a filing under the HSR Act to acquire shares of Series D convertible preferred stock. On January 23, 2015, the waiting period under the HSR Act expired and all outstanding shares of Series D-1 convertible preferred stock automatically converted into 1,388,889 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock.

Redemption Rights

In conjunction with the closing of the Series C convertible preferred stock financing, the redemption rights of the Series A, Series A-2 and Series B convertible preferred stock were removed at that time. As a result of the removal of the redemption rights, as of November 24, 2014, the Company ceased the periodic recording of adjustments to accrete the carrying values of Series A, Series A-2 and Series B convertible preferred stock to their respective redemption values through January 1, 2019. Prior to November 24, 2014, the carrying values of the Series A, Series A-2 and Series B convertible preferred stock were being accreted to their redemption values through January 1, 2019.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

Reissuance

Shares of any series of Convertible Preferred Stock that are redeemed or converted will be retired or canceled and cannot be reissued by the Company.

 

10.	Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)

Common Stock

As of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, the Company’s certificate of incorporation, as amended and restated, authorized the Company to issue 38,000,000 shares of $0.001 par value common stock.

Each share of common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s stockholders. Common stockholders are entitled to receive dividends, as may be declared by the board of directors, if any, subject to the preferential dividend rights of the Convertible Preferred Stock. When dividends are declared on shares of common stock, the Company must declare at the same time a dividend payable to the holders of Convertible Preferred Stock equivalent to the dividend amount they would receive if each preferred share were converted into common stock. The Company may not pay dividends to common stockholders until all dividends accrued or declared but unpaid on the Convertible Preferred Stock have been paid in full. No dividends had been declared to date.

As of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015, the Company had reserved 27,277,091 shares and 27,786,995 shares, respectively, for the conversion of the outstanding shares of Convertible Preferred Stock (see Note 9), the exercise of outstanding stock options and the number of shares remaining available for future grant under the Company’s 2012 Plan, the exercise of outstanding common stock warrants, and the exercise of an outstanding warrant to purchase Series A-2 convertible preferred stock assuming it becomes a warrant to purchase common stock (see Note 8).

Common Stock Warrants

In June 2014, the Company entered into a research agreement under which it acquired a license to intellectual property. In exchange for the license, the Company issued to the research institution a warrant to purchase 454,545 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share, which was immediately exercisable. Upon issuance of the warrant, the Company recorded research and development expense of $317 for the fair value of the warrant, determined using the following assumptions in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model: expected volatility of 86.0%, risk-free interest rate of 2.3%, expected term of seven years (equaling the contractual term of the warrant) and no expected dividends. Because this warrant is indexed to the Company’s stock and can only be settled by gross physical delivery of shares or net share settlement, the Company has determined that this warrant qualifies for equity classification. Unless earlier exercised or terminated, the warrant will be automatically exercised upon the closing of an initial public offering by the Company in a cashless exercise, with shares issued being determined based on the initial public offering price.

Also in connection with the research agreement, in June 2014, the Company issued a warrant to purchase up to 284,090 shares of common stock at an exercise price equal to the per share price at

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

which the Company most recently sold shares of its preferred stock (which was $18.00 as of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015), which is exercisable for a number of shares to be determined by the Company’s board of directors from time to time, upon achieving specified milestones related to up to five indications. No portion of the warrant was exercisable as of March 31, 2015. Unless the milestones are achieved and the warrant is earlier exercised, this warrant will be terminated upon the closing of an initial public offering by the Company. Because achievement of the specified milestones was not deemed probable as of December 31, 2014, the Company did not record any expense for this warrant from date of issuance through March 31, 2015.

2012 Stock Incentive Plan

The Company’s 2012 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, (the “2012 Plan”) provides for the Company to sell or issue common stock or restricted common stock, or to grant incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options for the purchase of common stock, to employees, members of the board of directors and consultants of the Company. The 2012 Plan is administered by the board of directors, or at the discretion of the board of directors, by a committee of the board. The exercise prices, vesting and other restrictions are determined at the discretion of the board of directors, or their committee if so delegated, except that the exercise price per share of stock options may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the share of common stock on the date of grant and the term of stock option may not be greater than ten years. The Company generally grants stock-based awards with service conditions only (“service-based” awards).

Stock options granted under the 2012 Plan generally vest over four years and expire after ten years, although options have been granted with vesting terms less than four years.

The total number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2012 Plan was 1,261,836 shares as of December 31, 2013. In May 2014, the Company effected an increase in the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2012 Plan to 3,561,836 shares. In December 2014, the Company effected an increase in the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2012 Plan to 3,608,029 shares. The total number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2012 Plan was 3,608,029 shares as of December 31, 2014, none of which remained available for future grant at December 31, 2014. In March 2015, the Company effected an increase in the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2012 Plan to 4,309,653 shares. As of March 31, 2015, there were 100,000 shares available for future grant under the 2012 Plan.

As required by the 2012 Plan, the exercise price for stock options granted is not to be less than the fair value of common shares as determined by the Company as of the date of grant. The Company values its common stock by taking into consideration its most recently available valuation of common shares performed by management and the board of directors as well as additional factors which may have changed since the date of the most recent contemporaneous valuation through the date of grant.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

Stock Option Valuation

The assumptions that the Company used to determine the fair value of the stock options granted to employees and directors were as follows, presented on a weighted average basis:

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March  31,     2015
		2012				2013				2014
														(unaudited)
Risk-free interest rate			0.92	%			1.27	%			1.83	%			1.57	%
Expected term (in years)			6.0				6.0				6.0				6.0
Expected volatility			109.4	%			85.9	%			83.5	%			76.0	%
Expected dividend yield			0	%			0	%			0	%			0	%

The Company did not grant any stock options to employees and directors during the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Stock Options

The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option activity since January 1, 2012:

 

		Number of Shares				Weighted Average Exercise Price				Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term				Aggregate Intrinsic Value
										(in years)
Outstanding as of January 1, 2012			—			$	—				—			$	—
Granted			317,836				0.10
Exercised			—				—
Forfeited			—				—
Outstanding as of December 31, 2012			317,836			$	0.10				9.65			$	—
Granted			999,000				0.48
Exercised			—				—
Forfeited			(55,000	)			0.10
Outstanding as of December 31, 2013			1,261,836			$	0.40				9.34			$	100
Granted			2,361,943				1.88
Exercised			(28,687	)			0.16
Forfeited			(15,750	)			1.12
Outstanding as of December 31, 2014			3,579,342			$	1.38				9.21			$	59,498
Granted			611,624				15.77
Exercised			(191,720	)			0.46
Forfeited			(10,000	)			0.10
Outstanding as of March 31, 2015 (unaudited)			3,989,246			$	3.63				9.17			$	48,425
Options vested and expected to vest as of December 31, 2014			3,579,342			$	1.38				9.21			$	59,498
Options exercisable as of December 31, 2014			662,451			$	0.38				8.27			$	11,671
Options vested and expected to vest as of March 31, 2015 (unaudited)			3,989,246			$	3.63				9.17			$	48,425
Options exercisable as of March 31, 2015 (unaudited)			545,388			$	0.36				8.01			$	8,405

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

The weighted average grant-date fair value of stock options granted during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $0.09, $0.35, $4.25 and $10.50 per share, respectively. The total intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2014 was $512 and during the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $2,941.

The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the stock options and the fair value of the Company’s common stock for those stock options that had exercise prices lower than the fair value of the Company’s common stock.

During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company granted performance-based stock options to employees for the purchase an aggregate of 60,000 shares of common stock with a grant date fair value of $3.92 per share. These stock options are exercisable only upon achievement of specified performance targets in each option agreement. As of December 31, 2014, none of these options were exercisable because none of the specified performance targets had been achieved. Because achievement of the specified performance targets was not deemed probable as of December 31, 2014, the Company did not record any expense for these stock options from date of issuance through December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015.

As of December 31, 2013 and 2014 and March 31, 2015, there were outstanding unvested service-based stock options held by non-employees for the purchase of 135,961, 69,688 and 48,126 shares, respectively, of common stock.

Restricted Common Stock

The Company has granted restricted common stock with time-based vesting conditions. Unvested shares of restricted common stock may not be sold or transferred by the holder. These restrictions lapse according to the time-based vesting conditions of each award. The table below summarizes the Company’s restricted stock activity since January 1, 2012:

 

		Number of Shares				Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested restricted common stock as of January 1, 2012			400,000			$	0.001
Issued			2,440,000			$	0.001
Vested			(981,250	)		$	0.001
Forfeited and repurchased			(250,000	)		$	0.001
Unvested restricted common stock as of December 31, 2012			1,608,750			$	0.001
Vested			(675,000	)		$	0.001
Forfeited and repurchased			(735,000	)		$	0.001
Unvested restricted common stock as of December 31, 2013			198,750			$	0.001
Vested			(146,250	)		$	0.001
Unvested restricted common stock as of December 31, 2014			52,500			$	0.001
Vested			(25,625	)		$	0.001
Unvested restricted common stock as of March 31, 2015 (unaudited)			26,875			$	0.001

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

During the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013, the Company reacquired, at their original issuance price, 250,000 shares and 735,000 shares, respectively, of restricted common stock that were forfeited by former employees.

The aggregate intrinsic value of restricted stock awards that vested during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and March 31, 2015 was $33, $185, $684 and $404, respectively.

Stock-based Compensation

The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense related to stock options and restricted common stock in the following expense categories of its consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss:

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31,
		2012				2013				2014				2014				2015
														(unaudited)
Research and development expenses		$	26			$	177			$	1,068			$	32			$	623
General and administrative expenses			2				32				1,000				13				704
		$	28			$	209			$	2,068			$	45			$	1,327

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had an aggregate of $10,309 of unrecognized stock-based compensation cost, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.2 years. As of March 31, 2015, the Company had an aggregate of $15,573 of unrecognized compensation cost, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.3 years.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

11.	Net Loss per Share

Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders was calculated as follows:

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31,
		2012				2013				2014				2014				2015
														(unaudited)
Numerator:
Net loss		$	(3,126	)		$	(6,102	)		$	(16,709	)		$	(1,689	)		$	(7,971	)
Accretion of convertible preferred stock to redemption value			(276	)			(875	)			(1,291	)			(233	)			—
Net loss attributable to common stockholders		$	(3,402	)		$	(6,977	)		$	(18,000	)		$	(1,922	)		$	(7,971	)
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted			5,725,120				6,394,916				6,748,037				6,686,389				6,912,725
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted		$	(0.59	)		$	(1.09	)		$	(2.67	)		$	(0.29	)		$	(1.15	)

The Company’s potential dilutive securities, which include stock options, unvested restricted common stock, convertible preferred stock and warrants to purchase convertible preferred stock or common stock, have been excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share as the effect would be to reduce the net loss per share. Therefore, the weighted average number of common shares outstanding used to calculate both basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is the same. The following potential common shares, presented based on amounts outstanding at each period end, were excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the periods indicated because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:

 

		Year Ended December 31,												Three Months Ended March 31,
		2012				2013				2014				2014				2015
														(unaudited)
Stock options to purchase common stock			317,836				1,261,836				3,579,342				1,261,836				3,989,246
Unvested restricted common stock			1,608,750				198,750				52,500				129,375				26,875
Warrants for the purchase of convertible preferred stock			—				92,127				92,127				92,127				92,127
Warrants for the purchase of common stock			—				—				738,635				—				738,635
Convertible preferred stock (as converted to common stock)			10,478,189				10,478,189				21,478,098				10,478,189				22,866,987
			12,404,775				12,030,902				25,940,702				11,961,527				27,713,870

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

12.	Unaudited Pro Forma Net Loss per Share

The unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2015 gives effect to adjustments arising upon the closing of a qualified initial public offering. The unaudited pro forma net loss attributable to common stockholders used in the calculation of unaudited basic and diluted pro forma net loss per share attributable to common stockholders does not include the effects of the accretion of convertible preferred stock to redemption value or loss from revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability because the calculation assumes that the conversion of convertible preferred stock into common stock had occurred on the later of January 1, 2014 or the issuance date of the convertible preferred stock.

The unaudited pro forma basic and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding used in the calculation of unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the year ended December 31, 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2015 give effect to the automatic conversion upon a qualified initial public offering of all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock as of December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015 into 22,866,987 shares of common stock as if the conversion had occurred on the later of January 1, 2014 or the issuance date of the convertible preferred stock.

Unaudited pro forma basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders was calculated as follows:

 

		Year Ended December 31, 2014				Three Months Ended March 31, 2015
		(unaudited)
Numerator:
Net loss attributable to common stockholders		$	(18,000	)		$	(7,971	)
Accretion of convertible preferred stock to redemption value			1,291				—
(Gain) loss from revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability			1,418				(213	)
Pro forma net loss attributable to common stockholders		$	(15,291	)		$	(8,184	)
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted			6,748,037				6,912,725
Pro forma adjustment for assumed automatic conversion of all outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock upon the closing of the proposed initial public offering			13,935,474				22,866,987
Pro forma weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted			20,683,511				29,779,712
Pro forma net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted		$	(0.74	)		$	(0.27	)

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

13.	Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

The Company leases office and laboratory space under an operating lease agreement. The lease expires in January 2018 with no extension periods. The Company does have a right of expansion over the term as additional space becomes available but not an obligation. During the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, the Company recognized $99, $152, $543, $42 and $186, respectively, of rental expense related to office and laboratory space.

Future minimum lease payments for this operating lease as of December 31, 2014 were as follows:

 

Year Ending December 31,
2015		$	681
2016			695
2017			709
2018			60
Total		$	2,145

On February 13, 2015, the Company entered into a sublease for office space with a term expiring in February 2016. On April 1, 2015, the Company entered into a lease for additional office and laboratory space with a term expiring in April 2020. Minimum lease payments due under these new leases are $594 during the year ending December 31, 2015, $481 year ending December 31, 2016, $427 during each of the years ending December 31, 2017, 2018 and 2019, and $107 thereafter.

Indemnification Agreements

In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to vendors, lessors, business partners and other parties with respect to certain matters including, but not limited to, losses arising out of breach of such agreements or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with members of its board of directors that will require the Company, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is, in many cases, unlimited. To date, the Company has not incurred any material costs as a result of such indemnifications. The Company does not believe that the outcome of any claims under indemnification arrangements will have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows, and it has not accrued any liabilities related to such obligations in its consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2013 or 2014 or March 31, 2015.

 

14.	Income Taxes

During the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 and the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, the Company recorded no income tax benefits for the net operating losses incurred in each year or interim period, due to its uncertainty of realizing a benefit from those items.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to the Company’s effective income tax rate is as follows:

 

		Year Ended December 31,
		2012				2013				2014
Federal statutory income tax rate			(34.0	)%			(34.0	)%			(34.0	)%
Research and development tax credits			(1.1	)			(6.1	)			(3.8	)
State taxes, net of federal benefit			(5.3	)			(5.3	)			(5.3	)
Stock-based compensation			0.5				1.2				2.3
Revaluation of preferred stock warrant liability			—				—				3.3
Nondeductible interest expense			1.2				—				—
Other			0.2				—				0.2
Change in deferred tax asset valuation allowance			38.5				44.2				37.3
Effective income tax rate			—	%			—	%			—	%

Net deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2013 and 2014 consisted of the following:

 

		December 31,
		2013				2014
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforwards		$	3,076			$	7,946
Research and development tax credit carryforwards			419				1,055
Capitalized organization costs			615				571
Stock-based compensation expense			16				436
Accrued expenses			46				447
Capitalized research and development expenses			147				136
Total deferred tax assets			4,319				10,591
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation and amortization			(25	)			(69	)
Total deferred tax liabilities			(25	)			(69	)
Valuation allowance			(4,294	)			(10,522	)
Net deferred tax assets		$	—			$	—

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes of $20,288 and $19,852, respectively, which begin to expire in 2031 and 2031, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, the Company also had available research and development tax credit carryforwards for federal and state income tax purposes of $796 and $393, respectively, which begin to expire in 2031 and 2026, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, gross deferred tax assets increased by approximately $3,160 due to the operating loss incurred by the Company during that period. Utilization of the net operating loss carryforwards and research and development tax credit carryforwards may be subject to a substantial annual limitation under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 due to ownership changes that have occurred previously or that could occur in the future. These ownership changes may limit the amount of

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

carryforwards that can be utilized annually to offset future taxable income. In general, an ownership change, as defined by Section 382, results from transactions increasing the ownership of certain shareholders or public groups in the stock of a corporation by more than 50% over a three-year period. The Company has not conducted a study to assess whether a change of control has occurred or whether there have been multiple changes of control since inception due to the significant complexity and cost associated with such a study. If the Company has experienced a change of control, as defined by Section 382, at any time since inception, utilization of the net operating loss carryforwards or research and development tax credit carryforwards would be subject to an annual limitation under Section 382, which is determined by first multiplying the value of the Company’s stock at the time of the ownership change by the applicable long-term tax-exempt rate, and then could be subject to additional adjustments, as required. Any limitation may result in expiration of a portion of the net operating loss carryforwards or research and development tax credit carryforwards before utilization. Further, until a study is completed and any limitation is known, no amounts are being presented as an uncertain tax position.

The Company has evaluated the positive and negative evidence bearing upon its ability to realize the deferred tax assets. Management has considered the Company’s history of cumulative net losses incurred since inception and its lack of commercialization of any products or generation of any revenue from product sales since inception and has concluded that it is more likely than not that the Company will not realize the benefits of the deferred tax assets. Accordingly, a full valuation allowance has been established against the deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2013 and 2014 and March 31, 2015. Management reevaluates the positive and negative evidence at each reporting period.

Changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 related primarily to the increases in net operating loss carryforwards and research and development tax credit carryforwards and were as follows:

 

		Year Ended December 31,
		2012				2013				2014
Valuation allowance at beginning of year		$	(394	)		$	(1,599	)		$	(4,294	)
Decreases recorded as benefit to income tax provision			—				—				—
Increases recorded to income tax provision			(1,205	)			(2,695	)			(6,228	)
Valuation allowance as of end of year		$	(1,599	)		$	(4,294	)		$	(10,522	)

 

15.	Related Party Transactions

In October 2010, the Company entered into a services agreement with Flagship Ventures Management, Inc., an affiliate of one of its stockholders, Flagship Venture Funds, to provide general and administrative services to the Company, including the employer portions of employee health and dental benefit plans for Seres Therapeutics employees and consulting services. The Company made payments under the agreement of $528, $391 and $454 during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively, and of $146 and $118 during the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, respectively. There were no amounts due to Flagship Ventures Management, Inc. related to the services agreement as of December 31, 2013 and 2014. As of March 31, 2015, the amount due to Flagship Ventures Management, Inc. related to the services agreement was less than $1.

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

16.	401(k) Savings Plan

The Company has a defined contribution savings plan under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. This plan covers substantially all employees who meet minimum age and service requirements and allows participants to defer a portion of their annual compensation on a pre-tax basis. Company contributions to the plan may be made at the discretion of the Company’s board of directors. The Company has not made any contributions to date under the 401(k) Savings Plan.

 

17.	Subsequent Events

For its consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2014 and for the year then ended, the Company evaluated subsequent events through April 8, 2015, the date on which those financial statements were issued.

 

18.	Subsequent Events (unaudited)

For its consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months then ended, the Company evaluated subsequent events through May 13, 2015, the date on which those financial statements were issued.

Exercise of Common Stock Warrant

On April 29, 2015, a holder of a warrant to purchase 454,545 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.01 per share exercised the warrant in full for a payment of $5 (see Note 10).

Change of Company Name

On May 20, 2015, the Company changed its name from Seres Health, Inc. to Seres Therapeutics, Inc. through the filing of an amendment to its amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

Increase in Number of Authorized Shares of Common Stock

On June 16, 2015, the Company effected an increase in the number of authorized shares of its common stock from 38,000,000 shares to 65,000,000 shares.

2015 Incentive Award Plan

On June 16, 2015, the Company’s stockholders approved the 2015 Incentive Award Plan (the “2015 Plan”), which will become effective one day prior to the first day of trading on a securities exchange of shares of the Company’s common stock. The 2015 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards. The number of shares initially reserved for issuance under the 2015 Plan is the sum of (i) 2,200,000 shares of common stock and (ii) the number of shares subject to awards outstanding under the 2012 Plan, as of the effective date of the 2015 Plan,

 

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Information as of March 31, 2015 and for the three months ended

March 31, 2014 and 2015 is unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

that expire, terminate or are otherwise surrendered, cancelled, forfeited or repurchased by the Company. In addition, the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2015 Plan is subject to increase on the first day of each calendar year, beginning with the year ending December 31, 2016 and continuing for each calendar year until, and including, the year ending December 31, 2025, equal to the lesser of (i) 4% of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding on the last day of the preceding applicable calendar year and (ii) an amount determined by the Company’s board of directors.

2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan

On June 16, 2015, the Company’s stockholders approved the 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. A total of 365,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under this plan. The 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan will become effective one day prior to the first day of trading on a securities exchange of shares of the Company’s common stock. In addition, the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the plan will automatically increase on the first day of each calendar year, commencing on January 1, 2016 and ending on December 31, 2025, by an amount equal to the least of (i) 400,000 shares, (ii) 1% of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding on the last day of the applicable preceding calendar year and (iii) an amount determined by the Company’s board of directors.

 

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6,250,000 Shares

Common Stock

 

 

 

 

 

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

BofA Merrill Lynch

Leerink Partners

Canaccord Genuity

Through and including                 , 2015 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

                    , 2015

 

 

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table indicates the expenses to be incurred in connection with the issuance and distribution of the offering described in this registration statement, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, all of which will be paid by us. All amounts are estimated, except the Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, filing fee and The NASDAQ Global Market listing fee.

 

		Amount
Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee			$14,198
FINRA filing fee			18,828
Initial NASDAQ Global Market listing fee			125,000
Accountants’ fees and expenses			1,270,000
Legal fees and expenses			1,500,000
Blue Sky fees and expenses			10,000
Transfer Agent’s fees and expenses			5,000
Printing and engraving expenses			215,000
Miscellaneous			51,974
Total expenses			$3,210,000

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Section 102 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware permits a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of directors of a corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for a breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that none of our directors shall be personally liable to it or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability, except to the extent that the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty.

Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides that a corporation has the power to indemnify a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or a person serving at the request of the corporation for another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise in related capacities against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with any threatened, ending or completed action, suit or proceeding to which he or she was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party by reason of such position, if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful, except that, in the case of actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

 

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Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of us) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (all such persons being referred to as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if such Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Our restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to an action or suit by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in our favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) and, to the extent permitted by law, amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, and any appeal therefrom, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, our best interests, except that no indemnification shall be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to us, unless a court determines that, despite such adjudication but in view of all of the circumstances, he or she is entitled to indemnification of such expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, he or she will be indemnified by us against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith. Expenses must be advanced to an Indemnitee under certain circumstances.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers. These indemnification agreements may require us, among other things, to indemnify our directors and officers for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by a director or officer in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of our directors or officers, or any of our subsidiaries or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request.

We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of our corporation arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

In any underwriting agreement we enter into in connection with the sale of common stock being registered hereby, the underwriters will agree to indemnify, under certain conditions, us, our directors, our officers and persons who control us within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.

 

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Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

Set forth below is information regarding shares of capital stock issued by us within the past three years. Also included is the consideration received by us for such shares and information relating to the section of the Securities Act, or rule of the Securities and Exchange Commission, under which exemption from registration was claimed.

 

(a)

Issuance of Capital Stock.

 

•

On June 1, 2012, the registrant issued 3,797,468 shares of Series A Preferred Stock for aggregate consideration of $3.0 million to accredited investors and 1,901,833 shares of Series A Preferred Stock in converted promissory notes upon the cancellation of debt totaling $1,400,000 in principal plus $102,493 of accrued interest pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 as a transaction not involving a public offering.

 

•

On October 30, 2012, the registrant issued 2,531,646 shares of Series A Preferred Stock for aggregate consideration of $2.0 million to accredited investors pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 as a transaction not involving a public offering.

 

•

On November 27, 2012, the registrant issued 2,247,192 shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock for aggregate consideration of $4.0 million to accredited investors pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 as a transaction not involving a public offering.

 

•

On May 23, 2014, the registrant issued 4,831,359 shares of Series B Preferred Stock for aggregate consideration of $10.6 million to accredited investors pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 as a transaction not involving a public offering.

 

•

On November 24, 2014, the registrant issued 3,946,328 shares of Series C Preferred Stock for aggregate consideration of $48.0 million to accredited investors pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 as a transaction not involving a public offering.

 

•

On December 19, 2014, the registrant issued 2,222,222 shares of Series D Preferred Stock and 1,388,889 shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock, which converted into 1,388,889 shares of Series D preferred stock on January 23, 2015, for aggregate consideration of $65.0 million to an accredited investor pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 as a transaction not involving a public offering.

 

•

On April 29, 2015, the registrant issued 454,545 shares of common stock upon the exercise of a warrant for common stock to an accredited investor pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 as a transaction not involving a public offering.

 

(b)

Stock Option Grants.

 

•

From September 30, 2011 through June 16, 2015, the registrant granted stock options to purchase an aggregate of 4,315,403 shares of its common stock with exercise prices ranging from $0.10 to $15.77 per share, to certain employees, non-employees and directors in connection with services provided to the registrant by such parties.

 

(c)

Warrants

 

•

On September 9, 2013, the registrant issued a warrant to purchase 92,127 shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock to an accredited investor pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 as a transaction not involving a public offering.

 

•

On June 6, 2014, the registrant issued a warrant to purchase 454,545 shares of common stock and a warrant to purchase up to 284,090 shares of common stock to an accredited investor pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 as a transaction not involving a public offering.

 

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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit Number		Description of Exhibit
1.1		Form of Underwriting Agreement
3.1		Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as amended (currently in effect)
3.2		Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (currently in effect)
3.3		Form of Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
3.4		Form of Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
4.1**		Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated December 19, 2014, by and among the Registrant and each of the investors listed on Schedule A thereto
4.2		Specimen Stock Certificate evidencing the shares of common stock
4.3		Warrant to Purchase Stock, dated September 9, 2013, issued by the Registrant to Comerica Bank
4.4**		Common Stock Purchase Warrant, dated June 6, 2014, issued by the Registrant to Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
5.1		Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP
10.1#**		2012 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, and forms of option agreement thereunder
10.2#		2015 Incentive Award Plan and forms of award agreements thereunder
10.3#		2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
10.4#		Non-Employee Director Compensation Program
10.5#		Form of Indemnification Agreement for Directors and Officers
10.6#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and Roger J. Pomerantz (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.7#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and Eric D. Shaff (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.8#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and David N. Cook (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.9#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and John G. Aunins (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.10#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and Michele Trucksis (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.11**		Loan and Security Agreement, dated September 9, 2013, by and between the Registrant and Comerica Bank, as amended.
10.12**		Lease Agreement, dated June 29, 2012, by and between the Registrant and AREMA Region No. 21, LLC, as amended
10.13**		Lease Agreement, dated April 1, 2015, by and between the Registrant and ARE-MA Region No. 38, LLC
10.14**		Series D Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement, dated December 19, 2014, by and between the Registrant and Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc.
21.1		Subsidiaries of Seres Therapeutics, Inc.
23.1		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
23.2		Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1**		Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

 

**	Previously filed.

#	Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.

 

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(b) Financial Statement Schedules. Schedules not listed above have been omitted because the information required to be set forth therein is not applicable or is shown in the financial statements or notes thereto.

Item 17. Undertakings.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter, at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act 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 Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act 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 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The undersigned hereby undertakes that:

 

(1)

For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

(2)

For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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.

 

(3)

For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. 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 time of contract of sale prior to such first use, 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 date of first use.

 

(4)

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;

 

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(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.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Cambridge, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on this 16th day of June, 2015.

 

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities held on the dates indicated.

 

Signature		Title		Date
/s/    Roger J. Pomerantz         Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.		President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board (principal executive officer)		June 16, 2015
/s/    Eric D. Shaff         Eric D. Shaff		Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President (principal financial and accounting officer)		June 16, 2015
* Noubar B. Afeyan, Ph.D.		Director		June 16, 2015
* Dennis A. Ausiello, M.D.		Director		June 16, 2015
* Grégory Behar		Director		June 16, 2015
* Werner Cautreels, Ph.D.		Director		June 16, 2015
* Peter Barton Hutt		Director		June 16, 2015
* Richard N. Kender		Director		June 16, 2015
* Lorence H. Kim, M.D.		Director		June 16, 2015

 

*By:		/s/    Eric D. Shaff
		Eric D. Shaff
		Attorney-in-fact

 

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Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit Number		Description of Exhibit
1.1		Form of Underwriting Agreement
3.1		Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as amended (currently in effect)
3.2		Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (currently in effect)
3.3		Form of Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
3.4		Form of Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
4.1**		Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated December 19, 2014, by and among the Registrant and each of the investors listed on Schedule A thereto
4.2		Specimen Stock Certificate evidencing the shares of common stock
4.3		Warrant to Purchase Stock, dated September 9, 2013, issued by the Registrant to Comerica Bank
4.4**		Common Stock Purchase Warrant, dated June 6, 2014, issued by the Registrant to Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
5.1		Opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP
10.1#**		2012 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, and forms of option agreement thereunder
10.2#		2015 Incentive Award Plan and forms of award agreements thereunder
10.3#		2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
10.4#		Non-Employee Director Compensation Program
10.5#		Form of Indemnification Agreement for Directors and Officers
10.6#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and Roger J. Pomerantz (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.7#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and Eric D. Shaff (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.8#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and David N. Cook (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.9#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and John G. Aunins (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.10#		Employment Agreement by and between the Registrant and Michele Trucksis (to be effective upon the closing of this offering)
10.11**		Loan and Security Agreement, dated September 9, 2013, by and between the Registrant and Comerica Bank, as amended.
10.12**		Lease Agreement, dated June 29, 2012, by and between the Registrant and AREMA Region No. 21, LLC, as amended
10.13**		Lease Agreement, dated April 1, 2015, by and between the Registrant and ARE-MA Region No. 38, LLC
10.14**		Series D Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement, dated December 19, 2014, by and between the Registrant and Nestlé Health Science US Holdings, Inc.
21.1		Subsidiaries of Seres Therapeutics, Inc.
23.1		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
23.2		Consent of Latham & Watkins LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1**		Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

 

**	Previously filed.

#	Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.

Exhibit 1.1

Seres Therapeutics, Inc.

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

 

 

Underwriting Agreement

            , 2015

Goldman, Sachs & Co.,

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

                      Incorporated

As representatives of the several Underwriters

named in Schedule I hereto,

c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282-2198

and

c/o Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

                            Incorporated

One Bryant Park

New York, New York 10036

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), an aggregate of [—] shares (the “Firm Shares”) and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to [—] additional shares (the “Optional Shares”) of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Stock”), of the Company (the Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof being collectively called the “Shares”).

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1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:

(a) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-[—]) (the “Initial Registration Statement”) in respect of the Shares has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”); the Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered to you, and, excluding exhibits thereto, to you for each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission in such form; other than a registration statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), which became effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Act is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”; the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and including the information contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to be part of the Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective, each as amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the Preliminary Prospectus relating to the Shares that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(c) hereof) is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; such final prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Shares is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”); any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act is hereinafter called a “Section 5(d) Communication”; and any Section 5(d) Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act is hereinafter called a “Section 5(d) Writing”;

(b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue

 

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statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through a Representative expressly for use therein;

(c) For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is [    :         m] (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement; the Pricing Prospectus, as supplemented by the information listed on Schedule II(c) hereto, taken together (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”), as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(a) hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and each Section 5(d) Writing listed on Schedule II(b) hereto, each as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Section 5(d) Writing in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through a Representative expressly for use therein;

(d) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through a Representative expressly for use therein;

(e) From the time of initial confidential submission of a registration statement relating to the Shares with the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which a Section 5(d) Communication was made) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”);

 

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(f) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, when taken together as a whole, has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus any material loss or material interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company (other than as a result of the exercise of any outstanding stock options or warrants, the award of stock options in the ordinary course of business pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans that are described in the Pricing Prospectus, or the repurchase of shares of capital stock from employees terminating their service to the Company as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus), (ii) there has not been any material change in the long-term debt of the Company other than liabilities and obligations which were incurred in the ordinary course of business or (iii) there has not been any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity (deficit) or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken together as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”), otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;

(g) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all tangible personal property owned by them, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Pricing Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries, and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases (subject to the effects of: (A) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally; (B) the application of general principles of equity (including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, regardless of whether enforcement is considered in proceedings at law or in equity); and (C) applicable law and public policy with respect to rights to indemnity and contribution), except where the invalidity or unenforceability of any such lease would not materially interfere with the Company’s ability to conduct its business and except where the failure to have such leasehold title could not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect;

(h) The Company (i) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the state of Delaware, (ii) has

 

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power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus and (iii) has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except, in the case of (iii), where the failure to have such power to authority or to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation;

(i) The Company has an authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus under column labeled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the description of the Stock or the preferred stock of the Company, as applicable, contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for directors’ qualifying shares and except as otherwise set forth in the Pricing Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;

(j) The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the description of the Stock contained in the Prospectus;

(k) The issue and sale of the Shares and the compliance by the Company with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (B) result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (C) result in any violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except, in the case of (A) and (C), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this

 

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Agreement, except for the registration under the Act of the Shares, the approval by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) of the underwriting terms and arrangements the approval for listing the Shares on The NASDAQ Global Market and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations, orders or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters, except where the failure to obtain any such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications would not impair the ability of the Company to issue and sell the Shares or to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(l) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in (A) violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or (C) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority (collectively, the “Regulatory Authorities”), except in the cases of (B) and (C), such defaults or violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(m) The statements set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Company’s capital stock, under the captions “Business—Government Regulation”, “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders”, and “Underwriting”, insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate and complete;

(n) Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by Regulatory Authorities or threatened by others;

(o) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package, will not be an “investment company”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);

(p) At the time of filing the Initial Registration Statement, the Company was not and, as of the date hereof, is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined under Rule 405 under the Act;

 

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(q) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which has audited certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent public accountant as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;

(r) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting;

(s) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting;

(t) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective;

(u) The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken;

(v) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

(w) Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, the Company owns or has valid, binding and enforceable licenses or other rights under the patents and patent applications, copyrights, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, trade names, service names and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for, or used in the conduct, or the proposed conduct, of the business of the Company in the manner described in the Pricing Prospectus (collectively, the “Company Intellectual

 

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Property”); the intellectual property owned by the Company is free and clear of all material liens or encumbrances; to the knowledge of the Company, the patents, trademarks and copyrights held or licensed by the Company included within the Company Intellectual Property are valid, enforceable and subsisting; other than as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, (i) the Company is not obligated to pay a material royalty, grant a license, or provide other material consideration to any third party in connection with the Company Intellectual Property, (ii) no action, suit, claim or other proceeding is pending, or to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened, alleging that the Company is infringing, misappropriating, diluting or otherwise violating any rights of others with respect to any of the Company’s product candidates, processes or intellectual property, (iii) no action, suit, claim or other proceeding is pending, or to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened, challenging the validity, enforceability, scope, registration, ownership or use of any of the patents or patent applications included in the Company’s Intellectual Property (iv) the Company has not received written notice of any claim of infringement, misappropriation or conflict with any asserted rights of others with respect to any of the Company’s products, proposed products, processes or Company Intellectual Property, (v) to the knowledge of the Company, the development, sale, and any currently proposed use of any of the products, proposed products or processes of the Company referred to in the Pricing Prospectus, in the current or proposed conduct of the business of the Company in the manner and to the extent described in the Pricing Prospectus, do not currently, and will not upon commercialization, to the knowledge of the Company, infringe any right or valid patent claim of any third party, (vi) to the knowledge of the Company, no third party has any ownership right in or to any Company Intellectual Property that is owned by the Company, and to the knowledge of the Company, no third party has any ownership right in or to any Company Intellectual Property in any field of use that is exclusively licensed to the Company, other than any licensor to the Company of such Company Intellectual Property, and (vii) the Company has taken reasonable measures to protect its confidential information and trade secrets and to maintain and safeguard the Company’s Intellectual Property, including the execution of appropriate nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements;

(x) All patents and patent applications owned by or licensed to the Company or under which the Company has rights have, to the knowledge of the Company, been duly and properly filed and maintained; to the knowledge of the Company, the parties prosecuting such applications have complied with their duty of candor and disclosure to the USPTO in connection with such applications; and the Company is not aware of any facts required to be disclosed to the USPTO that were not disclosed to the USPTO and which would preclude the grant of a patent in connection with any such application or could form the basis of a finding of invalidity with respect to any patents that have issued with respect to such applications;

 

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(y) The pre-clinical and clinical studies conducted by or, to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, on behalf of the Company were and, if still pending are being, conducted in all material respects in accordance with experimental protocols, protocols, procedures, and controls pursuant to accepted professional scientific standards and applicable local, state and federal laws, rules and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and its applicable implementing regulations, or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s exercise of enforcement discretion thereto, as applicable; the descriptions in the Pricing Prospectus of the results of such studies, tests, and trials are accurate and fairly represent the data derived from such studies in all material respects; the Company is not aware of any studies, tests, or trials, the results of which the Company believes reasonably call into question the study results described in the Pricing Prospectus; and the Company has operated and currently is in compliance in all respects with all applicable rules and regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, (“Regulatory Authorities”) except where the failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, the Company has not received any written notice from the Regulatory Authorities requiring the termination or suspension of any studies conducted by or, to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, on behalf of the Company;

(z) The Company and its subsidiaries possess all permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Permits”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the businesses now operated by them, except where there failure to possess such Permits would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Permits and all of the Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except, in each case, where the failure so to comply or where the invalidity of such Permits or the failure of such Permits to be in full force and effect would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or material modification of any such Permits, except where such revocation or modification would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.

(aa) Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company or any subsidiary and any person granting such person the right to require the Company or any subsidiary to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company or any subsidiary owned or to be owned by such person;

 

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(bb) Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all material federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof, subject to permitted extensions, and have paid all material taxes due thereon. Except as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package, no material tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries;

(cc) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has: (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; (iv) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom; or (v) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment;

(dd) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company conducts its business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened;

(ee) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Government, including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund any activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any person (including any person participating in the Offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise);

 

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(ff) The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance insures against such risks and is in such amounts as are customary in the business in which it is engaged, and which is, in the Company’s reasonable judgment, commercially reasonable for the conduct of its business; and the Company has not (i) received written notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business;

(gg) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, orders, judgments, decrees, permits or other legal requirements of any Regulatory Authority, including without limitation any international, national, state, provincial, regional, or local authority, relating to the protection of human health or safety, the environment, or natural resources, or to hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”) applicable to such entity, which compliance includes, without limitation, obtaining, maintaining and complying with all permits and authorizations and approvals required by Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (ii) has not received notice of any actual or alleged violation of Environmental Laws, or of any potential liability for or other obligation concerning the presence, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except in the case of either (i) or (ii) where the failure to comply or the potential liability or obligation would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) there are no proceedings that are pending against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under Environmental Laws in which a Regulatory Authority is also a party and (B) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any non-compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, in the case of clause (A) or (B) that would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect;

(hh) The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated, and for the periods indicated therein, subject in the case of unaudited financial statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the

 

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Prospectus. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in all material respects in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the financial statements included therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; and

(ii) There are no debt securities or preferred stock of, or guaranteed by, the Company that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act.

2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per share of $[—], the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a fraction, the numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.

The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at their election up to [—] Optional Shares, at the purchase price per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares, provided that the purchase price per Optional Share shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on the Optional Shares. Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from the Representatives to the Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement, setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.

 

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3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in electronic form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request upon at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Company shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives at least forty-eight hours in advance. The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on [—], 2015 or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date specified by the Representatives in each written notice given by the Representatives of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the “First Time of Delivery”, each such time and date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the “Second Time of Delivery”, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Time of Delivery”.

(b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(j) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Ropes & Gray LLP: Prudential Tower, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199 (the “Closing Location”), and the Shares will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at              p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission’s

 

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close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Shares, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;

(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Shares, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;

(c) From time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City as soon as available and in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, to notify you and upon your request to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic

 

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copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Shares at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

(d) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);

(e)(1) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), not to (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase shares of Stock or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representatives. The foregoing restrictions shall not apply to (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (B) grants of awards pursuant to equity incentive plans existing as of the date of this Agreement and disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, (C) issuances of Stock pursuant to the exercise of awards granted pursuant to clause (B), (D) issuances of Stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities, including preferred stock and warrants, outstanding on the date of this Agreement and described in the Pricing Prospectus, (E) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 relating to any benefit plans or arrangements disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus and the issuance of securities registered pursuant thereto, (F) issuances of securities under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan existing as of the date of this Agreement and described in the Pricing Prospectus, and (G) issuances of Stock or securities exercisable for, convertible into or exchangeable for Stock in connection with any acquisition, collaboration, licensing or other joint

 

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venture or strategic transaction or any debt financing transaction involving the Company and an unaffiliated third party and that includes a bona fide commercial relationship; provided that, in the case of clause (G) such issuances shall not in the aggregate be greater than 5% of the total outstanding shares of common stock of the Company outstanding immediately following the completion of this offering of Shares; and provided further that, in the case of clauses (B), (C) and (G) the Company shall (i) cause each recipient of such securities to execute and deliver to you, on or prior to the issuance of such securities, a lock-up agreement on substantially the same terms as the lock-up agreements referenced in Section 8(i) hereof for the remainder of the Company Lock-Up Period, and (ii) enter stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar on such securities, which the Company agrees it will not waive or amend without the prior written consent of each Representative;

(e)(2) If the Representatives, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section 8(i) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Annex I hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

(f) To furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, certified by independent public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration Statement), to make available to its stockholders consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail; provided that any report, communication or financial statement furnished or filed with the Commission that is publicly available on the Commission’s EDGAR system shall be deemed to have been furnished to you at the time furnished or filed with the Commission;

(g) During a period of three years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders, and to deliver to you as soon as they are available, copies of any current, periodic or annual reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed; provided that any report, communication or financial statement furnished or filed with the Commission that is publicly available on the Commission’s EDGAR system shall be deemed to have been furnished to you at the time furnished or filed with the Commission;

 

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(h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”;

(i) To use its best efforts to list for trading, subject to official notice of issuance, the Shares on The NASDAQ Global Market;

(j) To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act;

(k) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Act;

(l) Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the online offering of the Shares (the “License”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred; and

(m) To promptly notify you if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Shares within the meaning of the Act and (ii) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 5(e)(1) hereof.

6. (a) The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a free writing prospectus; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Representatives is listed on Schedule II(a) or Schedule II(c) hereto;

(b) The Company represents and agrees that (i) it has not engaged in, or authorized any other person to engage in, any Section 5(d) Communications, other than Section 5(d) Communications with the prior consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Act; and (ii) it has not distributed, or authorized any other person to distribute, any Section 5(d) Writings, other than those distributed with the prior consent of the Representatives that are listed on Schedule II(b) hereto; and the Company reconfirms that the Underwriters have been authorized to act on its behalf in engaging in Section 5(d) Communications;

 

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(c) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and the Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions under Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show;

(d) Each Underwriter represents and agrees that any Section 5(d) Communications undertaken by it were with entities that are qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Act;

(e) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Section 5(d) Writing any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to the Representatives and, if requested by the Representatives, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Section 5(d) Writing or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this covenant shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

7. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants incurred in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as

 

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provided in Section 5(b) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on The NASDAQ Global Market; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates, if applicable; (vii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; (viii) all other costs and expenses of the Company related to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Shares, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants (provided, however, that the Underwriters and the Company shall each pay 50% of the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with any road show meetings); and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section; provided, however, that the amount payable by the Company pursuant to subsections (iii) and (v) of this Section 7, for the fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters described in such subsections, shall not exceed $30,000 in the aggregate. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

8. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 433; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Act, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission;

 

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no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;

(b) Ropes & Gray LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, and covering such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

(c) Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to you their written opinion and negative assurance letter, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;

(d) Fenwick & West LLP, special counsel for the Company with respect to intellectual property matters, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;

(e) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Time of Delivery shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date of the Prospectus.

(f) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position,

 

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stockholders’ equity (deficit) or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;

(g) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on The NASDAQ Global Market; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on The NASDAQ Global Market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal, New York State or Commonwealth of Massachusetts authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;

(h) The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed for quotation, subject to notice of issuance, on The NASDAQ Global Market;

(i) The Company shall have obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed copies of an agreement from each of the officers, directors, employees and stockholders of the Company except those officers, directors, employees and stockholders of the Company listed on Schedule III hereto, substantially to the effect set forth in Annex II hereof in form and substance satisfactory to you;

(j) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses;

(k) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request; and

(l) FINRA shall have confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Shares.

 

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9. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the Act (each, an “Affiliate”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or any Section 5(d) Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

(b) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue

 

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statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one

 

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hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any

 

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Underwriter within the meaning of the Act and each broker-dealer affiliate of any Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

10. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Shares which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Company shall not

 

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exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

12. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason, any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so delivered, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

13. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by you jointly or by the Representatives on behalf of you.

All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to you as the Representatives in care of Goldman, Sachs & Co., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282-2198, Attention: Registration Department, and to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, One Bryant Park, New York, NY 10036, Attention: [—]; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary with a copy to Latham & Watkins LLP, John Hancock Tower, 27th Floor, 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Peter N. Handrinos, and if to any

 

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stockholder that has delivered a lockup letter described in Section 8(k) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail to his or her respective address provided in writing to the Company; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters’ Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by you upon request; provided, however, that notices under subsection 5(e) shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to you as the Representatives at Goldman, Sachs & Co., 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282-2198, Attention: Control Room, and to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, One Bryant Park, New York, NY 10036, Attention: [—]. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

14. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

15. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

16. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations

 

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expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

17. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

18. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. The Company agrees that any suit or proceeding arising in respect of this agreement or our engagement will be tried exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York or, if that court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, in any state court located in The City and County of New York and the Company agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of, and to venue in, such courts.

19. The Company and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

20. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

21. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company is authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Company relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall

 

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constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

 

Accepted as of the date hereof:

 

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
By:
		Name:
		Title:
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
By:
		Name:
		Title:

On behalf of each of the Underwriters

 

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SCHEDULE I

 

Underwriter		Total Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased				Number of Optional Shares to be Purchased if Maximum Option Exercised
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith                        Incorporated
Canaccord Genuity Inc.
Leerink Partners LLC
Total

 

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SCHEDULE II

(a) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Pricing Disclosure Package:

(b) Section 5(d) Writings:

 

(c)

Materials other than the Pricing Prospectus that comprise the Pricing Disclosure Package:

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SCHEDULE III

[Persons from whom lock-up agreements are not provided.]

 

2

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ANNEX I

[Form of Press Release]

Seres Therapeutics, Inc.

[Date]

Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, the lead book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of                  shares of common stock, is [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to                  shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on     ,              20    , and the shares may be sold on or after such date.

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

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ANNEX II

[Form of Lock-Up Agreement]

 

1

Exhibit 3.1

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SERES HEALTH, INC.

(Pursuant to Sections 242 and 245 of the

General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware)

Seres Health, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “General Corporation Law”),

DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

That the name of this corporation is Seres Health, Inc., and that this corporation was originally incorporated pursuant to the General Corporation Law on October 18, 2010 under the name Newco LS21, Inc.

That the Board of Directors of this corporation duly adopted resolutions proposing to amend and restate the Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation, declaring said amendment and restatement to be advisable and in the best interests of this corporation and its stockholders, and authorizing the appropriate officers of this corporation to solicit the consent of the stockholders therefor, which resolution setting forth the proposed amendment and restatement is as follows:

RESOLVED, that the Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation be amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

FIRST: The name of this corporation is Seres Health, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

SECOND: The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle 19801. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

THIRD: The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law.

FOURTH: The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 62,348,003 shares, consisting of (i) 38,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), and (ii) 24,348,003 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”), of which 8,230,997 shares are hereby designated “Series A Preferred Stock,” 2,339,319 shares are hereby designated “Series A-2 Preferred Stock,” 4,831,359 shares are hereby designated “Series B Preferred Stock,” 3,946,328 shares are hereby designated “Series C Preferred Stock,” 3,611,111 shares are hereby designated “Series D Preferred Stock” and 1,388,889 shares are hereby designated “Series D-1 Preferred Stock.”

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The following is a statement of the designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation.

I. COMMON STOCK

A. General. The voting, dividend and liquidation rights of the holders of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of the holders of the Preferred Stock set forth herein.

B. Voting. The holders of the Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held at all meetings of stockholders (and written actions in lieu of meetings); provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation or pursuant to the General Corporation Law. The number of authorized shares of Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by (in addition to any vote of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock that may be required by the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation) the affirmative vote of the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation representing a majority of the votes represented by all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the General Corporation Law.

II. PREFERRED STOCK

The Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock, the Series C Preferred Stock, the Series D Preferred Stock and the Series D-1 Preferred Stock shall have the following rights, preferences, powers, privileges and restrictions, qualifications and limitations. Unless otherwise indicated, references to “Sections” or “Subsections” in this Part B of this Article Fourth refer to sections and subsections of Part B of this Article Fourth.

A. Dividends.

From and after the date of the issuance of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, dividends at the rate per annum of eight percent (8%) of the Series A Original Purchase Price (as defined below) per share plus the amount of previously accrued dividends shall accrue on such shares of Series A Preferred Stock (the “Series A Accruing Dividends”). From and after the date of the issuance of any shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock, dividends at the rate per annum of eight percent (8%) of the Series A-2 Original Purchase Price (as defined below) per share plus the amount of previously accrued dividends shall accrue on such shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock (the “Series A-2 Accruing Dividends”). From and after the date of the issuance of any shares of Series B Preferred Stock, dividends at the rate per annum of eight percent (8%) of the Series B Original Purchase Price (as defined below) per share plus the amount of previously accrued dividends shall accrue on such shares of Series B Preferred Stock (the “Series B

 

2.

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Accruing Dividends”). From and after the date of the issuance of any shares of Series C Preferred Stock, dividends at the rate per annum of eight percent (8%) of the Series C Original Purchase Price (as defined below) per share plus the amount of previously accrued dividends shall accrue on such shares of Series C Preferred Stock (the “Series C Accruing Dividends”). From and after the date of the issuance of any shares of Series D Preferred Stock, dividends at the rate per annum of eight percent (8%) of the Series D Original Purchase Price (as defined below) per share plus the amount of previously accrued dividends shall accrue on such shares of Series D Preferred Stock (the “Series D Accruing Dividends”). From and after the date of the issuance of any shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock, dividends at the rate per annum of eight percent (8%) of the Series D-1 Original Purchase Price (as defined below) per share plus the amount of previously accrued dividends shall accrue on such shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock (the “Series D-1 Accruing Dividends” and, together with the Series A Accruing Dividends, the Series A-2 Accruing Dividends, the Series B Accruing Dividends, the Series C Accruing Dividends and the Series D Accruing Dividends, the “Accruing Dividends”). Accruing Dividends shall accrue from day to day, whether or not declared, and shall be cumulative; provided however, that except as set forth in the following sentence of this Section 1 or in Subsection 2.1, such Accruing Dividends shall be payable only when, as, and if declared by the Board of Directors and the Corporation shall be under no obligation to pay such Accruing Dividends. The Corporation shall not declare, pay or set aside any dividends on shares of any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation (other than dividends on shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock) unless (in addition to the obtaining of any consents required elsewhere in the Certificate of Incorporation) the holders of the Preferred Stock then outstanding shall first receive, or simultaneously receive, a dividend on each outstanding share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock in an amount at least equal to the greater of (i) the amount of the aggregate Series A Accruing Dividends, Series A-2 Accruing Dividends, Series B Accruing Dividends, Series C Accruing Dividends, Series D Accruing Dividends or Series D-1 Accruing Dividends, as the case may be, then accrued on the shares of the applicable series of Preferred Stock and not previously paid and (ii) (A) in the case of a dividend on Common Stock or any class or series that is convertible into Common Stock, that dividend per share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock as would equal the product of (1) the dividend payable on each share of such class or series determined, if applicable, as if all shares of such class or series had been converted into Common Stock and (2) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of a share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock, in each case calculated on the record date for determination of holders entitled to receive such dividend or (B) in the case of a dividend on any class or series that is not convertible into Common Stock, at a rate per share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock determined by (1) dividing the amount of the dividend payable on each share of such class or series of capital stock by the original issuance price of such class or series of capital stock (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to such class or series) and (2) multiplying such fraction by an amount equal to the Series A Original Issue Price (as defined below), Series A-2 Original Issue Price (as defined below), Series B Original Issue Price (as defined below), Series C Original Issue Price (as defined below), Series D Original Issue Price (as defined below) or Series D-1 Original Issue Price (as defined below), as applicable; provided that, if the Corporation declares, pays or sets aside, on the same date, a dividend on shares of more than one class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, the dividend payable to the holders of

 

3.

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Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 1 shall be calculated based upon the dividend on the class or series of capital stock that would result in the highest Preferred Stock dividend. The “Series A Original Issue Price” shall mean $0.79 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock. The “Series A-2 Original Issue Price” shall mean $1.78 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series A-2 Preferred Stock. The “Series B Original Issue Price” shall mean $2.20 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series B Preferred Stock. The “Series C Original Issue Price” shall mean $12.1632 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series C Preferred Stock. The “Series D Original Issue Price” shall mean $18.00 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series D Preferred Stock. The “Series D-1 Original Issue Price” shall mean $18.00 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series D-1 Preferred Stock.

B. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up; Certain Mergers, Consolidations and Asset Sales.

1. Preferential Payments to Holders of Preferred Stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined below), the holders of shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding shall be entitled to be paid, on a pari passu basis, out of the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders before any payment shall be made to the holders of Common Stock by reason of their ownership thereof, an amount per share equal to (i) in the case of the Series A Preferred Stock, the greater of (A) the Series A Original Issue Price, plus any Series A Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid thereon, and (B) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable pursuant to this clause (i) is hereinafter referred to as the “Series A Liquidation Amount”), (ii) in the case of the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the greater of (A) the Series A-2 Original Issue Price, plus any Series A-2 Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid thereon, and (B) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable pursuant to this clause (ii) is hereinafter referred to as the “Series A-2 Liquidation Amount”), (iii) in the case of the Series B Preferred Stock, the greater of (A) the Series B Original Issue Price, plus any Series B Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid thereon, and (B) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable pursuant to this clause (iii) is hereinafter referred to as the “Series B

 

4.

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Liquidation Amount”), (iv) in the case of the Series C Preferred Stock, the greater of (A) the Series C Original Issue Price, plus any Series C Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid thereon, and (B) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable pursuant to this clause (iv) is hereinafter referred to as the “Series C Liquidation Amount”), (v) in the case of the Series D Preferred Stock, the greater of (A) the Series D Original Issue Price, plus any Series D Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid thereon, and (B) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable pursuant to this clause (v) is hereinafter referred to as the “Series D Liquidation Amount”) and (vi) in the case of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock, the greater of (A) the Series D-1 Original Issue Price, plus any Series D-1 Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid thereon, and (B) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable pursuant to this clause (vi) is hereinafter referred to as the “Series D-1 Liquidation Amount”). If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event, the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders shall be insufficient to pay the holders of shares of Preferred Stock the full amount to which they shall be entitled under this Subsection 2.1, the holders of shares of Preferred Stock shall share ratably in any distribution of the assets available for distribution in proportion to the respective amounts which would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares held by them upon such distribution if all amounts payable on or with respect to such shares were paid in full.

2. Payments to Holders of Common Stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event, after the payment of all preferential amounts required to be paid to the holders of shares of Preferred Stock, the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of shares of Common Stock, pro rata based on the number of shares held by each such holder.

2.3 Deemed Liquidation Events.

2.3.1 Definition. Each of the following events shall be considered a “Deemed Liquidation Event” unless (i) the holders of shares of Preferred Stock representing at least sixty percent (60%) of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, voting together as a separate class, and (ii) the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock, voting as a separate class, elect otherwise by written notice sent to the Corporation at least ten (10) days prior to the effective date of any such event:

(a) a merger or consolidation in which

(i) the Corporation is a constituent party or

 

5.

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(ii) a subsidiary of the Corporation is a constituent party and the Corporation issues shares of its capital stock pursuant to such merger or consolidation,

except any such merger or consolidation involving the Corporation or a subsidiary in which the shares of capital stock of the Corporation outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continue to represent, or are converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock that represent, immediately following such merger or consolidation, a majority, by voting power, of the capital stock of (1) the surviving or resulting corporation or (2) if the surviving or resulting corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of another corporation immediately following such merger or consolidation, the parent corporation of such surviving or resulting corporation (provided that, for the purpose of this Subsection 2.3.1, all shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of Options (as defined below) outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation or upon conversion of Convertible Securities (as defined below) outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation shall be deemed to be outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation and, if applicable, converted or exchanged in such merger or consolidation on the same terms as the actual outstanding shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged); or

(b) the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation of all or substantially all the assets of the Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or the sale or disposition (whether by merger or otherwise) of one or more subsidiaries of the Corporation if substantially all of the assets of the Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation.

2.3.2 Effecting a Deemed Liquidation Event.

(a) The Corporation shall not have the power to effect a Deemed Liquidation Event referred to in Subsection 2.3.1(a)(i) unless the agreement or plan of merger or consolidation for such transaction (the “Merger Agreement”) provides that the consideration payable to the stockholders of the Corporation shall be allocated among the holders of capital stock of the Corporation in accordance with Subsections 2.1 and 2.2.

(b) In the event of a Deemed Liquidation Event referred to in Subsection 2.3.1(a)(ii) or 2.3.1(b), if the Corporation does not effect a dissolution of the Corporation under the General Corporation Law within 90 days after such Deemed Liquidation Event, then (i) the Corporation shall send a written notice to each holder of Preferred Stock no later than the 90th day after the Deemed Liquidation Event advising such holders of their right (and the requirements to be met to secure such right) pursuant to the terms of the following clause (ii) to require the redemption of such shares of Preferred Stock, and (ii) if the holders of shares of Preferred Stock representing at least sixty percent (60%) of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock so request in a written instrument delivered to the Corporation not later than 120 days after such Deemed Liquidation Event, the Corporation shall use the consideration received by the Corporation for such Deemed Liquidation Event (net of any retained liabilities associated with the assets sold or technology licensed, as determined in

 

6.

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good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation), together with any other assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders (the “Available Proceeds”), to the extent legally available therefor, on the 150th day after such Deemed Liquidation Event (the “Redemption Date”), to redeem all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock at a price per share equal to, in the case of the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A Liquidation Amount, in the case of the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Liquidation Amount, in the case of the Series B Preferred Stock, the Series B Liquidation Amount, in the case of the Series C Preferred Stock, the Series C Liquidation Amount, in the case of the Series D Preferred Stock, the Series D Liquidation Amount, and, in the case of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock, the Series D-1 Liquidation Amount. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a redemption pursuant to the preceding sentence, if the Available Proceeds are not sufficient to redeem all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall redeem a pro rata portion of each holder’s shares of Preferred Stock to the fullest extent of such Available Proceeds, based on the respective amounts which would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares to be redeemed if the Available Proceeds were sufficient to redeem all such shares, and shall redeem the remaining shares to have been redeemed as soon as practicable after the Corporation has funds legally available therefor. The Corporation shall send written notice of the mandatory redemption (the “Redemption Notice”) to each holder of record of Preferred Stock not less than 40 days prior to the Redemption Date. The Redemption Notice shall state: (1) the number of shares of each series of Preferred Stock held by the holder that the Corporation shall redeem on the Redemption Date specified in the Redemption Notice; (2) the Redemption Date, the Series A Liquidation Amount, the Series A-2 Liquidation Amount, the Series B Liquidation Amount, the Series C Liquidation Amount, the Series D Liquidation Amount and the Series D-1 Liquidation Amount; (3) the date upon which the holder’s right to convert such shares terminates (as determined in accordance with Subsection 4.1); and (4) that the holder is to surrender to the Corporation, in the manner and at the place designated, his, her or its certificate or certificates representing the shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed. On or before the Redemption Date, each holder of shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed on the Redemption Date, unless, if applicable, such holder has exercised his, her or its right to convert such shares as provided in Section 4, shall surrender the certificate or certificates representing such shares (or, if such registered holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Corporation, in the manner and at the place designated in the Redemption Notice, and thereupon the Series A Liquidation Amount, the Series A-2 Liquidation Amount, the Series B Liquidation Amount, the Series C Liquidation Amount, the Series D Liquidation Amount and/or the Series D-1 Liquidation Amount, as the case may be, for such shares shall be payable to the order of the person whose name appears on such certificate or certificates as the owner thereof. In the event less than all of the shares of Preferred Stock represented by a certificate are redeemed, a new certificate representing the unredeemed shares of Preferred Stock shall promptly be issued to such holder. If the Redemption Notice shall have been duly given, and if on the Redemption Date the Series A Liquidation Amount, the Series A-2 Liquidation Amount, the Series B Liquidation Amount, the Series C Liquidation Amount, the Series D Liquidation Amount and/or the Series D-1 Liquidation Amount, as the case may be, payable upon redemption of the shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed on the Redemption Date is paid or tendered for payment or deposited with an independent payment agent so as to be

 

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available therefor in a timely manner, then notwithstanding that the certificates evidencing any of the shares of Preferred Stock so called for redemption shall not have been surrendered, dividends with respect to such shares of Preferred Stock shall cease to accrue after the Redemption Date and all rights with respect to such shares shall forthwith after the Redemption Date terminate, except only the right of the holders to receive the Series A Liquidation Amount, the Series A-2 Liquidation Amount, the Series B Liquidation Amount, the Series C Liquidation Amount, the Series D Liquidation Amount and/or the Series D-1 Liquidation Amount, as the case may be, without interest upon surrender of their certificate or certificates therefor. Prior to the distribution or redemption provided for in this Subsection 2.3.2(b), the Corporation shall not expend or dissipate the consideration received for such Deemed Liquidation Event, except to discharge expenses incurred in connection with such Deemed Liquidation Event or in the ordinary course of business.

2.3.3 Amount Deemed Paid or Distributed. The amount deemed paid or distributed to the holders of capital stock of the Corporation upon any such merger, consolidation, sale, transfer, exclusive license, other disposition or redemption shall be the cash or the value of the property, rights or securities paid or distributed to such holders by the Corporation or the acquiring person, firm or other entity. The value of such property, rights or securities shall be determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director (as defined below).

2.3.4 Allocation of Escrow. In the event of a Deemed Liquidation Event pursuant to Subsection 2.3.1(a)(i), if any portion of the consideration payable to the stockholders of the Corporation is placed into escrow and/or is payable to the stockholders of the Corporation subject to contingencies, the Merger Agreement shall provide that (a) the portion of such consideration that is not placed in escrow and not subject to any contingencies (the “Initial Consideration”) shall be allocated among the holders of capital stock of the Corporation in accordance with Subsections 2.1 and 2.2 as if the Initial Consideration were the only consideration payable in connection with such Deemed Liquidation Event and (b) any additional consideration which becomes payable to the stockholders of the Corporation upon release from escrow or satisfaction of contingencies shall be allocated among the holders of capital stock of the Corporation in accordance with Subsections 2.1 and 2.2 after taking into account the previous payment of the Initial Consideration as part of the same transaction.

C. Voting.

1. General. On any matter presented to the stockholders of the Corporation for their action or consideration at any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation (or by written consent of stockholders in lieu of meeting), each holder of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to cast the number of votes equal to the number of whole shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Preferred Stock held by such holder are convertible as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote on such matter. Except as provided by law or by the other provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, holders of Preferred Stock shall vote together with the holders of Common Stock as a single class. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the holders of shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to vote for the election of any director of the Corporation.

 

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2. Election of Directors. The holders of record of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock and/or Series C Preferred Stock (together, the “ABC Preferred Stock”), exclusively and as a separate class, shall be entitled to elect one (1) director of the Corporation (the “Preferred Stock Director”) and the holders of record of the shares of Common Stock, exclusively and as a separate class, shall be entitled to elect one (1) director of the Corporation. Any director elected as provided in the preceding sentence may be removed without cause by, and only by, the affirmative vote of the holders of the shares of the class or series of capital stock entitled to elect such director or directors, given either at a special meeting of such stockholders duly called for that purpose or pursuant to a written consent of stockholders. If the holders of shares of ABC Preferred Stock or Common Stock, as the case may be, fail to elect a sufficient number of directors to fill all directorships for which they are entitled to elect directors, voting exclusively and as a separate class, pursuant to the first sentence of this Subsection 3.2, then any directorship not so filled shall remain vacant until such time as the holders of the ABC Preferred Stock or Common Stock, as the case may be, elect a person to fill such directorship by vote or written consent in lieu of a meeting; and no such directorship may be filled by stockholders of the Corporation other than by the stockholders of the Corporation that are entitled to elect a person to fill such directorship, voting exclusively and as a separate class. The holders of record of the shares of Common Stock and of any other class or series of voting stock (including Series A Preferred Stock, Series A-2 Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock and Series D Preferred Stock (together, the “Voting Preferred Stock”) other than the Series D-1 Preferred Stock, exclusively and voting together as a single class (on an as-converted to Common Stock basis), shall be entitled to elect the balance of the total number of directors of the Corporation. At any meeting held for the purpose of electing a director, the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the class or series entitled to elect such director shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of electing such director. Except as otherwise provided in this Subsection 3.2, a vacancy in any directorship filled by the holders of any class or series shall be filled only by vote or written consent in lieu of a meeting of the holders of such class or series or by any remaining director or directors elected by the holders of such class or series pursuant to this Subsection 3.2.

3. Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when shares of ABC Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of shares of ABC Preferred Stock representing at least sixty percent (60%) of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of ABC Preferred Stock, given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be) separately as a class, and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect:

a. liquidate, dissolve or wind-up the business and affairs of the Corporation, effect any merger or consolidation or any other Deemed Liquidation Event, or consent to any of the foregoing;

b. amend, alter or repeal any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Corporation;

 

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c. create, or authorize the creation of, or issue or obligate itself to issue shares of, any additional class or series of capital stock unless the same ranks junior to the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series C Preferred Stock with respect to the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends and rights of redemption, or increase or decrease the authorized number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, Series A-2 Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock or Series C Preferred Stock or increase the authorized number of shares of any additional class or series of capital stock unless the same ranks junior to the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series C Preferred Stock with respect to the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends and rights of redemption;

d. (i) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is pari passu with the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock or the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege, or (ii) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is junior to the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to or pari passu with the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock or the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege;

e. purchase or redeem (or permit any subsidiary to purchase or redeem) or pay or declare any dividend or make any distribution on, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation other than (i) redemptions of or dividends or distributions on the Preferred Stock as expressly authorized herein, (ii) dividends or other distributions payable on the Common Stock solely in the form of additional shares of Common Stock and (iii) repurchases of stock from former employees, officers, directors, consultants or other persons who performed services for the Corporation or any subsidiary in connection with the cessation of such employment or service at the lower of the original purchase price and the then-current fair market value thereof;

f. create, or authorize the creation of, or issue, or authorize the issuance of, any debt security or permit any subsidiary to take any such action with respect to any debt security unless such debt security has received the prior approval of the Board of Directors, including the approval of the Preferred Stock Director;

g. create, or hold capital stock in, any subsidiary that is not wholly owned (either directly or through one or more other subsidiaries) by the Corporation, or sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any capital stock of any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation, or permit any direct or indirect subsidiary to sell, lease, transfer, exclusively license or otherwise dispose (in a single transaction or series of related transactions) of all or substantially all of the assets of such subsidiary; or

 

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h. increase or decrease the authorized number of directors constituting the Board of Directors.

4. Series C Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when shares of Series C Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock, given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be) separately as a class, and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect:

a. amend, alter or repeal any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Corporation in a manner that adversely affects the powers, preferences or privileges of the Series C Preferred Stock;

b. purchase or redeem (or permit any subsidiary to purchase or redeem) or pay or declare any dividend or make any distribution on, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation other than (i) redemptions of or dividends or distributions on the Preferred Stock as expressly authorized herein, (ii) dividends or other distributions payable on the Common Stock solely in the form of additional shares of Common Stock and (iii) repurchases of stock from former employees, officers, directors, consultants or other persons who performed services for the Corporation or any subsidiary in connection with the cessation of such employment or service at the lower of the original purchase price and the then-current fair market value thereof;

c. (i) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is pari passu with the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege, or (ii) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is junior to the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to or pari passu with the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege; or

d. increase or decrease the authorized number of shares of Series C Preferred Stock.

5. Series D Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when shares of Series D Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in

 

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addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be) separately as a class, and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect:

a. amend, alter or repeal any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Corporation in a manner that adversely affects the powers, preferences or privileges of the Series D Preferred Stock;

b. purchase or redeem (or permit any subsidiary to purchase or redeem) or pay or declare any dividend or make any distribution on, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation other than (i) redemptions of or dividends or distributions on the Preferred Stock as expressly authorized herein, (ii) dividends or other distributions payable on the Common Stock solely in the form of additional shares of Common Stock, (iii) repurchases of stock from former employees, officers, directors, consultants or other persons who performed services for the Corporation or any subsidiary in connection with the cessation of such employment or service at the lower of the original purchase price and the then-current fair market value thereof and (iv) purchases or redemptions of Series D Preferred Stock or Series D-1 Preferred Stock by the Corporation pursuant to Section 6 of that certain Series D Stock Purchase Agreement, dated on or about December 19, 2014, by and between the Corporation and the investor named therein;

c. (i) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is pari passu with the Series D Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to the Series D Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege, or (ii) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is junior to the Series D Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to or pari passu with the Series D Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege; or

d. increase or decrease the authorized number of shares of Series D Preferred Stock.

6. Series D-1 Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the

 

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case may be) separately as a class, and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect:

a. amend, alter or repeal any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Corporation in a manner that adversely affects the powers, preferences or privileges of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock;

b. purchase or redeem (or permit any subsidiary to purchase or redeem) or pay or declare any dividend or make any distribution on, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation other than (i) redemptions of or dividends or distributions on the Preferred Stock as expressly authorized herein, (ii) dividends or other distributions payable on the Common Stock solely in the form of additional shares of Common Stock, (iii) repurchases of stock from former employees, officers, directors, consultants or other persons who performed services for the Corporation or any subsidiary in connection with the cessation of such employment or service at the lower of the original purchase price and the then-current fair market value thereof and (iv) purchases or redemptions of Series D Preferred Stock or Series D-1 Preferred Stock by the Corporation pursuant to Section 6 of that certain Series D Stock Purchase Agreement, dated on or about December 19, 2014, by and between the Corporation and the investor named therein;

c. (i) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is pari passu with the Series D-1 Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to the Series D-1 Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege, or (ii) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is junior to the Series D-1 Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to or pari passu with the Series D-1 Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege; or

d. increase or decrease the authorized number of shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock.

D. Optional Conversion.

The holders of the Voting Preferred Stock shall have conversion rights as follows (the “Conversion Rights”):

1. Right to Convert.

a. Conversion Ratios.

(1) Each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock as is determined by dividing the Series A Original Issue Price by the Series A Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The “Series A Conversion Price” shall initially be equal to $0.79. Such initial Series A Conversion Price, and the rate at which shares of Series A Preferred Stock may be converted into shares of Common Stock, shall be subject to adjustment as provided below.

 

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(2) Each share of Series A-2 Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock as is determined by dividing the Series A-2 Original Issue Price by the Series A-2 Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The “Series A-2 Conversion Price” shall initially be equal to $1.78. Such initial Series A-2 Conversion Price, and the rate at which shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock may be converted into shares of Common Stock, shall be subject to adjustment as provided below.

(3) Each share of Series B Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock as is determined by dividing the Series B Original Issue Price by the Series B Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The “Series B Conversion Price” shall initially be equal to $2.20. Such initial Series B Conversion Price, and the rate at which shares of Series B Preferred Stock may be converted into shares of Common Stock, shall be subject to adjustment as provided below.

(4) Each share of Series C Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock as is determined by dividing the Series C Original Issue Price by the Series C Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The “Series C Conversion Price” shall initially be equal to $12.1632. Such initial Series C Conversion Price, and the rate at which shares of Series C Preferred Stock may be converted into shares of Common Stock, shall be subject to adjustment as provided below.

(5) Each share of Series D Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock as is determined by dividing $12.1632 (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series D Preferred Stock) by the Series D Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The “Series D Conversion Price” shall initially be equal to $12.1632. Such initial Series D Conversion Price, and the rate at which shares of Series D Preferred Stock may be converted into shares of Common Stock, shall be subject to adjustment as provided below.

(6) Shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock shall not be convertible at the option of the holder thereof.

b. Termination of Conversion Rights. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or a Deemed Liquidation Event, the Conversion Rights shall terminate at the close of business on the last full day preceding the date fixed for the payment of any such amounts distributable on such event to the holders of Preferred Stock.

 

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2. Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon conversion of the Voting Preferred Stock. In lieu of any fractional shares to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director. Whether or not fractional shares would be issuable upon such conversion shall be determined on the basis of the total number of shares of Voting Preferred Stock the holder is at the time converting into Common Stock and the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion.

3. Mechanics of Conversion.

a. Notice of Conversion. In order for a holder of Voting Preferred Stock to voluntarily convert shares of Voting Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock, such holder shall surrender the certificate or certificates for such shares of Voting Preferred Stock (or, if such registered holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate), at the office of the transfer agent for the Preferred Stock (or at the principal office of the Corporation if the Corporation serves as its own transfer agent), together with written notice that such holder elects to convert all or any number of the shares of the Voting Preferred Stock represented by such certificate or certificates and, if applicable, any event on which such conversion is contingent. Such notice shall state such holder’s name or the names of the nominees in which such holder wishes the certificate or certificates for shares of Common Stock to be issued. If required by the Corporation, certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Corporation, duly executed by the registered holder or his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. The close of business on the date of receipt by the transfer agent (or by the Corporation if the Corporation serves as its own transfer agent) of such certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) and notice shall be the time of conversion (the “Conversion Time”), and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares represented by such certificate shall be deemed to be outstanding of record as of such date. The Corporation shall, as soon as practicable after the Conversion Time, (i) issue and deliver to such holder of Voting Preferred Stock, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion in accordance with the provisions hereof and a certificate for the number (if any) of the shares of Voting Preferred Stock represented by the surrendered certificate that were not converted into Common Stock, (ii) pay in cash such amount as provided in Subsection 4.2 in lieu of any fraction of a share of Common Stock otherwise issuable upon such conversion and (iii) pay all declared but unpaid dividends on the shares of Voting Preferred Stock converted.

b. Reservation of Shares of Common Stock. The Corporation shall at all times when shares of Voting Preferred Stock shall be outstanding, reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued capital stock, for the purpose of effecting the

 

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conversion of the Voting Preferred Stock, such number of its duly authorized shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the conversion of all outstanding shares of Voting Preferred Stock; and if at any time the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock shall not be sufficient to effect the conversion of all then outstanding shares of Voting Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall take such corporate action as may be necessary to increase its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to such number of shares as shall be sufficient for such purposes, including, without limitation, engaging in best efforts to obtain the requisite stockholder approval of any necessary amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation. Before taking any action which would cause an adjustment reducing the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price below the then par value of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock, the Series C Preferred Stock or the Series D Preferred Stock, as the case may be, the Corporation will take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Corporation may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock at such adjusted Series A Conversion Price, Series A-2 Conversion Price, Series B Conversion Price, Series C Conversion Price or Series D Conversion Price.

c. Reservation of Shares of Series D Preferred Stock. The Corporation shall at all times when shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock shall be outstanding, reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued capital stock, for the purpose of effecting the conversion of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock, such number of its duly authorized shares of Series D Preferred Stock as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the conversion of all outstanding shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock; and if at any time the number of authorized but unissued shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall not be sufficient to effect the conversion of all then outstanding shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall take such corporate action as may be necessary to increase its authorized but unissued shares of Series D Preferred Stock to such number of shares as shall be sufficient for such purposes, including, without limitation, engaging in best efforts to obtain the requisite stockholder approval of any necessary amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation.

d. Effect of Conversion. All shares of Voting Preferred Stock which shall have been surrendered for conversion as herein provided shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately cease and terminate at the Conversion Time, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive shares of Common Stock in exchange therefor, to receive payment in lieu of any fraction of a share otherwise issuable upon such conversion as provided in Subsection 4.2 and to receive payment of any dividends declared but unpaid thereon. Any shares of Voting Preferred Stock so converted shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Voting Preferred Stock and of such series of Voting Preferred Stock accordingly.

e. No Further Adjustment. Upon any such conversion, no adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price shall be made

 

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for any declared but unpaid dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock, the Series C Preferred Stock or the Series D Preferred Stock, as the case may be, surrendered for conversion or on the Common Stock delivered upon conversion. No adjustment shall be made to the number of shares of Series D Preferred Stock issued upon conversion of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock into Series D Preferred Stock for any declared but unpaid dividends on the Series D-1 Preferred Stock that is converted into Series D Preferred Stock.

f. Taxes. The Corporation shall pay any and all issue and other similar taxes that may be payable in respect of any issuance or delivery of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of shares of Voting Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 4 or shares of Series D Preferred Stock upon conversion of shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 5. The Corporation shall not, however, be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of shares of Common Stock or Series D Preferred Stock, as the case may be, in a name other than that in which the shares of Voting Preferred Stock or Series D-1 Preferred Stock, as the case may be, so converted were registered, and no such issuance or delivery shall be made unless and until the person or entity requesting such issuance has paid to the Corporation the amount of any such tax or has established, to the satisfaction of the Corporation, that such tax has been paid.

4. Adjustments to Conversion Price for Diluting Issues.

a. Special Definitions. For purposes of this Article Fourth, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “Option” shall mean rights, options or warrants to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire Common Stock or Convertible Securities.

(2) “Series D Original Issue Date” shall mean the date on which the first share of Series D Preferred Stock was issued.

(3) “Convertible Securities” shall mean any evidences of indebtedness, shares or other securities directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, but excluding Options.

(4) “Additional Shares of Common Stock” shall mean all shares of Common Stock issued (or, pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3 below, deemed to be issued) by the Corporation after the Series D Original Issue Date and assuming, for this purpose, that all issued and outstanding shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock have been converted into Series D Preferred Stock pursuant to Subsection 5.1.3 on the Series D Original Issue Date, other than (1) the following shares of Common Stock and (2) shares of Common Stock deemed issued pursuant to the following Options and Convertible Securities (clauses (1) and (2), collectively, “Exempted Securities”):

 

(a)

shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued as a dividend or distribution on Preferred Stock;

 

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(b)

shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued by reason of a dividend, stock split, split-up or other distribution on shares of Common Stock that is covered by Subsection 4.5, 4.6, 4.7 or 4.8;

 

(c)

shares of Common Stock or Options issued to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors to, the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to a plan, agreement or arrangement approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director;

 

(d)

shares of Common Stock issued in connection with the listing of the Common Stock on a National Securities Exchange (as defined in Subsection 5.1.1(a));

 

(e)

shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities actually issued upon the exercise of Options or shares of Common Stock actually issued upon the conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities, in each case provided such issuance is pursuant to the terms of such Option or Convertible Security;

 

(f)

shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued to banks, equipment lessors or other financial institutions, or to real property lessors, pursuant to a debt financing, equipment leasing or real property leasing transaction approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director;

 

(g)

shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued to suppliers or third party service providers in connection with the provision of goods or services pursuant to transactions approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director;

 

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(h)

shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued pursuant to the acquisition of another corporation by the Corporation by merger, purchase of substantially all of the assets or other reorganization or to a joint venture agreement, provided that such issuances are approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director; or

 

(i)

shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued in connection with sponsored research, collaboration, technology license, development, OEM, marketing or other similar agreements or strategic partnerships approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director.

b. No Adjustment of Conversion Price. No adjustment in the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price or the Series B Conversion Price shall be made as the result of the issuance or deemed issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock if the Corporation receives written notice from the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, Series A-2 Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock representing at least sixty percent (60%) of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, Series A-2 Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a separate class, agreeing that no such adjustment shall be made as the result of the issuance or deemed issuance of such Additional Shares of Common Stock. No adjustment in the Series C Conversion Price shall be made as the result of the issuance or deemed issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock if the Corporation receives written notice from the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock agreeing that no such adjustment shall be made as the result of the issuance or deemed issuance of such Additional Shares of Common Stock. No adjustment in the Series D Conversion Price shall be made as the result of the issuance or deemed issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock if the Corporation receives written notice from the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock agreeing that no such adjustment shall be made as the result of the issuance or deemed issuance of such Additional Shares of Common Stock.

c. Deemed Issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock.

(1) If the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series D Original Issue Date shall issue any Options or Convertible Securities (excluding Options or Convertible Securities which are themselves Exempted Securities and shares of Series D Preferred Stock issued upon conversion of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock pursuant to Subsection 5.1.3) or shall fix a record date for the determination of holders of any class of securities entitled to receive any such Options or Convertible Securities, then the

 

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maximum number of shares of Common Stock (as set forth in the instrument relating thereto, assuming the satisfaction of any conditions to exercisability, convertibility or exchangeability but without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or, in the case of Convertible Securities and Options therefor, the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, shall be deemed to be Additional Shares of Common Stock issued as of the time of such issue or, in case such a record date shall have been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date.

(2) If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security, the issuance of which resulted in an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4, are revised as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment pursuant to the provisions of such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms pursuant to anti-dilution or similar provisions of such Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any such Option or Convertible Security or (2) any increase or decrease in the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, then, effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective, the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, computed upon the original issue of such Option or Convertible Security (or upon the occurrence of a record date with respect thereto) shall be readjusted to such Series A Conversion Price, Series A-2 Conversion Price, Series B Conversion Price, Series C Conversion Price or Series D Conversion Price as would have been obtained had such revised terms been in effect upon the original date of issuance of such Option or Convertible Security. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no readjustment pursuant to this clause (b) shall have the effect of increasing the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price to an amount which exceeds the lower of (i) the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, in effect immediately prior to the original adjustment made as a result of the issuance of such Option or Convertible Security and (ii) the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, that would have resulted from any issuances of Additional Shares of Common Stock (other than deemed issuances of Additional Shares of Common Stock as a result of the issuance of such Option or Convertible Security) between the original adjustment date and such readjustment date.

(3) If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security (excluding Options or Convertible Securities which are themselves Exempted Securities), the issuance of which did not result in an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4 (either because the consideration per share (determined pursuant to Subsection 4.4.5) of the Additional Shares of Common Stock subject thereto was equal to or greater than the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D

 

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Conversion Price, as the case may be, then in effect, or because such Option or Convertible Security was issued before the Series D Original Issue Date), are revised after the Series D Original Issue Date as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment pursuant to the provisions of such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms pursuant to anti-dilution or similar provisions of such Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase in the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of any such Option or Convertible Security or (2) any decrease in the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion or exchange, then such Option or Convertible Security, as so amended or adjusted, and the Additional Shares of Common Stock subject thereto (determined in the manner provided in Subsection 4.4.3(a) shall be deemed to have been issued effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective.

(4) Upon the expiration or termination of any unexercised Option or unconverted or unexchanged Convertible Security (or portion thereof) which resulted (either upon its original issuance or upon a revision of its terms) in an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4, the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and/or the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, shall be readjusted to such Series A Conversion Price, Series A-2 Conversion Price, Series B Conversion Price, Series C Conversion Price or Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, as would have been obtained had such Option or Convertible Security (or portion thereof) never been issued.

(5) If the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, is calculable at the time such Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended but is subject to adjustment based upon subsequent events, any adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price provided for in this Subsection 4.4.3 shall be effected at the time of such issuance or amendment based on such number of shares or amount of consideration without regard to any provisions for subsequent adjustments (and any subsequent adjustments shall be treated as provided in clauses (b) and (c) of this Subsection 4.4.3). If the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, cannot be calculated at all at the time such Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended, any adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price that would result under the terms of this Subsection 4.4.3 at the time of such issuance or amendment shall instead be effected at the time such number of shares and/or amount of consideration is first calculable (even if subject to subsequent adjustments), assuming for purposes of calculating such adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price that such issuance or amendment took place at the time such calculation can first be made.

 

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d. Adjustment of Conversion Price Upon Issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Series D Original Issue Date issue Additional Shares of Common Stock (including Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3), without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and/or the Series D Conversion Price, each as in effect immediately prior to such issue, then the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and/or the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, shall be reduced, concurrently with such issue, to a price (calculated to the nearest one-hundredth of a cent) determined in accordance with the following formula:

CP₂ = CP₁ * (A + B) ÷ (A + C).

For purposes of the foregoing formula, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) “CP₂” shall mean (1) in the case of an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A Conversion Price in effect immediately after such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock, (2) in the case of an adjustment to the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price in effect immediately after such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock, (3) in the case of an adjustment to the Series B Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price in effect immediately after such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock, (4) in the case of an adjustment to the Series C Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price in effect immediately after such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock and (5) in the case of an adjustment to the Series D Conversion Price, the Series D Conversion Price in effect immediately after such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock;

(2) “CP₁” shall mean (1) in the case of an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock, (2) in the case of an adjustment to the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock, (3) in the case of an adjustment to the Series B Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock, (4) in the case of an adjustment to the Series C Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock and (5) in the case of an adjustment to the Series D Conversion Price, the Series D Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock;

(3) “A” shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock (treating for this purpose as outstanding all shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of Options outstanding immediately prior to such issue or upon conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities (including the Preferred Stock) outstanding (assuming exercise of any outstanding Options therefor and conversion of all Series D-1 Preferred Stock into Series D Preferred Stock pursuant to Subsection 5.1.3) immediately prior to such issue);

 

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(4) “B” shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if such Additional Shares of Common Stock had been issued at a price per share equal to CP₁ (determined by dividing the aggregate consideration received by the Corporation in respect of such issue by CP₁); and

(5) “C” shall mean the number of such Additional Shares of Common Stock issued in such transaction.

e. Determination of Consideration. For purposes of this Subsection 4.4, the consideration received by the Corporation for the issue of any Additional Shares of Common Stock shall be computed as follows:

(1) Cash and Property: Such consideration shall:

 

(a)

insofar as it consists of cash, be computed at the aggregate amount of cash received by the Corporation, excluding amounts paid or payable for accrued interest;

 

(b)

insofar as it consists of property other than cash, be computed at the fair market value thereof at the time of such issue, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director; and

 

(c)

in the event Additional Shares of Common Stock are issued together with other shares or securities or other assets of the Corporation for consideration which covers both, be the proportion of such consideration so received, computed as provided in clauses (i) and (ii) above, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director.

(2) Options and Convertible Securities. The consideration per share received by the Corporation for Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to have been issued pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3, relating to Options and Convertible Securities, shall be determined by dividing

 

(a)

the total amount, if any, received or receivable by the Corporation as consideration for the issue of such Options or Convertible Securities, plus the minimum aggregate amount of additional consideration (as set forth in the instruments

 

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relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such consideration) payable to the Corporation upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, by

 

(b)

the maximum number of shares of Common Stock (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities.

f. Multiple Closing Dates. In the event the Corporation shall issue on more than one date Additional Shares of Common Stock that are a part of one transaction or a series of related transactions and that would result in an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and/or the Series D Conversion Price pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4, and such issuance dates occur within a period of no more than 90 days from the first such issuance to the final such issuance, then, upon the final such issuance, the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and/or the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, shall be readjusted to give effect to all such issuances as if they occurred on the date of the first such issuance (and without giving effect to any additional adjustments as a result of any such subsequent issuances within such period).

5. Adjustment for Stock Splits and Combinations. If the Corporation shall at any time or from time to time after the Series D Original Issue Date effect a subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock, the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and the Series D Conversion Price, each as in effect immediately before such subdivision, shall be proportionately decreased so that the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on conversion of each share of such series shall be increased in proportion to such increase in the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. If the Corporation shall at any time or from time to time after the Series D Original Issue Date combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C

 

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Conversion Price and the Series D Conversion Price, each as in effect immediately before such combination, shall be proportionately increased so that the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on conversion of each share of such series shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Any adjustment under this subsection shall become effective at the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective.

6. Adjustment for Certain Dividends and Distributions. In the event the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series D Original Issue Date shall make or issue, or fix a record date for the determination of holders of Common Stock entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable on the Common Stock in additional shares of Common Stock, then and in each such event the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and the Series D Conversion Price, each as in effect immediately before such event, shall be decreased as of the time of such issuance or, in the event such a record date shall have been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date, by multiplying the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, then in effect by a fraction:

(i) the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date, and

(ii) the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable in payment of such dividend or distribution.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) if such record date shall have been fixed and such dividend is not fully paid or if such distribution is not fully made on the date fixed therefor, the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and the Series D Conversion Price as the case may be, shall be adjusted pursuant to this subsection as of the time of actual payment of such dividends or distributions; and (b) no such adjustment shall be made with respect to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price if the holders of the applicable series of Preferred Stock simultaneously receive a dividend or other distribution of shares of Common Stock in a number equal to the number of shares of Common Stock as they would have received if all outstanding shares of the applicable series of Preferred Stock had been converted into Common Stock on the date of such event.

7. Adjustments for Other Dividends and Distributions. In the event the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series D Original Issue Date shall make or issue, or fix a record date for the determination of holders of Common Stock entitled to

 

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receive, a dividend or other distribution payable in securities of the Corporation (other than a distribution of shares of Common Stock in respect of outstanding shares of Common Stock) or in other property and the provisions of Section 1 do not apply to such dividend or distribution, then and in each such event the holders of Preferred Stock shall receive, simultaneously with the distribution to the holders of Common Stock, a dividend or other distribution of such securities or other property in an amount equal to the amount of such securities or other property as they would have received if all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock had been converted into Common Stock on the date of such event.

8. Adjustment for Merger or Reorganization, etc. Subject to the provisions of Subsection 2.3, if there shall occur any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger involving the Corporation in which the Common Stock (but not the Preferred Stock) is converted into or exchanged for securities, cash or other property (other than a transaction covered by Subsections 4.5, 4.6 or 4.7), then, following any such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger, each share of Preferred Stock shall thereafter be convertible in lieu of the Common Stock into which it was convertible prior to such event into the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property which a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock of the Corporation issuable upon conversion of one share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock immediately prior to such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger would have been entitled to receive pursuant to such transaction; and, in such case, appropriate adjustment (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director) shall be made in the application of the provisions in this Section 4 with respect to the rights and interests thereafter of the holders of the applicable series of Preferred Stock, to the end that the provisions set forth in this Section 4 (including provisions with respect to changes in and other adjustments of the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price or the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be) shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to any securities or other property thereafter deliverable upon the conversion of the applicable series of Preferred Stock.

9. Certificate as to Adjustments. Upon the occurrence of each adjustment or readjustment of the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and/or the Series D Conversion Price pursuant to this Section 4, the Corporation at its expense shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable, compute such adjustment or readjustment in accordance with the terms hereof and furnish to each holder of the applicable series of Preferred Stock a certificate setting forth such adjustment or readjustment (including the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property into which the applicable series of Preferred Stock is convertible) and showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment or readjustment is based. The Corporation shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable after the written request at any time of any holder of Preferred Stock, furnish or cause to be furnished to such holder a certificate setting forth (i) the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series B Conversion Price, the Series C Conversion Price and/or the Series D Conversion Price, as the case may be, then in effect and (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock and the amount, if any, of other securities, cash or property which then would be received upon the conversion of the applicable series of Preferred Stock.

 

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10. Notice of Record Date. In the event:

(1) the Corporation shall take a record of the holders of its Common Stock (or other capital stock or securities at the time issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock) for the purpose of entitling or enabling them to receive any dividend or other distribution, or to receive any right to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or any other securities, or to receive any other security; or

(2) of any capital reorganization of the Corporation, any reclassification of the Common Stock of the Corporation, or any Deemed Liquidation Event; or

(3) of the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Corporation,

then, and in each such case, the Corporation will send or cause to be sent to the holders of the Preferred Stock a notice specifying, as the case may be, (i) the record date for such dividend, distribution or right, and the amount and character of such dividend, distribution or right, or (ii) the effective date on which such reorganization, reclassification, consolidation, merger, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is proposed to take place, and the time, if any is to be fixed, as of which the holders of record of Common Stock (or such other capital stock or securities at the time issuable upon the conversion of the Preferred Stock) shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock (or such other capital stock or securities) for securities or other property deliverable upon such reorganization, reclassification, consolidation, merger, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up, and the amount per share and character of such exchange applicable to the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock. Such notice shall be sent at least ten (10) days prior to the record date or effective date for the event specified in such notice.

E. Mandatory Conversion.

1. Trigger Events.

a. Upon either (a) the listing of shares of Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE MKT, the NASDAQ Stock Market, the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the NASDAQ Global Market or the NASDAQ Capital Market or any successor thereto (each a “National Securities Exchange”) or (b) the date and time, or the occurrence of an event, specified by vote or written consent of both (i) the holders of shares of ABC Preferred Stock representing at least sixty percent (60%) of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of ABC Preferred Stock, voting together as a separate class, and (ii) the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock (the time of such listing or the date and time specified or the time of the event specified in such vote or written consent is referred to herein as the “ABC Mandatory Conversion Time”), (A) all outstanding shares of ABC Preferred Stock shall automatically be converted into shares of Common Stock, at the then effective conversion rate and (B) such shares may not be reissued by the Corporation.

b. Upon either (a) the listing of shares of Common Stock on a National Securities Exchange or (b) the date and time, or the occurrence of an event, specified by vote or written consent of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series D

 

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Preferred Stock (the time of such listing or the date and time specified or the time of the event specified in such vote or written consent is referred to herein as the “Series D Mandatory Conversion Time”), (A) all outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall automatically be converted into shares of Common Stock, at the then effective conversion rate and (B) such shares may not be reissued by the Corporation.

c. Upon either (i) the expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”) such that a holder of Series D-1 Preferred Stock could acquire shares of Series D Preferred Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock in compliance with the HSR Act or (ii) if applicable, a transfer of shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock to a person that would not be required to make a filing under the HSR Act to acquire the shares of Series D Preferred Stock issuable upon conversion of such shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock or the waiting period under the HSR Act applicable to such person acquiring such shares of Series D Preferred Stock has expired (either such event, a “Series D-1 Triggering Event”, and the date and time of such event is referred to herein as the “Series D-1 Mandatory Conversion Time”), each share of Series D-1 Preferred Stock held by such holder shall automatically be converted into one (1) share of Series D Preferred Stock, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to either the Series D Preferred Stock or the Series D-1 Preferred Stock. The Corporation shall be sent written notice of any Series D-1 Triggering Event. Each holder of record of shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock that has been or will be converted at a Series D-1 Mandatory Conversion Time shall be sent written notice of such Series D-1 Mandatory Conversion Time and the place designated for mandatory conversion of any shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock pursuant to this Subsection 5.1.3. Such notice need not be sent in advance of the occurrence of any Series D-1 Mandatory Conversion Time. Upon receipt of such notice, a holder of shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock converted at any Series D-1 Mandatory Conversion Time shall surrender his, her or its certificate or certificates for all such shares (or, if such holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Corporation at the place designated in such notice. If so required by the Corporation, certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Corporation, duly executed by the registered holder or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. All rights with respect to the Series D-1 Preferred Stock converted pursuant to this Subsection 5.1.3, including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Series D Preferred Stock), will terminate at the applicable Series D-1 Mandatory Conversion Time (notwithstanding the failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender the certificates at or prior to such time), except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of their certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) therefor, to receive the items provided for in the next sentence of this Subsection 5.1.3. As soon as practicable after a Series D-1 Mandatory Conversion Time and the surrender of the certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) for Series D-1 Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall issue and deliver to such holder, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of Series D Preferred Stock issuable on such conversion in accordance with the provisions hereof and the payment of any declared but unpaid dividends on the shares of Series D-1 Preferred

 

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Stock converted. Such Series D-1 Preferred Stock shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock accordingly.

2. Mandatory Conversion Procedural Requirements.

a. All holders of record of shares of ABC Preferred Stock shall be sent written notice of the ABC Mandatory Conversion Time and the place designated for mandatory conversion of all such shares of ABC Preferred Stock pursuant to Subsection 5.1.1. Such notice need not be sent in advance of the occurrence of the ABC Mandatory Conversion Time. Upon receipt of such notice, each holder of shares of ABC Preferred Stock shall surrender his, her or its certificate or certificates for all such shares (or, if such holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Corporation at the place designated in such notice. If so required by the Corporation, certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Corporation, duly executed by the registered holder or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. All rights with respect to the ABC Preferred Stock converted pursuant to Subsection 5.1.1, including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common Stock), will terminate at the ABC Mandatory Conversion Time (notwithstanding the failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender the certificates at or prior to such time), except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of their certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) therefor, to receive the items provided for in the next sentence of this Subsection 5.2.1. As soon as practicable after the ABC Mandatory Conversion Time and the surrender of the certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) for ABC Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall issue and deliver to such holder, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of Common Stock issuable on such conversion in accordance with the provisions hereof, together with cash as provided in Subsection 4.2 in lieu of any fraction of a share of Common Stock otherwise issuable upon such conversion and the payment of any declared but unpaid dividends on the shares of ABC Preferred Stock converted. Such ABC Preferred Stock shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of each applicable series of ABC Preferred Stock accordingly.

b. All holders of record of shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall be sent written notice of the Series D Mandatory Conversion Time and the place designated for mandatory conversion of all such shares of Series D Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 5.1.2. Such notice need not be sent in advance of the occurrence of the Series D Mandatory Conversion Time. Upon receipt of such notice, each holder of shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall surrender his, her or its certificate or certificates for all such shares (or, if such holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or

 

29.

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destruction of such certificate) to the Corporation at the place designated in such notice. If so required by the Corporation, certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Corporation, duly executed by the registered holder or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. All rights with respect to the Series D Preferred Stock converted pursuant to Subsection 5.1.2, including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common Stock), will terminate at the Series D Mandatory Conversion Time (notwithstanding the failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender the certificates at or prior to such time), except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of their certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) therefor, to receive the items provided for in the next sentence of this Subsection 5.2.2. As soon as practicable after the Series D Mandatory Conversion Time and the surrender of the certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) for Series D Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall issue and deliver to such holder, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of Common Stock issuable on such conversion in accordance with the provisions hereof, together with cash as provided in Subsection 4.2 in lieu of any fraction of a share of Common Stock otherwise issuable upon such conversion and the payment of any declared but unpaid dividends on the shares of Series D Preferred Stock converted. Such Series D Preferred Stock shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of Series D Preferred Stock accordingly.

F. Redeemed or Otherwise Acquired Shares. Any shares of Preferred Stock that are redeemed or otherwise acquired by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries shall be automatically and immediately cancelled and retired and shall not be reissued, sold or transferred. Neither the Corporation nor any of its subsidiaries may exercise any voting or other rights granted to the holders of Preferred Stock following redemption.

G. Waiver. Unless a different vote is specified in the Certificate of Incorporation, any of the rights, powers, preferences and other terms of the ABC Preferred Stock set forth herein may be waived, either prospectively or retrospectively, on behalf of all holders of ABC Preferred Stock by the affirmative written consent or vote of the holders of shares of ABC Preferred Stock representing at least sixty percent (60%) of the voting power of the shares of ABC Preferred Stock then outstanding. Unless a different vote is specified in the Certificate of Incorporation, any of the rights, powers, preferences and other terms of any series of Preferred Stock set forth herein may be waived, either prospectively or retrospectively, on behalf of all holders of such series of Preferred Stock by the affirmative written consent or vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of such series of Preferred Stock then outstanding.

H. Notices. Any notice required or permitted by the provisions of this Article Fourth to be given to a holder of shares of Preferred Stock shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the post office address last shown on the records of the Corporation, or given by electronic communication in compliance with the provisions of the General Corporation Law, and shall be deemed sent upon such mailing or electronic transmission.

FIFTH: Subject to any additional vote required by the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, in furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, repeal, alter, amend and rescind any or all of the Bylaws of the Corporation.

 

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SIXTH: Subject to any additional vote required by the Certificate of Incorporation, the number of directors of the Corporation shall be determined in the manner set forth in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

SEVENTH: Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation shall so provide.

EIGHTH: Meetings of stockholders may be held within or without the State of Delaware, as the Bylaws of the Corporation may provide. The books of the Corporation may be kept outside the State of Delaware at such place or places as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

NINTH: To the fullest extent permitted by law, 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. If the General Corporation Law or any other law of the State of Delaware is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article Ninth to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law as so amended.

Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article Ninth by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of, or increase the liability of any director of the Corporation with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to, such repeal or modification.

TENTH: The Corporation renounces any interest or expectancy of the Corporation in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any Excluded Opportunity. An “Excluded Opportunity” is any matter, transaction or interest that is presented to, or acquired, created or developed by, or which otherwise comes into the possession of, (i) any director of the Corporation who is not an employee of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, or (ii) any holder of Preferred Stock or any partner, member, director, stockholder, employee or agent of any such holder, other than someone who is an employee of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, “Covered Persons”), unless such matter, transaction or interest is presented to, or acquired, created or developed by, or otherwise comes into the possession of, a Covered Person expressly and solely in such Covered Person’s capacity as a director of the Corporation.

ELEVENTH: The following indemnification provisions shall apply to the persons enumerated below.

a) Right to Indemnification of Directors and Officers. The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any person (an “Indemnified Person”) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding,

 

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whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”), by reason of the fact that such person, or a person for whom such person is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Person in such Proceeding. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 3 of this Article Eleventh, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify an Indemnified Person in connection with a Proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such Indemnified Person only if the commencement of such Proceeding (or part thereof) by the Indemnified Person was authorized in advance by the Board of Directors.

b) Prepayment of Expenses of Directors and Officers. The Corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an Indemnified Person in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that, to the extent required by law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the Indemnified Person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article Eleventh or otherwise.

c) Claims by Directors and Officers. If a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Article Eleventh is not paid in full within 30 days after a written claim therefor by the Indemnified Person has been received by the Corporation, the Indemnified Person may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim. In any such action the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.

d) Indemnification of Employees and Agents. The Corporation may indemnify and advance expenses to any person who was or is made or is threatened to be made or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding by reason of the fact that such person, or a person for whom such person is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation or, while an employee or agent of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorney’s fees) reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such Proceeding. The ultimate determination of entitlement to indemnification of persons who are non-director or officer employees or agents shall be made in such manner as is determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the Corporation shall not be required to indemnify a person in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such person if the Proceeding was not authorized in advance by the Board of Directors.

e) Advancement of Expenses of Employees and Agents. The Corporation may pay the expenses (including attorney’s fees) incurred by an employee or agent in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Board of Directors.

 

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f) Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Article Eleventh shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the certificate of incorporation, these by-laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

g) Other Indemnification. The Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer or employee of another Corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, organization or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification from such other Corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, organization or other enterprise.

h) Insurance. The Board of Directors may, to the full extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists, or may hereafter be amended from time to time, authorize an appropriate officer or officers to purchase and maintain at the Corporation’s expense insurance: (a) to indemnify the Corporation for any obligation which it incurs as a result of the indemnification of directors, officers and employees under the provisions of this Article Eleventh; and (b) to indemnify or insure directors, officers and employees against liability in instances in which they may not otherwise be indemnified by the Corporation under the provisions of this Article Eleventh.

i) Amendment or Repeal. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article Eleventh shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification. The rights provided hereunder shall inure to the benefit of any Indemnified Person and such person’s heirs, executors and administrators.

*    *    *

That the foregoing amendment and restatement was approved by the holders of the requisite number of shares of this corporation in accordance with Section 228 of the General Corporation Law.

That this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which restates and integrates and further amends the provisions of this corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, has been duly adopted in accordance with Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of this corporation on this 19th day of December, 2014.

 

 

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CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION

OF

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SERES HEALTH, INC.

Seres Health, Inc. (the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

1. The name of the Corporation is Seres Health, Inc., and that the Corporation was originally incorporated pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware on October 18, 2010 under the name Newco LS21, Inc.

2. The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 19, 2014 (the “Restated Certificate”) and such Restated Certificate requires correction as permitted by subsection (f) of Section 103 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

3. The deficiency or defect of the Restated Certificate to be corrected hereby is as follows: due to a scrivener’s error, the definition of the term “ABC Preferred Stock” in Article FOURTH, Part B, Subsection 3.2 inadvertently omitted reference to the Series A-2 Preferred Stock. The Restated Certificate is hereby corrected by deleting the first sentence of Subsection 3.2 of Part B of Article FOURTH of the Restated Certificate in its entirety and by substituting the following in lieu thereof:

“The holders of record of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, Series A-2 Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock and/or Series C Preferred Stock (together, the “ABC Preferred Stock”), exclusively and as a separate class, shall be entitled to elect one (1) director of the Corporation (the “Preferred Stock Director”) and the holders of record of the shares of Common Stock, exclusively and as a separate class, shall be entitled to elect one (1) director of the Corporation.”

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Seres Health, Inc. has caused this Certificate of Correction to be executed this 17th day of February, 2015.

 

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CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

OF

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SERES HEALTH, INC.

Seres Health, Inc. (hereinafter called the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, does hereby certify as follows:

1. That the name of this corporation is Seres Health, Inc., and that this corporation was originally incorporated pursuant to the General Corporation Law on October 18, 2010 under the name Newco LS21, Inc.

2. The Board of Directors of the Corporation duly adopted resolutions by written consent in lieu of a meeting in accordance with Sections 141(f) and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware setting forth an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation and declaring such amendment to be advisable. The stockholders of the Corporation duly approved such proposed amendment by written consent in accordance with Sections 228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The resolution setting forth the amendment is as follows:

RESOLVED, that the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended by amending and restating Article FIRST thereof in its entirety to read as follows:

“FIRST: The name of this corporation is Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Corporation”).”

3. This Certificate of Amendment of Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation has been duly adopted in accordance with Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to be signed on this 20th day of May, 2015.

 

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CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

OF

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

 

FIRST:		That, at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, a resolution was duly adopted recommending and declaring advisable that the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation be amended and that such amendments be submitted to the stockholders of the Corporation for their consideration, as follows:
RESOLVED,		that the first paragraph of Article FOURTH of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation be amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:
		“FOURTH: The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 89,348,003 shares, consisting of (i) 65,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), and (ii) 24,348,003 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”), of which 8,230,997 shares are hereby designated “Series A Preferred Stock,” 2,339,319 shares are hereby designated “Series A-2 Preferred Stock,” 4,831,359 shares are hereby designated “Series B Preferred Stock,” 3,946,328 shares are hereby designated “Series C Preferred Stock,” 3,611,111 shares are hereby designated “Series D Preferred Stock” and 1,388,889 shares are hereby designated “Series D-1 Preferred Stock.”
SECOND:		That in lieu of a meeting and vote of stockholders, the stockholders have given written consent to said amendments in accordance with the provisions of Section 228 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
THIRD:		That the aforesaid amendments were duly adopted in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to be signed by Roger J. Pomerantz, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, this 16^th day of June, 2015.

 

Exhibit 3.2

AMENDED AND RESTATED

BYLAWS

OF

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

				Page
ARTICLE I. MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS					1
Section 1.		Place of Meetings			1
Section 2.		Annual Meeting			1
Section 3.		Special Meetings			1
Section 4.		Notice of Meetings			1
Section 5.		Voting List			1
Section 6.		Quorum			2
Section 7.		Adjournments			2
Section 8.		Action at Meetings			2
Section 9.		Voting and Proxies			2
Section 10.		Action Without Meeting			3
ARTICLE II. DIRECTORS					3
Section 1.		Number, Election, Tenure and Qualification			3
Section 2.		Enlargement			3
Section 3.		Vacancies			3
Section 4.		Resignation and Removal			3
Section 5.		General Powers			4
Section 6.		Chairman of the Board			4
Section 7.		Place of Meetings			4
Section 8.		Regular Meetings			4
Section 9.		Special Meetings			4
Section 10.		Quorum, Action at Meeting, Adjournments			4
Section 11.		Action by Consent			5
Section 12.		Telephonic Meetings			5
Section 13.		Committees			5
Section 14.		Compensation			5
ARTICLE III. OFFICERS					6
Section 1.		Enumeration			6
Section 2.		Election			6
Section 3.		Tenure			6
Section 4.		President			6
Section 5.		Vice-Presidents			6
Section 6.		Secretary			7
Section 7.		Assistant Secretaries			7
Section 8.		Treasurer			7
Section 9.		Assistant Treasurers			7
Section 10.		Bond			8

 

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ARTICLE IV. NOTICES					8
Section 1.		Delivery			8
Section 2.		Waiver of Notice			8
ARTICLE V. INDEMNIFICATION					8
Section 1.		Actions other than by or in the Right of the Corporation			8
Section 2.		Actions by or in the Right of the Corporation			9
Section 3.		Success on the Merits			9
Section 4.		Specific Authorization			9
Section 5.		Advance Payment			9
Section 6.		Non-Exclusivity			10
Section 7.		Insurance			10
Section 8.		Continuation of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses			10
Section 9.		Severability			10
Section 10.		Intent of Article			10
ARTICLE VI. CAPITAL STOCK					10
Section 1.		Certificates of Stock			10
Section 2.		Lost Certificates			11
Section 3.		Transfer of Stock			11
Section 4.		Record Date			11
Section 5.		Registered Stockholders			12
ARTICLE VII. CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS					12
Section 1.		Transactions with Interested Parties			12
Section 2.		Quorum			12
ARTICLE VIII. GENERAL PROVISIONS					12
Section 1.		Dividends			12
Section 2.		Reserves			13
Section 3.		Checks			13
Section 4.		Fiscal Year			13
Section 5.		Seal			13
ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS					13

 

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* * * * *

BYLAWS

* * * * *

ARTICLE I.

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

Section 1. Place of Meetings. All meetings of the stockholders shall be held at such place within or without the State of Delaware as may be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer, or if not so designated, at the registered office of the Corporation.

Section 2. Annual Meeting. Unless directors are elected by written consent in lieu of an annual meeting as permitted by law and these bylaws, an annual meeting of stockholders shall be held at such date and time as shall be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer, at which meeting the stockholders shall elect by a plurality vote a board of directors and shall transact such other business as may be properly brought before the meeting. If no annual meeting is held in accordance with the foregoing provisions, the Board of Directors shall cause the meeting to be held as soon thereafter as convenient, which meeting shall be designated a special meeting in lieu of annual meeting.

Section 3. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, may, unless otherwise prescribed by statute or by the certificate of incorporation, be called by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer and shall be called by the Chief Executive Officer or Secretary at the request in writing of a majority of the Board of Directors, or at the request in writing of stockholders owning a majority in amount of the entire capital stock of the Corporation issued and outstanding and entitled to vote. Such request shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting. Business transacted at any special meeting shall be limited to matters relating to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting.

Section 4. Notice of Meetings. Except as otherwise provided by law, written notice of each meeting of stockholders, annual or special, stating the place, date and hour of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be given not less than ten (10) or more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting, to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting.

Section 5. Voting List. The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, either at a place within the city or town where the meeting is to be held, which place shall be specified in the notice of the meeting, or, if not so specified, at the place where the meeting is to be held. The list shall also be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present.

 

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Section 6. Quorum. The holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote thereat, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders for the transaction of business, except as otherwise provided by statute, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws. Where a separate vote by a class or classes is required, one-third of the outstanding shares of such class or classes, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter. If no quorum shall be present or represented at any meeting of stockholders, such meeting may be adjourned in accordance with Section 7 hereof, until a quorum shall be present or represented.

Section 7. Adjournments. Any meeting of stockholders may be adjourned from time to time to any other time and to any other place at which a meeting of stockholders may be held under these bylaws, which time and place shall be announced at the meeting, by a majority of the stockholders present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote (whether or not a quorum is present), or, if no stockholder is present or represented by proxy, by any officer entitled to preside at or to act as Secretary of such meeting, without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the original meeting, provided that a quorum either was present at the original meeting or is present at the adjourned meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty days, or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.

Section 8. Action at Meetings. When a quorum is present at any meeting, the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock present in person or represented by proxy, entitled to vote and voting on the matter (or where a separate vote by a class or classes is required, the affirmative vote of the majority of shares of such class or classes present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting) shall decide any matter (other than the election of Directors) brought before such meeting, unless the matter is one upon which by express provision of law, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, a different vote is required, in which case such express provision shall govern and control the decision of such matter. The stock of holders who abstain from voting on any matter shall be deemed not to have been voted on such matter. Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting, entitled to vote and voting on the election of Directors.

Section 9. Voting and Proxies. Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, each stockholder shall at every meeting of the stockholders be entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock having voting power held of record by such stockholder. Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders, or to express consent or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, may authorize another person or persons to act for him by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period.

 

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Section 10. Action Without Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation, any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Delaware, its principal place of business, or an officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which minutes of proceedings of stockholders are recorded. Delivery made to the Corporation’s registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. Prompt notice of the taking of the corporate action without a meeting by less than unanimous written consent shall, to the extent required by law, be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for notice of such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of holders to take action were delivered to the Corporation.

ARTICLE II.

DIRECTORS

Section 1. Number, Election, Tenure and Qualification. The number of Directors which shall constitute the whole board shall be not less than one. Within such limit, the number of Directors shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors or by the stockholders at the annual meeting or at any special meeting of stockholders. The directors shall be elected at the annual meeting or at any special meeting of stockholders, or by written consent in lieu of an annual or special meeting of the stockholders (provided, however, that if such consent is less than unanimous, such action by written consent may be in lieu of holding an annual meeting only if all of the directorships to which directors could be elected at an annual meeting held at the effective time of such action are vacant and are filled by such action), except as provided in Section 3 of this Article, and each director elected shall hold office until his successor is elected and qualified, unless sooner displaced. Directors need not be stockholders.

Section 2. Enlargement. The number of the Board of Directors may be increased at any time by vote of a majority of the Directors then in office.

Section 3. Vacancies. Vacancies and newly created Directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of Directors may be filled by a majority of the Directors then in office, though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and the Directors so chosen shall hold office until the next annual election and until their successors are duly elected and shall qualify, unless sooner displaced. If there are no Directors in office, then an election of Directors may be held in the manner provided by statute. In the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors, the remaining Directors, except as otherwise provided by law or these bylaws, may exercise the powers of the full board until the vacancy is filled.

Section 4. Resignation and Removal. Any director may resign at any time upon written notice to the Corporation at its principal place of business or to the Chief Executive Officer or Secretary. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified to be

 

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effective at some other time or upon the happening of some other event. Any director or the entire Board of Directors may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of Directors, unless otherwise specified by law or the certificate of incorporation.

Section 5. General Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by its Board of Directors, which may exercise all powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by statute or by the certificate of incorporation or by these bylaws directed or required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.

Section 6. Chairman of the Board. If the Board of Directors appoints a chairman of the board, he shall, when present, preside at all meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors. He shall perform such duties and possess such powers as are customarily vested in the office of the chairman of the board or as may be vested in him by the Board of Directors.

Section 7. Place of Meetings. The Board of Directors may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or without the State of Delaware.

Section 8. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and at such place as shall from time to time be determined by the board; provided that any director who is absent when such a determination is made shall be given prompt notice of such determination. A regular meeting of the Board of Directors may be held without notice immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders.

Section 9. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the board may be called by the Chief Executive Officer, Secretary, or on the written request of two (2) or more Directors, or by one director in the event that there is only one director in office. Two (2) days’ notice to each director, either personally or by telegram, cable, telecopy, electronic mail, commercial delivery service, telex or similar means sent to his business or home address, or three (3) days’ notice by written notice deposited in the mail, shall be given to each director by the Secretary or by the officer or one of the Directors calling the meeting. A notice or waiver of notice of a meeting of the Board of Directors need not specify the purposes of the meeting.

Section 10. Quorum, Action at Meeting, Adjournments. At all meetings of the board a majority of Directors then in office, but in no event less than one third of the entire board, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the act of a majority of the Directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by law or by the certificate of incorporation. For purposes of this section, the term “entire board” shall mean the number of Directors last fixed by the stockholders or Directors, as the case may be, in accordance with law and these bylaws; provided, however, that if less than all the number so fixed of Directors were elected, the “entire board” shall mean the greatest number of Directors so elected to hold office at any one time pursuant to such authorization. If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the Board of Directors, a majority of the Directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.

 

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Section 11. Action by Consent of Directors. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors or such committee, as the case may be, consent to the action in writing or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee in accordance with applicable law.

Section 12. Telephonic Meetings. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, members of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee, as the case may be, by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

Section 13. Committees. The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees; each committee to consist of one or more of the Directors of the Corporation. The board may designate one or more Directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board of Directors, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority in reference to (a) adopting, amending or repealing the bylaws of the Corporation or any of them or (b) approving or adopting, or recommending to the stockholders any action or matter expressly required by law to be submitted to stockholders for approval. Such committee or committees shall have such name or names as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the Board of Directors. Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and make such reports to the Board of Directors as the Board of Directors may request. Except as the Board of Directors may otherwise determine, any committee may make rules for the conduct of its business, but unless otherwise provided by the Directors or in such rules, its business shall be conducted as nearly as possible in the same manner as is provided in these bylaws for the conduct of its business by the Board of Directors.

Section 14. Compensation. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, the Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix from time to time the compensation of Directors. The Directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors and the performance of their responsibilities as Directors and may be paid a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors and/or a stated salary as director. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving the Corporation or its parent or subsidiary corporations in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor. The Board of Directors may also allow compensation for members of special or standing committees for service on such committees.

 

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ARTICLE III.

OFFICERS

Section 1. Enumeration. The officers of the Corporation shall be chosen by the Board of Directors and shall be a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer and such other officers with such titles, terms of office and duties as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine, including a Chairman of the Board, one or more Vice-Presidents, and one or more Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers. If authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer may be empowered to appoint from time to time Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers. Any number of offices may be held by the same person, unless the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws otherwise provide.

Section 2. Election. The Board of Directors at its first meeting after each annual meeting of stockholders shall choose a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. Other officers may be appointed by the Board of Directors at such meeting, at any other meeting, or by written consent.

Section 3. Tenure. The officers of the Corporation shall hold office until their successors are chosen and qualify, unless a different term is specified in the vote choosing or appointing him, or until his earlier death, resignation or removal. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board of Directors or by the Chief Executive Officer may be removed at any time, with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors or a committee duly authorized to do so, except that any officer appointed by the Chief Executive Officer may also be removed at any time, with or without cause, by the Chief Executive Officer. Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation may be filled by the Board of Directors, at its discretion. Any officer may resign by delivering his written resignation to the Corporation at its principal place of business or to the Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless it is specified to be effective at some other time or upon the happening of some other event.

Section 4. President. The President shall be the Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation. He shall also be the Chief Executive Officer unless the Board of Directors otherwise provides. If no Chief Executive Officer shall have been appointed by the Board of Directors, all references herein to the “Chief Executive Officer” shall be to the President. The President shall, unless the Board of Directors provides otherwise in a specific instance or generally, preside at all meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors, have general and active management of the business of the Corporation and see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect. The President shall execute bonds, mortgages, and other contracts requiring a seal, under the seal of the Corporation, except where required or permitted by law to be otherwise signed and executed and except where the signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors to some other officer or agent of the Corporation.

Section 5. Vice-Presidents. In the absence of the President or in the event of his or her inability or refusal to act, the Vice-President, or if there be more than one Vice-President, the Vice-Presidents in the order designated by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer (or in the absence of any designation, then in the order determined by their tenure in office) shall

 

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perform the duties of the President, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President. The Vice-Presidents shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer may from time to time prescribe.

Section 6. Secretary. The Secretary shall have such powers and perform such duties as are incident to the office of Secretary. The Secretary shall maintain a stock ledger and prepare lists of stockholders and their addresses as required and shall be the custodian of corporate records. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings of the stockholders and record all the proceedings of the meetings of the Corporation and of the Board of Directors in a book to be kept for that purpose and shall perform like duties for the standing committees when required. The Secretary shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of the Stockholders and special meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall perform such other duties as may be from time to time prescribed by the Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer, under whose supervision the Secretary shall be. The Secretary shall have custody of the corporate seal of the Corporation and the Secretary, or an assistant Secretary, shall have authority to affix the same to any instrument requiring it and when so affixed, it may be attested by his or her signature or by the signature of such assistant Secretary. The Board of Directors may give general authority to any other officer to affix the seal of the Corporation and to attest the affixing by his or her signature.

Section 7. Assistant Secretaries. The assistant Secretary, or if there be more than one, the assistant secretaries in the order determined by the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary (or if there be no such determination, then in the order determined by their tenure in office), shall, in the absence of the Secretary or in the event of his or her inability or refusal to act, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the Secretary may from time to time prescribe. In the absence of the Secretary or any assistant Secretary at any meeting of stockholders or Directors, the person presiding at the meeting shall designate a temporary or acting Secretary to keep a record of the meeting.

Section 8. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall perform such duties and shall have such powers as may be assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the Treasurer shall perform such duties and have such powers as are incident to the office of Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have the custody of the corporate funds and securities and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors. He shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors, when the Chief Executive Officer or Board of Directors so requires, an account of all his or her transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.

Section 9. Assistant Treasurers. The assistant Treasurer, or if there shall be more than one, the assistant Treasurers in the order determined by the Board of Directors, the Chief

 

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Executive Officer or the Treasurer (or if there be no such determination, then in the order determined by their tenure in office), shall, in the absence of the Treasurer or in the event of his or her inability or refusal to act, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the Treasurer may from time to time prescribe.

Section 10. Bond. If required by the Board of Directors, any officer shall give the Corporation a bond in such sum and with such surety or sureties and upon such terms and conditions as shall be satisfactory to the Board of Directors, including without limitation a bond for the faithful performance of the duties of his office and for the restoration to the Corporation of all books, papers, vouchers, money and other property of whatever kind in his possession or under his control and belonging to the Corporation.

ARTICLE IV.

NOTICES

Section 1. Delivery. Whenever, under the provisions of law, or of the Certificate of Incorporation or these bylaws, written notice is required to be given to any director or stockholder, such notice may be given by mail, addressed to such director or stockholder, at his address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid, and such notice shall be deemed to be given at the time when the same shall be deposited in the United States mail. Unless written notice by mail is required by law, written notice may also be given by telegram, cable, telecopy, commercial delivery service, telex or similar means, addressed to such director or stockholder at his address as it appears on the records of the corporation, in which case such notice shall be deemed to be given when delivered into the control of the persons charged with effecting such transmission, the transmission charge to be paid by the Corporation or the person sending such notice and not by the addressee. Oral notice or other in-hand delivery (in person or by telephone) shall be deemed given at the time it is actually given.

Section 2. Waiver of Notice. Whenever any notice is required to be given under the provisions of law or of the certificate of incorporation or of these bylaws, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to said notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent thereto.

ARTICLE V.

INDEMNIFICATION

Section 1. Actions other than by or in the Right of the Corporation. The corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened; pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not

 

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opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that such person’s conduct was unlawful.

Section 2. Actions by or in the Right of the Corporation. The corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or such other court shall deem proper.

Section 3. Success on the Merits. To the extent that any person described in Section 1 or 2 of this Article V has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in said Sections, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, he shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith.

Section 4. Specific Authorization. Any indemnification under Section 1 or 2 of this Article V (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of any person described in said Sections is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in said Sections. Such determination shall be made (1) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of Directors who were not parties to such action, suit or proceeding (even though less than a quorum), or (2) if there are no disinterested Directors or if a majority of disinterested Directors so directs, by independent legal counsel (who may be regular legal counsel to the Corporation) in a written opinion, or (3) by the stockholders of the Corporation.

Section 5. Advance Payment. Expenses incurred in defending a pending or threatened civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of any person described in said Section to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification by the Corporation as authorized in this Article V.

 

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Section 6. Non-Exclusivity. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other Sections of this Article V shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those provided indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any By-Law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office.

Section 7. Insurance. The Board of Directors may authorize, by a vote of the majority of the full board, the Corporation to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him against such liability under the provisions of this Article V.

Section 8. Continuation of Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses. The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article V shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

Section 9. Severability. If any word, clause or provision of this Article V or any award made hereunder shall for any reason be determined to be invalid, the provisions hereof shall not otherwise be affected thereby but shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 10. Intent of Article. The intent of this Article V is to provide for indemnification and advancement of expenses to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware. To the extent that such Section or any successor section may be amended or supplemented from time to time, this Article V shall be amended automatically and construed so as to permit indemnification and advancement of expenses to the fullest extent from time to time permitted by law.

ARTICLE VI.

CAPITAL STOCK

Section 1. Certificates of Stock. Every holder of stock in the Corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate, signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, the chairman or Vice-chairman of the Board of Directors, or the President or a Vice-President and the Treasurer or an assistant Treasurer, or the Secretary or an assistant Secretary of the Corporation, certifying the number of shares owned by such holder in the Corporation. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue. Certificates may be issued for partly paid shares and in such case upon the face or back of the certificates issued to represent any such partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor, and the amount paid thereon shall be specified.

 

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Section 2. Lost Certificates. The Board of Directors may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or certificates, the Board of Directors may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate or certificates, or his legal representative, to give reasonable evidence of such loss, theft or destruction, to advertise the same in such manner as it shall require and/or to give the Corporation a bond in such sum as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed or the issuance of such new certificate.

Section 3. Transfer of Stock. Upon surrender to the Corporation or the transfer agent of the Corporation of a certificate for shares, duly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignment or authority to transfer, and proper evidence of compliance with other conditions to rightful transfer, it shall be the duty of the Corporation to issue a new certificate to the person entitled thereto, cancel the old certificate and record the transaction upon its books.

Section 4. Record Date. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which shall not be more than sixty days nor less than ten days before the date of such meeting. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day before the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day before the day on which the meeting is held. In order that, the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which shall not be more than ten days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required by statute, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation as provided in Section 10 of Article I. If no record date is fixed and prior action by the Board of Directors is required, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be at the close of business on the date on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action. In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which shall be not more than sixty days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating to such purpose.

 

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Section 5. Registered Stockholders. The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and to hold liable for calls and assessments a person registered on its books as the owner of shares, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.

ARTICLE VII.

CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS

Section 1. Transactions with Interested Parties. No contract or transaction between the Corporation and one or more of its Directors or officers, or between the Corporation and any other corporation, partnership, association, or other organization in which one or more of its Directors or officers are Directors or officers, or have a financial interest, shall be void or voidable solely for this reason, or solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in the meeting of the board or committee thereof which authorizes the contract or transaction or solely because his or their votes are counted for such purpose, if:

(a) The material facts as to his relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the Board of Directors or the committee, and the board or committee in good faith authorizes the contract or transaction by the affirmative votes of a majority of the disinterested Directors, even though the disinterested Directors be less than a quorum; or

(b) The material facts as to his relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or transaction is specifically approved in good faith by vote of the stockholders; or

(c) The contract or transaction is fair as to the Corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved or ratified, by the Board of Directors, a committee thereof, or the stockholders.

Section 2. Quorum. Common or interested Directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or of a committee which authorizes the contract or transaction.

ARTICLE VIII.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1. Dividends. Dividends upon the capital stock of the corporation, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting or by written consent, pursuant to law. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the capital stock, subject to the provisions of the certificate of incorporation.

 

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Section 2. Reserves. The Directors may set apart out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve.

Section 3. Checks. All checks or demands for money and notes of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers or such other person or persons as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate.

Section 4. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

Section 5. Seal. The Board of Directors may, by resolution, adopt a corporate seal. The corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation, the year of its organization and the word “Delaware.” The seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise. The seal may be altered from time to time by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IX.

AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed or new bylaws may be adopted by the stockholders or by the Board of Directors, when such power is conferred upon the Board of Directors by the certificate of incorporation, at any regular meeting of the stockholders or of the Board of Directors or at any special meeting of the stockholders or of the Board of Directors provided, however, that in the case of a regular or special meeting of stockholders, notice of such alteration, amendment, repeal or adoption of new bylaws be contained in the notice of such meeting.

 

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Exhibit 3.3

RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

The present name of the corporation is Seres Therapeutics, Inc. The corporation was incorporated under the name “Newco LS21, Inc.” by the filing of its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on October 18, 2010. This Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation, which restates and integrates and also further amends the provisions of the corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and by the written consent of its stockholders in accordance with Section 228 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation is hereby amended, integrated and restated to read in its entirety as follows:

FIRST: The name of the Corporation is Seres Therapeutics, Inc.

SECOND: The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, Zip Code 19801. The name of its registered agent at that address is The Corporation Trust Company.

THIRD: The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted by the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

FOURTH: The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 210,000,000 shares, consisting of (a) 200,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), and (b) 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”).

The following is a statement of the designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation.

 

A.

COMMON STOCK.

1. General. The voting, dividend and liquidation rights of the holders of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock of any series as may be designated by the Board of Directors upon any issuance of the Preferred Stock of any series.

2. Voting. The holders of the Common Stock shall have voting rights at all meetings of stockholders, each such holder being entitled to one vote for each share thereof held by such holder; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation (which, as

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used herein, shall mean the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, as amended from time to time, including the terms of any certificate of designations of any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together as a class with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. There shall be no cumulative voting.

The number of authorized shares of Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

3. Dividends. Dividends may be declared and paid on the Common Stock if, as and when determined by the Board of Directors subject to any preferential dividend or other rights of any then outstanding Preferred Stock and to the requirements of applicable law.

4. Liquidation. Upon the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of Common Stock will be entitled to receive all assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders, subject to any preferential or other rights of any then outstanding Preferred Stock.

 

B.

PREFERRED STOCK.

Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such terms as stated or expressed herein and in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such series adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation as hereinafter provided.

Authority is hereby expressly granted to the Board of Directors from time to time to issue the Preferred Stock in one or more series, and in connection with the creation of any such series, by adopting a resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of the shares thereof and by filing a certificate of designations relating thereto in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, to determine and fix the number of shares of such series and such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation thereof, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, as shall be stated and expressed in such resolutions, all to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights of each such series of Preferred Stock, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, may differ from those of any and all other series at any time outstanding. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of any series of Preferred Stock may provide that such series shall be superior or rank equally or be junior to any other series of Preferred Stock to the extent permitted by law.

 

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Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms of this Certificate of Incorporation or any resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of such series of stock adopted by the Board of Directors, the number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

FIFTH: Except as otherwise provided herein, the Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute and this Certificate of Incorporation, and all rights conferred upon stockholders, directors or any other persons herein are granted subject to this reservation.

SIXTH: In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred upon it by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and subject to the terms of any series of Preferred Stock, the Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation. The stockholders may not adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation, or adopt any provision inconsistent therewith, unless such action is approved, in addition to any other vote required by this Certificate of Incorporation, by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation, and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage may be specified by law, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon shall be required to amend or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article SIXTH.

SEVENTH: Except to the extent that the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware prohibits the elimination or limitation of liability of directors for breaches of fiduciary duty, no director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, notwithstanding any provision of law imposing such liability. No amendment to or repeal of this provision shall apply to or have any effect on the liability or alleged liability of any director of the Corporation for or with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to such amendment or repeal. If the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware is amended to permit further elimination or limitation of the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as so amended.

EIGHTH: This Article EIGHTH is inserted for the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation.

1. General Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors.

 

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2. Number of Directors; Election of Directors. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the number of directors of the Corporation shall be established from time to time by the Board of Directors. Election of directors need not be by written ballot, except as and to the extent provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

3. Classes of Directors. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the Board of Directors shall be and is divided into three classes, designated as Class I, Class II and Class III. Each class shall consist, as nearly as may be possible, of one-third of the total number of directors constituting the entire Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is authorized to assign members of the Board of Directors to Class I, Class II or Class III.

4. Terms of Office. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, each director shall serve for a term ending on the date of the third annual meeting of stockholders following the annual meeting of stockholders at which such director was elected; provided that each director initially assigned to Class I shall serve for a term expiring at the Corporation’s first annual meeting of stockholders held after the effectiveness of this Certificate of Incorporation; each director initially assigned to Class II shall serve for a term expiring at the Corporation’s second annual meeting of stockholders held after the effectiveness of this Certificate of Incorporation; and each director initially assigned to Class III shall serve for a term expiring at the Corporation’s third annual meeting of stockholders held after the effectiveness of this Certificate of Incorporation; provided further, that the term of each director shall continue until the election and qualification of his or her successor and be subject to his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.

5. Quorum. The greater of (a) a majority of the directors at any time in office and (b) one-third of the number of directors fixed pursuant to Section 2 of this Article EIGHTH shall constitute a quorum of the Board of Directors. If at any meeting of the Board of Directors there shall be less than such a quorum, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.

6. Action at Meeting. Every act or decision done or made by a majority of the directors present at a meeting duly held at which a quorum is present shall be regarded as the act of the Board of Directors unless a greater number is required by law or by this Certificate of Incorporation.

7. Removal. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock, directors of the Corporation may be removed but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at an election of directors.

8. Vacancies. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock, any vacancy or newly created directorship in the Board of Directors, however occurring, shall be filled only by vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director and shall not be filled by the stockholders, unless the Board of

 

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Directors determines by resolution that any such vacancy or newly created directorship shall be filled by the stockholders. A director elected to fill a vacancy shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such director shall have been chosen, subject to the election and qualification of a successor and to such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal.

9. Stockholder Nominations and Introduction of Business, Etc. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for election of directors and other business to be brought by stockholders before a meeting of stockholders shall be given in the manner provided by the Bylaws of the Corporation.

10. Amendments to Article. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation, and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage may be specified by law, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon shall be required to amend or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article EIGHTH.

NINTH: No action that is required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at any annual or special meeting of stockholders may be effected by written consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation, and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage may be specified by law, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon shall be required to amend or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article NINTH.

TENTH: Special meetings of stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time only by the Board of Directors, the chairperson of the Board of Directors, the chief executive officer or the president (in the absence of a chief executive officer), and may not be called by any other person or persons. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation, and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage may be specified by law, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon shall be required to amend or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article TENTH.

ELEVENTH: Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or stockholder of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (c) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or as to which the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or (d) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each

 

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case subject to said Court of Chancery having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein; provided 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. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article ELEVENTH. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation, and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage may be specified by law, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon shall be required to amend or repeal, or to adopt any provision inconsistent with, this Article ELEVENTH. If any provision or provisions of this Article ELEVENTH shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article ELEVENTH (including, without limitation, each portion of any sentence of this Article ELEVENTH containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Incorporation, which restates, integrates and amends the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, and which has been duly adopted in accordance with Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, has been executed by its duly authorized officer this      day of June, 2015.

 

 

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Exhibit 3.4

AMENDED AND RESTATED

BYLAWS

OF

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

(a Delaware corporation)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

				Page
ARTICLE I - CORPORATE OFFICES					1
1.1		REGISTERED OFFICE			1
1.2		OTHER OFFICES			1
ARTICLE II - MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS					1
2.1		PLACE OF MEETINGS			1
2.2		ANNUAL MEETING			1
2.3		SPECIAL MEETING			1
2.4		ADVANCE NOTICE PROCEDURES FOR BUSINESS BROUGHT BEFORE A MEETING			2
2.5		ADVANCE NOTICE PROCEDURES FOR NOMINATIONS OF DIRECTORS			8
2.6		NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS			12
2.7		MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE; AFFIDAVIT OF NOTICE			12
2.8		QUORUM			13
2.9		ADJOURNED MEETING; NOTICE			13
2.10		CONDUCT OF BUSINESS			13
2.11		VOTING			14
2.12		STOCKHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING			15
2.13		RECORD DATE FOR STOCKHOLDER NOTICE; VOTING			15
2.14		PROXIES			15
2.15		LIST OF STOCKHOLDERS ENTITLED TO VOTE			16
2.16		POSTPONEMENT, ADJOURNMENT AND CANCELLATION OF MEETING			16
2.17		INSPECTORS OF ELECTION			16
ARTICLE III - DIRECTORS					17
3.1		POWERS			17
3.2		NUMBER OF DIRECTORS			17
3.3		ELECTION, QUALIFICATION AND TERM OF OFFICE OF DIRECTORS			17
3.4		RESIGNATION AND VACANCIES			17
3.5		PLACE OF MEETINGS; MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE			18
3.6		REGULAR MEETINGS			18
3.7		SPECIAL MEETINGS; NOTICE			18
3.8		QUORUM			19
3.9		BOARD ACTION BY CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING			19
3.10		FEES AND COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS			19
3.11		REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS			19
ARTICLE IV - COMMITTEES					20
4.1		COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS			20
4.2		COMMITTEE MINUTES			20
4.3		MEETINGS AND ACTION OF COMMITTEES			20
ARTICLE V - OFFICERS					21
5.1		OFFICERS			21
5.2		APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS			21

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

 

				Page
5.3		SUBORDINATE OFFICERS			21
5.4		REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS			22
5.5		VACANCIES IN OFFICES			22
5.6		REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER ENTITIES			22
5.7		AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS			22
ARTICLE VI - RECORDS AND REPORTS					22
6.1		MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS			22
ARTICLE VII - GENERAL MATTERS					23
7.1		EXECUTION OF CORPORATE CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS			23
7.2		STOCK CERTIFICATES; PARTLY PAID SHARES			23
7.3		MULTIPLES CLASSES OR SERIES OF STOCK			23
7.4		LOST CERTIFICATES			24
7.5		CONSTRUCTION; DEFINITIONS			24
7.6		DIVIDENDS			24
7.7		FISCAL YEAR			25
7.8		SEAL			25
7.9		TRANSFER OF STOCK			25
7.10		STOCK TRANSFER AGREEMENTS			25
7.11		REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS			25
7.12		WAIVER OF NOTICE			26
ARTICLE VIII - NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION					26
8.1		NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION			26
8.2		DEFINITION OF ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION			27
ARTICLE IX - INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCEMENT					27
9.1		ACTIONS, SUITS AND PROCEEDINGS OTHER THAN BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE CORPORATION			27
9.2		ACTIONS OR SUITS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE CORPORATION			28
9.3		INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF SUCCESSFUL PARTY			28
9.4		NOTIFICATION AND DEFENSE OF CLAIM			28
9.5		ADVANCE OF EXPENSES			29
9.6		PROCEDURE FOR INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES			30
9.7		REMEDIES			30
9.8		LIMITATIONS			31
9.9		SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENT			31
9.10		OTHER RIGHTS			31
9.11		PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION			32
9.12		INSURANCE			32
9.13		SAVINGS CLAUSE			32
9.14		DEFINITIONS			32
ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS					33

 

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AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

OF

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

 

 

ARTICLE I - CORPORATE OFFICES

1.1 REGISTERED OFFICE.

The registered office of Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Corporation”) shall be fixed in the Corporation’s certificate of incorporation, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “certificate of incorporation”).

1.2 OTHER OFFICES.

The Corporation may have other offices at any place or places, either within or outside the State of Delaware, as the board of directors (the “Board”) shall from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may from time to time require.

ARTICLE II - MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

2.1 PLACE OF MEETINGS.

Meetings of stockholders shall be held at any place, within or outside the State of Delaware, designated by the Board. The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the Corporation’s principal executive office.

2.2 ANNUAL MEETING.

The Board shall designate the date and time of the annual meeting. At the annual meeting, directors shall be elected and other proper business properly brought before the meeting in accordance with Section 2.4 of these bylaws may be transacted.

2.3 SPECIAL MEETING.

A special meeting of the stockholders may be called at any time by the Board, chairperson of the Board, chief executive officer or president (in the absence of a chief executive officer), but such special meetings may not be called by any other person or persons.

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No business may be transacted at such special meeting other than the business specified in such notice to stockholders. Nothing contained in this paragraph of this Section 2.3 shall be construed as limiting, fixing, or affecting the time when a meeting of stockholders called by action of the Board may be held.

2.4 ADVANCE NOTICE PROCEDURES FOR BUSINESS BROUGHT BEFORE A MEETING.

(a) At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (i) brought before the meeting by the Corporation and specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board, (ii) brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board (or a committee thereof) or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder who (A) was a stockholder of record of the Corporation (and, with respect to any beneficial owner, if different, on whose behalf such business is proposed, only if such beneficial owner was the beneficial owner of shares of the Corporation) both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.4 and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting and (C) has complied with this Section 2.4 as to such business. Except for proposals properly made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the “Exchange Act”), and included in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board, the foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders. Stockholders shall not be permitted to propose business to be brought before a special meeting of the stockholders, and the only matters that may be brought before a special meeting are the matters specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling the meeting pursuant to Section 2.3 of these bylaws. Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the Board must comply with Section 2.5 of these bylaws, and this Section 2.4 shall not be applicable to nominations except as expressly provided in Section 2.5 of these bylaws.

(b) Without qualification, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (iii) of the second sentence of Section 2.4(a) of these bylaws, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing and in proper form to the secretary of the Corporation and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.4. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received by the Secretary at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that (x) if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date or (y) with respect to the first annual meeting held after the Company’s initial public offering of its shares pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered,

 

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or mailed and received, not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120^th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the later of the close of business on the ninetieth (90^th) day prior to such annual meeting and the close of business on the tenth (10^th) day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made (such notice within such time periods, “Timely Notice”). In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of Timely Notice as described above.

(c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.4, a stockholder’s notice to the secretary of the Corporation shall set forth:

(i) As to each Proposing Person (as defined below), (A) the name and address of such Proposing Person (including, without limitation, if applicable, the name and address that appear on the Corporation’s books and records) and (B) the class or series and number of shares of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by such Proposing Person, except that such Proposing Person shall in all events be deemed to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) and (B) are referred to as “Stockholder Information”);

(ii) As to each Proposing Person, (A) any derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions engaged in, directly or indirectly, by such Proposing Person, the purpose or effect of which is to give such Proposing Person economic risk similar to ownership of shares of any class or series of the Corporation, including, without limitation, due to the fact that the value of such derivative, swap or other transactions are determined by reference to the price, value or volatility of any shares of any class or series of the Corporation, or which derivative, swap or other transactions provide, directly or indirectly, the opportunity to profit from any increase in the price or value of shares of any class or series of the Corporation (“Synthetic Equity Interests”), which Synthetic Equity Interests shall be disclosed without regard to whether (x) the derivative, swap or other transactions convey any voting rights in such shares to such Proposing Person, (y) the derivative, swap or other transactions are required to be, or are capable of being, settled through delivery of such shares or (z) such Proposing Person may have entered into other transactions that hedge or mitigate the economic effect of such derivative, swap or other transactions, (B) any proxy (other than a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14A), agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship pursuant to which such Proposing Person has or

 

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shares a right to vote any shares of any class or series of the Corporation, (C) any agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship, including, without limitation, any repurchase or similar so-called “stock borrowing” agreement or arrangement, engaged in, directly or indirectly, by such Proposing Person, the purpose or effect of which is to mitigate loss to, reduce the economic risk (of ownership or otherwise) of shares of any class or series of the Corporation by, manage the risk of share price changes for, or increase or decrease the voting power of, such Proposing Person with respect to the shares of any class or series of the Corporation, or which provides, directly or indirectly, the opportunity to profit from any decrease in the price or value of the shares of any class or series of the Corporation (“Short Interests”), (D) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of the Corporation owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (E) any performance related fees (other than an asset based fee) that such Proposing Person is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the price or value of shares of any class or series of the Corporation, or any Synthetic Equity Interests or Short Interests, if any, (F)(x) if such Proposing Person is not a natural person, the identity of the natural person or persons associated with such Proposing Person responsible for the formulation of and decision to propose the business to be brought before the meeting (such person or persons, the “Responsible Person”), the manner in which such Responsible Person was selected, any fiduciary duties owed by such Responsible Person to the equity holders or other beneficiaries of such Proposing Person, the qualifications and background of such Responsible Person and any material interests or relationships of such Responsible Person that are not shared generally by any other record or beneficial holder of the shares of any class or series of the Corporation and that reasonably could have influenced the decision of such Proposing Person to propose such business to be brought before the meeting, and (y) if such Proposing Person is a natural person, the qualifications and background of such natural person and any material interests or relationships of such natural person that are not shared generally by any other record or beneficial holder of the shares of any class or series of the Corporation and that reasonably could have influenced the decision of such Proposing Person to propose such business to be brought before the meeting, (G) any significant equity interests or any Synthetic Equity Interests or Short Interests in any principal competitor of the Corporation held by such Proposing Persons, (H) any direct or indirect interest of such Proposing Person in any contract with the Corporation, any affiliate of the Corporation or any principal competitor of the Corporation (including, without limitation, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement), (I) any pending or threatened litigation in which such Proposing Person is a party or material participant involving the Corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the Corporation, (J) any material transaction occurring during the prior twelve months between such Proposing

 

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Person, on the one hand, and the Corporation, any affiliate of the Corporation or any principal competitor of the Corporation, on the other hand, (K) a summary of any material discussions regarding the business proposed to be brought before the meeting (x) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (y) between or among any Proposing Person and any other record or beneficial holder of the shares of any class or series of the Corporation (including, without limitation, their names) and (L) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (L) are referred to as “Disclosable Interests”); provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and

(iii) As to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (A) a reasonably brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person, (B) the text of the proposal or business (including, without limitation, the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the bylaws of the Corporation, the language of the proposed amendment), (C) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings between or among any of the Proposing Persons or between or among any Proposing Person and any other person or entity (including, without limitation, their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder, (D) a representation that the stockholder is a holder of record of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business, (E) a representation whether the Proposing Person intends or is part of a group which intends (1) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal and/or (2) otherwise to solicit proxies or votes from stockholders in support of such proposal and (F) any other information relating to such item of business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that the disclosures required by this paragraph (c)(iii) shall not include

 

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any disclosures with respect to any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner.

(d) For purposes of this Section 2.4, the term “Proposing Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, (iii) any affiliate or associate (each within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act for the purposes of these bylaws) of such stockholder or beneficial owner and (iv) any other person with whom such stockholder or beneficial owner (or any of their respective affiliates or associates) is Acting in Concert (as defined below).

(e) A person shall be deemed to be “Acting in Concert” with another person for purposes of these bylaws if such person knowingly acts (whether or not pursuant to an express agreement, arrangement or understanding) in concert with, or towards a common goal relating to the management, governance or control of the Corporation in parallel with, such other person where (i) each person is conscious of the other person’s conduct or intent and this awareness is an element in their decision-making processes and (ii) at least one additional factor suggests that such persons intend to act in concert or in parallel, which such additional factors may include, without limitation, exchanging information (whether publicly or privately), attending meetings, conducting discussions, or making or soliciting invitations to act in concert or in parallel; provided, that a person shall not be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any other person solely as a result of the solicitation or receipt of revocable proxies or consents from such other person in response to a solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a proxy or consent solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14A. A person Acting in Concert with another person shall be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any third party who is also Acting in Concert with such other person.

(f) A stockholder providing notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.4 shall be true and correct as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the annual meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the annual meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof).

 

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(g) Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary and except as otherwise expressly provided in any applicable rule or regulation promulgated under the Exchange Act, no business shall be conducted at an annual meeting except in accordance with this Section 2.4. The presiding officer of an annual meeting of stockholders shall have the power and duty (a) to determine that any business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4 (including whether the stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, solicited (or is part of a group which solicited) or did not so solicit, as the case may be, proxies or votes in support of such stockholder’s business in compliance with such stockholder’s representation as required by clause (c)(iii)(E) of this Section 2.4); and (b) if any proposed business was not proposed in compliance with this Section 2.4 to declare to the meeting that any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

(h) The foregoing notice requirements of this Section 2.4 shall be deemed satisfied by a stockholder with respect to business other than a nomination if the stockholder has notified the Corporation of his, her or its intention to present a proposal at an annual meeting in compliance with applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act and such stockholder’s proposal has been included in a proxy statement that has been prepared by the Corporation to solicit proxies for such annual meeting. Nothing in this Section 2.4 shall be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

(i) For purposes of these bylaws, “public disclosure” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

(j) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.4, unless otherwise required by law, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual meeting to present proposed business, such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 2.4, except as provided under Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, to be considered a qualified representative of the stockholder, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the annual meeting and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the annual meeting.

(k) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.4, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 2.4; provided however, that any references in these bylaws to the Exchange Act are not intended to and shall not limit any requirements applicable to proposals as to any business to be considered pursuant to this Section 2.4 (including paragraph (a)(iii) hereof), and compliance with paragraph (a)(iii) of this Section 2.4 shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to submit business (other than, as provided in the first sentence of paragraph (h) of this Section 2.4, business brought properly under and in compliance with Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, as may be amended from time to time).

 

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2.5 ADVANCE NOTICE PROCEDURES FOR NOMINATIONS OF DIRECTORS.

(a) Nominations of any person for election to the Board at an annual meeting or at a special meeting (but, in the case of a special meeting, only if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting) may be made at such meeting only (i) by or at the direction of the Board or any committee thereof, or (ii) by a stockholder who (A) was a stockholder of record of the Corporation (and, with respect to any beneficial owner, if different, on whose behalf such nomination is proposed to be made, only if such beneficial owner was the beneficial owner of shares of the Corporation) both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.5 and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting and (C) has complied with this Section 2.5 as to such nomination. The foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board to be considered by the stockholders at an annual meeting or special meeting.

(b) Without qualification, for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined in Section 2.4(b) of these bylaws) thereof in writing and in proper form to the secretary of the Corporation and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5. Notwithstanding anything in this paragraph to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board at an annual meeting is increased effective after the time period for which nominations would otherwise by due under this paragraph (b) and there is no public announcement by the Corporation naming the nominees for the additional directorships at least one hundred (100) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by paragraph (b) of this Section 2.5 shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for the additional directorships, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation. Without qualification, if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting, then for a

 

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stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to such position(s) as specified in the notice of the special meeting, the stockholder must (i) provide timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice for nominations to be made at a special meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120^th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the later of the close of business on the ninetieth (90^th) day prior to such special meeting and the close of business on the tenth (10^th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4(i) of these bylaws) of the date of such special meeting was first made. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

(c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.5, a stockholder’s notice to the secretary of the Corporation shall set forth:

(i) As to each Nominating Person (as defined below), the Stockholder Information (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(i) of these bylaws) except that for purposes of this Section 2.5, the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(i);

(ii) As to each Nominating Person, any Disclosable Interests (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(ii), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5 the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(ii) and the disclosure in clause (L) of Section 2.4(c)(ii) shall be made with respect to the election of directors at the meeting) provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Nominating Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and;

(iii) As to each person whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, (A) all information with respect to such proposed nominee that would be required to be set forth in a stockholder’s notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 if such proposed nominee were a Nominating Person, (B) all information relating to such proposed nominee that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including, without limitation, such proposed nominee’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a

 

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nominee and to serving as a director if elected), (C) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three (3) years, and any other material relationships, between or among any Nominating Person, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee, his or her respective affiliates and associates and any other persons with whom such proposed nominee (or any of his or her respective affiliates and associates) is Acting in Concert (as defined in Section 2.4(e) of these bylaws), on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the proposed nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (C) are referred to as “Nominee Information”), (D) a representation that the Nominating Person is a holder of record of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at such meeting and intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such nomination, (E) a representation whether the Nominating Person intends or is part of a group which intends (1) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to elect the nominee and/or (2) otherwise to solicit proxies or votes from stockholders in support of such nomination and (F) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as provided in Section 2.5(g); and

(iv) The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information (A) as may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director of the Corporation in accordance with the Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines or (B) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence or lack of independence of such proposed nominee.

(d) For purposes of this Section 2.5, the term “Nominating Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting is made, (iii) any affiliate or associate of such stockholder or beneficial owner and (iv) any other person with whom such stockholder or such beneficial owner (or any of their respective affiliates or associates) is Acting in Concert.

(e) A stockholder providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 shall be true and correct as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and

 

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received by, the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof).

(f) Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, no person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with this Section 2.5, except as otherwise expressly provided in any applicable rule or regulation promulgated under the Exchange Act. The presiding officer at any meeting of stockholders shall have the power and duty to (a) determine that a nomination was not properly made in accordance with this Section 2.5 (including whether the stockholder or beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination was made, solicited or is part of a group which solicited) or did not so solicit, as the case may be, proxies or votes in support of such stockholder’s nomination in compliance with such stockholder’s representation as required by clause (c)(iii)(E) of this Section 2.5); and (b) if any proposed nomination was not made in compliance with this Section 2.5 to declare such determination to the meeting that the defective nomination shall be disregarded.

(g) To be eligible to be a nominee for election as a director of the Corporation, the proposed nominee must deliver (in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under this Section 2.5) to the secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such proposed nominee (which questionnaire shall be provided by the secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in form provided by the secretary upon written request) that such proposed nominee (i) is not and will not become a party to (A) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (B) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such proposed nominee’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (ii) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with candidacy, service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation and (iii) in such proposed nominee’s individual capacity and on behalf of the stockholder (and the beneficial owner, if different, on whose behalf the nomination is made) would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the Corporation, and will comply with applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the Corporation.

 

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(h) In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.5 with respect to any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting, each Nominating Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such nominations.

(i) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.5, unless otherwise required by law, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the meeting to present the proposed nomination, such proposed nomination shall not be considered, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Section 2.5, to be considered a qualified representative of the stockholder, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or must be authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting.

2.6 NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS.

Unless otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, the notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be given in accordance with either Section 2.7 or Section 8.1 of these bylaws not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. The notice shall specify the place, if any, date and hour of the meeting, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (if such date is different from the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting), the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.

2.7 MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE; AFFIDAVIT OF NOTICE.

Notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be deemed given:

(a) if mailed, when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the Corporation’s records; or

(b) if electronically transmitted, as provided in Section 8.1 of these bylaws.

An affidavit of the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Corporation or of the transfer agent or any other agent of the Corporation that the notice has been given by mail or by a form of electronic transmission, as applicable, shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

 

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2.8 QUORUM.

Unless otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, the holders of a majority in voting power of the capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the stockholders. A quorum, once established at a meeting, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum. If, however, a quorum is not present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, then either (a) the chairperson of the meeting or (b) a majority in voting power of the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 2.9 of these bylaws until a quorum is present or represented. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed.

2.9 ADJOURNED MEETING; NOTICE.

When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, unless these bylaws otherwise require, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time, place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, or if after the adjournment a new record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the adjourned meeting.

2.10 CONDUCT OF BUSINESS.

The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the person presiding over the meeting. The Board may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board, the person presiding over any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to recess and/or adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures (which need not be in writing) and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such presiding person, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the presiding person of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (a) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (b) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present (including, without limitation, rules and procedures for removal of disruptive persons from the meeting); (c)

 

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limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the presiding person of the meeting shall determine; (d) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (e) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. The presiding person at any meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting (including, without limitation, determinations with respect to the administration and/or interpretation of any of the rules, regulations or procedures of the meeting, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the person presiding over the meeting), shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a matter or business was not properly brought before the meeting and if such presiding person should so determine, such presiding person shall so declare to the meeting and any such matter or business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted or considered. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the person presiding over the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

2.11 VOTING.

The stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.13 of these bylaws, subject to Section 217 (relating to voting rights of fiduciaries, pledgors and joint owners of stock) and Section 218 (relating to voting trusts and other voting agreements) of the DGCL.

Except as may be otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, each stockholder shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder.

At all duly called or convened meetings of stockholders, at which a quorum is present, for the election of directors, a plurality of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect a director. All other elections and questions presented to the stockholders at a duly called or convened meeting, at which a quorum is present, shall, unless a different or minimum vote is required by the certificate of incorporation, these bylaws, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, or any law or regulation applicable to the Corporation or its securities, in which case such different or minimum vote shall be the applicable vote on the matter, be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the votes cast affirmatively or negatively (excluding abstentions) at the meeting by the holders entitled to vote thereon.

 

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2.12 STOCKHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING.

Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such stockholders.

2.13 RECORD DATE FOR STOCKHOLDER NOTICE; VOTING.

In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned meeting.

In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights, or entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which shall not be more than sixty (60) days prior to such other action. If no such record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.

2.14 PROXIES.

Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212 of the DGCL. A proxy may be in the form of a telegram, cablegram or

 

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other means of electronic transmission which sets forth or is submitted with information from which it can be determined that the telegram, cablegram or other means of electronic transmission was authorized by the stockholder.

2.15 LIST OF STOCKHOLDERS ENTITLED TO VOTE.

The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the Corporation shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth day before the date of the meeting), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. The Corporation shall not be required to include electronic mail addresses or other electronic contact information on such list. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting: (a) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (b) during ordinary business hours, at the Corporation’s principal executive office. In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, then the list shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting. Except as otherwise provided by law, the stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to the identity of the stockholders entitled to vote in person or by proxy and the number of shares held by each of them, and as to the stockholders entitled to examine the list of stockholders.

2.16 POSTPONEMENT, ADJOURNMENT AND CANCELLATION OF MEETING.

Any previously scheduled annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be postponed or adjourned, and any previously scheduled annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be canceled, by resolution of the Board.

2.17 INSPECTORS OF ELECTION.

Before any meeting of stockholders, the Board shall appoint an inspector or inspectors of election to act at the meeting or its adjournment or postponement and make a written report thereof. The number of inspectors shall be either one (1) or three (3). If any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, then the chairperson of the meeting may, and upon the request of any stockholder or a stockholder’s proxy shall, appoint a person to fill that

 

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vacancy. Unless otherwise required by law, inspectors may be officers, employees or agents of the Corporation. Such inspectors shall have the duties prescribed by law. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath to execute faithfully the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. If there are three (3) inspectors of election, the decision, act or certificate of a majority is effective in all respects as the decision, act or certificate of all. Any report or certificate made by the inspectors of election is prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

ARTICLE III - DIRECTORS

3.1 POWERS.

Subject to the provisions of the DGCL and any limitations in the certificate of incorporation, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed and all corporate powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of the Board.

3.2 NUMBER OF DIRECTORS.

The authorized number of directors shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board, provided the Board shall consist of at least one (1) member. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before that director’s term of office expires.

3.3 ELECTION, QUALIFICATION AND TERM OF OFFICE OF DIRECTORS.

Except as provided in Section 3.4 of these bylaws, each director, including, without limitation, a director elected to fill a vacancy, shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which elected and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal. Directors need not be stockholders unless so required by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws. The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board, a chairperson of the Board and a vice chairperson of the Board. The certificate of incorporation or these bylaws may prescribe other qualifications for directors.

3.4 RESIGNATION AND VACANCIES.

Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the chairperson of the Board or the Corporation’s chief executive officer, president or secretary. When one or more directors so resigns and the resignation is effective at a future date, a majority of the directors then in office, including those who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such vacancy or vacancies, the vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or resignations shall become effective, and each director so chosen shall hold office as provided in this section in the filling of other vacancies.

 

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Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors shall, unless the Board determines by resolution that any such vacancies or newly created directorships shall be filled by stockholders, be filled only by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the director for which the vacancy was created or occurred and until such director’s successor shall have been elected and qualified. A vacancy in the Board shall be deemed to exist under these bylaws in the case of the death, removal or resignation of any director.

3.5 PLACE OF MEETINGS; MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE.

The Board may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or outside the State of Delaware.

Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, members of the Board, or any committee designated by the Board, may participate in a meeting of the Board, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting pursuant to this bylaw shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

3.6 REGULAR MEETINGS.

Regular meetings of the Board may be held without notice at such time and at such place as shall from time to time be determined by the Board; provided that any director who is absent when such determination is made shall be given notice of the determination. A regular meeting of the Board may be held without notice immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders.

3.7 SPECIAL MEETINGS; NOTICE.

Special meetings of the Board for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the chairperson of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president, the secretary or a majority of the authorized number of directors.

Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be:

(a) delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone;

(b) sent by United States first-class mail, postage prepaid;

(c) sent by facsimile; or

(d) sent by electronic mail, electronic transmission or other similar means,

 

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directed to each director at that director’s address, telephone number, facsimile number or electronic mail or other electronic address, as the case may be, as shown on the Corporation’s records.

If the notice is (a) delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone, (b) sent by facsimile or (c) sent by electronic mail or electronic transmission, it shall be delivered or sent at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is sent by United States mail, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least four (4) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. Any oral notice may be communicated to the director. The notice need not specify the place of the meeting (if the meeting is to be held at the Corporation’s principal executive office) nor the purpose of the meeting.

3.8 QUORUM.

The greater of (a) a majority of the directors at any time in office and (b) one-third of the number of directors established by the Board pursuant to Section 3.2 of these bylaws shall constitute a quorum of the Board for the transaction of business. The vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board, then the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.

3.9 BOARD ACTION BY CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING.

Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.

3.10 FEES AND COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS.

Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, the Board shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors.

3.11 REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS.

Subject to the rights of the holders of the shares of any series of Preferred Stock, the Board or any individual director may be removed from office only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon.

 

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ARTICLE IV - COMMITTEES

4.1 COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS.

The Board may designate one (1) or more committees, each committee to consist of one (1) or more of the directors of the Corporation. The Board may designate one (1) or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board or in these bylaws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers that may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority to (a) approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter (other than the election or removal of directors) expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, or (b) adopt, amend or repeal any bylaw of the Corporation.

4.2 COMMITTEE MINUTES.

Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board when required.

4.3 MEETINGS AND ACTION OF COMMITTEES.

Meetings and actions of committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of:

(a) Section 3.5 of these bylaws (place of meetings and meetings by telephone);

(b) Section 3.6 of these bylaws (regular meetings);

(c) Section 3.7 of these bylaws (special meetings and notice);

(d) Section 3.8 of these bylaws (quorum);

(e) Section 7.12 of these bylaws (waiver of notice); and

(f) Section 3.9 of these bylaws (action without a meeting),

 

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with such changes in the context of those bylaws as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board and its members. However:

(i) the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the Board or by resolution of the committee;

(ii) special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the Board; and

(iii) notice of special meetings of committees shall also be given to all alternate members, who shall have the right to attend all meetings of the committee. The Board may adopt rules for the governance of any committee not inconsistent with the provisions (or any part thereof) of these bylaws.

ARTICLE V - OFFICERS

5.1 OFFICERS.

The officers of the Corporation shall be a president and a secretary. The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board, a chief executive officer, a chief financial officer or treasurer, one (1) or more vice presidents, one (1) or more assistant vice presidents, one (1) or more assistant treasurers, one (1) or more assistant secretaries, and any such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person.

5.2 APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS.

The Board shall appoint the officers of the Corporation, except such officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 of these bylaws, subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment.

5.3 SUBORDINATE OFFICERS.

The Board may appoint, or empower the chief executive officer or, in the absence of a chief executive officer, the president, to appoint, such other officers and agents as the business of the Corporation may require. Each of such officers shall hold office for such period, as is provided in these bylaws or as the Board may from time to time determine.

 

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5.4 REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS.

Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board at any regular or special meeting of the Board or, except in the case of an officer chosen by the Board, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board.

Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice. Unless otherwise specified in the notice of resignation, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.

5.5 VACANCIES IN OFFICES.

Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board or as provided in Section 5.3 of these bylaws.

5.6 REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER ENTITIES.

The chairperson of the Board, the president, any vice president, the treasurer, the secretary or assistant secretary of this Corporation, or any other person authorized by the Board or the president or a vice president, is authorized to vote, represent and exercise on behalf of this Corporation all rights incident to any and all securities of any other entity or entities standing in the name of this Corporation. The authority granted herein may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by such person having the authority.

5.7 AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS.

All officers of the Corporation shall respectively have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the business of the Corporation as may be designated from time to time by the Board and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the Board.

ARTICLE VI - RECORDS AND REPORTS

6.1 MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS.

Subject to applicable law, the Corporation shall, either at its principal executive office or at such place or places as designated by the Board, keep a record of its stockholders listing their names and addresses and the number and class of shares held by each stockholder, a copy of these bylaws as amended to date, accounting books and other records.

 

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ARTICLE VII - GENERAL MATTERS

7.1 EXECUTION OF CORPORATE CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS.

The Board, except as otherwise provided in these bylaws, may authorize any officer or officers, or agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation; such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless so authorized or ratified by the Board or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the Corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.

7.2 STOCK CERTIFICATES; PARTLY PAID SHARES.

The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates provided that the Board may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of stock shall be uncertificated shares. Certificates for the shares of stock, if any, shall be in such form as is consistent with the certificate of incorporation and applicable law. Every holder of stock represented by a certificate shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the Board, or the president or vice-president, and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer, or the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Corporation representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

The Corporation may issue the whole or any part of its shares as partly paid and subject to call for the remainder of the consideration to be paid therefor. Upon the face or back of each stock certificate issued to represent any such partly paid shares, or upon the books and records of the Corporation in the case of uncertificated partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor and the amount paid thereon shall be stated. Upon the declaration of any dividend on fully paid shares, the Corporation shall declare a dividend upon partly paid shares of the same class, but only upon the basis of the percentage of the consideration actually paid thereon.

7.3 MULTIPLES CLASSES OR SERIES OF STOCK.

If the Corporation is authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, then the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent

 

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such class or series of stock; provided, however, that, except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the DGCL, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer or uncertificated stock, the Corporation shall send to the registered owner thereof a written notice containing the information required to be set forth or stated on certificates pursuant to the DGCL or a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.

7.4 LOST CERTIFICATES.

Except as provided in this Section 7.4, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace a previously issued certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the Corporation in accordance with applicable law. The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owner’s legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares.

7.5 CONSTRUCTION; DEFINITIONS.

Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction and definitions in the DGCL shall govern the construction of these bylaws. Without limiting the generality of this provision, the singular number includes the plural, the plural number includes the singular, and the term “person” includes both a corporation and a natural person.

7.6 DIVIDENDS.

The Board, subject to any restrictions contained in either (a) the DGCL or (b) the certificate of incorporation, may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of its capital stock. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property or in shares of the Corporation’s capital stock.

The Board may set apart out of any of the funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve. Such purposes shall include but not be limited to equalizing dividends, repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, and meeting contingencies.

 

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7.7 FISCAL YEAR.

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board and may be changed by the Board.

7.8 SEAL.

The Corporation may adopt a corporate seal, which shall be adopted and which may be altered by the Board. The Corporation may use the corporate seal by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.

7.9 TRANSFER OF STOCK.

Shares of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these bylaws. Shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferred on the books of the Corporation only by the holder of record thereof or by such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, upon surrender to the Corporation of the certificate or certificates representing such shares endorsed by the appropriate person or persons (or by delivery of duly executed instructions with respect to uncertificated shares), with such evidence of the authenticity of such endorsement or execution, transfer, authorization and other matters as the Corporation may reasonably require, and accompanied by all necessary stock transfer stamps. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no transfer of stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing the names of the persons from and to whom it was transferred.

7.10 STOCK TRANSFER AGREEMENTS.

The Corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes of stock of the Corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the Corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.

7.11 REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS.

The Corporation, to the fullest extent permitted by law,:

(a) shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends and to vote as such owner;

(b) shall be entitled to hold liable for calls and assessments the person registered on its books as the owner of shares; and

(c) shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of another person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.

 

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7.12 WAIVER OF NOTICE.

Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, a written waiver, signed by the person entitled to notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders need be specified in any written waiver of notice or any waiver by electronic transmission unless so required by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws.

ARTICLE VIII - NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION

8.1 NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION.

Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders pursuant to the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provision of the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice to the Corporation. Any such consent shall be deemed revoked if:

(a) the Corporation is unable to deliver by electronic transmission two (2) consecutive notices given by the Corporation in accordance with such consent; and

(b) such inability becomes known to the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Corporation or to the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice.

However, the inadvertent failure to treat such inability as a revocation shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.

Any notice given pursuant to the preceding paragraph shall be deemed given:

 

(a)

if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

 

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(b)

if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

 

(c)

if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (i) such posting and (ii) the giving of such separate notice; and

 

(d)

if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder.

An affidavit of the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Corporation or of the transfer agent or other agent of the Corporation that the notice has been given by a form of electronic transmission shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

8.2 DEFINITION OF ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION.

For the purposes of these bylaws, an “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

ARTICLE IX - INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCEMENT

9.1 ACTIONS, SUITS AND PROCEEDINGS OTHER THAN BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE CORPORATION.

The Corporation shall indemnify each person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of the Corporation, or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the request of the Corporation, as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including, without limitation, any employee benefit plan) (all such persons being referred to hereafter as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines (including, without limitation, excise taxes and penalties arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974), and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit

 

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or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

9.2 ACTIONS OR SUITS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE CORPORATION.

The Corporation shall indemnify any Indemnitee who was or is a party to or threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that Indemnitee is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of the Corporation, or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the request of the Corporation, as a director, officer, partner, employee or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including, without limitation, any employee benefit plan), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner which Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, except that no indemnification shall be made under this Section 9.2 in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation, unless, and only to the extent, that the Court of Chancery of Delaware or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of such liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) which the Court of Chancery of Delaware or such other court shall deem proper.

9.3 INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF SUCCESSFUL PARTY.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Article IX, to the extent that an Indemnitee has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in Sections 9.1 and 9.2 of these bylaws, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, or on appeal from any such action, suit or proceeding, Indemnitee shall be indemnified to the fullest extent permitted by law against all expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection therewith.

9.4 NOTIFICATION AND DEFENSE OF CLAIM.

As a condition precedent to an Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified, such Indemnitee must notify the Corporation in writing as soon as practicable of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation involving such Indemnitee for which indemnity will or could be sought. With

 

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respect to any action, suit, proceeding or investigation of which the Corporation is so notified, the Corporation will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense and/or to assume the defense thereof at its own expense, with legal counsel reasonably acceptable to Indemnitee. After notice from the Corporation to Indemnitee of its election so to assume such defense, the Corporation shall not be liable to Indemnitee for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such action, suit, proceeding or investigation, other than as provided below in this Section 9.4. Indemnitee shall have the right to employ his or her own counsel in connection with such action, suit, proceeding or investigation, but the fees and expenses of such counsel incurred after notice from the Corporation of its assumption of the defense thereof shall be at the expense of Indemnitee unless (a) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been authorized by the Corporation, (b) counsel to Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest or position on any significant issue between the Corporation and Indemnitee in the conduct of the defense of such action, suit, proceeding or investigation or (c) the Corporation shall not in fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding or investigation, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel for Indemnitee shall be at the expense of the Corporation, except as otherwise expressly provided by this Article IX. The Corporation shall not be entitled, without the consent of Indemnitee, to assume the defense of any claim brought by or in the right of the Corporation or as to which counsel for Indemnitee shall have reasonably made the conclusion provided for in clause (b) above. The Corporation shall not be required to indemnify Indemnitee under this Article IX for any amounts paid in settlement of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation effected without its written consent. The Corporation shall not settle any action, suit, proceeding or investigation in any manner which would impose any penalty or limitation on Indemnitee without Indemnitee’s written consent. Neither the Corporation nor Indemnitee will unreasonably withhold or delay its consent to any proposed settlement.

9.5 ADVANCE OF EXPENSES.

Subject to the provisions of Sections 9.4 and 9.6 of these bylaws, in the event of any threatened or pending action, suit, proceeding or investigation of which the Corporation receives notice under this Article IX, any expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in defending an action, suit, proceeding or investigation or any appeal therefrom shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such matter to the fullest extent permitted by law; provided, however, that, to the extent required by law, the payment of such expenses incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in advance of the final disposition of such matter shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of Indemnitee to repay all amounts so advanced in the event that it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation as authorized in this Article IX or otherwise; and provided further that no such advancement of expenses shall be made under this Article IX if it is determined (in the manner described in Section 9.6 of these bylaws) that (a) Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or

 

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not opposed to, the best interests of the Corporation, or (b) with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. Such undertaking shall be accepted without reference to the financial ability of Indemnitee to make such repayment.

9.6 PROCEDURE FOR INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES.

In order to obtain indemnification or advancement of expenses pursuant to Section 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 or 9.5 of these bylaws, an Indemnitee shall submit to the Corporation a written request. Any such advancement of expenses shall be made promptly, and in any event within 60 days after receipt by the Corporation of the written request of Indemnitee, unless (a) the Corporation has assumed the defense pursuant to Section 9.4 of these bylaws (and none of the circumstances described in Section 9.4 of these bylaws that would nonetheless entitle the Indemnitee to indemnification for the fees and expenses of separate counsel have occurred) or (b) the Corporation determines within such 60-day period that Indemnitee did not meet the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 9.1, 9.2 or 9.5 of these bylaws, as the case may be. Any such indemnification, unless ordered by a court, shall be made with respect to requests under Section 9.1 or 9.2 of these bylaws only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination by the Corporation that the indemnification of Indemnitee is proper because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 9.1 or 9.2 of these bylaws, as the case may be. Such determination shall be made in each instance (a) by a majority vote of the directors of the Corporation consisting of persons who are not at that time parties to the action, suit or proceeding in question (“disinterested directors”), whether or not a quorum, (b) by a committee of disinterested directors designated by majority vote of disinterested directors, whether or not a quorum, (c) if there are no disinterested directors, or if the disinterested directors so direct, by independent legal counsel (who may, to the extent permitted by law, be regular legal counsel to the Corporation) in a written opinion or (d) by the stockholders of the Corporation.

9.7 REMEDIES.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the right to indemnification or advancement of expenses as granted by this Article IX shall be enforceable by Indemnitee in any court of competent jurisdiction. Neither the failure of the Corporation to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Corporation pursuant to Section 9.6 of these bylaws that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct. In any suit brought by Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or advancement, or brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses,

 

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under this Article IX. Indemnitee’s expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred in connection with successfully establishing Indemnitee’s right to indemnification or advancement, in whole or in part, in any such proceeding shall also be indemnified by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in any suit brought by Indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification hereunder it shall be a defense that the Indemnitee has not met any applicable standard for indemnification set forth in the DGCL.

9.8 LIMITATIONS.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article IX, except as set forth in Section 9.7 of these bylaws, the Corporation shall not indemnify an Indemnitee pursuant to this Article IX in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such Indemnitee unless the initiation thereof was approved by the Board. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article IX, the Corporation shall not indemnify (or advance expenses to) an Indemnitee to the extent such Indemnitee is reimbursed (or advanced expenses) from the proceeds of insurance, and in the event the Corporation makes any indemnification (or advancement) payments to an Indemnitee and such Indemnitee is subsequently reimbursed from the proceeds of insurance, such Indemnitee shall promptly refund indemnification (or advancement) payments to the Corporation to the extent of such insurance reimbursement.

9.9 SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENT.

No amendment, termination or repeal of this Article IX or of the relevant provisions of the DGCL or any other applicable laws shall adversely affect or diminish in any way the rights of any Indemnitee to indemnification or advancement of expenses under the provisions hereof with respect to any action, suit, proceeding or investigation arising out of or relating to any actions, transactions or facts occurring prior to the final adoption of such amendment, termination or repeal.

9.10 OTHER RIGHTS.

The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by this Article IX shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which an Indemnitee seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any law (common or statutory), agreement or vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee’s official capacity and as to action in any other capacity while holding office for the Corporation, and shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director or officer, and shall inure to the benefit of the estate, heirs, executors and administrators of Indemnitee. Nothing contained in this Article IX shall be deemed to prohibit, and the Corporation is specifically authorized to enter into, agreements with officers and directors providing indemnification and advancement rights and procedures different from those set forth in this Article IX. In addition, the Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board, grant indemnification

 

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and advancement rights to other employees or agents of the Corporation or other persons serving the Corporation and such rights may be equivalent to, or greater or less than, those set forth in this Article IX.

9.11 PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION.

If an Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Article IX to indemnification by the Corporation for some or a portion of the expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines (including, without limitation, excise taxes and penalties arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended) or amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or investigation and any appeal therefrom but not, however, for the total amount thereof, the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines (including, without limitation, excise taxes and penalties arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended) or amounts paid in settlement to which Indemnitee is entitled.

9.12 INSURANCE.

The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including, without limitation, any employee benefit plan) against any expense, liability or loss incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.

9.13 SAVINGS CLAUSE.

If this Article IX or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each Indemnitee as to any expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees), liabilities, losses, judgments, fines (including, without limitation, excise taxes and penalties arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended) and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal or administrative, including, without limitation, an action by or in the right of the Corporation, to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article IX that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

9.14 DEFINITIONS.

Terms used in this Article IX and defined in Section 145(h) and Section 145(i) of the DGCL shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in such Section 145(h) and Section 145(i).

 

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ARTICLE X - AMENDMENTS.

Subject to the limitations set forth in Section 9.9 of these bylaws or the provisions of the certificate of incorporation, the Board is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation. The stockholders also shall have power to adopt, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that, in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by law or by the certificate of incorporation, such action by stockholders shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon.

 

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Exhibit 4.2

NUMBER
ST
SERES
THERAPEUTICS™
Seres Therapeutics, Inc.
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
SHARES
SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
CUSIP 81750R 10 2
This Certifies that
SPECIMEN
is the owner of
FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE SHARES OF THE COMMON STOCK PAR VALUE $0.001 PER SHARE OF
Seres Therapeutics, Inc.
transferable on the books of the Corporation in person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this certificate properly endorsed.
This certificate is not valid unless countersigned and registered by the Transfer Agent and Registrar. WITNESS the facsimile signatures of the duly authorized officers of the Corporation.
CERTIFICATE OF STOCK
DATED
COUNTERSIGNED AND REGISTERED:
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC
(Brooklyn, NY)
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR BY:
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND TREASURER
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
SECURITY COLUMBIAN UNITED STATES BANKNOTE COMPANY 1960

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SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE TWO CLASSES OF STOCK, COMMON STOCK AND PREFERRED STOCK. THE COMPANY WILL FURNISH WITHOUT CHARGE TO EACH SHAREHOLDER WHO SO REQUESTS, A SUMMARY OF THE POWERS, DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES AND RELATIVE, PARTICIPATING, OPTIONAL, OR OTHER SPECIAL RIGHTS OF EACH CLASS OF STOCK OF THE COMPANY AND THE QUALIFICATIONS, LIMITATIONS OR RESTRICTIONS OF SUCH PREFERENCES AND/OR RIGHTS, AND THE VARIATIONS IN RIGHTS, PREFERENCES AND LIMITATIONS DETERMINED FOR EACH SERIES WHICH ARE FIXED BY THE CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF THE COMPANY AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO DETERMINE VARIATIONS FOR FUTURE SERIES. SUCH REQUEST MAY BE MADE TO THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY OR TO THE TRANSFER AGENT.

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

 

TEN COM

—

as tenants in common

UNIF GIFT MIN ACT

—

Custodian

TEN ENT

—

as tenants by the entireties

(Cust)

(Minor)

JT TEN

—

as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common

under Uniform Gifts to Minors

Act

(State)

Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

For value received,                                          hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

 

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE

 

 

(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)

 

 

 

 

 

		shares
represented by the within Certificate, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint

 

		, attorney
to transfer the said shares on the books of the within named Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

Dated

 

		NOTICE:		THE SIGNATURE TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER.

 

Signature(s) Guaranteed:

THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15.

Exhibit 4.3

THIS WARRANT AND THE SHARES ISSUABLE HEREUNDER HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “ACT”), OR ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 5 BELOW, MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION THEREOF UNDER THE ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, OR PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.

WARRANT TO PURCHASE STOCK

 

THIS WARRANT TO PURCHASE STOCK (THIS “WARRANT”) CERTIFIES THAT, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, COMERICA BANK, a Texas banking association, or its assignee (“Holder”), is entitled to purchase the number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of the class of securities (the “Shares”) of SERES HEALTH, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) at the initial exercise price per Share (the “Warrant Price”), all as set forth above and as adjusted from time to time pursuant to the terms of this Warrant, subject to the provisions and upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Warrant. This Warrant is issued in connection with that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as September 9, 2013, by and between COMERICA BANK (“Bank”) and the Company, as amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time (the “Loan Agreement”).

ARTICLE 1

EXERCISE

1.1 Method of Exercise. Holder may exercise this Warrant by a duly executed Notice of Exercise in substantially the form attached as Appendix I to the principal office of the Company (or such other appropriate location as Holder is so instructed by the Company). Holder shall also deliver to the Company a check, wire transfer (to an account designated by the Company) or other form of payment acceptable to the Company for the aggregate Warrant Price for the Shares being purchased.

1.2 [Intentionally Omitted.]

1.3 Delivery of Certificate and New Warrant. Within 30 days after Holder exercises this Warrant and the Company receives payment of the aggregate Warrant Price, the Company shall deliver to Holder certificates for the Shares acquired and, if this Warrant has not been fully exercised and has not expired, a new warrant representing the Shares not so acquired.

1.4 Replacement of Warrants. In the case of loss, theft or destruction of this Warrant, upon delivery of an indemnity agreement reasonably satisfactory in form and amount to the Company or, in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation of this Warrant, the Company at its expense shall execute and deliver, in lieu of this Warrant, a new warrant of like tenor.

1.5 Acquisition of the Company.

1.5.1 “Acquisition.” For the purpose of this Warrant, “Acquisition” means (a) any sale, lease, license, or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets (including intellectual property) of the Company by means of any transaction or series of related transactions, or (b) any reorganization, consolidation, acquisition, merger, sale of the voting securities of the Company or any other transaction or

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series of related transactions where the holders of the Company’s outstanding voting securities before the transaction or series of related transactions beneficially own less than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the surviving entity after the transaction or series of related transactions (other than as the result of a bona fide equity financing exclusively for capital raising purposes in which the Company sells and issues equity securities to venture capital investors and is the surviving and continuing entity in such transaction). For the sake of clarity, an Acquisition shall include the Parent Holding Company Acquisition, as that term is defined in the Loan Agreement.

1.5.2 Treatment of Warrant in the Event of an Acquisition. The Company shall give Holder written notice at least 20 days prior to the closing of any proposed Acquisition. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause (i) the acquirer of the Company, (ii) successor or surviving entity or (iii) parent entity in an Acquisition (the “Acquirer”) to assume this Warrant as a part of the Acquisition. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything else to the contrary herein, this Warrant shall be assumed by the Acquirer in any Parent Holding Company Acquisition.

(a) If the Acquirer assumes this Warrant, then this Warrant shall be exercisable for the same securities, cash, and property as would be payable for the Shares issuable upon exercise of the unexercised portion of this Warrant as if such Shares were outstanding on the record date for the Acquisition and subsequent closing of the Acquisition. The Warrant Price shall be adjusted accordingly, and the Warrant Price and number and class of Shares shall continue to be subject to adjustment from time to time in accordance with the provisions hereof.

(b) If the Acquirer refuses to assume this Warrant in connection with the Acquisition, the Company shall give Holder an additional written notice at least ten (10) days prior to the closing of the Acquisition of such fact (the “Non-Assumption Notice”). In such event, notwithstanding any other provision of this Warrant to the contrary, Holder may immediately exercise this Warrant in the manner specified in this Warrant with such exercise effective immediately prior to closing of the Acquisition. If the Company has provided a Non-Assumption Notice and Holder elects not to exercise this Warrant, then this Warrant will terminate immediately prior to the later of (1) five (5) business days after Holder’s receipt of the Non-Assumption Notice, and (2) the closing of the Acquisition. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Warrant to the contrary if the Acquirer refuses to assume this Warrant in connection with such Acquisition, other than in connection with an Excluded Acquisition (as defined below), then effective automatically as of the date that is ten (10) days prior to the closing of such Acquisition, Holder shall have the option to elect to put this Warrant to the Company for cash in an amount equal to (x) a per Share amount equal to the difference between the Acquisition consideration payable for one Share and the Warrant Price, times (y) the number of Shares for which this Warrant is then exercisable. Holder’s exercise of the put right may be conditioned on the closing of the Acquisition. As used herein, an “Excluded Acquisition” means, an Acquisition where the consideration that the holders of the Shares are entitled to receive on account of the Shares consists entirely of cash and/or shares of common stock that are publicly traded and listed on a national exchange and where the shares, if any, receivable by Holder of this Warrant were Holder to exercise this Warrant in full immediately prior to the closing of such Acquisition may be publicly re-sold by Holder in their entirety within the three (3) months following such closing pursuant to Rule 144 or an effective registration statement under the Act.

ARTICLE 2

ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SHARES

2.1 Stock Dividends, Etc. If the Company declares or pays a dividend on the Shares payable in additional Shares or other securities, then upon exercise of this Warrant, for each Share acquired, Holder shall receive, without cost to Holder, the total number and kind of securities to which Holder would have been entitled had Holder owned the Shares of record as of the date the dividend occurred.

2.2 Reclassification, Exchange or Substitution. Upon any reclassification, exchange, substitution, or other event that results in a change of the number and/or class of the securities issuable upon exercise or conversion

 

2

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of this Warrant, Holder shall be entitled to receive, upon exercise or conversion of this Warrant, the number and kind of securities and property that Holder would have received for the Shares if this Warrant had been exercised immediately before such reclassification, exchange, substitution, or other event. Such an event shall include any automatic conversion of the outstanding or issuable securities of the Company of the same class or series as the Shares to common stock pursuant to the terms of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation upon the closing of a registered public offering of the Company’s common stock. The Company or its successor shall promptly issue to Holder a new warrant for such new securities or other property. The new warrant shall provide for adjustments which shall be as nearly equivalent as may be practicable to the adjustments provided for in this Article 2 including, without limitation, adjustments to the Warrant Price, the number of securities or property issuable upon exercise of the new warrant and expiration date. The provisions of this Section 2.2 shall similarly apply to successive reclassifications, exchanges, substitutions, or other events.

2.3 Adjustments for Combinations, Etc. If the outstanding Shares are combined or consolidated, by reclassification, reverse split or otherwise, into a lesser number of Shares, the Warrant Price shall be proportionately increased and the Number of Shares issuable under this Warrant shall be proportionately decreased. If the outstanding Shares are subdivided, split or multiplied, by reclassification, a stock dividend resulting in the issuance of additional Shares or otherwise, into a greater number of Shares, the Warrant Price shall be proportionately decreased and the Number of Shares issuable under this Warrant shall be proportionately increased.

2.4 Adjustments for Diluting Issuances. In the event of the issuance by the Company, after the Issue Date of this Warrant, of securities at a price per share less than the Warrant Price that would trigger an anti-dilution adjustment with respect to the Shares in accordance with the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and that is not otherwise waived in accordance with the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation (a “Diluting Issuance”), then the number of shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be adjusted, if applicable, in accordance with those provisions of the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit B, which apply to Diluting Issuances as if the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant were outstanding on the date of such Diluting Issuance. The provisions set forth for the Shares in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation relating to the above in effect as of the Issue Date may not be amended, modified or waived, without the prior written consent of Holder unless such amendment, modification or waiver affects the rights associated with the Shares in the same manner as such amendment, modification or waiver affects the rights associated with all other shares of the same series and class as the Shares granted to Holder. Under no circumstances shall the aggregate Warrant Price payable by Holder upon exercise of this Warrant increase as a result of any adjustment arising from a Diluting Issuance. For the avoidance of doubt, there shall be no duplicate antidilution adjustment pursuant to this Section 2.4 and the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation.

2.5 No Impairment. The Company shall not, by amendment of its Certificate of Incorporation or through a reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue, or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms to be observed or performed under this Warrant by the Company, but shall at all times in good faith assist in carrying out all the provisions of this Article 2 and in taking all such action as may be necessary or appropriate to protect Holder’s rights under this Article 2 against impairment.

2.6 Certificate as to Adjustments. Upon each adjustment of the Warrant Price and/or the Number of Shares, the Company at its expense shall promptly compute such adjustment, and furnish Holder with a certificate signed by its Chief Financial Officer setting forth such adjustment and the facts upon which such adjustment is based. The Company shall, upon written request, furnish Holder a certificate setting forth the Warrant Price in effect upon the date thereof and the series of adjustments leading to such Warrant Price.

2.7 Fractional Shares. No fractional Shares shall be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant and the Number of Shares to be issued shall be rounded down to the nearest whole Share. If a fractional share interest arises upon any exercise of this Warrant, the Company shall eliminate such fractional share interest by paying Holder an amount computed by multiplying the fractional interest by the fair market value, as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors, of a full Share.

 

3

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ARTICLE 3

REPRESENTATIONS AND COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

3.1 Representations and Warranties. The Company hereby represents and warrants to, and agrees with, Holder as follows:

3.1.1 The initial Warrant Price referenced on the first page of this Warrant is not greater than the lowest price per share at which the Company has sold Shares as of the Issue Date.

3.1.2 All Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase right represented by this Warrant, and all securities, if any, issuable upon conversion of such Shares, shall, upon issuance, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and free of any liens and encumbrances except for restrictions on transfer provided for herein, under Section 2.12 of the Investors Rights Agreement (as defined below) or under applicable federal and state securities laws.

3.1.3 The Company’s capitalization table delivered to Holder as of the Issue Date is true and complete as of the Issue Date.

3.1.4 As of the Issue Date, the Number of Shares specified on the first page of this Warrant represents at least one-half of one percent (0.5%) of the outstanding equity securities of the Company, calculated on a fully-diluted basis (assuming the conversion of all outstanding convertible securities and the exercise of all outstanding options and warrants).

3.2 Notice of Certain Events. If the Company proposes at any time (a) to declare any dividend or distribution upon its stock, whether in cash, property, stock, or other securities and whether or not a regular cash dividend; (b) to offer for subscription pro rata to the holders of any class or series of its stock any additional shares of stock of any class or series or other rights; (c) to effect any reclassification or recapitalization of stock; or (d) to merge or consolidate with or into any other corporation, or sell, lease, license, or convey all or substantially all of its assets, or to liquidate, dissolve or wind up, then, in connection with each such event, the Company shall give Holder (1) at least 10 days prior written notice of the date on which a record will be taken for such dividend, distribution, or subscription rights (and specifying the date on which the holders of stock will be entitled thereto) or for determining rights to vote, if any, in respect of the matters referred to in (a) and (b) above; and (2) in the case of the matters referred to in (c) and (d) above at least 10 days prior written notice of the date when the same will take place (and specifying the date on which the holders of stock will be entitled to exchange their stock for securities or other property deliverable upon the occurrence of such event). Upon request, the Company shall provide Holder with such information reasonably necessary for Holder to evaluate its rights as a holder of this Warrant or Shares in the case of matters referred to (a), (b), (c) and (d) herein above.

3.3 Information Rights. So long as Holder holds this Warrant and/or any of the Shares, the Company shall deliver to Holder, upon Holder’s reasonable request (a) promptly after mailing, copies of all communications, information and/or communiqués to the stockholders of the Company, (b) within one hundred eighty (180) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, the annual audited financial statements of the Company certified by independent public accountants of recognized standing and (c) within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year, the Company’s quarterly, unaudited financial statements; provided, however, the Company shall not be required to provide the foregoing so long as it has similar reporting obligations under a loan and security agreement with Comerica Bank or following its initial public offering of equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Act. In addition, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, so long as Holder holds this Warrant and/or any of the Shares, the Company shall afford to Holder the same access to information concerning the Company and its business and financial condition as would be afforded to a holder of the class of Shares under applicable state law and/or any agreement with any holder of the class of Shares.

3.4 Registration Under the Act. The Company shall execute, and cause the requisite stockholders of the Company to execute, an amendment and joinder in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Amendment to IRA”) to that certain Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement by and among the Company and its investors dated as of November 27, 2012, as amended from time to time (the “Investors’ Rights Agreement”), a

 

4

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copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit C, and upon execution of the Amendment to IRA, the common stock of the Company issuable upon conversion of the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant, shall be deemed “Registrable Securities” and otherwise entitled to “piggy back” and “S-3” registration rights in accordance with the terms of the Investors’ Rights Agreement, as amended by the IRA Amendment. The Company agrees that no amendments, waivers or modifications will be made to the Investors’ Rights Agreement which would have an adverse impact on Holder’s registration rights under this provision unless such amendment, waiver or modification affects the rights associated with the Shares in the same manner as such amendment, modification, or waiver affects the rights associated with all other shares of the same series and class as the Shares granted to Holder.

ARTICLE 4

INVESTMENT REPRESENTATIONS AND COVENANTS

With respect to the acquisition of this Warrant and any of the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant, Holder hereby represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Company as follows:

4.1 Purchase Entirely for Own Account. This Warrant is issued to Holder in reliance upon Holder’s representation to the Company that this Warrant and the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (and the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of such Shares) will be acquired for investment for Holder’s, or its affiliate’s, own account, not as a nominee or agent, and not with a view to the resale or distribution of any part thereof other than to an affiliate, and that Holder has no present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing the same other than to an affiliate. By executing this Warrant, Holder further represents that Holder does not have any contract, undertaking, agreement or arrangement with any person, other than an affiliate, to sell, transfer or grant participations to such person or to any third person with respect to this Warrant, the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant or any shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of such Shares.

4.2 Reliance upon Holder’s Representations. Holder understands that this Warrant and the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant are not registered under the Act on the ground that the issuance of such securities is exempt from registration under the Act, and that the Company’s reliance on such exemption is predicated on Holder’s representations set forth herein.

4.3 Accredited Investor Status. Holder represents to the Company that Holder is an Accredited Investor (as defined in the Act).

4.4 Restricted Securities. Holder understands that this Warrant and the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant are “restricted securities” under the federal securities laws inasmuch as they are being acquired from the Company in a transaction not involving a public offering and that under such federal securities laws and applicable regulations such securities may be resold without registration under the Act only in certain limited circumstances.

ARTICLE 5

MISCELLANEOUS

5.1 Term; Exercise Upon Expiration. This Warrant is exercisable in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time on or before the Expiration Date set forth above; provided, however, that if the Company completes its initial public offering within the two-year period immediately prior to the Expiration Date, the Expiration Date shall automatically be extended until the earlier of: (a) the second anniversary of the effective date of the Company’s initial public offering, and (b) [August     ], 2025. The Company agrees that Holder may terminate this Warrant, upon notice to the Company, at any time in its sole discretion.

5.2 Legends. This Warrant and the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (and the securities issuable, directly or indirectly, upon conversion of such Shares, if any) shall be imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form:

THIS WARRANT AND THE SHARES ISSUABLE HEREUNDER HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE

 

5

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“ACT”), OR ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 5 BELOW, MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION THEREOF UNDER THE ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, OR PURSUANT TO RULE 144 OR AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.

5.3 Compliance with Securities Laws on Transfer. This Warrant and the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (and the securities issuable, directly or indirectly, upon conversion of such Shares, if any) may not be transferred or assigned in whole or in part without compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws by the transferor and the transferee. The Company shall not require Bank or a Bank Affiliate (as defined herein) to provide an opinion of counsel or investment representation letter if the transfer is to Bank’s parent company, Comerica Incorporated (“Comerica”), or any other affiliate of Bank (“Bank Affiliate”).

5.4 Transfer Procedure. After receipt of the executed Warrant, Bank will transfer all of this Warrant to Comerica Ventures Incorporated, a non-banking subsidiary of Comerica and a Bank Affiliate (“Ventures”). Subject to the provisions of Section 5.3, Holder may transfer all or part of this Warrant or the Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (or the securities issuable, directly or indirectly, upon conversion of such Shares, if any) by giving the Company notice of the portion of this Warrant being transferred setting forth the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the transferee and surrendering this Warrant to the Company for reissuance to the transferee(s) (and Holder, if applicable); provided, however, that Holder may transfer all or part of this Warrant to its affiliates, including, without limitation, Ventures, at any time without notice or the delivery of any other instrument to the Company, and such affiliate shall then be entitled to all the rights and subject to the obligations of Holder under this Warrant and any related agreements, and the Company shall cooperate fully in ensuring that any stock issued upon exercise of this Warrant is issued in the name of the affiliate that exercises this Warrant. The terms and conditions of this Warrant shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the Company and Holders hereof and their respective permitted successors and assigns. In addition, for the sake of clarity, pursuant to the Amendment to IRA, Ventures has agreed to be subject to the requirements of Section 2.12 of the Investors’ Rights Agreement.

5.5 Notices. All notices and other communications from the Company to Holder, or vice versa, shall be deemed delivered and effective when given personally or mailed by first-class registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, or sent via a nationally recognized overnight courier service, fee prepaid, or on the first business day after transmission by facsimile, at such address or facsimile number as may have been furnished to the Company or Holder, as the case may be, in writing by the Company or such Holder from time to time. Effective upon the receipt of executed Warrant and initial transfer described in Section 5.4 above, all notices to Holder shall be addressed as follows until the Company receives notice of a change of address in connection with a transfer or otherwise:

Comerica Ventures Incorporated

Attn: Warrant Administrator

1717 Main Street, 5^th Floor, MC 6406

Dallas, Texas 75201

Facsimile No.: (214) 462-4459

All notices to the Company shall be addressed as follows:

SERES HEALTH, INC.

161 First Street

Cambridge, MA 02142

Facsimile No.: (617) 868-1115

5.6 Amendments; Waiver. This Warrant and any term hereof may be amended, changed, waived, discharged or terminated only by an instrument in writing signed by the party against which enforcement of such amendment, change, waiver, discharge or termination is sought.

 

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5.7 Attorneys’ Fees. In the event of any dispute between the parties concerning the terms and provisions of this Warrant, the party prevailing in such dispute shall be entitled to collect from the other party all costs incurred in such dispute, including reasonable attorneys’ fees.

5.8 Governing Law. This Warrant shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to its principles regarding conflicts of law.

5.9 Confidentiality. The Company hereby agrees to keep the terms and conditions of this Warrant confidential provided that the Company may provide copies of this Warrant in connection with third party due diligence in equity financing and acquisition transactions provided that the recipient thereof agrees to keep the terms hereof confidential. Notwithstanding the foregoing confidentiality obligation, the Company may disclose information relating to this Warrant in a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or as required by law, rule, regulation, court order or other legal authority, provided that (i) the Company has given Holder at least ten (10) days’ notice of such required disclosure, and (ii) the Company only discloses information that is required, in the opinion of counsel reasonably satisfactory to Holder, to be disclosed.

5.10 Counterparts. This Warrant may be executed in counterparts, all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

[Remainder of Page Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties have caused this Warrant to be duly executed by its duly authorized officers as of the first date written above.

 

 

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APPENDIX I

NOTICE OF EXERCISE

1. The undersigned hereby elects to purchase                  shares of the                      stock of SERES HEALTH, INC. pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant, and tenders herewith payment of the purchase price of such shares in full.

2. Please issue a certificate or certificates representing said shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:

Comerica Ventures Incorporated

Attn: Warrant Administrator

1717 Main Street, 5^th Floor, MC 6406

Dallas, Texas 75201

Facsimile No. (214) 462-4459

3. The undersigned represents it is acquiring the shares solely for its own account and not as a nominee for any other party and not with a view toward the resale or distribution thereof except in compliance with applicable securities laws, and confirms the representations and warranties set forth in Article 4 of the attached Warrant.

 

COMERICA VENTURES INCORPORATED or Assignee

(Signature)

(Name and Title)

(Date)

 

Appendix I

Page 1

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Exhibit A

Form of Amendment to IRA

 

Exhibit A

Page 1

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AMENDMENT AND JOINDER

TO

AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTOR RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This AMENDMENT AND JOINDER TO AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) is made as of September         , 2013 (the “Amendment Date”) by and among Seres Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), Comerica Ventures Incorporated (“Comerica Ventures”), and certain other parties to that certain Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated as of November 27, 2012, by and among the Company and the parties listed on Schedule A thereto (the “Agreement”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, certain of the parties hereto are parties to the Agreement;

WHEREAS, Section 6.6 of the Agreement provides that the Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term may be waived, only upon the written consent of the Company and the holders of at least 50% of the Registrable Securities then outstanding;

WHEREAS, the undersigned Investors constitute holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Registrable Securities;

WHEREAS, the Company has entered into a Loan and Security Agreement by and between the Company and Comerica Bank (“Comerica Bank”) dated September         , 2013 pursuant to which the Company issued a warrant to Comerica Bank to purchase shares of the Company’s Series A-2 Preferred Stock (the “Warrant”);

WHEREAS, immediately following the issuance of the Warrant, Comerica Bank will assign the Warrant to Comerica Ventures;

WHEREAS, the Company and the undersigned believe that it is in the best interests of the parties to enter into this Amendment to join Comerica Ventures as party to the Agreement only with respect to the sections set forth in Section 1.2 below and amend the Agreement as provided herein; and

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the mutual agreements contained herein, the Company and the undersigned Investors, intending to be legally bound hereby, agree as follows:

1.1 Definitions; Construction. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement. References in the Agreement (including references to the Agreement as amended hereby) to “this Agreement” (and indirect references such as “hereunder”, “hereby”, “herein” and “hereof”) shall be deemed to be references to the Agreement as amended hereby.

1.2 Joinder of Party. Effective as of the date hereof, the parties hereto hereby agree that Comerica Ventures is joined as an “Investor” and a “Holder” under the Agreement only for purposes of Section 2.1(b), Section 2.2 through Section 2.13, and Section 6 (subject to the exceptions noted in Section 1.4 below).

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1.3 Amendment to Defined Terms. The parties hereto hereby agree that the definition of “Registrable Securities” shall be amended by deleting such definition in its entirety and inserting the following in lieu thereof:

““Registrable Securities” means (i) the Common Stock issuable or issued upon conversion of the Preferred Stock; (ii) any Common Stock, or any Common Stock issued or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise of any other securities of the Company, held by the Investors as of the date hereof or acquired by the Investors after the date hereof; (iii) any Common Stock issued as (or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any warrant, right, or other security that is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, or in exchange for or in replacement of, the shares referenced in clause (i) and (ii) above; and (iv) the Common Stock issued or issuable to Comerica Ventures Incorporated, its successors and assigns, upon conversion of shares of any securities of the Company (including without limitation Series A-2 Preferred Stock) issuable upon exercise of the warrant issued by the Company to Comerica Bank pursuant to that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of September         , 2013, between the Company and Comerica Bank, as may be amended and/or restated from time to time; excluding in all cases, however, any Registrable Securities sold by a Person in a transaction in which the applicable rights under this Agreement are not assigned pursuant to Subsection 6.1, and excluding for purposes of Section 2 any shares for which registration rights have terminated pursuant to Subsection 2.13 of this Agreement.”

1.4 Transfers. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Agreement, the parties hereby agree that Comerica Ventures, and its successors and assigns, may transfer and assign its rights under the Agreement (together with all related obligations): (a) to any transferee irrespective of the minimum share requirement set forth in clause (iii) of Section 6.1 of the Agreement, provided that such transfer is made in compliance with all other provisions of such Section 6.1; and (b) to any of its Affiliates, partners or stockholders without compliance with the notice and delivery requirements set forth in clauses (x) and (y) in the proviso at the end of the first sentence of Section 6.1 of the Agreement (but only to the extent such transferee remains bound by the restrictions and obligations of the transferor under the Agreement).

1.5 Miscellaneous. Except as specifically set forth herein, all of the terms and provisions of the Agreement shall remain unchanged, unmodified and in full force and effect, and the Agreement shall be read together and construed with this Amendment. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same amendatory instrument and any of the parties hereto may execute this Amendment by signing one counterpart. This Amendment, together with the Agreement as amended hereby, shall supersede and replace any prior agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT AND JOINDER TO

AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT AND JOINDER TO

AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT AND JOINDER TO

AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDMENT AND JOINDER TO

AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT

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Exhibit B

Anti-Dilution Provisions

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including all amendments thereto) – ATTACHED HERETO

 

Exhibit B

Page 1

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PAGE 1

Delaware

The First State

I, JEFFREY W. BULLOCK, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THE ATTACHED IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT OF “SERES HEALTH, INC.”, FILED IN THIS OFFICE ON THE NINTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, A. D. 2013, AT 3:44 O’CLOCK P.M.

A FILED COPY OF THIS CERTIFICATE HAS BEEN FORWARDED TO THE NEW CASTLE COUNTY RECORDER OF DEEDS.

 

4885861 8100				/s/ Jeffrey W. Bullock
131067809				Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secretary of State
You may verify this certificate online at corp.delaware.gov/authver.shtml				AUTHENTICATION: 0723599   DATE: 09-10-13

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State of Delaware Secretary of State Division of Corporations Delivered 04:00 PM 09/09/2013 FILED 03:44 PM 09/09/2013 SRV 131067809 - 4885861 FILE

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT

OF

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SERES HEALTH, INC.

(Pursuant to Section 242 of the

General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware)

Seres Health, Inc. (hereinafter called the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, does hereby certify as follows:

1. The Board of Directors of the Corporation duly adopted resolutions by written consent in lieu of a meeting in accordance with Sections 141(f) and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware setting forth an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation and declaring such amendment to be advisable. The stockholders of the Corporation duly approved such proposed amendment by written consent in accordance with Sections 228 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The resolution setting forth the amendment is as follows:

RESOLVED: That Article FOURTH of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation be amended by amending and restating the first sentence of such Article FOURTH in its entirety to read as follows:

“The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 36,306,272 shares, consisting of (i) 24,500,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), and (ii) 11,806,272 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”), of which 8,230,997 shares are hereby designated “Series A Preferred Stock” and 3,575,275 shares are hereby designated “Series A-2 Preferred Stock.””

2. This Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation has been duly adopted in accordance with Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation on this 9th day of September, 2013.

 

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PAGE 1

Delaware

The First State

I, JEFFREY W. BULLOCK, SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THE ATTACHED ARE TRUE AND CORRECT COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS FILED FROM AND INCLUDING THE RESTATED CERTIFICATE OR A MERGER WITH A RESTATED CERTIFICATE ATTACHED OF “SERES HEALTH, INC.” AS RECEIVED AND FILED IN THIS OFFICE.

THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN CERTIFIED:

RESTATED CERTIFICATE, FILED THE TWENTY–SIXTH DAY OF NOVEMBER, A.D. 2012, AT 1:41 O’CLOCK P.M.

 

4885861 8100X				/s/ Jeffrey W. Bullock
130944257				Jeffrey W. Bullock, Secretary of State
You may verify this certificate online at corp.delaware.gov/authver.shtml				AUTHENTICATION: 0632368   DATE: 08-01-13

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				State of Delaware Secretary of State Division of Corporations Delivered 01:47 PM 11/26/2012 FILED 01:41 PM 11/26/2012 SRV 121258510 - 4885861 FILE

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF

SERES HEALTH, INC.

(Pursuant to Sections 242 and 245 of the

General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware)

Seres Health, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “General Corporation Law”),

DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

1. That the name of this corporation is Seres Health, Inc., and that this corporation was originally incorporated pursuant to the General Corporation Law on October 18, 2010 under the name Newco LS21, Inc.

2. That the Board of Directors duly adopted resolutions proposing to amend and restate the Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation, declaring said amendment and restatement to be advisable and in the best interests of this corporation and its stockholders, and authorizing the appropriate officers of this corporation to solicit the consent of the stockholders therefor, which resolution setting forth the proposed amendment and restatement is as follows:

RESOLVED, that the Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation be amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:

FIRST: The name of this corporation is Seres Health, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

SECOND: The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle 19801. The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.

THIRD: The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law.

FOURTH: The total number of shares of all classes of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is (i) 21,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), and (ii) 10,478,189 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”), of which 8,230,997 shares are hereby designated “Series A Preferred Stock” and 2,247,192 shares are hereby designated “Series A-2 Preferred Stock.”

The following is a statement of the designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation.

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A. COMMON STOCK

1. General. The voting, dividend and liquidation rights of the holders of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of the holders of the Preferred Stock set forth herein.

2. Voting. The holders of the Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held at all meetings of stockholders (and written actions in lieu of meetings); provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation or pursuant to the General Corporation Law. The number of authorized shares of Common Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by (in addition to any vote of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock that may be required by the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation) the affirmative vote of the holders of shares of capital stock of the Corporation representing a majority of the votes represented by all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the General Corporation Law.

B. PREFERRED STOCK

The Series A Preferred Stock and the Series A-2 Preferred Stock shall have the following rights, preferences, powers, privileges and restrictions, qualifications and limitations. Unless otherwise indicated, references to “Sections” or “Subsections” in this Part B of this Article Fourth refer to sections and subsections of Part B of this Article Fourth.

1. Dividends.

From and after the date of the issuance of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, dividends at the rate per annum of eight percent (8%) of the Series A Original Purchase Price (as defined below) per share plus the amount of previously accrued dividends shall accrue on such shares of Series A Preferred Stock (the “Series A Accruing Dividends”). From and after the date of the issuance of any shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock, dividends at the rate per annum of eight percent (8%) of the Series A-2 Original Purchase Price (as defined below) per share plus the amount of previously accrued dividends shall accrue on such shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock (the “Series A-2 Accruing Dividends” and, together with the Series A Accruing Dividends, the “Accruing Dividends”). Accruing Dividends shall accrue from day to day, whether or not declared, and shall be cumulative; provided however, that except as set forth in the following sentence of this Section 1 or in Subsection 2.1 and Section 6, such Accruing Dividends shall be payable only when, as, and if declared by the Board of Directors and the Corporation shall be under no obligation to pay such Accruing Dividends. The Corporation shall not declare, pay or set aside any dividends on shares of any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation (other than dividends on shares of Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock) unless (in addition to the obtaining of any consents required elsewhere in the

 

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Certificate of Incorporation) the holders of the Preferred Stock then outstanding shall first receive, or simultaneously receive, a dividend on each outstanding share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock in an amount at least equal to the greater of (i) the amount of the aggregate Series A Accruing Dividends or Series A-2 Accruing Dividends, as the case may be, then accrued on the shares of the applicable series of Preferred Stock and not previously paid and (ii) (A) in the case of a dividend on Common Stock or any class or series that is convertible into Common Stock, that dividend per share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock as would equal the product of (1) the dividend payable on each share of such class or series determined, if applicable, as if all shares of such class or series had been converted into Common Stock and (2) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of a share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock, in each case calculated on the record date for determination of holders entitled to receive such dividend or (B) in the case of a dividend on any class or series that is not convertible into Common Stock, at a rate per share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock determined by (1) dividing the amount of the dividend payable on each share of such class or series of capital stock by the original issuance price of such class or series of capital stock (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to such class or series) and (2) multiplying such fraction by an amount equal to the Series A Original Issue Price (as defined below) or Series A-2 Original Issue Price (as defined below), as applicable; provided that, if the Corporation declares, pays or sets aside, on the same date, a dividend on shares of more than one class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, the dividend payable to the holders of Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 1 shall be calculated based upon the dividend on the class or series of capital stock that would result in the highest Preferred Stock dividend. The “Series A Original Issue Price” shall mean $0.79 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock. The “Series A-2 Original Issue Price” shall mean $1.78 per share, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Series A-2 Preferred Stock.

2. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up; Certain Mergers, Consolidations and Asset Sales.

2.1 Preferential Payments to Holders of Preferred Stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined below), the holders of shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding shall be entitled to be paid, on a pari passu basis, out of the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders before any payment shall be made to the holders of Common Stock by reason of their ownership thereof, an amount per share equal to (i) in the case of the Series A Preferred Stock, the greater of (A) the Series A Original Issue Price, plus any Series A Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid thereon and (B) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable pursuant to this clause (i) is hereinafter referred to as the “Series A Liquidation Amount”) and (ii) in the case of the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the greater of (A)

 

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the Series A-2 Original Issue Price, plus any Series A-2 Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid thereon and (B) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of Preferred Stock been converted into Common Stock pursuant to Section 4 immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding up or Deemed Liquidation Event (the amount payable pursuant to this clause (ii) is hereinafter referred to as the “Series A-2 Liquidation Amount”). If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event, the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders shall be insufficient to pay the holders of shares of Preferred Stock the full amount to which they shall be entitled under this Subsection 2.1, the holders of shares of Preferred Stock shall share ratably in any distribution of the assets available for distribution in proportion to the respective amounts which would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares held by them upon such distribution if all amounts payable on or with respect to such shares were paid in full.

2.2 Payments to Holders of Common Stock. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or Deemed Liquidation Event, after the payment of all preferential amounts required to be paid to the holders of shares of Preferred Stock, the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of shares of Common Stock, pro rata based on the number of shares held by each such holder.

2.3 Deemed Liquidation Events.

2.3.1 Definition. Each of the following events shall be considered a “Deemed Liquidation Event” unless the holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock elect otherwise by written notice sent to the Corporation at least ten (10) days prior to the effective date of any such event:

(a) a merger or consolidation in which

(i) the Corporation is a constituent party or

(ii) a subsidiary of the Corporation is a constituent party and the Corporation issues shares of its capital stock pursuant to such merger or consolidation,

except any such merger or consolidation involving the Corporation or a subsidiary in which the shares of capital stock of the Corporation outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continue to represent, or are converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock that represent, immediately following such merger or consolidation, a majority, by voting power, of the capital stock of (1) the surviving or resulting corporation or (2) if the surviving or resulting corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of another corporation immediately following such merger or consolidation, the parent corporation of such surviving or resulting corporation (provided that, for the purpose of this Subsection 2.3.1, all shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of Options (as defined below) outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation or upon conversion of Convertible Securities (as defined below) outstanding

 

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immediately prior to such merger or consolidation shall be deemed to be outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation and, if applicable, converted or exchanged in such merger or consolidation on the same terms as the actual outstanding shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged); or

(b) the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation of all or substantially all the assets of the Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or the sale or disposition (whether by merger or otherwise) of one or more subsidiaries of the Corporation if substantially all of the assets of the Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation.

2.3.2 Effecting a Deemed Liquidation Event.

(a) The Corporation shall not have the power to effect a Deemed Liquidation Event referred to in Subsection 2.3.1(a)(i) unless the agreement or plan of merger or consolidation for such transaction (the “Merger Agreement”) provides that the consideration payable to the stockholders of the Corporation shall be allocated among the holders of capital stock of the Corporation in accordance with Subsections 2.1 and 2.2.

(b) In the event of a Deemed Liquidation Event referred to in Subsection 2.3.1(a)(ii) or 2.3.1(b), if the Corporation does not effect a dissolution of the Corporation under the General Corporation Law within 90 days after such Deemed Liquidation Event, then (i) the Corporation shall send a written notice to each holder of Preferred Stock no later than the 90th day after the Deemed Liquidation Event advising such holders of their right (and the requirements to be met to secure such right) pursuant to the terms of the following clause (ii) to require the redemption of such shares of Preferred Stock, and (ii) if the holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock so request in a written instrument delivered to the Corporation not later than 120 days after such Deemed Liquidation Event, the Corporation shall use the consideration received by the Corporation for such Deemed Liquidation Event (net of any retained liabilities associated with the assets sold or technology licensed, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation), together with any other assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders (the “Available Proceeds”), to the extent legally available therefor, on the 150th day after such Deemed Liquidation Event, to redeem all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock at a price per share equal to, in the case of the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A Liquidation Amount and, in the case of the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Liquidation Amount. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a redemption pursuant to the preceding sentence, if the Available Proceeds are not sufficient to redeem all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall redeem a pro rata portion of each holder’s shares of Preferred Stock to the fullest extent of such Available Proceeds, based on the respective amounts which would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares to be redeemed if the Available Proceeds were sufficient to redeem all such shares, and shall redeem the remaining shares to have been redeemed as soon as practicable after the Corporation has funds legally available therefor. The provisions of Subsections 6.2 through 6.4 shall apply, with such necessary changes in the details thereof as are necessitated by the

 

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context, to the redemption of the Preferred Stock pursuant to this Subsection 2.3.2(b). Prior to the distribution or redemption provided for in this Subsection 2.3.2(b), the Corporation shall not expend or dissipate the consideration received for such Deemed Liquidation Event, except to discharge expenses incurred in connection with such Deemed Liquidation Event or in the ordinary course of business.

2.3.3 Amount Deemed Paid or Distributed. The amount deemed paid or distributed to the holders of capital stock of the Corporation upon any such merger, consolidation, sale, transfer, exclusive license, other disposition or redemption shall be the cash or the value of the property, rights or securities paid or distributed to such holders by the Corporation or the acquiring person, firm or other entity. The value of such property, rights or securities shall be determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director (as defined below).

2.3.4 Allocation of Escrow. In the event of a Deemed Liquidation Event pursuant to Subsection 2.3.1(a)(i), if any portion of the consideration payable to the stockholders of the Corporation is placed into escrow and/or is payable to the stockholders of the Corporation subject to contingencies, the Merger Agreement shall provide that (a) the portion of such consideration that is not placed in escrow and not subject to any contingencies (the “Initial Consideration”) shall be allocated among the holders of capital stock of the Corporation in accordance with Subsections 2.1 and 2.2 as if the Initial Consideration were the only consideration payable in connection with such Deemed Liquidation Event and (b) any additional consideration which becomes payable to the stockholders of the Corporation upon release from escrow or satisfaction of contingencies shall be allocated among the holders of capital stock of the Corporation in accordance with Subsections 2.1 and 2.2 after taking into account the previous payment of the Initial Consideration as part of the same transaction.

3. Voting.

3.1 General. On any matter presented to the stockholders of the Corporation for their action or consideration at any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation (or by written consent of stockholders in lieu of meeting), each holder of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to cast the number of votes equal to the number of whole shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Preferred Stock held by such holder are convertible as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote on such matter. Except as provided by law or by the other provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, holders of Preferred Stock shall vote together with the holders of Common Stock as a single class.

3.2 Election of Directors. The holders of record of the shares of Preferred Stock, exclusively and as a separate class, shall be entitled to elect one (1) director of the Corporation (the “Preferred Stock Director”) and the holders of record of the shares of Common Stock, exclusively and as a separate class, shall be entitled to elect one (1) director of the Corporation. Any director elected as provided in the preceding sentence may be removed without cause by, and only by, the affirmative vote of the holders of the shares of the class or series of capital stock entitled to elect such director or directors, given either at a special meeting of such stockholders duly called for that purpose or pursuant to a written consent of stockholders.

 

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If the holders of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock, as the case may be, fail to elect a sufficient number of directors to fill all directorships for which they are entitled to elect directors, voting exclusively and as a separate class, pursuant to the first sentence of this Subsection 3.2, then any directorship not so filled shall remain vacant until such time as the holders of the Preferred Stock or Common Stock, as the case may be, elect a person to fill such directorship by vote or written consent in lieu of a meeting; and no such directorship may be filled by stockholders of the Corporation other than by the stockholders of the Corporation that are entitled to elect a person to fill such directorship, voting exclusively and as a separate class. The holders of record of the shares of Common Stock and of any other class or series of voting stock (including the Series A Preferred Stock and the Series A-2 Preferred Stock), exclusively and voting together as a single class (on an as-converted to Common Stock basis), shall be entitled to elect the balance of the total number of directors of the Corporation. At any meeting held for the purpose of electing a director, the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the class or series entitled to elect such director shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of electing such director. Except as otherwise provided in this Subsection 3.2, a vacancy in any directorship filled by the holders of any class or series shall be filled only by vote or written consent in lieu of a meeting of the holders of such class or series or by any remaining director or directors elected by the holders of such class or series pursuant to this Subsection 3.2.

3.3 Preferred Stock Protective Provisions. At any time when shares of Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without (in addition to any other vote required by law or the Certificate of Incorporation) the written consent or affirmative vote of the holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, given in writing or by vote at a meeting, consenting or voting (as the case may be) separately as a class, and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent or vote shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect:

3.3.1 liquidate, dissolve or wind-up the business and affairs of the Corporation, effect any merger or consolidation or any other Deemed Liquidation Event, or consent to any of the foregoing;

3.3.2 amend, alter or repeal any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Corporation;

3.3.3 create, or authorize the creation of, or issue or obligate itself to issue shares of, any additional class or series of capital stock unless the same ranks junior to the Series A Preferred Stock and Series A-2 Preferred Stock with respect to the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends and rights of redemption, or increase or decrease the authorized number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, Series A-2 Preferred Stock or Preferred Stock or increase the authorized number of shares of any additional class or series of capital stock unless the same ranks junior to the Series A Preferred Stock and Series A-2 Preferred Stock with respect to the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends and rights of redemption;

 

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3.3.4 (i) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is pari passu with the Series A Preferred Stock or Series A-2 Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to the Series A Preferred Stock or Series A-2 Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege, or (ii) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Corporation that is junior to the Series A Preferred Stock or Series A-2 Preferred Stock in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption, if such reclassification, alteration or amendment would render such other security senior to or pari passu with the Series A Preferred Stock or Series A-2 Preferred Stock in respect of any such right, preference or privilege;

3.3.5 purchase or redeem (or permit any subsidiary to purchase or redeem) or pay or declare any dividend or make any distribution on, any shares of capital stock of the Corporation other than (i) redemptions of or dividends or distributions on the Preferred Stock as expressly authorized herein, (ii) dividends or other distributions payable on the Common Stock solely in the form of additional shares of Common Stock and (iii) repurchases of stock from former employees, officers, directors, consultants or other persons who performed services for the Corporation or any subsidiary in connection with the cessation of such employment or service at the lower of the original purchase price and the then-current fair market value thereof;

3.3.6 create, or authorize the creation of, or issue, or authorize the issuance of, any debt security or permit any subsidiary to take any such action with respect to any debt security unless such debt security has received the prior approval of the Board of Directors, including the approval of the Preferred Stock Director;

3.3.7 create, or hold capital stock in, any subsidiary that is not wholly owned (either directly or through one or more other subsidiaries) by the Corporation, or sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any capital stock of any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Corporation, or permit any direct or indirect subsidiary to sell, lease, transfer, exclusively license or otherwise dispose (in a single transaction or series of related transactions) of all or substantially all of the assets of such subsidiary; or

3.3.8 increase or decrease the authorized number of directors constituting the Board of Directors.

4. Optional Conversion.

The holders of the Preferred Stock shall have conversion rights as follows (the “Conversion Rights”):

4.1 Right to Convert.

4.1.1 Conversion Ratios.

 

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(a) Each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock as is determined by dividing the Series A Original Issue Price by the Series A Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The “Series A Conversion Price” shall initially be equal to $0.79. Such initial Series A Conversion Price, and the rate at which shares of Series A Preferred Stock may be converted into shares of Common Stock, shall be subject to adjustment as provided below.

(b) Each share of Series A-2 Preferred Stock shall be convertible, at the option of the holder thereof, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by the holder thereof, into such number of fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock as is determined by dividing the Series A-2 Original Issue Price by the Series A-2 Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The “Series A-2 Conversion Price” shall initially be equal to $1.78. Such initial Series A-2 Conversion Price, and the rate at which shares of Series A-2 Preferred Stock may be converted into shares of Common Stock, shall be subject to adjustment as provided below.

4.1.2 Termination of Conversion Rights. In the event of a notice of redemption of any shares of Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 6, the Conversion Rights of the shares designated for redemption shall terminate at the close of business on the last full day preceding the date fixed for redemption, unless the redemption price is not fully paid on such redemption date, in which case the Conversion Rights for such shares shall continue until such price is paid in full. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or a Deemed Liquidation Event, the Conversion Rights shall terminate at the close of business on the last full day preceding the date fixed for the payment of any such amounts distributable on such event to the holders of Preferred Stock.

4.2 Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon conversion of the Preferred Stock. In lieu of any fractional shares to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, the Corporation shall pay cash equal to such fraction multiplied by the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director. Whether or not fractional shares would be issuable upon such conversion shall be determined on the basis of the total number of shares of Preferred Stock the holder is at the time converting into Common Stock and the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion.

4.3 Mechanics of Conversion.

4.3.1 Notice of Conversion. In order for a holder of Preferred Stock to voluntarily convert shares of Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock, such holder shall surrender the certificate or certificates for such shares of Preferred Stock (or, if such registered holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate), at the office of the transfer agent for the Preferred Stock (or at

 

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the principal office of the Corporation if the Corporation serves as its own transfer agent), together with written notice that such holder elects to convert all or any number of the shares of the Preferred Stock represented by such certificate or certificates and, if applicable, any event on which such conversion is contingent. Such notice shall state such holder’s name or the names of the nominees in which such holder wishes the certificate or certificates for shares of Common Stock to be issued. If required by the Corporation, certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Corporation, duly executed by the registered holder or his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. The close of business on the date of receipt by the transfer agent (or by the Corporation if the Corporation serves as its own transfer agent) of such certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) and notice shall be the time of conversion (the “Conversion Time”), and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the shares represented by such certificate shall be deemed to be outstanding of record as of such date. The Corporation shall, as soon as practicable after the Conversion Time, (i) issue and deliver to such holder of Preferred Stock, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion in accordance with the provisions hereof and a certificate for the number (if any) of the shares of Preferred Stock represented by the surrendered certificate that were not converted into Common Stock, (ii) pay in cash such amount as provided in Subsection 4.2 in lieu of any fraction of a share of Common Stock otherwise issuable upon such conversion and (iii) pay all declared but unpaid dividends on the shares of Preferred Stock converted.

4.3.2 Reservation of Shares. The Corporation shall at all times when shares of Preferred Stock shall be outstanding, reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued capital stock, for the purpose of effecting the conversion of the Preferred Stock, such number of its duly authorized shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the conversion of all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock; and if at any time the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock shall not be sufficient to effect the conversion of all then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall take such corporate action as may be necessary to increase its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock to such number of shares as shall be sufficient for such purposes, including, without limitation, engaging in best efforts to obtain the requisite stockholder approval of any necessary amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation. Before taking any action which would cause an adjustment reducing the Series A Conversion Price or Series A-2 Conversion Price below the then par value of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock or the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, as the case may be, the Corporation will take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Corporation may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock at such adjusted Series A Conversion Price or Series A-2 Conversion Price.

4.3.3 Effect of Conversion. All shares of Preferred Stock which shall have been surrendered for conversion as herein provided shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately cease and terminate at the Conversion Time, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive shares of Common Stock in exchange therefor, to receive payment in lieu of any fraction of a share otherwise issuable upon such conversion as provided in Subsection 4.2 and to receive payment of any

 

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dividends declared but unpaid thereon. Any shares of Preferred Stock so converted shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of such series of Preferred Stock accordingly.

4.3.4 No Further Adjustment. Upon any such conversion, no adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price shall be made for any declared but unpaid dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock or the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, as the case may be, surrendered for conversion or on the Common Stock delivered upon conversion.

4.3.5 Taxes. The Corporation shall pay any and all issue and other similar taxes that may be payable in respect of any issuance or delivery of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of shares of Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 4. The Corporation shall not, however, be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of shares of Common Stock in a name other than that in which the shares of Preferred Stock so converted were registered, and no such issuance or delivery shall be made unless and until the person or entity requesting such issuance has paid to the Corporation the amount of any such tax or has established, to the satisfaction of the Corporation, that such tax has been paid.

4.4 Adjustments to Conversion Price for Diluting Issues.

4.4.1 Special Definitions. For purposes of this Article Fourth, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) “Option” shall mean rights, options or warrants to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire Common Stock or Convertible Securities.

(b) “Series A-2 Original Issue Date” shall mean the date on which the first share of Series A-2 Preferred Stock was issued.

(c) “Convertible Securities” shall mean any evidences of indebtedness, shares or other securities directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, but excluding Options.

(d) “Additional Shares of Common Stock” shall mean all shares of Common Stock issued (or, pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3 below, deemed to be issued) by the Corporation after the Series A-2 Original Issue Date, other than (1) the following shares of Common Stock and (2) shares of Common Stock deemed issued pursuant to the following Options and Convertible Securities (clauses (1) and (2), collectively, “Exempted Securities”):

 

(i)

shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued as a dividend or distribution on Preferred Stock;

 

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(ii)

shares of Common Stock, Options or Convertible Securities issued by reason of a dividend, stock split, split-up or other distribution on shares of Common Stock that is covered by Subsection 4.5, 4.6, 4.7 or 4.8;

 

(iii)

up to 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock or Options issued to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors to, the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to a plan, agreement or arrangement approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, or such greater number of shares of Common Stock or Options pursuant to a plan, agreement or arrangement to the extent approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director; or

 

(iv)

shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities actually issued upon the exercise of Options or shares of Common Stock actually issued upon the conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities, in each case provided such issuance is pursuant to the terms of such Option or Convertible Security.

4.4.2 No Adjustment of Conversion Price. No adjustment in the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price shall be made as the result of the issuance or deemed issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock if the Corporation receives written notice from the holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock agreeing that no such adjustment shall be made as the result of the issuance or deemed issuance of such Additional Shares of Common Stock.

4.4.3 Deemed Issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock.

(a) If the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series A-2 Original Issue Date shall issue any Options or Convertible Securities (excluding Options or Convertible Securities which are themselves Exempted Securities) or shall fix a record date for the determination of holders of any class of securities entitled to receive any such Options or Convertible Securities, then the maximum number of shares of Common Stock (as set forth in the instrument relating thereto, assuming the satisfaction of any conditions to exercisability, convertibility or exchangeability but without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or, in the case of Convertible Securities and Options therefor, the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, shall be deemed to be Additional Shares of Common Stock issued as of the time of such issue or, in case such a record date shall have been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date.

 

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(b) If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security, the issuance of which resulted in an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4, are revised as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment pursuant to the provisions of such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms pursuant to antidilution or similar provisions of such Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any such Option or Convertible Security or (2) any increase or decrease in the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, then, effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective, the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, computed upon the original issue of such Option or Convertible Security (or upon the occurrence of a record date with respect thereto) shall be readjusted to such Series A Conversion Price or Series A-2 Conversion Price as would have been obtained had such revised terms been in effect upon the original date of issuance of such Option or Convertible Security. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no readjustment pursuant to this clause (b) shall have the effect of increasing the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price to an amount which exceeds the lower of (i) the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, in effect immediately prior to the original adjustment made as a result of the issuance of such Option or Convertible Security and (ii) the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, that would have resulted from any issuances of Additional Shares of Common Stock (other than deemed issuances of Additional Shares of Common Stock as a result of the issuance of such Option or Convertible Security) between the original adjustment date and such readjustment date.

(c) If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security (excluding Options or Convertible Securities which are themselves Exempted Securities), the issuance of which did not result in an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4 (either because the consideration per share (determined pursuant to Subsection 4.4.5) of the Additional Shares of Common Stock subject thereto was equal to or greater than the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, then in effect, or because such Option or Convertible Security was issued before the Series A-2 Original Issue Date), are revised after the Series A-2 Original Issue Date as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment pursuant to the provisions of such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms pursuant to anti-dilution or similar provisions of such Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase in the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of any such Option or Convertible Security or (2) any decrease in the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion or exchange, then such Option or Convertible Security, as so amended or adjusted, and the Additional Shares of Common Stock subject thereto (determined in the manner provided in Subsection 4.4.3(a) shall be deemed to have been issued effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective.

 

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(d) Upon the expiration or termination of any unexercised Option or unconverted or unexchanged Convertible Security (or portion thereof) which resulted (either upon its original issuance or upon a revision of its terms) in an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4, the Series A Conversion Price and/or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, shall be readjusted to such Series A Conversion Price or Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, as would have been obtained had such Option or Convertible Security (or portion thereof) never been issued.

(e) If the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, is calculable at the time such Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended but is subject to adjustment based upon subsequent events, any adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price provided for in this Subsection 4.4.3 shall be effected at the time of such issuance or amendment based on such number of shares or amount of consideration without regard to any provisions for subsequent adjustments (and any subsequent adjustments shall be treated as provided in clauses (b) and (c) of this Subsection 4.4.3). If the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Corporation upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, cannot be calculated at all at the time such Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended, any adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price that would result under the terms of this Subsection 4.4.3 at the time of such issuance or amendment shall instead be effected at the time such number of shares and/or amount of consideration is first calculable (even if subject to subsequent adjustments), assuming for purposes of calculating such adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price that such issuance or amendment took place at the time such calculation can first be made.

4.4.4 Adjustment of Conversion Price Upon Issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock. In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Series A-2 Original Issue Date issue Additional Shares of Common Stock (including Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3), without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the Series A Conversion Price and/or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, each as in effect immediately prior to such issue, then the Series A Conversion Price and/or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, shall be reduced, concurrently with such issue, to a price (calculated to the nearest one-hundredth of a cent) determined in accordance with the following formula:

CP2 = CP1* (A + B) ÷ (A + C).

 

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For purposes of the foregoing formula, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) “CP₂” shall mean (1) in the case of an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A Conversion Price in effect immediately after such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock and (2) in the case of an adjustment to the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price in effect immediately after such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock;

(b) “CP₁” shall mean (1) in the case of an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price, the Series A Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock and (2) in the case of an adjustment to the Series A-2 Conversion Price, the Series A-2 Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock;

(c) “A” shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such issue of Additional Shares of Common Stock (treating for this purpose as outstanding all shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of Options outstanding immediately prior to such issue or upon conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities (including the Preferred Stock) outstanding (assuming exercise of any outstanding Options therefor) immediately prior to such issue);

(d) “B” shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued if such Additional Shares of Common Stock had been issued at a price per share equal to CP₁ (determined by dividing the aggregate consideration received by the Corporation in respect of such issue by CP₁); and

(e) “C” shall mean the number of such Additional Shares of Common Stock issued in such transaction.

4.4.5 Determination of Consideration. For purposes of this Subsection 4.4, the consideration received by the Corporation for the issue of any Additional Shares of Common Stock shall be computed as follows:

(a) Cash and Property: Such consideration shall:

 

(i)

insofar as it consists of cash, be computed at the aggregate amount of cash received by the Corporation, excluding amounts paid or payable for accrued interest;

 

(ii)

insofar as it consists of property other than cash, be computed at the fair market value thereof at the time of such issue, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director; and

 

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(iii)

in the event Additional Shares of Common Stock are issued together with other shares or securities or other assets of the Corporation for consideration which covers both, be the proportion of such consideration so received, computed as provided in clauses (i) and (ii) above, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director.

(b) Options and Convertible Securities. The consideration per share received by the Corporation for Additional Shares of Common Stock deemed to have been issued pursuant to Subsection 4.4.3, relating to Options and Convertible Securities, shall be determined by dividing

 

(i)

the total amount, if any, received or receivable by the Corporation as consideration for the issue of such Options or Convertible Securities, plus the minimum aggregate amount of additional consideration (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such consideration) payable to the Corporation upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, by

 

(ii)

the maximum number of shares of Common Stock (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities.

 

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4.4.6 Multiple Closing Dates. In the event the Corporation shall issue on more than one date Additional Shares of Common Stock that are a part of one transaction or a series of related transactions and that would result in an adjustment to the Series A Conversion Price and/or the Series A-2 Conversion Price pursuant to the terms of Subsection 4.4.4, and such issuance dates occur within a period of no more than 90 days from the first such issuance to the final such issuance, then, upon the final such issuance, the Series A Conversion Price and/or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, shall be readjusted to give effect to all such issuances as if they occurred on the date of the first such issuance (and without giving effect to any additional adjustments as a result of any such subsequent issuances within such period).

4.5 Adjustment for Stock Splits and Combinations. If the Corporation shall at any time or from time to time after the Series A-2 Original Issue Date effect a subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock, the Series A Conversion Price and the Series A-2 Conversion Price, each as in effect immediately before such subdivision, shall be proportionately decreased so that the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on conversion of each share of such series shall be increased in proportion to such increase in the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. If the Corporation shall at any time or from time to time after the Series A-2 Original Issue Date combine the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Series A Conversion Price and the Series A-2 Conversion Price, each as in effect immediately before such combination, shall be proportionately increased so that the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on conversion of each share of such series shall be decreased in proportion to such decrease in the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Any adjustment under this subsection shall become effective at the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective.

4.6 Adjustment for Certain Dividends and Distributions. In the event the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series A-2 Original Issue Date shall make or issue, or fix a record date for the determination of holders of Common Stock entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable on the Common Stock in additional shares of Common Stock, then and in each such event the Series A Conversion Price and the Series A-2 Conversion Price, each as in effect immediately before such event, shall be decreased as of the time of such issuance or, in the event such a record date shall have been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date, by multiplying the Series A Conversion Price and the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, then in effect by a fraction:

(1) the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date, and

(2) the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable in payment of such dividend or distribution.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) if such record date shall have been fixed and such dividend is not fully paid or if such distribution is not fully made on the date fixed therefor, the Series A Conversion Price and the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the Series A Conversion Price and the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, shall be adjusted pursuant to this subsection as of the time of actual payment of such dividends or distributions; and (b) no such adjustment shall be made with respect to the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price if the holders of the applicable series of Preferred Stock simultaneously receive a dividend or other distribution of shares of Common Stock in a number equal to the number of shares of Common Stock as they would have received if all outstanding shares of the applicable series of Preferred Stock had been converted into Common Stock on the date of such event.

4.7 Adjustments for Other Dividends and Distributions. In the event the Corporation at any time or from time to time after the Series A-2 Original Issue Date shall make or issue, or fix a record date for the determination of holders of Common Stock entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable in securities of the Corporation (other than a distribution of shares of Common Stock in respect of outstanding shares of Common Stock) or in other property and the provisions of Section 1 do not apply to such dividend or distribution, then and in each such event the holders of Preferred Stock shall receive, simultaneously with the distribution to the holders of Common Stock, a dividend or other distribution of such securities or other property in an amount equal to the amount of such securities or other property as they would have received if all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock had been converted into Common Stock on the date of such event.

4.8 Adjustment for Merger or Reorganization, etc. Subject to the provisions of Subsection 2.3, if there shall occur any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger involving the Corporation in which the Common Stock (but not the Preferred Stock) is converted into or exchanged for securities, cash or other property (other than a transaction covered by Subsections 4.5, 4.6 or 4.7), then, following any such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger, each share of Preferred Stock shall thereafter be convertible in lieu of the Common Stock into which it was convertible prior to such event into the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property which a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock of the Corporation issuable upon conversion of one share of the applicable series of Preferred Stock immediately prior to such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or merger would have been entitled to receive pursuant to such transaction; and, in such case, appropriate adjustment (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, including the Preferred Stock Director) shall be made in the application of the provisions in this Section 4 with respect to the rights and interests thereafter of the holders of the applicable series of Preferred Stock, to the end that the provisions set forth in this Section 4 (including provisions with respect to changes in and other adjustments of the Series A Conversion Price or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be) shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to any securities or other property thereafter deliverable upon the conversion of the applicable series of Preferred Stock.

 

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4.9 Certificate as to Adjustments. Upon the occurrence of each adjustment or readjustment of the Series A Conversion Price and/or the Series A-2 Conversion Price pursuant to this Section 4, the Corporation at its expense shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable, compute such adjustment or readjustment in accordance with the terms hereof and furnish to each holder of the applicable series of Preferred Stock a certificate setting forth such adjustment or readjustment (including the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property into which the applicable series of Preferred Stock is convertible) and showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment or readjustment is based. The Corporation shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable after the written request at any time of any holder of Preferred Stock, furnish or cause to be furnished to such holder a certificate setting forth (i) the Series A Conversion Price and/or the Series A-2 Conversion Price, as the case may be, then in effect and (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock and the amount, if any, of other securities, cash or property which then would be received upon the conversion of the applicable series of Preferred Stock.

4.10 Notice of Record Date. In the event:

(a) the Corporation shall take a record of the holders of its Common Stock (or other capital stock or securities at the time issuable upon conversion of the Preferred Stock) for the purpose of entitling or enabling them to receive any dividend or other distribution, or to receive any right to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or any other securities, or to receive any other security; or

(b) of any capital reorganization of the Corporation, any reclassification of the Common Stock of the Corporation, or any Deemed Liquidation Event; or

(c) of the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Corporation,

then, and in each such case, the Corporation will send or cause to be sent to the holders of the Preferred Stock a notice specifying, as the case may be, (i) the record date for such dividend, distribution or right, and the amount and character of such dividend, distribution or right, or (ii) the effective date on which such reorganization, reclassification, consolidation, merger, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is proposed to take place, and the time, if any is to be fixed, as of which the holders of record of Common Stock (or such other capital stock or securities at the time issuable upon the conversion of the Preferred Stock) shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock (or such other capital stock or securities) for securities or other property deliverable upon such reorganization, reclassification, consolidation, merger, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up, and the amount per share and character of such exchange applicable to the Preferred Stock and the Common Stock. Such notice shall be sent at least 10 days prior to the record date or effective date for the event specified in such notice.

5. Mandatory Conversion.

5.1 Trigger Events. Upon either (a) the closing of the sale of shares of Common Stock to the public at a price of at least $5.34 per share (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Common Stock), in a firm-commitment underwritten public

 

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offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, resulting in at least $35,000,000 of gross proceeds to the Corporation or (b) the date and time, or the occurrence of an event, specified by vote or written consent of the holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock (the time of such closing or the date and time specified or the time of the event specified in such vote or written consent is referred to herein as the “Mandatory Conversion Time”), (i) all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock shall automatically be converted into shares of Common Stock, at the then effective conversion rate and (ii) such shares may not be reissued by the Corporation.

5.2 Procedural Requirements. All holders of record of shares of Preferred Stock shall be sent written notice of the Mandatory Conversion Time and the place designated for mandatory conversion of all such shares of Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 5. Such notice need not be sent in advance of the occurrence of the Mandatory Conversion Time. Upon receipt of such notice, each holder of shares of Preferred Stock shall surrender his, her or its certificate or certificates for all such shares (or, if such holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Corporation at the place designated in such notice. If so required by the Corporation, certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Corporation, duly executed by the registered holder or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. All rights with respect to the Preferred Stock converted pursuant to Subsection 5.1, including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common Stock), will terminate at the Mandatory Conversion Time (notwithstanding the failure of the holder or holders thereof to surrender the certificates at or prior to such time), except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of their certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) therefor, to receive the items provided for in the next sentence of this Subsection 5.2. As soon as practicable after the Mandatory Conversion Time and the surrender of the certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) for Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall issue and deliver to such holder, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of Common Stock issuable on such conversion in accordance with the provisions hereof, together with cash as provided in Subsection 4.2 in lieu of any fraction of a share of Common Stock otherwise issuable upon such conversion and the payment of any declared but unpaid dividends on the shares of Preferred Stock converted. Such converted Preferred Stock shall be retired and cancelled and may not be reissued as shares of such series, and the Corporation may thereafter take such appropriate action (without the need for stockholder action) as may be necessary to reduce the authorized number of shares of each applicable series of Preferred Stock accordingly.

6. Redemption.

6.1 Redemption Shares. Shares of Preferred Stock shall be redeemed by the Corporation out of funds lawfully available therefor at a price equal to (a) in the case of the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series A Original Issue Price per share, plus any Series A Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other

 

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dividends declared but unpaid thereon (the “Series A Redemption Price”), and (b) in the case of the Series A-2 Preferred Stock, the Series A-2 Original Issue Price per share, plus any Series A-2 Accruing Dividends accrued but unpaid thereon, whether or not declared, together with any other dividends declared but unpaid thereon (the “Series A-2 Redemption Price”), in three annual installments commencing not more than 60 days after receipt by the Corporation at any time after June 1, 2017 from the holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the then outstanding shares of Preferred Stock of written notice requesting redemption of all shares of Preferred Stock (the “Redemption Request”). Upon receipt of a Redemption Request, the Corporation shall apply all of its assets to any such redemption, and to no other corporate purpose, except to the extent prohibited by Delaware law governing distributions to stockholders. The date of each such installment shall be referred to as a “Redemption Date”. On each Redemption Date, the Corporation shall redeem, on a pro rata basis in accordance with the number of shares of Preferred Stock owned by each holder, that number of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock determined by dividing (i) the total number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding immediately prior to such Redemption Date by (ii) the number of remaining Redemption Dates (including the Redemption Date to which such calculation applies). If the Corporation does not have sufficient funds legally available to redeem on any Redemption Date all shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed on such Redemption Date, the Corporation shall redeem a pro rata portion of each holder’s redeemable shares of such capital stock out of funds legally available therefor, based on the respective amounts which would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares to be redeemed if the legally available funds were sufficient to redeem all such shares, and shall redeem the remaining shares to have been redeemed immediately after the Corporation has funds legally available therefor. The shares of Preferred Stock not redeemed shall remain outstanding and entitled to all the rights and preferences provided herein.

6.2 Redemption Notice. The Corporation shall send written notice of the mandatory redemption (the “Redemption Notice”) to each holder of record of Preferred Stock not less than 40 days prior to each Redemption Date. Each Redemption Notice shall state:

(a) the number of shares of each series of Preferred Stock held by the holder that the Corporation shall redeem on the Redemption Date specified in the Redemption Notice;

(b) the Redemption Date, the Series A Redemption Price and the Series A-2 Redemption Price;

(c) the date upon which the holder’s right to convert such shares terminates (as determined in accordance with Subsection 4.1); and

(d) that the holder is to surrender to the Corporation, in the manner and at the place designated, his, her or its certificate or certificates representing the shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed.

 

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6.3 Surrender of Certificates; Payment. On or before the applicable Redemption Date, each holder of shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed on such Redemption Date, unless such holder has exercised his, her or its right to convert such shares as provided in Section 4, shall surrender the certificate or certificates representing such shares (or, if such registered holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Corporation to indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against the Corporation on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Corporation, in the manner and at the place designated in the Redemption Notice, and thereupon the Series A Redemption Price and/or the Series A-2 Redemption Price, as the case may be, for such shares shall be payable to the order of the person whose name appears on such certificate or certificates as the owner thereof. In the event less than all of the shares of Preferred Stock represented by a certificate are redeemed, a new certificate representing the unredeemed shares of Preferred Stock shall promptly be issued to such holder.

6.4 Rights Subsequent to Redemption. If the Redemption Notice shall have been duly given, and if on the applicable Redemption Date the Series A Redemption Price and/or Series A-2 Redemption Price, as the case may be, payable upon redemption of the shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed on such Redemption Date is paid or tendered for payment or deposited with an independent payment agent so as to be available therefor in a timely manner, then notwithstanding that the certificates evidencing any of the shares of Preferred Stock so called for redemption shall not have been surrendered, dividends with respect to such shares of Preferred Stock shall cease to accrue after such Redemption Date and all rights with respect to such shares shall forthwith after the Redemption Date terminate, except only the right of the holders to receive the Series A Redemption Price and/or the Series A-2 Redemption Price, as the case may be, without interest upon surrender of their certificate or certificates therefor.

7. Redeemed or Otherwise Acquired Shares. Any shares of Preferred Stock that are redeemed or otherwise acquired by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries shall be automatically and immediately cancelled and retired and shall not be reissued, sold or transferred. Neither the Corporation nor any of its subsidiaries may exercise any voting or other rights granted to the holders of Preferred Stock following redemption.

8. Waiver. Unless a different vote is specified in the Certificate of Incorporation, any of the rights, powers, preferences and other terms of the Preferred Stock set forth herein may be waived, either prospectively or retrospectively, on behalf of all holders of Preferred Stock by the affirmative written consent or vote of the holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding.

9. Notices. Any notice required or permitted by the provisions of this Article Fourth to be given to a holder of shares of Preferred Stock shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the post office address last shown on the records of the Corporation, or given by electronic communication in compliance with the provisions of the General Corporation Law, and shall be deemed sent upon such mailing or electronic transmission.

FIFTH: Subject to any additional vote required by the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, in furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, repeal, alter, amend and rescind any or all of the Bylaws of the Corporation.

 

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SIXTH: Subject to any additional vote required by the Certificate of Incorporation, the number of directors of the Corporation shall be determined in the manner set forth in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

SEVENTH: Elections of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation shall so provide.

EIGHTH: Meetings of stockholders may be held within or without the State of Delaware, as the Bylaws of the Corporation may provide. The books of the Corporation may be kept outside the State of Delaware at such place or places as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

NINTH: To the fullest extent permitted by law, 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. If the General Corporation Law or any other law of the State of Delaware is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article Ninth to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law as so amended.

Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article Ninth by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of, or increase the liability of any director of the Corporation with respect to any acts or omissions of such director occurring prior to, such repeal or modification.

TENTH: The Corporation renounces any interest or expectancy of the Corporation in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, any Excluded Opportunity. An “Excluded Opportunity” is any matter, transaction or interest that is presented to, or acquired, created or developed by, or which otherwise comes into the possession of, (i) any director of the Corporation who is not an employee of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, or (ii) any holder of Preferred Stock or any partner, member, director, stockholder, employee or agent of any such holder, other than someone who is an employee of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, “Covered Persons”), unless such matter, transaction or interest is presented to, or acquired, created or developed by, or otherwise comes into the possession of, a Covered Person expressly and solely in such Covered Person’s capacity as a director of the Corporation.

ELEVENTH: The following indemnification provisions shall apply to the persons enumerated below.

1. Right to Indemnification of Directors and Officers. The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any person (an “Indemnified Person”) who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”), by reason of the fact

 

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that such person, or a person for whom such person is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Person in such Proceeding. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 3 of this Article Eleventh, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify an Indemnified Person in connection with a Proceeding (or part thereof) commenced by such Indemnified Person only if the commencement of such Proceeding (or part thereof) by the Indemnified Person was authorized in advance by the Board of Directors.

2. Prepayment of Expenses of Directors and Officers. The Corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an Indemnified Person in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that, to the extent required by law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the Indemnified Person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article Eleventh or otherwise.

3. Claims by Directors and Officers. If a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Article Eleventh is not paid in full within 30 days after a written claim therefor by the Indemnified Person has been received by the Corporation, the Indemnified Person may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim. In any such action the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.

4. Indemnification of Employees and Agents. The Corporation may indemnify and advance expenses to any person who was or is made or is threatened to be made or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding by reason of the fact that such person, or a person for whom such person is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation or, while an employee or agent of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorney’s fees) reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such Proceeding. The ultimate determination of entitlement to indemnification of persons who are non-director or officer employees or agents shall be made in such manner as is determined by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the Corporation shall not be required to indemnify a person in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such person if the Proceeding was not authorized in advance by the Board of Directors.

 

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5. Advancement of Expenses of Employees and Agents. The Corporation may pay the expenses (including attorney’s fees) incurred by an employee or agent in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Board of Directors.

6. Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Article Eleventh shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the certificate of incorporation, these by-laws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

7. Other Indemnification. The Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer or employee of another Corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, organization or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification from such other Corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, organization or other enterprise.

8. Insurance. The Board of Directors may, to the full extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists, or may hereafter be amended from time to time, authorize an appropriate officer or officers to purchase and maintain at the Corporation’s expense insurance: (a) to indemnify the Corporation for any obligation which it incurs as a result of the indemnification of directors, officers and employees under the provisions of this Article Eleventh; and (b) to indemnify or insure directors, officers and employees against liability in instances in which they may not otherwise be indemnified by the Corporation under the provisions of this Article Eleventh.

9. Amendment or Repeal. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article Eleventh shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification. The rights provided hereunder shall inure to the benefit of any Indemnified Person and such person’s heirs, executors and administrators.

* * *

3. That the foregoing amendment and restatement was approved by the holders of the requisite number of shares of this corporation in accordance with Section 228 of the General Corporation Law.

4. That this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which restates and integrates and further amends the provisions of this corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation, has been duly adopted in accordance with Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation has been executed by a duly authorized officer of this corporation on this 26th day of November, 2012.

 

 

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Exhibit C

Registration Rights

Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement (including all amendments thereto) – ATTACHED HERETO

 

Exhibit C

Page 1

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SERES HEALTH, INC.

AMENDED AND RESTATED

INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT

November 27, 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

						Page
1.		Definitions					1
2.		Registration Rights					4
		2.1		Demand Registration			4
		2.2		Company Registration			6
		2.3		Underwriting Requirements			6
		2.4		Obligations of the Company			7
		2.5		Furnish Information			9
		2.6		Expenses of Registration			9
		2.7		Delay of Registration			9
		2.8		Indemnification			10
		2.9		Reports Under Exchange Act			12
		2.10		Limitations on Subsequent Registration Rights			12
		2.11		“Market Stand off” Agreement			13
		2.12		Restrictions on Transfer			13
		2.13		Termination of Registration Rights			14
3.		Information Rights					15
		3.1		Delivery of Financial Statements			15
		3.2		Inspection			16
		3.3		Termination of Information Rights			17
		3.4		Confidentiality			17
4.		Rights to Future Stock Issuances					17
		4.1		Right of First Offer			17
		4.2		Termination			18
5.		Additional Covenants					18
		5.1		Insurance			18
		5.2		Employee Agreements			19
		5.3		Employee Stock			19
		5.4		Qualified Small Business Stock			19
		5.5		Matters Requiring Investor Director Approval			20
		5.6		Board Matters			21
		5.7		Successor Indemnification			21
		5.8		Termination of Covenants			21
6.		Miscellaneous					21
		6.1		Successors and Assigns			21
		6.2		Governing Law			22
		6.3		Counterparts			22
		6.4		Titles and Subtitles			22
		6.5		Notices			22

 

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		6.6		Amendments and Waivers			22
		6.7		Severability			23
		6.8		Aggregation of Stock			23
		6.9		Entire Agreement			23
		6.10		Dispute Resolution			23
		6.11		Delays or Omissions			24
		6.12		Further Assurances			24
		6.13		Acknowledgment			24

 

Schedule A		-		Schedule of Investors

 

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AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT is made as of the 27th day of November, 2012, by and among Seres Health, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the investors listed on Schedule A hereto, each of which is referred to in this Agreement as an “Investor.”

RECITALS

WHEREAS, certain of the Investors (the “Existing Investors”) possess registration rights, information rights, rights of first offer, and other rights pursuant to an Investors’ Rights Agreement dated as of June 1, 2012 between the Company and such Investors (the “Prior Agreement”);

WHEREAS, the Existing Investors desire to amend and restate the Prior Agreement in its entirety and to accept the rights created pursuant to this Agreement in lieu of the rights granted to them under the Prior Agreement; and

WHEREAS, certain of the Investors are parties to that certain Series A-2 Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement of even date herewith between the Company and the Investors (the “Purchase Agreement”), under which certain of the Company’s and such Investors’ obligations are conditioned upon the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and the Existing Investors hereby agree to amend and restate the Prior Agreement in its entirety as set forth herein, and all of the parties hereto further agree as follows:

1. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

1.1 “Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person who, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Person, including without limitation any general partner, managing member, officer or director of such Person or any venture capital fund now or hereafter existing that is controlled by one or more general partners or managing members of, or shares the same management company with, such Person.

1.2 “Common Stock” means shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share.

1.3 “Damages” means any loss, damage, or liability (joint or several) to which a party hereto may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state law, insofar as such loss, damage, or liability (or any action in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any registration statement of the Company, including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto; (ii) an omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein, or

 

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necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the indemnifying party (or any of its agents or Affiliates) of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities law, or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or any state securities law.

1.4 “Derivative Securities” means any securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for (in each case, directly or indirectly), Common Stock, including options and warrants.

1.5 “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

1.6 “Excluded Registration” means (i) a registration relating to the sale of securities to employees of the Company or a subsidiary pursuant to a stock option, stock purchase, or similar plan; (ii) a registration relating to an SEC Rule 145 transaction; (iii) a registration on any form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of the Registrable Securities; or (iv) a registration in which the only Common Stock being registered is Common Stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities that are also being registered.

1.7 “Form S-1” means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any successor registration form under the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC.

1.8 “Form S-3” means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any registration form under the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC that permits incorporation of substantial information by reference to other documents filed by the Company with the SEC.

1.9 “GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

1.10 “Holder” means any holder of Registrable Securities who is a party to this Agreement.

1.11 “Immediate Family Member” means a child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, of a natural person referred to herein.

1.12 “Initiating Holders” means, collectively, Holders who properly initiate a registration request under this Agreement.

1.13 “IPO” means the Company’s first underwritten public offering of its Common Stock under the Securities Act.

 

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1.14 “Key Employee” means any executive-level employee (including division director and vice president-level positions) as well as any employee who, either alone or in concert with others, develops, invents, programs, or designs any Company Intellectual Property (as defined in the Purchase Agreement).

1.15 “Major Investor” means any Investor that, individually or together with such Investor’s Affiliates, holds at least 281,000 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, combination, or other recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof).

1.16 “New Securities” means, collectively, equity securities of the Company, whether or not currently authorized, as well as rights, options, or warrants to purchase such equity securities, or securities of any type whatsoever that are, or may become, convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for such equity securities.

1.17 “Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company, association or other entity.

1.18 “Preferred Director” means any director of the Company that the holders of record of the Preferred Stock are entitled to elect pursuant to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation.

1.19 “Preferred Stock” means shares of Series A Preferred Stock and Series A-2 Preferred Stock.

1.20 “Registrable Securities” means (i) the Common Stock issuable or issued upon conversion of the Preferred Stock; (ii) any Common Stock, or any Common Stock issued or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise of any other securities of the Company, held by the Investors as of the date hereof or acquired by the Investors after the date hereof; and (iii) any Common Stock issued as (or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any warrant, right, or other security that is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, or in exchange for or in replacement of, the shares referenced in clause (i) and (ii) above; excluding in all cases, however, any Registrable Securities sold by a Person in a transaction in which the applicable rights under this Agreement are not assigned pursuant to Subsection 6.1, and excluding for purposes of Section 2 any shares for which registration rights have terminated pursuant to Subsection 2.13 of this Agreement.

1.21 “Registrable Securities then outstanding” means the number of shares determined by adding the number of shares of outstanding Common Stock that are Registrable Securities and the number of shares of Common Stock issuable (directly or indirectly) pursuant to then exercisable and/or convertible securities that are Registrable Securities.

1.22 “Restricted Securities” means the securities of the Company required to bear the legend set forth in Subsection 2.12(b) hereof.

1.23 “SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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1.24 “SEC Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.

1.25 “SEC Rule 145” means Rule 145 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.

1.26 “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

1.27 “Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts, selling commissions, and stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities, and fees and disbursements of counsel for any Holder, except for the fees and disbursements of the Selling Holder Counsel borne and paid by the Company as provided in Subsection 2.6.

1.28 “Series A Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share.

1.29 “Series A-2 Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series A-2 Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share.

2. Registration Rights. The Company covenants and agrees as follows:

2.1 Demand Registration.

(a) Form S-1 Demand. If at any time after the earlier of (i) five (5) years after the date of this Agreement or (ii) one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of the registration statement for the IPO, the Company receives a request from Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a Form S-1 registration statement for which the anticipated aggregate offering price would exceed $5,000,000, then the Company shall (i) within ten (10) days after the date such request is given, give notice thereof (the “Demand Notice”) to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (ii) as soon as practicable, and in any event within sixty (60) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-1 registration statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities that the Initiating Holders requested to be registered and any additional Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company within twenty (20)days of the date the Demand Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Subsection 2.1(c) and Subsection 2.3.

(b) Form S-3 Demand. If at any time when it is eligible to use a Form S-3 registration statement, the Company receives a request from Holders of at least twenty percent (20%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a Form S-3 registration statement with respect to outstanding Registrable Securities of such Holders having an anticipated aggregate offering price of at least $1,000,000, then the Company shall (i) within ten (10) days after the date such request is given, give a Demand Notice to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (ii) as soon as practicable, and in any event within forty-five (45) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-3 registration

 

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statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company within twenty (20) days of the date the Demand Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Subsection 2.1(c) and Subsection 2.3.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing obligations, if the Company furnishes to Holders requesting a registration pursuant to this Subsection 2.1 a certificate signed by the Company’s chief executive officer stating that in the good faith judgment of the Company’s Board of Directors it would be materially detrimental to the Company and its stockholders for such registration statement to either become effective or remain effective for as long as such registration statement otherwise would be required to remain effective, because such action would (i) materially interfere with a significant acquisition, corporate reorganization, or other similar transaction involving the Company; (ii) require premature disclosure of material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential; or (iii) render the Company unable to comply with requirements under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, then the Company shall have the right to defer taking action with respect to such filing, and any time periods with respect to filing or effectiveness thereof shall be tolled correspondingly, for a period of not more than ninety (90) days after the request of the Initiating Holders is given; provided, however, that the Company may not invoke this right more than once in any twelve (12) month period ; and provided further that the Company shall not register any securities for its own account or that of any other stockholder during such ninety (90) day period other than an Excluded Registration.

(d) The Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a) (i) during the period that is sixty (60) days before the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated registration, provided, that the Company is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; (ii) after the Company has effected two registrations pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a); or (iii) if the Initiating Holders propose to dispose of shares of Registrable Securities that may be immediately registered on Form S-3 pursuant to a request made pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b). The Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b) (i) during the period that is thirty (30) days before the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is ninety (90) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated registration, provided, that the Company is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; or (ii) if the Company has effected two registrations pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b) within the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the date of such request. A registration shall not be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d) until such time as the applicable registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC, unless the Initiating Holders withdraw their request for such registration, elect not to pay the registration expenses therefor, and forfeit their right to one demand registration statement pursuant to Subsection 2.6, in which case such withdrawn registration statement shall be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d).

 

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2.2 Company Registration If the Company proposes to register (including, for this purpose, a registration effected by the Company for stockholders other than the Holders) any of its securities under the Securities Act in connection with the public offering of such securities solely for cash (other than in an Excluded Registration), the Company shall, at such time, promptly give each Holder notice of such registration. Upon the request of each Holder given within twenty (20) days after such notice is given by the Company, the Company shall, subject to the provisions of Subsection 2.3, cause to be registered all of the Registrable Securities that each such Holder has requested to be included in such registration. The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this Subsection 2.2 before the effective date of such registration, whether or not any Holder has elected to include Registrable Securities in such registration. The expenses (other than Selling Expenses) of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Subsection 2.6.

2.3 Underwriting Requirements.

(a) If, pursuant to Subsection 2.1, the Initiating Holders intend to distribute the Registrable Securities covered by their request by means of an underwriting, they shall so advise the Company as a part of their request made pursuant to Subsection 2.1, and the Company shall include such information in the Demand Notice. The underwriter(s) will be selected by a majority in interest of the Initiating Holders, subject only to the reasonable approval of the Company. In such event, the right of any Holder to include such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All Holders proposing to distribute their securities through such underwriting shall (together with the Company as provided in Subsection 2.4(e)) enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter(s) selected for such underwriting. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Subsection 2.3, if the managing underwriter(s) advise(s) the Initiating Holders in writing that marketing factors require a limitation on the number of shares to be underwritten, then the Initiating Holders shall so advise all Holders of Registrable Securities that otherwise would be underwritten pursuant hereto, and the number of Registrable Securities that may be included in the underwriting shall be allocated among such Holders of Registrable Securities, including the Initiating Holders, in proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the number of Registrable Securities owned by each Holder or in such other proportion as shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling Holders; provided, however, that the number of Registrable Securities held by the Holders to be included in such underwriting shall not be reduced unless all other securities are first entirely excluded from the underwriting. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest 100 shares.

(b) In connection with any offering involving an underwriting of shares of the Company’s capital stock pursuant to Subsection 2.2, the Company shall not be required to include any of the Holders’ Registrable Securities in such underwriting unless the Holders accept the terms of the underwriting as agreed upon between the Company and its

 

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underwriters, and then only in such quantity as the underwriters in their sole discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of the offering by the Company. If the total number of securities, including Registrable Securities, requested by stockholders to be included in such offering exceeds the number of securities to be sold (other than by the Company) that the underwriters in their reasonable discretion determine is compatible with the success of the offering, then the Company shall be required to include in the offering only that number of such securities, including Registrable Securities, which the underwriters and the Company in their sole discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of the offering. If the underwriters determine that less than all of the Registrable Securities requested to be registered can be included in such offering, then the Registrable Securities that are included in such offering shall be allocated among the selling Holders in proportion (as nearly as practicable to) the number of Registrable Securities owned by each selling Holder or in such other proportions as shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling Holders. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest 100 shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall (i) the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced unless all other securities (other than securities to be sold by the Company) are first entirely excluded from the offering, and (ii) the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced below thirty percent (30%) of the total number of securities included in such offering, unless such offering is the IPO, in which case the selling Holders may be excluded further if the underwriters make the determination described above and no other stockholder’s securities are included in such offering. For purposes of the provision in this Subsection 2.3(b) concerning apportionment, for any selling Holder that is a partnership, limited liability company, or corporation, the partners, members, retired partners, retired members, stockholders, and Affiliates of such Holder, or the estates and Immediate Family Members of any such partners, retired partners, members, and retired members and any trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing Persons, shall be deemed to be a single “selling Holder,” and any pro rata reduction with respect to such “selling Holder” shall be based upon the aggregate number of Registrable Securities owned by all Persons included in such “selling Holder,” as defined in this sentence.

(c) For purposes of Section 2.1, a registration shall not be counted as “effected” if, as a result of an exercise of the underwriter’s cutback provisions in Section 2.3(a), fewer than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of Registrable Securities that Holders have requested to be included in such registration statement are actually included.

2.4 Obligations of the Company. Whenever required under this Section 2 to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities, the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:

(a) prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective and, upon the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities registered thereunder, keep such registration statement effective for a period of up to one hundred twenty (120) days or, if earlier, until the distribution contemplated in the registration statement has been completed; provided, however, that (i) such one hundred twenty (120) day period shall be extended for a period of time equal to the period the Holder

 

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refrains, at the request of an underwriter of Common Stock (or other securities) of the Company, from selling any securities included in such registration, and (ii) in the case of any registration of Registrable Securities on Form S-3 that are intended to be offered on a continuous or delayed basis, subject to compliance with applicable SEC rules, such one hundred twenty (120) day period shall be extended, if necessary, to keep the registration statement effective until all such Registrable Securities are sold;

(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to such registration statement, and the prospectus used in connection with such registration statement, as may be necessary to comply with the Securities Act in order to enable the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement;

(c) furnish to the selling Holders such numbers of copies of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, as required by the Securities Act, and such other documents as the Holders may reasonably request in order to facilitate their disposition of their Registrable Securities;

(d) use its commercially reasonable efforts to register and qualify the securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or blue-sky laws of such jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the selling Holders; provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify to do business or to file a general consent to service of process in any such states or jurisdictions, unless the Company is already subject to service in such jurisdiction and except as may be required by the Securities Act;

(e) in the event of any underwritten public offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the underwriter(s) of such offering;

(f) use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement to be listed on a national securities exchange or trading system and each securities exchange and trading system (if any) on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;

(g) provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Agreement and provide a CUSIP number for all such Registrable Securities, in each case not later than the effective date of such registration;

(h) promptly make available for inspection by the selling Holders, any managing underwriter(s) participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement, and any attorney or accountant or other agent retained by any such underwriter or selected by the selling Holders, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents, and properties of the Company, and cause the Company’s officers, directors, employees, and independent accountants to supply all information reasonably requested by any such seller, underwriter, attorney, accountant, or agent, in each case, as necessary or advisable to verify the accuracy of the information in such registration statement and to conduct appropriate due diligence in connection therewith;

 

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(i) notify each selling Holder, promptly after the Company receives notice thereof, of the time when such registration statement has been declared effective or a supplement to any prospectus forming a part of such registration statement has been filed; and

(j) after such registration statement becomes effective, notify each selling Holder of any request by the SEC that the Company amend or supplement such registration statement or prospectus.

In addition, the Company shall ensure that, at all times after any registration statement covering a public offering of securities of the Company under the Securities Act shall have become effective, its insider trading policy shall provide that the Company’s directors may implement a trading program under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act.

2.5 Furnish Information. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to this Section 2 with respect to the Registrable Securities of any selling Holder that such Holder shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as is reasonably required to effect the registration of such Holder’s Registrable Securities.

2.6 Expenses of Registration. All expenses (other than Selling Expenses) incurred in connection with registrations, filings, or qualifications pursuant to Section 2, including all registration, filing, and qualification fees; printers’ and accounting fees; fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company; and the reasonable fees and disbursements of one counsel for the selling Holders selected by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be registered (“Selling Holder Counsel”), shall be borne and paid by the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay for any expenses of any registration proceeding begun pursuant to Subsection 2.1 if the registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be registered (in which case all selling Holders shall bear such expenses pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities that were to be included in the withdrawn registration), unless the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities agree to forfeit their right to one registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a) or Subsection 2.1(b), as the case may be; provided further that if, at the time of such withdrawal, the Holders shall have learned of a material adverse change in the condition, business, or prospects of the Company from that known to the Holders at the time of their request and have withdrawn the request with reasonable promptness after learning of such information then the Holders shall not be required to pay any of such expenses and shall not forfeit their right to one registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a) or Subsection 2.1(b). All Selling Expenses relating to Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Section 2 shall be borne and paid by the Holders pro rata on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities registered on their behalf.

2.7 Delay of Registration. No Holder shall have any right to obtain or seek an injunction restraining or otherwise delaying any registration pursuant to this Agreement as the result of any controversy that might arise with respect to the interpretation or implementation of this Section 2.

 

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2.8 Indemnification. If any Registrable Securities are included in a registration statement under this Section 2:

(a) To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each selling Holder, and the partners, members, officers, directors, and stockholders of each such Holder; legal counsel and accountants for each such Holder; any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act) for each such Holder; and each Person, if any, who controls such Holder or underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any Damages, and the Company will pay to each such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Subsection 2.8(a) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, nor shall the Company be liable for any Damages to the extent that they arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of any such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or other aforementioned Person expressly for use in connection with such registration.

(b) To the extent permitted by law, each selling Holder, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and each of its directors, each of its officers who has signed the registration statement, each Person (if any), who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, legal counsel and accountants for the Company, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act), any other Holder selling securities in such registration statement, and any controlling Person of any such underwriter or other Holder, against any Damages, in each case only to the extent that such Damages arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of such selling Holder expressly for use in connection with such registration; and each such selling Holder will pay to the Company and each other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Subsection 2.8(b) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Holder, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; and provided further that in no event shall the aggregate amounts payable by any Holder by way of indemnity or contribution under Subsections 2.8(b) and 2.8(d) exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such Holder (net of any Selling Expenses paid by such Holder), except in the case of fraud or willful misconduct by such Holder.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Subsection 2.8 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action) for which a party may be entitled to indemnification hereunder, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Subsection 2.8, give the indemnifying party notice of the commencement thereof. The indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in such action and, to the extent the

 

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indemnifying party so desires, participate jointly with any other indemnifying party to which notice has been given, and to assume the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the parties; provided, however, that an indemnified party (together with all other indemnified parties that may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain one separate counsel, with the fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if representation of such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such counsel in such action. The failure to give notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the indemnified party under this Subsection 2.8, to the extent that such failure materially prejudices the indemnifying party’s ability to defend such action. The failure to give notice to the indemnifying party will not relieve it of any liability that it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Subsection 2.8.

(d) To provide for just and equitable contribution to joint liability under the Securities Act in any case in which either (i) any party otherwise entitled to indemnification hereunder makes a claim for indemnification pursuant to this Subsection 2.8 but it is judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case, notwithstanding the fact that this Subsection 2.8 provides for indemnification in such case, or (ii) contribution under the Securities Act may be required on the part of any party hereto for which indemnification is provided under this Subsection 2.8, then, and in each such case, such parties will contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses to which they may be subject (after contribution from others) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of each of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in connection with the statements, omissions, or other actions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability, or expense, as well as to reflect any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or allegedly untrue statement of a material fact, or the omission or alleged omission of a material fact, relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission; provided, however, that, in any such case, (x) no Holder will be required to contribute any amount in excess of the public offering price of all such Registrable Securities offered and sold by such Holder pursuant to such registration statement, and (y) no Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation; and provided further that in no event shall a Holder’s liability pursuant to this Subsection 2.8(d), when combined with the amounts paid or payable by such Holder pursuant to Subsection 2.8(b), exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such Holder (net of any Selling Expenses paid by such Holder), except in the case of willful misconduct or fraud by such Holder.

(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the provisions on indemnification and contribution contained in the underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering are in conflict with the foregoing provisions, the provisions in the underwriting agreement shall control.

 

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(f) Unless otherwise superseded by an underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering, the obligations of the Company and Holders under this Subsection 2.8 shall survive the completion of any offering of Registrable Securities in a registration under this Section 2, and otherwise shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

2.9 Reports Under Exchange Act. With a view to making available to the Holders the benefits of SEC Rule 144 and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit a Holder to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration or pursuant to a registration on Form S-3, the Company shall:

(a) make and keep available adequate current public information, as those terms are understood and defined in SEC Rule 144, at all times after the effective date of the registration statement filed by the Company for the IPO;

(b) use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Company has become subject to such reporting requirements); and

(c) furnish to any Holder, so long as the Holder owns any Registrable Securities, forthwith upon request (i) to the extent accurate, a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of SEC Rule 144 (at any time after ninety (90) days after the effective date of the registration statement filed by the Company for the IPO), the Securities Act, and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Company has become subject to such reporting requirements), or that it qualifies as a registrant whose securities may be resold pursuant to Form S 3 (at any time after the Company so qualifies); (ii) a copy of the most recent annual or quarterly report of the Company and such other reports and documents so filed by the Company; and (iii) such other information as may be reasonably requested in availing any Holder of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such securities without registration (at any time after the Company has become subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act) or pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after the Company so qualifies to use such form).

2.10 Limitations on Subsequent Registration Rights. From and after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding, enter into any agreement with any holder or prospective holder of any securities of the Company that (i) would provide to such holder the right to include securities in any registration on other than a subordinate basis after all Holders have had the opportunity to include in the registration and offering all shares of Registrable Securities that they wish to so include or (ii) allow such holder or prospective holder to initiate a demand for registration of any securities held by such holder or prospective holder.

 

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2.11 “Market Stand off” Agreement. Each Holder hereby agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of the managing underwriter, during the period commencing on the date of the final prospectus relating to the IPO and ending on the date specified by the Company and the managing underwriter (such period not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days), (i) lend; offer; pledge; sell; contract to sell; sell any option or contract to purchase; purchase any option or contract to sell; grant any option, right, or warrant to purchase; or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable (directly or indirectly) for Common Stock held immediately before the effective date of the registration statement for such offering or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of such securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash, or otherwise. The foregoing provisions of this Subsection 2.11 shall apply only to the IPO, shall not apply to the sale of any shares to an underwriter pursuant to an underwriting agreement for such IPO, and shall be applicable to the Holders only if all officers and directors of the Company and holders of at least five percent (5%) of the outstanding Common Stock (after giving effect to conversion into Common Stock of all outstanding shares of Preferred Stock) are subject to the same restrictions. The underwriters in connection with such registration are intended third party beneficiaries of this Subsection 2.11 and shall have the right, power, and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto. Each Holder further agrees to execute such agreements as may be reasonably requested by the underwriters in connection with such registration that are consistent with this Subsection 2.11 or that are necessary to give further effect thereto.

2.12 Restrictions on Transfer.

(a) The Preferred Stock and the Registrable Securities shall not be sold, pledged, or otherwise transferred in violation of this Agreement, and the Company shall not recognize and shall issue stop-transfer instructions to its transfer agent with respect to any such sale, pledge, or transfer, except upon the conditions specified in this Agreement, which conditions are intended to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act. A transferring Holder will cause any proposed purchaser, pledgee, or transferee of the Preferred Stock and the Registrable Securities held by such Holder to agree to take and hold such securities subject to the provisions and upon the conditions specified in this Agreement.

(b) Each certificate or instrument representing (i) the Preferred Stock, (ii) the Registrable Securities, and (iii) any other securities issued in respect of the securities referenced in clauses (i) and (ii), upon any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, or similar event, shall (unless otherwise permitted by the provisions of Subsection 2.12(c)) be stamped or otherwise imprinted with a legend substantially in the following form:

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933. SUCH SHARES MAY NOT BE SOLD, PLEDGED, OR TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR A VALID EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION AND PROSPECTUS DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS OF SAID ACT.

 

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THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND THE STOCKHOLDER, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY.

The Holders consent to the Company making a notation in its records and giving instructions to any transfer agent of the Restricted Securities in order to implement the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Subsection 2.12.

(c) The holder of each certificate representing Restricted Securities, by acceptance thereof, agrees to comply in all respects with the provisions of this Section 2. Before any proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of any Restricted Securities, unless there is in effect a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the proposed transaction, the Holder thereof shall give notice to the Company of such Holder’s intention to effect such sale, pledge, or transfer. Each such notice shall describe the manner and circumstances of the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer in sufficient detail and, if reasonably requested by the Company, shall be accompanied at such Holder’s expense by either (i) a written opinion of legal counsel who shall, and whose legal opinion shall, be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, addressed to the Company, to the effect that the proposed transaction may be effected without registration under the Securities Act; (ii) a “no action” letter from the SEC to the effect that the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of such Restricted Securities without registration will not result in a recommendation by the staff of the SEC that action be taken with respect thereto; or (iii) any other evidence reasonably satisfactory to counsel to the Company to the effect that the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of the Restricted Securities may be effected without registration under the Securities Act, whereupon the Holder of such Restricted Securities shall be entitled to sell, pledge, or transfer such Restricted Securities in accordance with the terms of the notice given by the Holder to the Company. The Company will not require such a legal opinion or “no action” letter (x) in any transaction in compliance with SEC Rule 144 or (y) in any transaction in which such Holder distributes Restricted Securities to an Affiliate of such Holder for no consideration; provided that each transferee agrees in writing to be subject to the terms of this Subsection 2.12. Each certificate or instrument evidencing the Restricted Securities transferred as above provided shall bear, except if such transfer is made pursuant to SEC Rule 144, the appropriate restrictive legend set forth in Subsection 2.12(b), except that such certificate shall not bear such restrictive legend if, in the opinion of counsel for such Holder and the Company, such legend is not required in order to establish compliance with any provisions of the Securities Act.

2.13 Termination of Registration Rights. The right of any Holder to request registration or inclusion of Registrable Securities in any registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1 or Subsection 2.2 shall terminate upon the earliest to occur of:

 

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(a) the closing of a Deemed Liquidation Event, as such term is defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation;

(b) such time as Rule 144 or another similar exemption under the Securities Act is available for the sale of all of such Holder’s shares without limitation during a three-month period without registration; and

(c) the seventh (7^th) anniversary of the IPO.

3. Information Rights.

3.1 Delivery of Financial Statements. The Company shall deliver to each Major Investor, provided that the Board of Directors has not reasonably determined that such Major Investor is a competitor of the Company:

(a) as soon as practicable, but in any event within one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, (i) a balance sheet as of the end of such year, (ii) statements of income and of cash flows for such year, and a comparison between (x) the actual amounts as of and for such fiscal year and (y) the comparable amounts for the prior year and as included in the Budget (as defined in Subsection 3.1(e)) for such year, with an explanation of any material differences between such amounts and a schedule as to the sources and applications of funds for such year, and (iii) a statement of stockholders’ equity as of the end of such year, all such financial statements audited and certified by independent public accountants selected by the Company and approved by the Board of Directors, including the Preferred Directors;

(b) as soon as practicable, but in any event within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three (3) quarters of each fiscal year of the Company, unaudited statements of income and of cash flows for such fiscal quarter, and an unaudited balance sheet and a statement of stockholders’ equity as of the end of such fiscal quarter, all prepared in accordance with GAAP (except that such financial statements may (i) be subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and (ii) not contain all notes thereto that may be required in accordance with GAAP);

(c) as soon as practicable, but in any event within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three (3) quarters of each fiscal year of the Company, a statement showing the number of shares of each class and series of capital stock and securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of capital stock outstanding at the end of the period, the Common Stock issuable upon conversion or exercise of any outstanding securities convertible or exercisable for Common Stock and the exchange ratio or exercise price applicable thereto, and the number of shares of issued stock options and stock options not yet issued but reserved for issuance, if any, all in sufficient detail as to permit any Major Investor to calculate its percentage equity ownership in the Company, and certified by the chief financial officer or chief executive officer of the Company as being true, complete, and correct;

 

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(d) as soon as practicable, but in any event within thirty (30) days of the end of each month, an unaudited income statement and statement of cash flows for such month, and an unaudited balance sheet and statement of stockholders’ equity as of the end of such month, all prepared in accordance with GAAP (except that such financial statements may (i) be subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and (ii) not contain all notes thereto that may be required in accordance with GAAP);

(e) as soon as practicable, but in any event thirty (30) days before the end of each fiscal year, a budget and business plan for the next fiscal year (collectively, the “Budget”), approved by the Board of Directors and prepared on a monthly basis, including balance sheets, income statements, and statements of cash flow for such months and, promptly after prepared, any other budgets or revised budgets prepared by the Company;

(f) such other information relating to the financial condition, business, prospects, or corporate affairs of the Company as any Major Investor may from time to time reasonably request; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated under this Subsection 3.1 to provide information (i) that the Company reasonably determines in good faith to be confidential information (unless covered by an enforceable confidentiality agreement, in form acceptable to the Company) or a trade secret or (ii) the disclosure of which would adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between the Company and its counsel.

If, for any period, the Company has any subsidiary whose accounts are consolidated with those of the Company, then in respect of such period the financial statements delivered pursuant to the foregoing sections shall be the consolidated and consolidating financial statements of the Company and all such consolidated subsidiaries.

Notwithstanding anything else in this Subsection 3.1 to the contrary, the Company may cease providing the information set forth in this Subsection 3.1 during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days before the Company’s good-faith estimate of the date of filing of a registration statement if it reasonably concludes it must do so to comply with the SEC rules applicable to such registration statement and related offering; provided that the Company’s covenants under this Subsection 3.1 shall be reinstated at such time as the Company is no longer actively employing its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective.

3.2 Inspection. The Company shall permit each Major Investor (provided that the Board of Directors has not reasonably determined that such Major Investor is a competitor of the Company), at such Major Investor’s expense, to visit and inspect the Company’s properties; examine its books of account and records; and discuss the Company’s affairs, finances, and accounts with its officers, during normal business hours of the Company as may be reasonably requested by the Major Investor; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to this Subsection 3.2 to provide access to any information that it reasonably and in good faith considers to be confidential information (unless covered by an enforceable confidentiality agreement, in form acceptable to the Company) or a trade secret or the disclosure of which would adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between the Company and its counsel.

 

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3.3 Termination of Information Rights. The covenants set forth in Subsection 3.1 and Subsection 3.2 shall terminate and be of no further force or effect (i) immediately before the consummation of the IPO, (ii) when the Company first becomes subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 12(g) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or (iii) upon a Deemed Liquidation Event, as such term is defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, whichever event occurs first.

3.4 Confidentiality. Each Investor agrees that such Investor will keep confidential and will not disclose, divulge, or use for any purpose (other than to monitor its investment in the Company) any confidential information obtained from the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement (including notice of the Company’s intention to file a registration statement), unless such confidential information (a) is known or becomes known to the public in general (other than as a result of a breach of this Subsection 3.4 by such Investor), (b) is or has been independently developed or conceived by any Investor without use of the Company’s confidential information, or (c) is or has been made known or disclosed to any Investor by a third party without a breach of any obligation of confidentiality such third party may have to the Company; provided, however, that an Investor may disclose confidential information (i) to its attorneys, accountants, consultants, and other professionals to the extent necessary to obtain their services in connection with monitoring its investment in the Company; (ii) to any prospective purchaser of any Registrable Securities from such Investor, if such prospective purchaser agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Subsection 3.4; (iii) to any existing or prospective Affiliate, partner, member, stockholder, or wholly owned subsidiary of such Investor in the ordinary course of business, provided that such Investor informs such Person that such information is confidential and directs such Person to maintain the confidentiality of such information; or (iv) as may otherwise be required by law, provided that such Investor promptly notifies the Company of such disclosure and takes reasonable steps to minimize the extent of any such required disclosure.

4. Rights to Future Stock Issuances.

4.1 Right of First Offer. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Subsection 4.1 and applicable securities laws, if the Company proposes to offer or sell any New Securities, the Company shall first offer such New Securities to each Major Investor. A Major Investor shall be entitled to apportion the right of first offer hereby granted to it among itself and its Affiliates in such proportions as it deems appropriate.

(a) The Company shall give notice (the “Offer Notice”) to each Major Investor, stating (i) its bona fide intention to offer such New Securities, (ii) the number of such New Securities to be offered, and (iii) the price and terms, if any, upon which it proposes to offer such New Securities.

(b) By notification to the Company within twenty (20) days after the Offer Notice is given, each Major Investor may elect to purchase or otherwise acquire, at the price and on the terms specified in the Offer Notice, up to that portion of such New Securities which equals the proportion that the Common Stock issued and held, or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of the Preferred Stock and any other

 

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Derivative Securities then held, by such Major Investor bears to the total Common Stock of the Company then outstanding (assuming full conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of all Preferred Stock and other Derivative Securities). At the expiration of such twenty (20) day period, the Company shall promptly notify each Major Investor that elects to purchase or acquire all the shares available to it (each, a “Fully Exercising Investor”) of any other Major Investor’s failure to do likewise. During the ten (10) day period commencing after the Company has given such notice, each Fully Exercising Investor may, by giving notice to the Company, elect to purchase or acquire, in addition to the number of shares specified above, up to that portion of the New Securities for which Major Investors were entitled to subscribe but that were not subscribed for by the Major Investors which is equal to the proportion that the Common Stock issued and held, or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held, by such Fully Exercising Investor bears to the Common Stock issued and held, or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of the Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held, by all Fully Exercising Investors who wish to purchase such unsubscribed shares. The closing of any sale pursuant to this Subsection 4.1(b) shall occur within the later of ninety (90) days of the date that the Offer Notice is given and the date of initial sale of New Securities pursuant to Subsection 4.1(c).

(c) If all New Securities referred to in the Offer Notice are not elected to be purchased or acquired as provided in Subsection 4.1(b), the Company may, during the ninety (90) day period following the expiration of the periods provided in Subsection 4.1(b), offer and sell the remaining unsubscribed portion of such New Securities to any Person or Persons at a price not less than, and upon terms no more favorable to the offeree than, those specified in the Offer Notice. If the Company does not enter into an agreement for the sale of the New Securities within such period, or if such agreement is not consummated within thirty (30) days of the execution thereof, the right provided hereunder shall be deemed to be revived and such New Securities shall not be offered unless first reoffered to the Major Investors in accordance with this Subsection 4.1.

(d) The right of first offer in this Subsection 4.1 shall not be applicable to (i) Exempted Securities (as defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation); or (ii) shares of Common Stock issued in the IPO.

4.2 Termination. The covenants set forth in Subsection 4.1 shall terminate and be of no further force or effect (i) immediately before the consummation of the IPO, (ii) when the Company first becomes subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 12(g) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or (iii) upon a Deemed Liquidation Event, as such term is defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, whichever event occurs first.

5. Additional Covenants.

5.1 Insurance. The Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain, within ninety (90) days of the date hereof, from financially sound and reputable insurers Directors and Officers liability insurance and term “key person” insurance on the Chief Executive Officer, each in an amount and on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Board of

 

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Directors, and will use commercially reasonable efforts to cause such insurance policies to be maintained until such time as the Board of Directors determines that such insurance should be discontinued. The key person policy shall name the Company as loss payee, and neither policy shall be cancelable by the Company without prior approval by the Board of Directors including the Preferred Directors.

5.2 Employee Agreements. The Company will cause (i) each person now or hereafter employed by it or by any subsidiary (or engaged by the Company or any subsidiary as a consultant/independent contractor) with access to confidential information and/or trade secrets to enter into a nondisclosure and proprietary rights assignment agreement and (ii) each Key Employee to enter into a one (1) year noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreement, each in a form acceptable to the Investors. In addition, the Company shall not amend, modify, terminate, waive, or otherwise alter, in whole or in part, any of the above-referenced agreements or any restricted stock agreement between the Company and any employee, without the unanimous consent of the Preferred Directors.

5.3 Employee Stock. Unless otherwise approved by the Board of Directors, including the unanimous approval of the Preferred Directors, all future employees and consultants of the Company who purchase, receive options to purchase, or receive awards of shares of the Company’s capital stock after the date hereof shall be required to execute restricted stock or option agreements, as applicable, providing for (i) vesting of shares over a four (4) year period, with the first twenty-five percent (25%) of such shares vesting following twelve (12) months of continued employment or service, and the remaining shares vesting in equal quarterly installments over the following thirty-six (36) months, and (ii) a market stand-off provision substantially similar to that in Subsection 2.11. In addition, unless otherwise approved by the Board of Directors, including the Preferred Directors, the Company shall retain a “right of first refusal” on employee transfers until the Company’s IPO and shall have the right to repurchase unvested shares at cost upon termination of employment of a holder of restricted stock.

5.4 Qualified Small Business Stock. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the shares of Preferred Stock issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, as well as any shares into which such shares are converted, within the meaning of Section 1202(f) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), to constitute “qualified small business stock” as defined in Section 1202(c) of the Code; provided, however, that such requirement shall not be applicable if the Board of Directors of the Company determines, in its good-faith business judgment, that such qualification is inconsistent with the best interests of the Company. The Company shall submit to its stockholders (including the Investors) and to the Internal Revenue Service any reports that may be required under Section 1202(d)(1)(C) of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder. In addition, within twenty (20) business days after any Investor’s written request therefor, the Company shall, at its option, either (i) deliver to such Investor a written statement indicating whether (and what portion of) such Investor’s interest in the Company constitutes “qualified small business stock” as defined in Section 1202(c) of the Code or (ii) deliver to such Investor such factual information in the Company’s possession as is reasonably necessary to enable such Investor to determine whether (and what portion of) such Investor’s interest in the Company constitutes “qualified small business stock” as defined in Section 1202(c) of the Code.

 

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5.5 Matters Requiring Investor Director Approval. So long as the holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to elect a Preferred Director, the Company hereby covenants and agrees with the Investors that it shall not, nor shall it permit any subsidiary to, without approval of the Board of Directors, which approval must include the affirmative vote of the Preferred Directors:

(a) make any loan or advance to, or own any stock or other securities of, any subsidiary or other corporation, partnership, or other entity unless it is wholly owned by the Company;

(b) make any loan or advance to any Person, including, without limitation, any employee or director of the Company or any subsidiary, except advances and similar expenditures in the ordinary course of business or under the terms of an employee stock or option plan approved by the Board of Directors, including the Preferred Directors;

(c) guarantee, directly or indirectly, any indebtedness except for trade accounts of the Company or any subsidiary arising in the ordinary course of business;

(d) make any investment inconsistent with any investment policy approved by the Board of Directors;

(e) incur any aggregate indebtedness in excess of $100,000 that is not already included in a budget approved by the Board of Directors, other than trade credit incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(f) otherwise enter into or be a party to any transaction with any director, officer, or employee of the Company or any “associate” (as defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of any such Person, except for transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Purchase Agreement; transactions resulting in payments to or by the Company in an aggregate amount less than $60,000 per year; or transactions made in the ordinary course of business and pursuant to reasonable requirements of the Company’s business and upon fair and reasonable terms that are approved by a majority of the Board of Directors;

(g) hire, terminate, or change the compensation of the executive officers, including approving any option grants or stock awards to executive officers;

(h) change the principal business of the Company, enter new lines of business, or exit the current line of business;

(i) sell, assign, license, pledge, or encumber material technology or intellectual property, other than licenses granted in the ordinary course of business;

(j) increase the shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the Company’s 2012 Stock Incentive Plan or adopt any other equity incentive plan; or

 

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(k) enter into any corporate strategic relationship involving the payment, contribution, or assignment by the Company or to the Company of money or assets greater than $100,000.

5.6 Board Matters. Unless otherwise determined by the vote of a majority of the directors then in office, the Board of Directors shall meet at least quarterly in accordance with an agreed-upon schedule, unless agreed by a majority of the Board of Directors, including the Preferred Directors. The Company shall reimburse the nonemployee directors for all reasonable out-of-pocket travel expenses incurred (consistent with the Company’s travel policy) in connection with attending meetings of the Board of Directors. The Company shall cause to be established, as soon as practicable after such request, and will maintain, an audit and compensation committee, each of which shall consist solely of non-management directors. Each non-employee director shall be entitled in such person’s discretion to be a member of any Board committee. Each committee of the Board shall include at least one Preferred Director.

5.7 Successor Indemnification. If the Company or any of its successors or assignees consolidates with or merges into any other Person and is not the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger, then to the extent necessary, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assignees of the Company assume the obligations of the Company with respect to indemnification of members of the Board of Directors as in effect immediately before such transaction, whether such obligations are contained in the Company’s Bylaws, its Certificate of Incorporation, or elsewhere, as the case may be.

5.8 Termination of Covenants. The covenants set forth in this Section 5, except for Subsection 5.7, shall terminate and be of no further force or effect (i) immediately before the consummation of the IPO, (ii) when the Company first becomes subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 12(g) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or (iii) upon a Deemed Liquidation Event, as such term is defined in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, whichever event occurs first.

6. Miscellaneous.

6.1 Successors and Assigns. The rights under this Agreement may be assigned (but only with all related obligations) by a Holder to a transferee of Registrable Securities that (i) is an Affiliate of a Holder; (ii) is a Holder’s Immediate Family Member or trust for the benefit of an individual Holder or one or more of such Holder’s Immediate Family Members; or (iii) after such transfer, holds at least 100,000 shares of Registrable Securities (subject to appropriate adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, combinations, and other recapitalizations); provided, however, that (x) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer, furnished with written notice of the name and address of such transferee and the Registrable Securities with respect to which such rights are being transferred; and (y) such transferee agrees in a written instrument delivered to the Company to be bound by and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including the provisions of Subsection 2.11. For the purposes of determining the number of shares of Registrable Securities held by a transferee, the holdings of a transferee (1) that is an Affiliate or stockholder of a Holder; (2) who is a Holder’s

 

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Immediate Family Member; or (3) that is a trust for the benefit of an individual Holder or such Holder’s Immediate Family Member shall be aggregated together and with those of the transferring Holder; provided further that all transferees who would not qualify individually for assignment of rights shall have a single attorney-in-fact for the purpose of exercising any rights, receiving notices, or taking any action under this Agreement. The terms and conditions of this Agreement inure to the benefit of and are binding upon the respective successors and permitted assignees of the parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assignees any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided herein.

6.2 Governing Law. This Agreement and any controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to conflict of law principles that would result in the application of any law other than the law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

6.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

6.4 Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.

6.5 Notices. All notices and other communications given or made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon the earlier of actual receipt or: (i) personal delivery to the party to be notified; (ii) when sent, if sent by electronic mail or facsimile during the recipient’s normal business hours, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient’s next business day; (iii) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid; or (iv) one (1) business day after the business day of deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next-day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to the respective parties at their addresses as set forth on Schedule A hereto, or to the principal office of the Company at 161 First Street, Suite 1A, Cambridge, MA 02142, Attention: Chief Executive Officer, in the case of the Company, or to such email address, facsimile number, or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Subsection 6.5. If notice is given to the Company, a copy shall also be given to Latham & Watkins LLP, John Hancock Tower, 20^th Floor, 20 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116, Attention Peter N. Handrinos, Esq., and if notice is given to the Investors, a copy shall also be given to Seyfarth Shaw LLP, 2 Seaport Lane, Boston, MA 02210, Attention: Gregory L. White.

6.6 Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, and either retroactively or prospectively) only with the written consent of the

 

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Company and the holders of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding; provided that the Company may in its sole discretion waive compliance with Subsection 2.12(c) (and the Company’s failure to object promptly in writing after notification of a proposed assignment allegedly in violation of Subsection 2.12(c) shall be deemed to be a waiver); and provided further that any provision hereof may be waived by any waiving party on such party’s own behalf, without the consent of any other party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may not be amended or terminated and the observance of any term hereof may not be waived with respect to any Investor without the written consent of such Investor, unless such amendment, termination, or waiver applies to all Investors in the same fashion (it being agreed that a waiver of the provisions of Section 4 with respect to a particular transaction shall be deemed to apply to all Investors in the same fashion if such waiver does so by its terms, notwithstanding the fact that certain Investors may nonetheless, by agreement with the Company, purchase securities in such transaction). The Company shall give prompt notice of any amendment or termination hereof or waiver hereunder to any party hereto that did not consent in writing to such amendment, termination, or waiver. Any amendment, termination, or waiver effected in accordance with this Subsection 6.6 shall be binding on all parties hereto, regardless of whether any such party has consented thereto. No waivers of or exceptions to any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such term, condition, or provision.

6.7 Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement is for any reason held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, and such invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provision shall be reformed and construed so that it will be valid, legal, and enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by law.

6.8 Aggregation of Stock. All shares of Registrable Securities held or acquired by Affiliates shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement and such Affiliated persons may apportion such rights as among themselves in any manner they deem appropriate.

6.9 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including any Schedules hereto) constitutes the full and entire understanding and agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and any other written or oral agreement relating to the subject matter hereof existing between the parties is expressly canceled.

6.10 Dispute Resolution. The parties (a) hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the jurisdiction of the state courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts for the purpose of any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement, (b) agree not to commence any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement except in the state courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and (c) hereby waive, and agree not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense, or otherwise, in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper or that this Agreement or the subject matter hereof may not be enforced in or by such court.

 

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WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL: EACH PARTY HEREBY WAIVES ITS RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL OF ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BASED UPON OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, THE OTHER TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS, THE SECURITIES OR THE SUBJECT MATTER HEREOF OR THEREOF. THE SCOPE OF THIS WAIVER IS INTENDED TO BE ALL-ENCOMPASSING OF ANY AND ALL DISPUTES THAT MAY BE FILED IN ANY COURT AND THAT RELATE TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS TRANSACTION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONTRACT CLAIMS, TORT CLAIMS (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), BREACH OF DUTY CLAIMS, AND ALL OTHER COMMON LAW AND STATUTORY CLAIMS. THIS SECTION HAS BEEN FULLY DISCUSSED BY EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AND THESE PROVISIONS WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY EXCEPTIONS. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY FURTHER WARRANTS AND REPRESENTS THAT SUCH PARTY HAS REVIEWED THIS WAIVER WITH ITS LEGAL COUNSEL, AND THAT SUCH PARTY KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVES ITS JURY TRIAL RIGHTS FOLLOWING CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL.

6.11 Delays or Omissions. No delay or omission to exercise any right, power, or remedy accruing to any party under this Agreement, upon any breach or default of any other party under this Agreement, shall impair any such right, power, or remedy of such nonbreaching or nondefaulting party, nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of or acquiescence to any such breach or default, or to any similar breach or default thereafter occurring, nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore or thereafter occurring. All remedies, whether under this Agreement or by law or otherwise afforded to any party, shall be cumulative and not alternative.

6.12 Further Assurances. At any time or from time to time after the date hereof, the parties agree to cooperate with each other, and at the request of any other party, to execute and deliver any further instruments or documents and to take all such further action as the other party may reasonably request in order to evidence or effectuate the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and to otherwise carry out the intent of the parties hereunder.

6.13 Acknowledgment. The Company acknowledges that each Investor is in the business of venture capital investing and therefore review the business plans and related proprietary information of many enterprises, including enterprises which may have products or services which compete directly or indirectly with those of the Company. Nothing in this Agreement shall preclude or in any way restrict any Investor from investing or participating in any particular enterprise whether or not such enterprise has products or services which compete with those of the Company.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT

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SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT

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SIGNATURE PAGE TO AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT

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SCHEDULE A

Investors

Flagship Ventures Fund IV, L.P.

c/o Flagship Ventures

One Memorial Drive

Cambridge, MA 02142

T: (617) 868-1888

F: (617) 868 -1115

Flagship Ventures Fund IV-Rx, L.P.

c/o Flagship Ventures

One Memorial Drive

Cambridge, MA 02142

T: (617) 868-1888

F: (617) 868 -1115

Flagship Ventures Fund 2007, L.P.

c/o Flagship Ventures

One Memorial Drive

Cambridge, MA 02142

T: (617) 868-1888

F: (617) 868 -1115

Flagship VentureLabs IV LLC

c/o Flagship Ventures

One Memorial Drive

Cambridge, MA 02142

T: (617) 868-1888

F: (617) 868 -1115

CLS Capital Holdings Limited

Suite C1

Hirzel Court

Hirzel Street

St Peter Port

Guernsey

Channel Islands

GY1 2NH

T: +44 (0) 1481 755850

F: +44 (0) 1481 755859

Exhibit 5.1

 

		John Hancock Tower, 27th Floor
		200 Clarendon Street
		Boston, Massachusetts 02116
		Tel: +1.617.948.6000 Fax: +1.617.948.6001
		www.lw.com
		FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES
		Abu Dhabi		Milan
		Barcelona		Moscow
		Beijing		Munich
June 16, 2015		Boston		New Jersey
		Brussels		New York
		Century City		Orange County
		Chicago		Paris
		Doha		Riyadh
		Dubai		Rome
		Düsseldorf		San Diego
		Frankfurt		San Francisco
		Hamburg		Shanghai
		Hong Kong		Silicon Valley
		Houston		Singapore
Seres Therapeutics, Inc.		London		Tokyo
215 First St.		Los Angeles		Washington, D.C.
Cambridge, MA 02142		Madrid

 

Re:

Registration Statement No. 333-204484;

7,187,500 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed issuance of up to 7,187,500 shares (including shares subject to the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares) of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Shares”). The Shares are included in a registration statement on Form S–1 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on May 27, 2015 (Registration No. 333-204484) (as amended, the “Registration Statement”). The term “Shares” shall include any additional shares of common stock registered by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act in connection with the offering contemplated by the Registration Statement. This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or related Prospectus, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issue of the Shares.

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.

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June 16, 2015

Page 2

 

 

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the purchasers, and have been issued by the Company against payment therefor in total numbers that do not exceed the total number of shares available under the Company’s certificate of incorporation and in the circumstances contemplated by the form of underwriting agreement most recently filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, the issue and sale of the Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm in the Prospectus under the heading “Legal Matters.” We further consent to the incorporation by reference of this letter and consent into any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) with respect to the Shares. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

Exhibit 10.2

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

2015 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

 

I.

PURPOSE

The Plan’s purpose is to enhance the Company’s ability to attract, retain and motivate persons who make (or are expected to make) important contributions to the Company by providing these individuals with equity ownership opportunities. Capitalized terms used in the Plan are defined in Section XI.

 

II.	ELIGIBILITY

Service Providers are eligible to be granted Awards under the Plan, subject to the limitations described herein.

 

III.	ADMINISTRATION AND DELEGATION

(a) Administration. The Plan is administered by the Administrator. The Administrator has authority to determine which Service Providers receive Awards, grant Awards and set Award terms and conditions, subject to the conditions and limitations in the Plan. The Administrator also has the authority to take all actions and make all determinations under the Plan, to interpret the Plan and Award Agreements and to adopt, amend and repeal Plan administrative rules, guidelines and practices as it deems advisable. The Administrator may correct defects and ambiguities, supply omissions and reconcile inconsistencies in the Plan or any Award as it deems necessary or appropriate to administer the Plan and any Awards. The Administrator’s determinations under the Plan are in its sole discretion and will be final and binding on all persons having or claiming any interest in the Plan or any Award.

(b) Appointment of Committees. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, the Board may delegate any or all of its powers under the Plan to one or more Committees. The Board may abolish any Committee or re-vest in itself any previously delegated authority at any time.

 

IV.	STOCK AVAILABLE FOR AWARDS

(a) Number of Shares. Subject to adjustment under Section VIII and the terms of this Section IV, Awards may be made under the Plan covering up to the Overall Share Limit. As of the Plan’s effective date under Section X(c), the Company will cease granting awards under the Prior Plans; however, Prior Plan Awards will remain subject to the terms of the applicable Prior Plan. Shares issued under the Plan may consist of authorized but unissued Shares, Shares purchased on the open market or treasury Shares.

(b) Share Recycling. If all or any part of an Award or Prior Plan Award expires, lapses or is terminated, exchanged for cash, surrendered, repurchased, canceled without having been fully exercised or forfeited, in any case, in a manner that results in the Company acquiring Shares covered by the Award or Prior Plan Award at a price not greater than the price (as adjusted to reflect any Equity Restructuring) paid by the Participant for such Shares or not issuing any Shares covered by the Award or Prior Plan Award, the unused Shares covered by the Award or Prior Plan Award will, as applicable, become or again be available for Award grants under the Plan. Further, Shares delivered (either by actual delivery or attestation) to the Company by a Participant to satisfy the applicable exercise or purchase price of an Award or Prior Plan Award and/or to satisfy any applicable tax withholding obligation (including Shares retained by the Company from the Award or Prior Plan Award being exercised or purchased and/or

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creating the tax obligation) will, as applicable, become or again be available for Award grants under the Plan. The payment of Dividend Equivalents in cash in conjunction with any outstanding Awards or Prior Plan Awards shall not count against the Overall Share Limit.

(c) Incentive Stock Option Limitations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no more than 17,200,000 Shares may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options.

(d) Substitute Awards. In connection with an entity’s merger or consolidation with the Company or the Company’s acquisition of an entity’s property or stock, the Administrator may grant Awards in substitution for any options or other stock or stock-based awards granted before such merger or consolidation by such entity or its affiliate. Substitute Awards may be granted on such terms as the Administrator deems appropriate, notwithstanding limitations on Awards in the Plan. Substitute Awards will not count against the Overall Share Limit, except that Shares acquired by exercise of substitute Incentive Stock Options will count against the maximum number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options under the Plan.

(e) Non-Employee Director Compensation. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Plan, the Administrator may establish compensation for non-employee Directors from time to time, subject to the limitations in the Plan. The Administrator will from time to time determine the terms, conditions and amounts of all such non-employee Director compensation in its discretion and pursuant to the exercise of its business judgment, taking into account such factors, circumstances and considerations as it shall deem relevant from time to time, provided that the sum of any cash compensation, or other compensation, and the value (determined as of the grant date in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, or any successor thereto) of Awards granted to a non-employee Director as compensation for services as a non-employee Director during any fiscal year of the Company may not exceed $700,000. The Administrator may make exceptions to this limit for individual non-employee Directors in extraordinary circumstances, as the Administrator may determine in its discretion, provided that the non-employee Director receiving such additional compensation may not participate in the decision to award such compensation or in other compensation decisions involving non-employee Directors.

 

V.	STOCK OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

(a) General. The Administrator may grant Options or Stock Appreciation Rights to Service Providers subject to the limitations in the Plan, including Section IX(i) with respect to Incentive Stock Options. The Administrator will determine the number of Shares covered by each Option and Stock Appreciation Right, the exercise price of each Option and Stock Appreciation Right and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of each Option and Stock Appreciation Right. A Stock Appreciation Right will entitle the Participant (or other person entitled to exercise the Stock Appreciation Right) to receive from the Company upon exercise of the exercisable portion of the Stock Appreciation Right an amount determined by multiplying the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise over the exercise price per Share of the Stock Appreciation Right by the number of Shares with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised, subject to any limitations of the Plan or that the Administrator may impose and payable in cash, Shares valued at Fair Market Value or a combination of the two as the Administrator may determine or provide in the Award Agreement.

(b) Exercise Price. The Administrator will establish each Option’s and Stock Appreciation Right’s exercise price and specify the exercise price in the Award Agreement. The exercise price will not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the grant date of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

 

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(c) Duration of Options. Each Option or Stock Appreciation Right will be exercisable at such times and as specified in the Award Agreement, provided that the term of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right will not exceed ten years.

(d) Exercise. Options and Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised by delivering to the Company a written notice of exercise, in a form the Administrator approves (which may be electronic), signed by the person authorized to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, together with, as applicable, payment in full (i) as specified in Section V(e) for the number of Shares for which the Award is exercised and (ii) as specified in Section IX(e) for any applicable taxes. Unless the Administrator otherwise determines, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share.

(e) Payment Upon Exercise. The exercise price of an Option must be paid in cash, wire transfer of immediately available funds or by check payable to the order of the Company or, subject to Section X(h), any Company insider trading policy (including blackout periods) and Applicable Laws, by:

(i) if there is a public market for Shares at the time of exercise, unless the Administrator otherwise determines, (A) delivery (including telephonically to the extent permitted by the Company) of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to pay the exercise price, or (B) the Participant’s delivery to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to pay the exercise price; provided that such amount is paid to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator;

(ii) to the extent permitted by the Administrator, delivery (either by actual delivery or attestation) of Shares owned by the Participant valued at their Fair Market Value;

(iii) to the extent permitted by the Administrator, surrendering Shares then issuable upon the Option’s exercise valued at their Fair Market Value on the exercise date;

(iv) to the extent permitted by the Administrator, delivery of a promissory note or any other property that the Administrator determines is good and valuable consideration; or

(v) any combination of the above permitted payment forms (including cash, wire transfer or check).

 

VI.	RESTRICTED STOCK; RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS

(a) General. The Administrator may grant Restricted Stock, or the right to purchase Restricted Stock, to any Service Provider, subject to the Company’s right to repurchase all or part of such shares at their issue price or other stated or formula price from the Participant (or to require forfeiture of such shares) if conditions the Administrator specifies in the Award Agreement are not satisfied before the end of the applicable restriction period or periods that the Administrator establishes for such Award. In addition, the Administrator may grant to Service Providers Restricted Stock Units, which may be subject to vesting and forfeiture conditions during the applicable restriction period or periods, as set forth in an Award Agreement. The Administrator will determine and set forth in the Award Agreement the terms and conditions for each Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Unit Award, subject to the conditions and limitations contained in the Plan.

 

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(b) Restricted Stock.

(i) Dividends. Participants holding shares of Restricted Stock will be entitled to all ordinary cash dividends paid with respect to such shares, unless the Administrator provides otherwise in the Award Agreement. In addition, unless the Administrator provides otherwise, if any dividends or distributions are paid in Shares, or consist of a dividend or distribution to holders of Common Stock of property other than an ordinary cash dividend, the Shares or other property will be subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid.

(ii) Stock Certificates. The Company may require that the Participant deposit in escrow with the Company (or its designee) any stock certificates issued in respect of shares of Restricted Stock, together with a stock power endorsed in blank.

(c) Restricted Stock Units.

(i) Settlement. The Administrator may provide that settlement of Restricted Stock Units will occur upon or as soon as reasonably practicable after the Restricted Stock Units vest or will instead be deferred, on a mandatory basis or at the Participant’s election, in a manner intended to comply with Section 409A.

(ii) Stockholder Rights. A Participant will have no rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to any Restricted Stock Unit unless and until the Shares are delivered in settlement of the Restricted Stock Unit.

(iii) Dividend Equivalents. If the Administrator provides, a grant of Restricted Stock Units may provide a Participant with the right to receive Dividend Equivalents. Dividend Equivalents may be paid currently or credited to an account for the Participant, settled in cash or Shares and subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the Restricted Stock Units with respect to which the Dividend Equivalents are granted and subject to other terms and conditions as set forth in the Award Agreement.

 

VII.	OTHER STOCK OR CASH BASED AWARDS

Other Stock or Cash Based Awards may be granted to Participants, including Awards entitling Participants to receive Shares to be delivered in the future and including annual or other periodic or long-term cash bonus awards (whether based on specified Performance Criteria or otherwise), in each case subject to any conditions and limitations in the Plan. Such Other Stock or Cash Based Awards will also be available as a payment form in the settlement of other Awards, as standalone payments and as payment in lieu of compensation to which a Participant is otherwise entitled. Other Stock or Cash Based Awards may be paid in Shares, cash or other property, as the Administrator determines. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Administrator will determine the terms and conditions of each Other Stock or Cash Based Award, including any purchase price, performance goal (which may be based on the Performance Criteria), transfer restrictions, and vesting conditions, which will be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

VIII.

ADJUSTMENTS FOR CHANGES IN COMMON STOCK AND CERTAIN OTHER EVENTS

(a) Equity Restructuring. In connection with any Equity Restructuring, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section VIII, the Administrator will equitably adjust each outstanding Award as it deems appropriate to reflect the Equity Restructuring, which may include adjusting the

 

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number and type of securities subject to each outstanding Award and/or the Award’s exercise price or grant price (if applicable), granting new Awards to Participants, and making a cash payment to Participants. The adjustments provided under this Section VIII(a) will be nondiscretionary and final and binding on the affected Participant and the Company; provided that the Administrator will determine whether an adjustment is equitable.

(b) Corporate Transactions. In the event of any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Common Stock, other securities, or other property), reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, repurchase, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, or sale, transfer, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or sale or exchange of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, Change in Control, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or other securities of the Company, other similar corporate transaction or event, other unusual or nonrecurring transaction or event affecting the Company or its financial statements or any change in any Applicable Laws or accounting principles, the Administrator, on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, either by the terms of the Award or by action taken prior to the occurrence of such transaction or event (except that action to give effect to a change in Applicable Law or accounting principles may be made within a reasonable period of time after such change) and either automatically or upon the Participant’s request, is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions whenever the Administrator determines that such action is appropriate in order to (x) prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended by the Company to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any Award granted or issued under the Plan, (y) to facilitate such transaction or event or (z) give effect to such changes in Applicable Laws or accounting principles:

(i) To provide for the cancellation of any such Award in exchange for either an amount of cash or other property with a value equal to the amount that could have been obtained upon the exercise or settlement of the vested portion of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights under the vested portion of such Award, as applicable; provided that, if the amount that could have been obtained upon the exercise or settlement of the vested portion of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights, in any case, is equal to or less than zero, then the Award may be terminated without payment;

(ii) To provide that such Award shall vest and, to the extent applicable, be exercisable as to all shares covered thereby, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or the provisions of such Award;

(iii) To provide that such Award be assumed by the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or shall be substituted for by awards covering the stock of the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and/or applicable exercise or purchase price, in all cases, as determined by the Administrator;

(iv) To make adjustments in the number and type of shares of Common Stock (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards and/or with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Section IV hereof on the maximum number and kind of shares which may be issued) and/or in the terms and conditions of (including the grant or exercise price), and the criteria included in, outstanding Awards;

(v) To replace such Award with other rights or property selected by the Administrator; and/or

(vi) To provide that the Award will terminate and cannot vest, be exercised or become payable after the applicable event.

 

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(c) Administrative Stand Still. In the event of any pending stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation or other distribution (other than normal cash dividends) of Company assets to stockholders, or any other extraordinary transaction or change affecting the Shares or the share price of Common Stock, including any Equity Restructuring or any securities offering or other similar transaction, for administrative convenience, the Administrator may refuse to permit the exercise of any Award for up to sixty days before or after such transaction.

(d) General. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or the Administrator’s action under the Plan, no Participant will have any rights due to any subdivision or consolidation of Shares of any class, dividend payment, increase or decrease in the number of Shares of any class or dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or other corporation. Except as expressly provided with respect to an Equity Restructuring under Section VIII(a) above or the Administrator’s action under the Plan, no issuance by the Company of Shares of any class, or securities convertible into Shares of any class, will affect, and no adjustment will be made regarding, the number of Shares subject to an Award or the Award’s grant or exercise price. The existence of the Plan, any Award Agreements and the Awards granted hereunder will not affect or restrict in any way the Company’s right or power to make or authorize (i) any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, (ii) any merger, consolidation dissolution or liquidation of the Company or sale of Company assets or (iii) any sale or issuance of securities, including securities with rights superior to those of the Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares. The Administrator may treat Participants and Awards (or portions thereof) differently under this Section VIII.

 

IX.	GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS.

(a) Transferability. Except as the Administrator may determine or provide in an Award Agreement or otherwise for Awards other than Incentive Stock Options, Awards may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered, either voluntarily or by operation of law, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution, or, subject to the Administrator’s consent, pursuant to a domestic relations order, and, during the life of the Participant, will be exercisable only by the Participant. References to a Participant, to the extent relevant in the context, will include references to a Participant’s authorized transferee that the Administrator specifically approves.

(b) Documentation. Each Award will be evidenced in an Award Agreement, which may be written or electronic, as the Administrator determines. Each Award may contain terms and conditions in addition to those set forth in the Plan.

(c) Discretion. Except as the Plan otherwise provides, each Award may be made alone or in addition or in relation to any other Award. The terms of each Award to a Participant need not be identical, and the Administrator need not treat Participants or Awards (or portions thereof) uniformly.

(d) Termination of Status. The Administrator will determine how the disability, death, retirement, authorized leave of absence or any other change or purported change in a Participant’s Service Provider status affects an Award and the extent to which, and the period during which, the Participant, the Participant’s legal representative, conservator, guardian or Designated Beneficiary may exercise rights under the Award, if applicable.

(e) Withholding. Each Participant must pay the Company, or make provision satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of, any taxes required by law to be withheld in connection with such

 

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Participant’s Awards by the date of the event creating the tax liability. The Company may deduct an amount sufficient to satisfy such tax obligations based on the minimum statutory withholding rates from any payment of any kind otherwise due to a Participant. Participants may satisfy such tax obligations in cash, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, by check made payable to the order of the Company, or subject to Section X(h) and any Company insider trading policy (including blackout periods), (i) to the extent permitted by the Administrator, in whole or in part by delivery of Shares, including Shares retained from the Award creating the tax obligation, valued at their Fair Market Value, (ii) if there is a public market for Shares at the time the tax obligations are satisfied, unless the Administrator otherwise determines, (A) delivery (including telephonically to the extent permitted by the Company) of an irrevocable and unconditional undertaking by a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company sufficient funds to satisfy the tax obligations, or (B) delivery by the Participant to the Company of a copy of irrevocable and unconditional instructions to a broker acceptable to the Company to deliver promptly to the Company cash or a check sufficient to satisfy the tax withholding; provided that such amount is paid to the Company at such time as may be required by the Administrator, or (iii) any combination of the foregoing permitted payment forms (including cash, wire transfer or check). If any tax withholding obligation will be satisfied under clause (i) of the immediately preceding sentence by the Company’s retention of Shares from the Award creating the tax obligation and there is a public market for Shares at the time the tax obligation is satisfied, the Company may elect to instruct any brokerage firm determined acceptable to the Company for such purpose to sell on the applicable Participant’s behalf some or all of the Shares retained and to remit the proceeds of the sale to the Company or its designee, and each Participant’s acceptance of an Award under the Plan will constitute the Participant’s authorization to the Company and instruction and authorization to such brokerage firm to complete the transactions described in this sentence.

(f) Amendment of Award; Repricing. The Administrator may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including by substituting another Award of the same or a different type, changing the exercise or settlement date, and converting an Incentive Stock Option to a Non-Qualified Stock Option. The Participant’s consent to such action will be required unless (i) the action, taking into account any related action, does not materially and adversely affect the Participant’s rights under the Award, or (ii) the change is permitted under Section VIII or pursuant to Section X(f). Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything in the Plan to the contrary, the Administrator may, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, reduce the exercise price per share of outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights or cancel outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights in exchange for cash, other Awards or Options or Stock Appreciation Rights with an exercise price per share that is less than the exercise price per share of the original Options or Stock Appreciation Rights.

(g) Conditions on Delivery of Stock. The Company will not be obligated to deliver any Shares under the Plan or remove restrictions from Shares previously delivered under the Plan until (i) all Award conditions have been met or removed to the Company’s satisfaction, (ii) as determined by the Company, all other legal matters regarding the issuance and delivery of such Shares have been satisfied, including any applicable securities laws and stock exchange or stock market rules and regulations, and (iii) the Participant has executed and delivered to the Company such representations or agreements as the Administrator deems necessary or appropriate to satisfy any Applicable Laws. The Company’s inability to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which the Administrator determines is necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any securities, will relieve the Company of any liability for failing to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority has not been obtained.

(h) Acceleration. The Administrator may at any time provide that any Award will become immediately vested and fully or partially exercisable, free of some or all restrictions or conditions, or otherwise fully or partially realizable.

 

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(i) Additional Terms of Incentive Stock Options. The Administrator may grant Incentive Stock Options only to employees of the Company, any of its present or future parent or subsidiary corporations, as defined in Sections 424(e) or (f) of the Code, respectively, and any other entities the employees of which are eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options under the Code. If an Incentive Stock Option is granted to a Greater Than 10% Stockholder, the exercise price will not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value on the Option’s grant date, and the term of the Option will not exceed five years. All Incentive Stock Options will be subject to and construed consistently with Section 422 of the Code. By accepting an Incentive Stock Option, the Participant agrees to give prompt notice to the Company of dispositions or other transfers (other than in connection with a Change in Control) of Shares acquired under the Option made within (i) two years from the grant date of the Option or (ii) one year after the transfer of such Shares to the Participant, specifying the date of the disposition or other transfer and the amount the Participant realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, in such disposition or other transfer. Neither the Company nor the Administrator will be liable to a Participant, or any other party, if an Incentive Stock Option fails or ceases to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code. Any Incentive Stock Option or portion thereof that fails to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code for any reason, including becoming exercisable with respect to Shares having a fair market value exceeding the $100,000 limitation under Treasury Regulation Section 1.422-4, will be a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

 

X.	MISCELLANEOUS.

(a) No Right to Employment or Other Status. No person will have any claim or right to be granted an Award, and the grant of an Award will not be construed as giving a Participant the right to continued employment or any other relationship with the Company. The Company expressly reserves the right at any time to dismiss or otherwise terminate its relationship with a Participant free from any liability or claim under the Plan or any Award, except as expressly provided in an Award Agreement.

(b) No Rights as Stockholder; Certificates. Subject to the Award Agreement, no Participant or Designated Beneficiary will have any rights as a stockholder with respect to any Shares to be distributed under an Award until becoming the record holder of such Shares. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, unless the Administrator otherwise determines or Applicable Laws require, the Company will not be required to deliver to any Participant certificates evidencing Shares issued in connection with any Award and instead such Shares may be recorded in the books of the Company (or, as applicable, its transfer agent or stock plan administrator). The Company may place legends on stock certificates issued under the Plan that the Administrator deems necessary or appropriate to comply with Applicable Laws.

(c) Effective Date and Term of Plan. The Plan will become effective on the day prior to the Public Trading Date and will remain in effect until the tenth anniversary of such date, unless earlier terminated by the Board. No Awards may be granted under the Plan during any suspension period or after Plan termination. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, an Incentive Stock Option may not be granted under the Plan after ten years from the earlier of (i) the date the Board adopted the Plan or (ii) the date the Company’s stockholders approved the Plan, but Awards previously granted may extend beyond that date in accordance with the Plan. If the Plan is not approved by the Company’s stockholders, (i) it will not become effective, (ii) no Awards shall be granted thereunder, and (iii) the Prior Plans will continue in full force and effect in accordance with their terms.

(d) Amendment of Plan. The Administrator may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan at any time; provided that no amendment, other than an increase to the Overall Share Limit, may materially and adversely affect any Award outstanding at the time of such amendment without the affected Participant’s consent. Awards outstanding at the time of any Plan suspension or termination will continue

 

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to be governed by the Plan and the Award Agreement, as in effect before such suspension or termination. The Board will obtain stockholder approval of any Plan amendment to the extent necessary to comply with Applicable Laws.

(e) Provisions for Foreign Participants. The Administrator may modify Awards granted to Participants who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States or establish subplans or procedures under the Plan to address differences in laws, rules, regulations or customs of such foreign jurisdictions with respect to tax, securities, currency, employee benefit or other matters.

(f) Section 409A.

(i) General. The Company intends that all Awards be structured to comply with, or be exempt from, Section 409A, such that no adverse tax consequences, interest, or penalties under Section 409A apply. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, the Administrator may, without a Participant’s consent, amend this Plan or Awards, adopt policies and procedures, or take any other actions (including amendments, policies, procedures and retroactive actions) as are necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of Awards, including any such actions intended to (A) exempt this Plan or any Award from Section 409A, or (B) comply with Section 409A, including regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority that may be issued after an Award’s grant date. The Company makes no representations or warranties as to an Award’s tax treatment under Section 409A or otherwise. The Company will have no obligation under this Section X(f) or otherwise to avoid the taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A with respect to any Award and will have no liability to any Participant or any other person if any Award, compensation or other benefits under the Plan are determined to constitute noncompliant “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A.

(ii) Separation from Service. If an Award constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A, any payment or settlement of such Award upon a termination of a Participant’s Service Provider relationship will, to the extent necessary to avoid taxes under Section 409A, be made only upon the Participant’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A), whether such “separation from service” occurs upon or after the termination of the Participant’s Service Provider relationship. For purposes of this Plan or any Award Agreement relating to any such payments or benefits, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms means a “separation from service.”

(iii) Payments to Specified Employees. Notwithstanding any contrary provision in the Plan or any Award Agreement, any payment(s) of “nonqualified deferred compensation” required to be made under an Award to a “specified employee” (as defined under Section 409A and as the Administrator determines) due to his or her “separation from service” will, to the extent necessary to avoid taxes under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, be delayed for the six-month period immediately following such “separation from service” (or, if earlier, until the specified employee’s death) and will instead be paid (as set forth in the Award Agreement) on the day immediately following such six-month period or as soon as administratively practicable thereafter (without interest). Any payments of “nonqualified deferred compensation” under such Award payable more than six months following the Participant’s “separation from service” will be paid at the time or times the payments are otherwise scheduled to be made.

(g) Limitations on Liability. Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, no individual acting as a director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary will be liable to any Participant, former Participant, spouse, beneficiary, or any other person for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan or any Award, and such individual will not be personally liable with respect to the Plan because of any contract or other instrument executed in his or her capacity

 

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as an Administrator, director, officer, other employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each director, officer, other employee and agent of the Company or any Subsidiary that has been or will be granted or delegated any duty or power relating to the Plan’s administration or interpretation, against any cost or expense (including attorneys’ fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the Administrator’s approval) arising from any act or omission concerning this Plan unless arising from such person’s own fraud or bad faith.

(h) Lock-Up Period. The Company may, at the request of any underwriter representative or otherwise, in connection with registering the offering of any Company securities under the Securities Act, prohibit Participants from, directly or indirectly, selling or otherwise transferring any Shares or other Company securities during a period of up to one hundred eighty days following the effective date of a Company registration statement filed under the Securities Act, or such longer period as determined by the underwriter.

(i) Data Privacy. As a condition for receiving any Award, each Participant explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of personal data as described in this paragraph by and among the Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates exclusively for implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan. The Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates may hold certain personal information about a Participant, including the Participant’s name, address and telephone number; birthdate; social security, insurance number or other identification number; salary; nationality; job title(s); any Shares held in the Company or its Subsidiaries and affiliates; and Award details, to implement, manage and administer the Plan and Awards (the “Data”). The Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates may transfer the Data amongst themselves as necessary to implement, administer and manage a Participant’s participation in the Plan, and the Company and its Subsidiaries and affiliates may transfer the Data to third parties assisting the Company with Plan implementation, administration and management. These recipients may be located in the Participant’s country, or elsewhere, and the Participant’s country may have different data privacy laws and protections than the recipients’ country. By accepting an Award, each Participant authorizes such recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, to implement, administer and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan, including any required Data transfer to a broker or other third party with whom the Company or the Participant may elect to deposit any Shares. The Data related to a Participant will be held only as long as necessary to implement, administer, and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan. A Participant may, at any time, view the Data that the Company holds regarding such Participant, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data regarding such Participant, recommend any necessary corrections to the Data regarding the Participant or refuse or withdraw the consents in this Section X(i) in writing, without cost, by contacting the local human resources representative. The Company may cancel Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan and, in the Administrator’s discretion, the Participant may forfeit any outstanding Awards if the Participant refuses or withdraws the consents in this Section X(i). For more information on the consequences of refusing or withdrawing consent, Participants may contact their local human resources representative.

(j) Severability. If any portion of the Plan or any action taken under it is held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity will not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan will be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provisions had been excluded, and the illegal or invalid action will be null and void.

(k) Governing Documents. If any contradiction occurs between the Plan and any Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company (or any Subsidiary) that the Administrator has approved, the Plan will govern, unless it is expressly specified in such Award Agreement or other written document that a specific provision of the Plan will not apply.

 

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(l) Governing Law. The Plan and all Awards will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, disregarding any state’s choice-of-law principles requiring the application of a jurisdiction’s laws other than the State of Delaware.

(m) Claw-back Provisions. All Awards (including any proceeds, gains or other economic benefit the Participant actually or constructively receives upon receipt or exercise of any Award or the receipt or resale of any Shares underlying the Award) will be subject to any Company claw-back policy, including any claw-back policy adopted to comply with Applicable Laws (including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder) as set forth in such claw-back policy or the Award Agreement.

(n) Titles and Headings. The titles and headings in the Plan are for convenience of reference only and, if any conflict, the Plan’s text, rather than such titles or headings, will control.

(o) Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan is intended to conform to the extent necessary with Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan and all Awards will be administered only in conformance with Applicable Laws. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, the Plan and all Award Agreements will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

(p) Relationship to Other Benefits. No payment under the Plan will be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare or other benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary except as expressly provided in writing in such other plan or an agreement thereunder.

(q) Broker-Assisted Sales. In the event of a broker-assisted sale of Shares in connection with the payment of amounts owed by a Participant under or with respect to the Plan or Awards, including amounts to be paid under the final sentence of Section IX(e): (a) any Shares to be sold through the broker-assisted sale will be sold on the day the payment first becomes due, or as soon thereafter as practicable; (b) such Shares may be sold as part of a block trade with other Participants in the Plan in which all participants receive an average price; (c) the applicable Participant will be responsible for all broker’s fees and other costs of sale, and by accepting an Award, each Participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any losses, costs, damages, or expenses relating to any such sale; (d) to the extent the Company or its designee receives proceeds of such sale that exceed the amount owed, the Company will pay such excess in cash to the applicable Participant as soon as reasonably practicable; (e) the Company and its designees are under no obligation to arrange for such sale at any particular price; and (f) in the event the proceeds of such sale are insufficient to satisfy the Participant’s applicable obligation, the Participant may be required to pay immediately upon demand to the Company or its designee an amount in cash sufficient to satisfy any remaining portion of the Participant’s obligation.

 

XI.	DEFINITIONS

As used in the Plan, the following words and phrases will have the following meanings:

(a) “Administrator” means the Board or a Committee to the extent that the Board’s powers or authority under the Plan have been delegated to such Committee.

(b) “Applicable Laws” means the requirements relating to the administration of equity incentive plans under U.S. federal and state securities, tax and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, the applicable rules of any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and the applicable laws and rules of any foreign country or other jurisdiction where Awards are granted.

 

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(c) “Award” means, individually or collectively, a grant under the Plan of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units or Other Stock or Cash Based Awards.

(d) “Award Agreement” means a written agreement evidencing an Award, which may be electronic, that contains such terms and conditions as the Administrator determines, consistent with and subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

(e) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

(f) “Change in Control” means and includes each of the following:

(i) A transaction or series of transactions (other than an offering of Common Stock to the general public through a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or a transaction or series of transactions that meets the requirements of clauses (A) and (B) of subsection (iii) below) whereby any “person” or related “group” of “persons” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) (other than the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, an employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or a “person” that, prior to such transaction, directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Company) directly or indirectly acquires beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company possessing more than 50% of the total combined voting power of the Company’s securities outstanding immediately after such acquisition; or

(ii) During any period of two consecutive years, individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constitute the Board together with any new Director(s) (other than a Director designated by a person who shall have entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in subsections (i) or (iii)) whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Directors then still in office who either were Directors at the beginning of the two-year period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof; or

(iii) The consummation by the Company (whether directly involving the Company or indirectly involving the Company through one or more intermediaries) of (x) a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or business combination or (y) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets in any single transaction or series of related transactions or (z) the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity, in each case other than a transaction:

(A) which results in the Company’s voting securities outstanding immediately before the transaction continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the Company or the person that, as a result of the transaction, controls, directly or indirectly, the Company or owns, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or otherwise succeeds to the business of the Company (the Company or such person, the “Successor Entity”)) directly or indirectly, at least a majority of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity’s outstanding voting securities immediately after the transaction, and

(B) after which no person or group beneficially owns voting securities representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity; provided, however, that no person or group shall be treated for purposes of this clause (B)

 

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as beneficially owning 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity solely as a result of the voting power held in the Company prior to the consummation of the transaction.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Change in Control constitutes a payment event with respect to any Award (or portion of any Award) that provides for the deferral of compensation that is subject to Section 409A, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Section 409A, the transaction or event described in subsection (i), (ii) or (iii) with respect to such Award (or portion thereof) shall only constitute a Change in Control for purposes of the payment timing of such Award if such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

The Administrator shall have full and final authority, which shall be exercised in its discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control and any incidental matters relating thereto; provided that any exercise of authority in conjunction with a determination of whether a Change in Control is a “change in control event” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) shall be consistent with such regulation.

(g) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations issued thereunder.

(h) “Committee” means one or more committees or subcommittees of the Board, which may include one or more Company directors or executive officers, to the extent Applicable Laws permit. To the extent required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3, it is intended that each member of the Committee will be, at the time the Committee takes any action with respect to an Award that is subject to Rule 16b-3, a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3; however, a Committee member’s failure to qualify as a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 will not invalidate any Award granted by the Committee that is otherwise validly granted under the Plan.

(i) “Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company.

(j) “Company” means Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor.

(k) “Consultant” means any person, including any adviser, engaged by the Company or its parent or Subsidiary to render services to such entity if the consultant or adviser: (i) renders bona fide services to the Company; (ii) renders services not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction and does not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities; and (iii) is a natural person.

(l) “Designated Beneficiary” means the beneficiary or beneficiaries the Participant designates, in a manner the Administrator determines, to receive amounts due or exercise the Participant’s rights if the Participant dies or becomes incapacitated. Without a Participant’s effective designation, “Designated Beneficiary” will mean the Participant’s estate.

(m) “Director” means a Board member.

(n) “Disability” means a permanent and total disability under Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, as amended.

 

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(o) “Dividend Equivalents” means a right granted to a Participant under the Plan to receive the equivalent value (in cash or Shares) of dividends paid on Shares.

(p) “Employee” means any employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries.

(q) “Equity Restructuring” means a nonreciprocal transaction between the Company and its stockholders, such as a stock dividend, stock split, spin-off or recapitalization through a large, nonrecurring cash dividend, that affects the number or kind of Shares (or other Company securities) or the share price of Common Stock (or other Company securities) and causes a change in the per share value of the Common Stock underlying outstanding Awards.

(r) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(s) “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of Common Stock determined as follows: (i) if the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange, its Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for such Common Stock as quoted on such exchange for such date, or if no sale occurred on such date, the last day preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; (ii) if the Common Stock is not traded on a stock exchange but is quoted on a national market or other quotation system, the closing sales price on such date, or if no sales occurred on such date, then on the last date preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; or (iii) without an established market for the Common Stock, the Administrator will determine the Fair Market Value in its discretion.

(t) “Greater Than 10% Stockholder” means an individual then owning (within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its parent or subsidiary corporation, as defined in Section 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively.

(u) “Incentive Stock Option” means an Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” as defined in Section 422 of the Code.

(v) “Non-Qualified Stock Option” means an Option not intended or not qualifying as an Incentive Stock Option.

(w) “Option” means an option to purchase Shares.

(x) “Other Stock or Cash Based Awards” means cash awards, awards of Shares, and other awards valued wholly or partially by referring to, or are otherwise based on, Shares or other property.

(y) “Overall Share Limit” means the sum of (i) 2,200,000 Shares; (ii) any shares of Common Stock which are subject to Prior Plan Awards which become available for issuance under the Plan pursuant to Section IV(b) and (iii) an annual increase on the first day of each calendar year beginning January 1, 2016 and ending on and including January 1, 2025, equal to the lesser of (A) 4% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (B) such smaller number of Shares as is determined by the Board.

(z) “Participant” means a Service Provider who has been granted an Award.

(aa) “Performance Criteria” mean the criteria (and adjustments) that the Administrator may select for an Award to establish performance goals for a performance period, which may include the

 

14

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following: net earnings or losses (either before or after one or more of interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and non-cash equity-based compensation expense); gross or net sales or revenue or sales or revenue growth; net income (either before or after taxes) or adjusted net income; profits (including but not limited to gross profits, net profits, profit growth, net operation profit or economic profit), profit return ratios or operating margin; budget or operating earnings (either before or after taxes or before or after allocation of corporate overhead and bonus); cash flow (including operating cash flow and free cash flow or cash flow return on capital); return on assets; return on capital or invested capital; cost of capital; return on stockholders’ equity; total stockholder return; return on sales; costs, reductions in costs and cost control measures; expenses; working capital; earnings or loss per share; adjusted earnings or loss per share; price per share or dividends per share (or appreciation in or maintenance of such price or dividends); regulatory achievements or compliance; implementation, completion or attainment of objectives relating to research, development, regulatory, commercial, or strategic milestones or developments; market share; economic value or economic value added models; division, group or corporate financial goals; customer satisfaction/growth; customer service; employee satisfaction; recruitment and maintenance of personnel; human resources management; supervision of litigation and other legal matters; strategic partnerships and transactions; financial ratios (including those measuring liquidity, activity, profitability or leverage); debt levels or reductions; sales-related goals; financing and other capital raising transactions; cash on hand; acquisition activity; investment sourcing activity; and marketing initiatives, any of which may be measured in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease, peer group results, or market performance indicators or indices.

(bb) “Plan” means this 2015 Incentive Award Plan.

(cc) “Prior Plans” means, collectively, the Seres Health, Inc. 2012 Stock Incentive Plan and any prior equity incentive plans of the Company or its predecessor.

(dd) “Prior Plan Award” means an award outstanding under the Prior Plans as of the Plan’s effective date in Section X(c).

(ee) “Public Trading Date” means the first date upon which the Common Stock is listed (or approved for listing) upon notice of issuance on any securities exchange or designated (or approved for designation) upon notice of issuance as a national market security on an interdealer quotation system, or, if earlier, the date on which the Company becomes a “publicly held corporation” for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.162-27(c)(1).

(ff) “Restricted Stock” means Shares awarded to a Participant under Section VI subject to certain vesting conditions and other restrictions.

(gg) “Restricted Stock Unit” means an unfunded, unsecured right to receive, on the applicable settlement date, one Share or an amount in cash or other consideration determined by the Administrator to be of equal value as of such settlement date, subject to certain vesting conditions and other restrictions.

(hh) “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act.

(ii) “Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and all regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority thereunder.

(jj) “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

(kk) “Service Provider” means an Employee, Consultant or Director.

 

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(ll) “Shares” means shares of Common Stock.

(mm) “Stock Appreciation Right” means a stock appreciation right granted under Section V.

(nn) “Subsidiary” means any entity (other than the Company), whether domestic or foreign, in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain beneficially owns, at the time of the determination, securities or interests representing at least 50% of the total combined voting power of all classes of securities or interests in one of the other entities in such chain.

(oo) “Termination of Service” means the date the Participant ceases to be a Service Provider.

* * * * *

 

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SERES HEALTH, INC.

2015 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT GRANT NOTICE

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2015 Incentive Award Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Seres Health, Inc. (the “Company”).

The Company hereby grants to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the Restricted Stock Units described in this Grant Notice (the “RSUs”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Agreement”), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:
Grant Date:
Number of RSUs:
Vesting Commencement Date:
Vesting Schedule:		[To be specified in individual award agreements]

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan and the Agreement. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

SERES HEALTH, INC.						PARTICIPANT
By:						By:
Print Name:						Print Name:
Title:

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Exhibit A

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

ARTICLE I.

GENERAL

1.1 Award of RSUs and Dividend Equivalents.

(a) The Company has granted the RSUs to Participant effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Grant Date”). Each RSU represents the right to receive one Share or, at the option of the Company, an amount of cash, in either case, as set forth in this Agreement. Participant will have no right to the distribution of any Shares or payment of any cash until the time (if ever) the RSUs have vested.

(b) The Company hereby grants to Participant, with respect to each RSU, a Dividend Equivalent for ordinary cash dividends paid to substantially all holders of outstanding Shares with a record date after the Grant Date and prior to the date the applicable RSU is settled, forfeited or otherwise expires. Each Dividend Equivalent entitles Participant to receive the equivalent value of any such ordinary cash dividends paid on a single Share. The Company will establish a separate Dividend Equivalent bookkeeping account (a “Dividend Equivalent Account”) for each Dividend Equivalent and credit the Dividend Equivalent Account (without interest) on the applicable dividend payment date with the amount of any such cash paid.

1.2 Incorporation of Terms of Plan. The RSUs are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

1.3 Unsecured Promise. The RSUs and Dividend Equivalents will at all times prior to settlement represent an unsecured Company obligation payable only from the Company’s general assets.

ARTICLE II.

VESTING; FORFEITURE AND SETTLEMENT

2.1 Vesting; Forfeiture. The RSUs will vest according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice except that any fraction of an RSU that would otherwise be vested will be accumulated and will vest only when a whole RSU has accumulated. In the event of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason, all unvested RSUs will immediately and automatically be cancelled and forfeited, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided in a binding written agreement between Participant and the Company. Dividend Equivalents (including any Dividend Equivalent Account balance) will vest or be forfeited, as applicable, upon the vesting or forfeiture of the RSU with respect to which the Dividend Equivalent (including the Dividend Equivalent Account) relates.

2.2 Settlement.

(a) RSUs and Dividend Equivalents (including any Dividend Equivalent Account balance) will be paid in Shares or cash at the Company’s option as soon as administratively practicable after the vesting of the applicable RSU, but in no event more than sixty (60) days after the RSU’s vesting date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may delay any payment under this Agreement that the Company reasonably determines would violate Applicable Law until the earliest date the Company

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reasonably determines the making of the payment will not cause such a violation (in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(7)(ii)), provided the Company reasonably believes the delay will not result in the imposition of excise taxes under Section 409A.

(b) If an RSU is paid in cash, the amount of cash paid with respect to the RSU will equal the Fair Market Value of a Share on the day immediately preceding the payment date. If a Dividend Equivalent is paid in Shares, the number of Shares paid with respect to the Dividend Equivalent will equal the quotient, rounded down to the nearest whole Share, of the Dividend Equivalent Account balance divided by the Fair Market Value of a Share on the day immediately preceding the payment date.

ARTICLE III.

TAXATION AND TAX WITHHOLDING

3.1 Representation. Participant represents to the Company that Participant has reviewed with Participant’s own tax advisors the tax consequences of this Award and the transactions contemplated by the Grant Notice and this Agreement. Participant is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.

3.2 Tax Withholding.

(a) The Company has the right and option, but not the obligation, to treat Participant’s failure to provide timely payment in accordance with the Plan of any withholding tax arising in connection with the RSUs or Dividend Equivalents as Participant’s election to satisfy all or any portion of the withholding tax by requesting the Company retain Shares otherwise issuable under the Award.

(b) Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the RSUs and the Dividend Equivalents, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax withholding obligations that arise in connection with the RSUs or Dividend Equivalents. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or payment of the RSUs or the Dividend Equivalents or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the RSUs or Dividend Equivalents to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax liability.

ARTICLE IV.

OTHER PROVISIONS

4.1 Adjustments. Participant acknowledges that the RSUs, the Shares subject to the RSUs and the Dividend Equivalents are subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

4.2 Notices. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address or facsimile number. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant at Participant’s last known mailing address, email address or facsimile number in the Company’s personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given when actually received, when sent by email, when sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company or upon receipt of a facsimile transmission confirmation.

 

A-2

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4.3 Titles. Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

4.4 Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

4.5 Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

4.6 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement, the RSUs and the Dividend Equivalents will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

4.7 Entire Agreement. The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof.

4.8 Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

4.9 Limitation on Participant’s Rights. Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the RSUs and Dividend Equivalents, and rights no greater than the right to receive cash or the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the RSUs and Dividend Equivalents, as and when settled pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.

4.10 Not a Contract of Employment. Nothing in the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement confers upon Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or interferes with or restricts in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or a Subsidiary and Participant.

4.11 Counterparts. The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Law, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

* * * * *

 

A-3

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SERES HEALTH, INC.

2015 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK GRANT NOTICE

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Restricted Stock Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2015 Incentive Award Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Seres Health, Inc. (the “Company”).

The Company has granted to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the shares of Restricted Stock described in this Grant Notice (the “Restricted Shares”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Restricted Stock Agreement attached as Exhibit A (the “Agreement”), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:
Grant Date:
Number of Restricted Shares:
Vesting Commencement Date:
Vesting Schedule:		[To be specified in individual award agreements]

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan and the Agreement. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

SERES HEALTH, INC.						PARTICIPANT
By:						By:
Print Name:						Print Name:
Title:

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Exhibit A

RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

ARTICLE I.

GENERAL

1.1 Issuance of Restricted Shares. The Company will issue the Restricted Shares to the Participant effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice and will cause (a) a stock certificate or certificates representing the Restricted Shares to be registered in Participant’s name or (b) the Restricted Shares to be held in book-entry form. If a stock certificate is issued, the certificate will be delivered to, and held in accordance with this Agreement by, the Company or its authorized representatives and will bear the restrictive legends required by this Agreement. If the Restricted Shares are held in book-entry form, then the book-entry will indicate that the Restricted Shares are subject to the restrictions of this Agreement.

1.2 Incorporation of Terms of Plan. The Restricted Shares are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

ARTICLE II.

VESTING, FORFEITURE AND ESCROW

2.1 Vesting. The Restricted Shares will become vested Shares (the “Vested Shares”) according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice except that any fraction of a Share that would otherwise become a Vested Share will be accumulated and will become a Vested Share only when a whole Vested Share has accumulated.

2.2 Forfeiture. In the event of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason, Participant will immediately and automatically forfeit to the Company any Shares that are not Vested Shares (the “Unvested Shares”) at the time of Participant’s Termination of Service, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator or provided in a binding written agreement between Participant and the Company. Upon forfeiture of Unvested Shares, the Company will become the legal and beneficial owner of the Unvested Shares and all related interests and Participant will have no further rights with respect to the Unvested Shares.

2.3 Escrow.

(a) Unvested Shares will be held by the Company or its authorized representatives until (i) they are forfeited, (ii) they become Vested Shares or (iii) this Agreement is no longer in effect. By accepting this Award, Participant appoints the Company and its authorized representatives as Participant’s attorney(s)-in-fact to take all actions necessary to effect any transfer of forfeited Unvested Shares (and Retained Distributions (as defined below), if any, paid on such forfeited Unvested Shares) to the Company as may be required pursuant to the Plan or this Agreement and to execute such representations or other documents or assurances as the Company or such representatives deem necessary or advisable in connection with any such transfer. The Company, or its authorized representative, will not be liable for any good faith act or omission with respect to the holding in escrow or transfer of the Restricted Shares.

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(b) All cash dividends and other distributions made or declared with respect to Unvested Shares (“Retained Distributions”) will be held by the Company until the time (if ever) when the Unvested Shares to which such Retained Distributions relate become Vested Shares. The Company will establish a separate Retained Distribution bookkeeping account (“Retained Distribution Account”) for each Unvested Share with respect to which Retained Distributions have been made or declared in cash and credit the Retained Distribution Account (without interest) on the date of payment with the amount of such cash made or declared with respect to the Unvested Share. Retained Distributions (including any Retained Distribution Account balance) will immediately and automatically be forfeited upon forfeiture of the Unvested Share with respect to which the Retained Distributions were paid or declared.

(c) As soon as reasonably practicable following the date on which an Unvested Share becomes a Vested Share, the Company will (i) cause the certificate (or a new certificate without the legend required by this Agreement, if Participant so requests) representing the Share to be delivered to Participant or, if the Share is held in book-entry form, cause the notations indicating the Share is subject to the restrictions of this Agreement to be removed and (ii) pay to Participant the Retained Distributions relating to the Share.

2.4 Rights as Stockholder. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement or the Plan, upon issuance of the Restricted Shares by the Company, Participant will have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to the Restricted Shares, including the right to vote the Restricted Shares and to receive dividends or other distributions paid or made with respect to the Restricted Shares.

ARTICLE III.

TAXATION AND TAX WITHHOLDING

3.1 Representation. Participant represents to the Company that Participant has reviewed with Participant’s own tax advisors the tax consequences of the Restricted Shares and the transactions contemplated by the Grant Notice and this Agreement. Participant is relying solely on such advisors and not on any statements or representations of the Company or any of its agents.

3.2 Section 83(b) Election. If Participant makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to the Restricted Shares, Participant will deliver a copy of the election to the Company promptly after filing the election with the Internal Revenue Service.

3.3 Tax Withholding.

(a) The Company has the right and option, but not the obligation, to treat Participant’s failure to provide timely payment in accordance with the Plan of any withholding tax arising in connection with the Restricted Shares as Participant’s election to satisfy all or any portion of the withholding tax by requesting the Company retain Shares otherwise deliverable under the Award.

(b) Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the Restricted Shares, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax withholding obligations that arise in connection with the Restricted Shares. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or payment of the Restricted Shares or the subsequent sale of the Restricted Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure this Award to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax liability.

 

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ARTICLE IV.

RESTRICTIVE LEGENDS AND TRANSFERABILITY

4.1 Legends. Any certificate representing a Restricted Share will bear the following legend until the Restricted Share becomes a Vested Share:

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO FORFEITURE IN FAVOR OF THE COMPANY AND MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF A RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND THE STOCKHOLDER, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY.

4.2 Transferability. The Restricted Shares and any Retained Distributions are subject to the restrictions on transfer in the Plan and may not be sold, assigned or transferred in any manner unless and until they become Vested Shares. Any attempted transfer or disposition of Unvested Shares or related Retained Distributions prior to the time the Unvested Shares become Vested Shares will be null and void. The Company will not be required to (a) transfer on its books any Restricted Share that has been sold or otherwise transferred in violation of this Agreement or (b) treat as owner of such Restricted Share or accord the right to vote or pay dividends to any purchaser or other transferee to whom such Restricted Share has been so transferred. The Company may issue appropriate “stop transfer” instructions to its transfer agent, if any, or make appropriate notations to the same effect in its records.

ARTICLE V.

OTHER PROVISIONS

5.1 Adjustments. Participant acknowledges that the Restricted Shares are subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

5.2 Notices. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address or facsimile number. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant at Participant’s last known mailing address, email address or facsimile number in the Company’s personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given when actually received, when sent by email, when sent by certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company or upon receipt of a facsimile transmission confirmation.

5.3 Titles. Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

5.4 Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

5.5 Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

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5.6 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement and the Restricted Shares will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

5.7 Entire Agreement. The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof.

5.8 Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

5.9 Limitation on Participant’s Rights. Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the Award.

5.10 Not a Contract of Employment. Nothing in the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement confers upon Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or interferes with or restricts in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or a Subsidiary and Participant.

5.11 Counterparts. The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Law, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

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SERES HEALTH, INC.

2015 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN

STOCK OPTION GRANT NOTICE

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Stock Option Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) have the meanings given to them in the 2015 Incentive Award Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) of Seres Health, Inc. (the “Company”).

The Company hereby grants to the participant listed below (“Participant”) the stock option described in this Grant Notice (the “Option”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Stock Option Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Agreement”), both of which are incorporated into this Grant Notice by reference.

 

Participant:
Grant Date:
Exercise Price per Share:
Shares Subject to the Option:
Final Expiration Date:
Vesting Commencement Date:
Vesting Schedule:		[To be specified in individual award agreements]
Type of Option		¨  Incentive Stock Option      ¨  Non-Qualified Stock Option

By Participant’s signature below, Participant agrees to be bound by the terms of this Grant Notice, the Plan and the Agreement. Participant has reviewed the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice or the Agreement.

 

SERES HEALTH, INC.						PARTICIPANT
By:						By:
Print Name:						Print Name:
Title:

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Exhibit A

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

Capitalized terms not specifically defined in this Agreement have the meanings specified in the Grant Notice or, if not defined in the Grant Notice, in the Plan.

ARTICLE I.

GENERAL

1.1 Grant of Option. Pursuant to the Grant Notice to which this Agreement is attached, the Company has granted to Participant the Option effective as of the grant date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “Grant Date”).

1.2 Incorporation of Terms of Plan. The Option is subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control.

ARTICLE II.

PERIOD OF EXERCISABILITY

2.1 Commencement of Exercisability. The Option will vest and become exercisable according to the vesting schedule in the Grant Notice (the “Vesting Schedule”) except that any fraction of a Share as to which the Option would be vested or exercisable will be accumulated and will vest and become exercisable only when a whole Share has accumulated. Notwithstanding anything in the Grant Notice, the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, unless the Administrator otherwise determines, the Option will immediately expire and be forfeited as to any portion that is not vested and exercisable as of Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason.

2.2 Duration of Exercisability. The Vesting Schedule is cumulative. Any portion of the Option which vests and becomes exercisable will remain vested and exercisable until the Option expires. The Option will be forfeited immediately upon its expiration.

2.3 Expiration of Option. The Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after, and will expire on, the first of the following to occur:

(a) The final expiration date in the Grant Notice;

(b) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of three (3) months from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service, unless Participant’s Termination of Service is for Cause or by reason of Participant’s death or Disability;

(c) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, the expiration of one (1) year from the date of Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of Participant’s death or Disability; and

(d) Except as the Administrator may otherwise approve, Participant’s Termination of Service for Cause.

As used in this Agreement, “Cause” means (i) if Participant is a party to a written employment or consulting agreement with the Company or its Subsidiary in which the term “cause” is defined (a “Relevant Agreement”), “Cause” as defined in the Relevant Agreement, and (ii) if no Relevant Agreement exists, (A) the Administrator’s determination that Participant failed to substantially perform

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Participant’s duties (other than a failure resulting from Participant’s Disability); (B) the Administrator’s determination that Participant failed to carry out, or comply with any lawful and reasonable directive of the Board or Participant’s immediate supervisor; (C) Participant’s conviction, plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere, or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or indictable offense or crime involving moral turpitude; (D) Participant’s unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on the premises of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or while performing Participant’s duties and responsibilities for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; or (E) Participant’s commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, misconduct, or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

ARTICLE III.

EXERCISE OF OPTION

3.1 Person Eligible to Exercise. During Participant’s lifetime, only Participant may exercise the Option. After Participant’s death, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time the Option expires, be exercised by Participant’s Designated Beneficiary as provided in the Plan.

3.2 Partial Exercise. Any exercisable portion of the Option or the entire Option, if then wholly exercisable, may be exercised, in whole or in part, according to the procedures in the Plan at any time prior to the time the Option or portion thereof expires, except that the Option may only be exercised for whole Shares.

3.3 Tax Withholding.

(a) The Company has the right and option, but not the obligation, to treat Participant’s failure to provide timely payment in accordance with the Plan of any withholding tax arising in connection with the Option as Participant’s election to satisfy all or any portion of the withholding tax by requesting the Company retain Shares otherwise issuable under the Option.

(b) Participant acknowledges that Participant is ultimately liable and responsible for all taxes owed in connection with the Option, regardless of any action the Company or any Subsidiary takes with respect to any tax withholding obligations that arise in connection with the Option. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary makes any representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with the awarding, vesting or exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of Shares. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not commit and are under no obligation to structure the Option to reduce or eliminate Participant’s tax liability.

ARTICLE IV.

OTHER PROVISIONS

4.1 Adjustments. Participant acknowledges that the Option is subject to adjustment, modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and the Plan.

4.2 Notices. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to the Company must be in writing and addressed to the Company in care of the Company’s Secretary at the Company’s principal office or the Secretary’s then-current email address or facsimile number. Any notice to be given under the terms of this Agreement to Participant must be in writing and addressed to Participant (or, if Participant is then deceased, to the person entitled to exercise the Option) at Participant’s last known mailing address, email address or facsimile number in the Company’s personnel files. By a notice given pursuant to this Section, either party may designate a different address for notices to be given to that party. Any notice will be deemed duly given when actually received, when sent by email, when sent by

 

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certified mail (return receipt requested) and deposited with postage prepaid in a post office or branch post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service, when delivered by a nationally recognized express shipping company or upon receipt of a facsimile transmission confirmation.

4.3 Titles. Titles are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.

4.4 Conformity to Securities Laws. Participant acknowledges that the Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all Applicable Laws and, to the extent Applicable Laws permit, will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to Applicable Laws.

4.5 Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement will inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in the Plan, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

4.6 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Grant Notice, this Agreement and the Option will be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent Applicable Laws permit, this Agreement will be deemed amended as necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

4.7 Entire Agreement. The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including any exhibit hereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof.

4.8 Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision of the Grant Notice or this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the provision will be severable from, and the illegality or invalidity of the provision will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of the Grant Notice or this Agreement.

4.9 Limitation on Participant’s Rights. Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and may not be construed as creating a trust. Neither the Plan nor any underlying program, in and of itself, has any assets. Participant will have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the Option, and rights no greater than the right to receive the Shares as a general unsecured creditor with respect to the Option, as and when exercised pursuant to the terms hereof.

4.10 Not a Contract of Employment. Nothing in the Plan, the Grant Notice or this Agreement confers upon Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary or interferes with or restricts in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or a Subsidiary and Participant.

 

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4.11 Counterparts. The Grant Notice may be executed in one or more counterparts, including by way of any electronic signature, subject to Applicable Law, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which together will constitute one instrument.

4.12 Incentive Stock Options. If the Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option:

(a) Participant acknowledges that to the extent the aggregate fair market value of shares (determined as of the time the option with respect to the shares is granted) with respect to which stock options intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, including the Option, are exercisable for the first time by Participant during any calendar year exceeds $100,000 or if for any other reason such stock options do not qualify or cease to qualify for treatment as “incentive stock options” under Section 422 of the Code, such stock options (including the Option) will be treated as non-qualified stock options. Participant further acknowledges that the rule set forth in the preceding sentence will be applied by taking the Option and other stock options into account in the order in which they were granted, as determined under Section 422(d) of the Code. Participant also acknowledges that if the Option is exercised more than three (3) months after Participant’s Termination of Service, other than by reason of death or disability, the Option will be taxed as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

(b) Participant will give prompt written notice to the Company of any disposition or other transfer of any Shares acquired under this Agreement if such disposition or other transfer is made (a) within two (2) years from the Grant Date or (b) within one (1) year after the transfer of such Shares to Participant. Such notice will specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by Participant in such disposition or other transfer.

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Exhibit 10.3

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

2015 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

 

I.

PURPOSE

The purposes of this Seres Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (as it may be amended or restated from time to time, the “Plan”) are to assist Eligible Employees of Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its Designated Subsidiaries in acquiring a stock ownership interest in the Company pursuant to a plan which is intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423(b) of the Code, and to help Eligible Employees provide for their future security and to encourage them to remain in the employment of the Company and its Designated Subsidiaries.

 

II.	DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION

Wherever the following terms are used in the Plan they shall have the meanings specified below, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The singular pronoun shall include the plural where the context so indicates. Masculine, feminine and neuter pronouns are used interchangeably and each comprehends the others.

(a) “Administrator” shall mean the entity that conducts the general administration of the Plan as provided in Section XI. The term “Administrator” shall refer to the Committee unless the Board has assumed the authority for administration of the Plan as provided in Section XI.

(b) “Applicable Laws” shall mean the requirements relating to the administration of equity incentive plans under U.S. federal and state securities, tax and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, the applicable rules of any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and the applicable laws and rules of any foreign country or other jurisdiction where rights under this Plan are granted.

(c) “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

(d) “Change in Control” shall mean and include each of the following:

(i) A transaction or series of transactions (other than an offering of Common Stock to the general public through a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or a transaction or series of transactions that meets the requirements of clauses (A) and (B) of Section II(d)(iii) below) whereby any “person” or related “group” of “persons” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) (other than the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, an employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or a “person” that, prior to such transaction, directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Company) directly or indirectly acquires beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company possessing more than 50% of the total combined voting power of the Company’s securities outstanding immediately after such acquisition; or

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(ii) During any period of two consecutive years, individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constitute the Board together with any new director(s) (other than a director designated by a person who shall have entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in Section II(d)(i) or II(d)(iii)) whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the two-year period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof; or

(iii) The consummation by the Company (whether directly involving the Company or indirectly involving the Company through one or more intermediaries) of (x) a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or business combination or (y) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets in any single transaction or series of related transactions or (z) the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity, in each case other than a transaction:

(A) which results in the Company’s voting securities outstanding immediately before the transaction continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the Company or the person that, as a result of the transaction, controls, directly or indirectly, the Company or owns, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or otherwise succeeds to the business of the Company (the Company or such person, the “Successor Entity”)) directly or indirectly, at least a majority of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity’s outstanding voting securities immediately after the transaction, and

(B) after which no person or group beneficially owns voting securities representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity; provided, however, that no person or group shall be treated for purposes of this Section II(d)(iii)(B) as beneficially owning 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity solely as a result of the voting power held in the Company prior to the consummation of the transaction.

The Administrator shall have full and final authority, which shall be exercised in its discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control and any incidental matters relating thereto.

(e) “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, together with the regulations and official guidance promulgated thereunder.

(f) “Common Stock” shall mean the common stock of the Company and such other securities of the Company that may be substituted therefor pursuant to Section VIII.

(g) “Company” shall mean Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

(h) “Compensation” of an Eligible Employee shall mean the gross base compensation received by such Eligible Employee as compensation for services to the Company

 

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or any Designated Subsidiary, including overtime payments and excluding sales commissions, incentive compensation, bonuses, expense reimbursements, fringe benefits and other special payments.

(i) “Designated Subsidiary” shall mean any Subsidiary designated by the Administrator in accordance with Section XI(c)(ii).

(j) “Effective Date” shall mean the day prior to the Public Trading Date.

(k) “Eligible Employee” shall mean an Employee: (i) who does not, immediately after any rights under this Plan are granted, own (directly or through attribution) stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of Common Stock and other stock of the Company, a Parent or a Subsidiary (as determined under Section 423(b)(3) of the Code); (ii) whose customary employment is for more than twenty hours per week; and (iii) whose customary employment is for more than five months in any calendar year. For purposes of the foregoing clause (i), the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code with regard to the attribution of stock ownership shall apply in determining the stock ownership of an individual, and stock that an Employee may purchase under outstanding options shall be treated as stock owned by the Employee; provided, however, that the Administrator may provide in an Offering Document that an Employee shall not be eligible to participate in an Offering Period if: (x) such Employee is a highly compensated employee within the meaning of Section 423(b)(4)(D) of the Code; and/or (y) such Employee has not met a service requirement designated by the Administrator pursuant to Section 423(b)(4)(A) of the Code (which service requirement may not exceed two years), and/or (z) such Employee is a citizen or resident of a foreign jurisdiction and the grant of a right to purchase Common Stock under the Plan to such Employee would be prohibited under the laws of such foreign jurisdiction or the grant of a right to purchase Common Stock under the Plan to such Employee in compliance with the laws of such foreign jurisdiction would cause the Plan to violate the requirements of Section 423 of the Code, as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion; provided, further, that any exclusion in clauses (x), (y) or (z) shall be applied in an identical manner under each Offering Period to all Employees, in accordance with Treasury Regulation Section 1.423-2(e).

(l) “Employee” shall mean any officer or other employee (as defined in accordance with Section 3401(c) of the Code) of the Company or any Designated Subsidiary. “Employee” shall not include any director of the Company or a Designated Subsidiary who does not render services to the Company or a Designated Subsidiary as an employee within the meaning of Section 3401(c) of the Code. For purposes of the Plan, the employment relationship shall be treated as continuing intact while the individual is on sick leave or other leave of absence approved by the Company or Designated Subsidiary and meeting the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.421-1(h)(2). Where the period of leave exceeds three (3) months and the individual’s right to reemployment is not guaranteed either by statute or by contract, the employment relationship shall be deemed to have terminated on the first day immediately following such three (3)-month period.

(m) “Enrollment Date” shall mean the first Trading Day of each Offering Period.

 

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(n) “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

(o) “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of Common Stock determined as follows: (i) if the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange, its Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for such Common Stock as quoted on such exchange for such date, or if no sale occurred on such date, the last day preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; (ii) if the Common Stock is not traded on a stock exchange but is quoted on a national market or other quotation system, the closing sales price on such date, or if no sales occurred on such date, then on the last date preceding such date during which a sale occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or another source the Administrator deems reliable; or (iii) without an established market for the Common Stock, the Administrator will determine the Fair Market Value in its discretion.

(p) “Offering Document” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section IV(a).

(q) “Offering Period” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section IV(a).

(r) “Parent” shall mean any corporation, other than the Company, in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company if, at the time of the determination, each of the corporations other than the Company owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

(s) “Participant” shall mean any Eligible Employee who has executed a subscription agreement and been granted rights to purchase Common Stock pursuant to the Plan.

(t) “Plan” shall mean this Seres Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

(u) “Public Trading Date” shall mean the first date upon which Common Stock is listed (or approved for listing) upon notice of issuance on any securities exchange or designated (or approved for designation) upon notice of issuance as a national market security on an interdealer quotation system.

(v) “Purchase Date” shall mean the last Trading Day of each Offering Period.

(w) “Purchase Price” shall mean the purchase price designated by the Administrator in the applicable Offering Document (which purchase price shall not be less than 85% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Enrollment Date or on the Purchase Date, whichever is lower); provided, however, that, in the event no purchase price is designated by the Administrator in the applicable Offering Document, the purchase price for the Offering Periods covered by such Offering Document shall be 85% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Enrollment Date or on the Purchase Date, whichever is lower; provided, further, that the Purchase Price may be adjusted by the Administrator pursuant to Section VIII and shall not be less than the par value of a Share.

 

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(x) “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

(y) “Share” shall mean a share of Common Stock.

(z) “Subsidiary” shall mean any corporation, other than the Company, in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if, at the time of the determination, each of the corporations other than the last corporation in an unbroken chain owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain; provided, however, that a limited liability company or partnership may be treated as a Subsidiary to the extent either (i) such entity is treated as a disregarded entity under Treasury Regulation Section 301.7701-3(a) by reason of the Company or any other Subsidiary that is a corporation being the sole owner of such entity, or (ii) such entity elects to be classified as a corporation under Treasury Regulation Section 301.7701-3(a) and such entity would otherwise qualify as a Subsidiary.

(aa) “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which national stock exchanges in the United States are open for trading.

 

III.	SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

(a) Number of Shares. Subject to Section VIII, the aggregate number of Shares that may be issued pursuant to rights granted under the Plan shall be 365,000 Shares. In addition to the foregoing, subject to Section VIII, on the first day of each calendar year beginning on January 1, 2016 and ending on and including January 1, 2025, the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan shall be increased by that number of Shares equal to the least of (i) 400,000 Shares, (ii) 1% of the Shares outstanding on the final day of the immediately preceding calendar year and (iii) such smaller number of Shares as determined by the Board. If any right granted under the Plan shall for any reason terminate without having been exercised, the Common Stock not purchased under such right shall again become available for issuance under the Plan.

(b) Stock Distributed. Any Common Stock distributed pursuant to the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Common Stock, treasury stock or Common Stock purchased on the open market.

 

IV.	OFFERING PERIODS; OFFERING DOCUMENTS

(a) Offering Periods. The Administrator may from time to time grant or provide for the grant of rights to purchase Common Stock under the Plan to Eligible Employees during one or more periods (each, an “Offering Period”) selected by the Administrator. The terms and conditions applicable to each Offering Period shall be set forth in an “Offering Document” adopted by the Administrator, which Offering Document shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Administrator shall deem appropriate and shall be incorporated by reference into and made part of the Plan and shall be attached hereto as part of the Plan. The provisions of separate Offering Periods under the Plan need not be identical.

 

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(b) Offering Documents. Each Offering Document with respect to an Offering Period shall specify (through incorporation of the provisions of this Plan by reference or otherwise):

(i) the length of the Offering Period, which period shall not exceed twenty-seven months;

(ii) the maximum number of Shares that may be purchased by any Eligible Employee during such Offering Period, which, in the absence of a contrary designation by the Administrator, shall be 25,000 Shares;

(iii) such other provisions as the Administrator determines are appropriate, subject to the Plan.

 

V.	ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION

(a) Eligibility. Any Eligible Employee who shall be employed by the Company or a Designated Subsidiary on a given Enrollment Date for an Offering Period shall be eligible to participate in the Plan during such Offering Period, subject to the requirements of this Section V and the limitations imposed by Section 423(b) of the Code.

(b) Enrollment in Plan.

(i) Except as otherwise set forth in an Offering Document or determined by the Administrator, an Eligible Employee may become a Participant in the Plan for an Offering Period by delivering a subscription agreement to the Company by such time prior to the Enrollment Date for such Offering Period (or such other date specified in the Offering Document) designated by the Administrator and in such form as the Company provides.

(ii) Each subscription agreement shall designate a whole percentage of such Eligible Employee’s Compensation to be withheld by the Company or the Designated Subsidiary employing such Eligible Employee on each payday during the Offering Period as payroll deductions under the Plan. An Eligible Employee may designate any whole percentage of Compensation that is not less than 1% and not more than the maximum percentage specified by the Administrator in the applicable Offering Document (which percentage shall be 25% in the absence of any such designation) as payroll deductions. The payroll deductions made for each Participant shall be credited to an account for such Participant under the Plan and shall be deposited with the general funds of the Company.

(iii) A Participant may increase or decrease the percentage of Compensation designated in his or her subscription agreement, subject to the limits of this Section V(b), or may suspend his or her payroll deductions, at any time during an Offering Period; provided, however, that the Administrator may limit the number of changes a Participant may make to his or her payroll deduction elections during each Offering Period in the applicable Offering Document (and in the absence of any specific designation by the Administrator, a Participant shall be allowed one change to his or her payroll deduction elections during each Offering Period). Any such change or suspension of payroll deductions shall be effective with the first full payroll period following five business days after the Company’s receipt of the new subscription agreement (or such shorter or longer period as may be specified by the Administrator in the

 

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applicable Offering Document). In the event a Participant suspends his or her payroll deductions, such Participant’s cumulative payroll deductions prior to the suspension shall remain in his or her account and shall be applied to the purchase of Shares on the next occurring Purchase Date and shall not be paid to such Participant unless he or she withdraws from participation in the Plan pursuant to Section VII.

(iv) Except as otherwise set forth in an Offering Document or determined by the Administrator, a Participant may participate in the Plan only by means of payroll deduction and may not make contributions by lump sum payment for any Offering Period.

(c) Payroll Deductions. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Offering Document, payroll deductions for a Participant shall commence on the first payroll following the Enrollment Date and shall end on the last payroll in the Offering Period to which the Participant’s authorization is applicable, unless sooner terminated by the Participant as provided in Section VII or suspended by the Participant or the Administrator as provided in Section V(b) and Section V(f), respectively.

(d) Effect of Enrollment. A Participant’s completion of a subscription agreement will enroll such Participant in the Plan for each subsequent Offering Period on the terms contained therein until the Participant either submits a new subscription agreement, withdraws from participation under the Plan as provided in Section VII or ceases to be an Eligible Employee.

(e) Limitation on Purchase of Common Stock. An Eligible Employee may be granted rights under the Plan only if such rights, together with any other rights granted to such Eligible Employee under “employee stock purchase plans” of the Company, any Parent or any Subsidiary, as specified by Section 423(b)(8) of the Code, do not permit such employee’s rights to purchase stock of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary to accrue at a rate that exceeds $25,000 of the fair market value of such stock (determined as of the first day of the Offering Period during which such rights are granted) for each calendar year in which such rights are outstanding at any time. This limitation shall be applied in accordance with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code.

(f) Suspension of Payroll Deductions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and Section V(e) or the other limitations set forth in this Plan, a Participant’s payroll deductions may be suspended by the Administrator at any time during an Offering Period. The balance of the amount credited to the account of each Participant that has not been applied to the purchase of Shares by reason of Section 423(b)(8) of the Code, Section V(e) or the other limitations set forth in this Plan shall be paid to such Participant in one lump sum in cash as soon as reasonably practicable after the Purchase Date.

(g) Foreign Employees. In order to facilitate participation in the Plan, the Administrator may provide for such special terms applicable to Participants who are citizens or residents of a foreign jurisdiction, or who are employed by a Designated Subsidiary outside of the United States, as the Administrator may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy or custom. Such special terms may not be more favorable than the terms of rights granted under the Plan to Eligible Employees who are residents of the United States. Moreover, the Administrator may approve such supplements to, or amendments,

 

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restatements or alternative versions of, this Plan as it may consider necessary or appropriate for such purposes without thereby affecting the terms of this Plan as in effect for any other purpose. No such special terms, supplements, amendments or restatements shall include any provisions that are inconsistent with the terms of this Plan as then in effect unless this Plan could have been amended to eliminate such inconsistency without further approval by the stockholders of the Company.

(h) Leave of Absence. During leaves of absence approved by the Company meeting the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.421-1(h)(2) under the Code, a Participant may continue participation in the Plan by making cash payments to the Company on his or her normal payday equal to his or her authorized payroll deduction.

 

VI.	GRANT AND EXERCISE OF RIGHTS

(a) Grant of Rights. On the Enrollment Date of each Offering Period, each Eligible Employee participating in such Offering Period shall be granted a right to purchase the maximum number of Shares specified under Section IV(b), subject to the limits in Section V(e), and shall have the right to buy, on each Purchase Date during such Offering Period (at the applicable Purchase Price), such number of whole Shares as is determined by dividing (x) such Participant’s payroll deductions accumulated prior to such Purchase Date and retained in the Participant’s account as of the Purchase Date, by (y) the applicable Purchase Price (rounded down to the nearest Share). The right shall expire on the last day of the Offering Period.

(b) Exercise of Rights. On each Purchase Date, each Participant’s accumulated payroll deductions and any other additional payments specifically provided for in the applicable Offering Document will be applied to the purchase of whole Shares, up to the maximum number of Shares permitted pursuant to the terms of the Plan and the applicable Offering Document, at the Purchase Price. No fractional Shares shall be issued upon the exercise of rights granted under the Plan, unless the Offering Document specifically provides otherwise. Any cash in lieu of fractional Shares remaining after the purchase of whole Shares upon exercise of a purchase right will be credited to a Participant’s account and carried forward and applied toward the purchase of whole Shares for the next following Offering Period. Shares issued pursuant to the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Administrator may determine and may be issued in certificated form or issued pursuant to book-entry procedures.

(c) Pro Rata Allocation of Shares. If the Administrator determines that, on a given Purchase Date, the number of Shares with respect to which rights are to be exercised may exceed (i) the number of Shares that were available for issuance under the Plan on the Enrollment Date of the applicable Offering Period, or (ii) the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan on such Purchase Date, the Administrator may in its sole discretion provide that the Company shall make a pro rata allocation of the Shares available for purchase on such Enrollment Date or Purchase Date, as applicable, in as uniform a manner as shall be practicable and as it shall determine in its sole discretion to be equitable among all Participants for whom rights to purchase Common Stock are to be exercised pursuant to this Section VI on such Purchase Date, and shall either (x) continue all Offering Periods then in effect, or (y) terminate any or all Offering Periods then in effect pursuant to Section IX. The Company may make pro rata allocation of the Shares available on the Enrollment Date of any applicable Offering Period

 

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pursuant to the preceding sentence, notwithstanding any authorization of additional Shares for issuance under the Plan by the Company’s stockholders subsequent to such Enrollment Date. The balance of the amount credited to the account of each Participant that has not been applied to the purchase of Shares shall be paid to such Participant in one lump sum in cash as soon as reasonably practicable after the Purchase Date.

(d) Withholding. At the time a Participant’s rights under the Plan are exercised, in whole or in part, or at the time some or all of the Common Stock issued under the Plan is disposed of, the Participant must make adequate provision for the Company’s federal, state, or other tax withholding obligations, if any, that arise upon the exercise of the right or the disposition of the Common Stock. At any time, the Company may, but shall not be obligated to, withhold from the Participant’s compensation the amount necessary for the Company to meet applicable withholding obligations.

(e) Conditions to Issuance of Common Stock. The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificate or certificates for, or make any book entries evidencing, Shares purchased upon the exercise of rights under the Plan prior to fulfillment of all of the following conditions:

(i) The admission of such Shares to listing on all stock exchanges, if any, on which the Common Stock is then listed; and

(ii) The completion of any registration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or federal law or under the rulings or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other governmental regulatory body, that the Administrator shall, in its absolute discretion, deem necessary or advisable; and

(iii) The obtaining of any approval or other clearance from any state or federal governmental agency that the Administrator shall, in its absolute discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable; and

(iv) The payment to the Company of all amounts that it is required to withhold under federal, state or local law upon exercise of the rights, if any; and

(v) The lapse of such reasonable period of time following the exercise of the rights as the Administrator may from time to time establish for reasons of administrative convenience.

 

VII.	WITHDRAWAL; CESSATION OF ELIGIBILITY

(a) Withdrawal. A Participant may withdraw all but not less than all of the payroll deductions credited to his or her account and not yet used to exercise his or her rights under the Plan at any time by giving written notice to the Company in a form acceptable to the Company no later than one week prior to the end of the Offering Period. All of the Participant’s payroll deductions credited to his or her account during an Offering Period shall be paid to such Participant as soon as reasonably practicable after receipt of notice of withdrawal and such Participant’s rights for the Offering Period shall be automatically terminated, and no further payroll deductions for the purchase of Shares shall be made for such Offering Period. If a

 

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Participant withdraws from an Offering Period, payroll deductions shall not resume at the beginning of the next Offering Period unless the Participant delivers to the Company a new subscription agreement.

(b) Future Participation. A Participant’s withdrawal from an Offering Period shall not have any effect upon his or her eligibility to participate in any similar plan that may hereafter be adopted by the Company or a Designated Subsidiary or in subsequent Offering Periods that commence after the termination of the Offering Period from which the Participant withdraws.

(c) Cessation of Eligibility. Upon a Participant’s ceasing to be an Eligible Employee for any reason, he or she shall be deemed to have elected to withdraw from the Plan pursuant to this Section VII and the payroll deductions credited to such Participant’s account during the Offering Period shall be paid to such Participant or, in the case of his or her death, to the person or persons entitled thereto under Section XII(d), as soon as reasonably practicable, and such Participant’s rights for the Offering Period shall be automatically terminated.

 

VIII.

ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN STOCK

(a) Changes in Capitalization. Subject to Section VIII(c), in the event that the Administrator determines that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Common Stock, other securities, or other property), Change in Control, reorganization, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, combination, repurchase, recapitalization, liquidation, dissolution, or sale, transfer, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or sale or exchange of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event, as determined by the Administrator, affects the Common Stock such that an adjustment is determined by the Administrator to be appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended by the Company to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any outstanding purchase rights under the Plan, the Administrator shall make equitable adjustments, if any, to reflect such change with respect to (i) the aggregate number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) that may be issued under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Section III(a) and the limitations established in each Offering Document pursuant to Section IV(b) on the maximum number of Shares that may be purchased); (ii) the class(es) and number of shares and price per Share subject to outstanding rights; and (iii) the Purchase Price with respect to any outstanding rights.

(b) Other Adjustments. Subject to Section VIII(c), in the event of any transaction or event described in Section VIII(a) or any unusual or nonrecurring transactions or events affecting the Company, any affiliate of the Company, or the financial statements of the Company or any affiliate (including without limitation any Change in Control), or of changes in Applicable Law or accounting principles, the Administrator, in its discretion, and on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions whenever the Administrator determines that such action is appropriate in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any right under the Plan, to facilitate such transactions or events or to give effect to such changes in laws, regulations or principles:

(i) To provide for either (x) termination of any outstanding right in exchange for an amount of cash, if any, equal to the amount that would have been obtained upon the exercise of such right had such right been currently exercisable or (y) the replacement of such outstanding right with other rights or property selected by the Administrator in its sole discretion;

 

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(ii) To provide that the outstanding rights under the Plan shall be assumed by the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or shall be substituted for by similar rights covering the stock of the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and prices;

(iii) To make adjustments in the number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding rights under the Plan and/or in the terms and conditions of outstanding rights and rights that may be granted in the future;

(iv) To provide that Participants’ accumulated payroll deductions may be used to purchase Common Stock prior to the next occurring Purchase Date on such date as the Administrator determines in its sole discretion and the Participants’ rights under the ongoing Offering Period(s) shall be terminated; and

(v) To provide that all outstanding rights shall terminate without being exercised.

(c) No Adjustment Under Certain Circumstances. No adjustment or action described in this Section VIII or in any other provision of the Plan shall be authorized to the extent that such adjustment or action would cause the Plan to fail to satisfy the requirements of Section 423 of the Code.

(d) No Other Rights. Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no Participant shall have any rights by reason of any subdivision or consolidation of shares of stock of any class, the payment of any dividend, any increase or decrease in the number of shares of stock of any class or any dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or any other corporation. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or pursuant to action of the Administrator under the Plan, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of Shares subject to outstanding rights under the Plan or the Purchase Price with respect to any outstanding rights.

 

IX.	AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION

(a) Amendment, Modification and Termination. The Administrator may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan at any time and from time to time; provided, however, that approval of the Company’s stockholders shall be required to amend the Plan to: (i) increase the aggregate number, or change the type, of shares that may be sold pursuant to rights under the Plan under Section III(a) (other than an adjustment as provided by Section VIII); (ii) change the corporations or classes of corporations whose employees may be granted rights under the Plan; or (iii) change the Plan in any manner that would cause the Plan to no longer be an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423(b) of the Code.

 

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(b) Certain Changes to Plan. Without stockholder consent and without regard to whether any Participant rights may be considered to have been adversely affected, to the extent permitted by Section 423 of the Code, the Administrator shall be entitled to change the Offering Periods, limit the frequency and/or number of changes in the amount withheld from the Participant’s Compensation during an Offering Period, establish the exchange ratio applicable to amounts withheld from the Participant’s Compensation in a currency other than U.S. dollars, permit payroll withholding in excess of the amount designated by a Participant in a properly completed subscription agreement in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in the Company’s processing of payroll withholding elections, establish reasonable waiting and adjustment periods and/or accounting and crediting procedures to ensure that amounts applied toward the purchase of Common Stock for each Participant properly correspond with amounts withheld from the Participant’s Compensation, and establish such other limitations or procedures as the Administrator determines in its sole discretion to be advisable that are consistent with the Plan.

(c) Actions In the Event of Unfavorable Financial Accounting Consequences. In the event the Administrator determines that the ongoing operation of the Plan may result in unfavorable financial accounting consequences, the Administrator may, in its discretion and, to the extent necessary or desirable, modify or amend the Plan to reduce or eliminate such accounting consequence including, but not limited to:

(i) altering the Purchase Price for any Offering Period including an Offering Period underway at the time of the change in Purchase Price;

(ii) shortening any Offering Period so that the Offering Period ends on a new Purchase Date, including an Offering Period underway at the time of the Administrator action; and

(iii) allocating Shares.

Such modifications or amendments shall not require stockholder approval or the consent of any Participant.

(d) Payments Upon Termination of Plan. Upon termination of the Plan, the balance in each Participant’s Plan account shall be refunded as soon as practicable after such termination, without any interest thereon.

 

X.	TERM OF PLAN

The Plan shall be effective on the Effective Date. The effectiveness of the Plan shall be subject to approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company within twelve months following the date the Plan is first approved by the Board. No right may be granted under the Plan prior to such stockholder approval. No rights may be granted under the Plan during any period of suspension of the Plan or after termination of the Plan.

 

XI.	ADMINISTRATION

(a) Administrator. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Administrator of the Plan shall be the Compensation Committee of the Board (or another committee or a

 

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subcommittee of the Board to which the Board delegates administration of the Plan) (such committee, the “Committee”). The Board may at any time vest in the Board any authority or duties for administration of the Plan.

(b) Action by the Administrator. Unless otherwise established by the Board or in any charter of the Administrator, a majority of the Administrator shall constitute a quorum. The acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present and, subject to Applicable Law and the Bylaws of the Company, acts approved in writing by a majority of the Administrator in lieu of a meeting, shall be deemed the acts of the Administrator. Each member of the Administrator is entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to that member by any officer or other Employee, the Company’s independent certified public accountants, or any executive compensation consultant or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan.

(c) Authority of Administrator. The Administrator shall have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan:

(i) To determine when and how rights to purchase Common Stock shall be granted and the provisions of each offering of such rights (which need not be identical).

(ii) To designate from time to time which Subsidiaries of the Company shall be Designated Subsidiaries, which designation may be made without the approval of the stockholders of the Company.

(iii) To construe and interpret the Plan and rights granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration. The Administrator, in the exercise of this power, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan, in a manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan fully effective.

(iv) To amend the Plan as provided in Section IX.

(v) Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Administrator deems necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company and its Subsidiaries and to carry out the intent that the Plan be treated as an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code.

(d) Decisions Binding. The Administrator’s interpretation of the Plan, any rights granted pursuant to the Plan, any subscription agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Administrator with respect to the Plan are final, binding, and conclusive on all parties.

 

XII.	MISCELLANEOUS

(a) Restriction upon Assignment. A right granted under the Plan shall not be transferable other than by will or the applicable laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant. Except as provided in Section XII(d) hereof, a right under the Plan may not be exercised to any extent except by the Participant. The Company shall not recognize and shall be under no duty to recognize any assignment or alienation of the Participant’s interest in the Plan, the Participant’s rights under the Plan or any rights thereunder.

 

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(b) Rights as a Stockholder. With respect to Shares subject to a right granted under the Plan, a Participant shall not be deemed to be a stockholder of the Company, and the Participant shall not have any of the rights or privileges of a stockholder, until such Shares have been issued to the Participant or his or her nominee following exercise of the Participant’s rights under the Plan. No adjustments shall be made for dividends (ordinary or extraordinary, whether in cash securities, or other property) or distribution or other rights for which the record date occurs prior to the date of such issuance, except as otherwise expressly provided herein or as determined by the Administrator.

(c) Interest. No interest shall accrue on the payroll deductions or contributions of a Participant under the Plan.

(d) Designation of Beneficiary.

(i) A Participant may, in the manner determined by the Administrator, file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any Shares and cash, if any, from the Participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such Participant’s death subsequent to a Purchase Date on which the Participant’s rights are exercised but prior to delivery to such Participant of such Shares and cash. In addition, a Participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the Participant’s account under the Plan in the event of such Participant’s death prior to exercise of the Participant’s rights under the Plan. If the Participant is married and resides in a community property state, a designation of a person other than the Participant’s spouse as his or her beneficiary shall not be effective without the prior written consent of the Participant’s spouse.

(ii) Such designation of beneficiary may be changed by the Participant at any time by written notice to the Company. In the event of the death of a Participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under the Plan who is living at the time of such Participant’s death, the Company shall deliver such Shares and/or cash to the executor or administrator of the estate of the Participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the Company, in its discretion, may deliver such Shares and/or cash to the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of the Participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company may designate.

(e) Notices. All notices or other communications by a Participant to the Company under or in connection with the Plan shall be deemed to have been duly given when received in the form specified by the Company at the location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.

(f) Equal Rights and Privileges. Subject to Section V(g), all Eligible Employees will have equal rights and privileges under this Plan so that this Plan qualifies as an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code. Subject to Section V(g), any provision of this Plan that is inconsistent with Section 423 of the Code will, without further act or amendment by the Company, the Board or the Administrator, be reformed to comply with the equal rights and privileges requirement of Section 423 of the Code.

 

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(g) Use of Funds. All payroll deductions received or held by the Company under the Plan may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such payroll deductions.

(h) Reports. Statements of account shall be given to participating Eligible Employees at least annually, which statements shall set forth the amounts of payroll deductions, the Purchase Price, the number of Shares purchased and the remaining cash balance, if any.

(i) No Employment Rights. Nothing in the Plan shall be construed to give any person (including any Eligible Employee or Participant) the right to remain in the employ of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary or affect the right of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary to terminate the employment of any person (including any Eligible Employee or Participant) at any time, with or without cause.

(j) Notice of Disposition of Shares. Each Participant shall give prompt notice to the Company of any disposition or other transfer of any Shares purchased upon exercise of a right under the Plan if such disposition or transfer is made: (i) within two years from the Enrollment Date of the Offering Period in which the Shares were purchased or (ii) within one year after the Purchase Date on which such Shares were purchased. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by the Participant in such disposition or other transfer.

(k) Governing Law. The Plan and any agreements hereunder shall be administered, interpreted and enforced under the internal laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflicts of laws thereof or of any other jurisdiction.

(l) Electronic Forms. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law and in the discretion of the Administrator, an Eligible Employee may submit any form or notice as set forth herein by means of an electronic form approved by the Administrator. Before the commencement of an Offering Period, the Administrator shall prescribe the time limits within which any such electronic form shall be submitted to the Administrator with respect to such Offering Period in order to be a valid election.

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Exhibit 10.4

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR COMPENSATION PROGRAM

Non-employee members of the board of directors (the “Board”) of Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) shall receive cash and equity compensation as set forth in this Non-Employee Director Compensation Program (this “Program”). The cash and equity compensation described in this Program shall be paid or be made, as applicable, automatically and without further action of the Board, to each member of the Board who is not an employee of the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company (each, a “Non-Employee Director”) who is entitled to receive such cash or equity compensation, unless such Non-Employee Director declines the receipt of such cash or equity compensation by written notice to the Company. This Program shall remain in effect until it is revised or rescinded by further action of the Board. This Program may be amended, modified or terminated by the Board at any time in its sole discretion. The terms and conditions of this Program shall supersede any prior cash and/or equity compensation arrangements for service as a member of the Board between the Company and any of its Non-Employee Directors. No Non-Employee Director shall have any rights hereunder, except with respect to stock options granted pursuant to the Program. This Program shall become effective on the date of the effectiveness of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 relating to the initial public offering of common stock (the “Effective Date”).

 

I.	CASH COMPENSATION

A. Annual Retainers. Each Non-Employee Director shall receive an annual retainer of $35,000 for service on the Board.

B. Additional Annual Retainers. In addition, each Non-Employee Director shall receive the following annual retainers:

1. Chairman of the Board or Lead Independent Director. A Non-Employee Director serving as Chairman of the Board or Lead Independent Director shall receive an additional annual retainer of $20,000 for such service.

2. Audit Committee. A Non-Employee Director serving as Chairperson of the Audit Committee shall receive an additional annual retainer of $15,000 for such service. A Non-Employee Director serving as a member other than the Chairperson of the Audit Committee shall receive an additional annual retainer of $7,500 for such service.

3. Compensation Committee. A Non-Employee Director serving as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee shall receive an additional annual retainer of $10,000 for such service. A Non-Employee Director serving as a member other than the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee shall receive an additional annual retainer of $5,000 for such service.

4. Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. A Non-Employee Director serving as Chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall receive an additional annual retainer of $7,000 for such service. A Non-Employee

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Director serving as a member other than the Chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall receive an additional annual retainer of $3,500 for such service.

C. Payment of Retainers. The annual retainers described in Sections I(A) and I(B) shall be earned on a quarterly basis based on a calendar quarter and shall be paid in cash by the Company in arrears not later than the fifteenth day following the end of each calendar quarter. In the event a Non-Employee Director does not serve as a Non-Employee Director, or in the applicable positions described in Section I(B), for an entire calendar quarter, the retainer paid to such Non-Employee Director shall be prorated for the portion of such calendar quarter actually served as a Non-Employee Director, or in such position, as applicable.

 

II.	EQUITY COMPENSATION

Non-Employee Directors shall be granted the equity awards described below. The awards described below shall be granted under and shall be subject to the terms and provisions of the Company’s 2015 Incentive Award Plan or any other applicable Company equity incentive plan then-maintained by the Company (the “Equity Plan”) and shall be granted subject to award agreements, including attached exhibits, in substantially the form previously approved by the Board. All applicable terms of the Equity Plan apply to this Program as if fully set forth herein, and all grants of stock options hereby are subject in all respects to the terms of the Equity Plan and the applicable award agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, the share numbers in Sections II(A) and II(B) shall be subject to adjustment as provided in the Equity Plan, including without limitation with respect to any stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar event affecting the Company’s common stock that is effected prior to the Effective Date.

A. Initial Awards. Each Non-Employee Director who is initially elected or appointed to the Board after the Effective Date shall receive an option to purchase 30,000 shares of the Company’s common stock on the date of such initial election or appointment. The awards described in this Section II(A) shall be referred to as “Initial Awards.” No Non-Employee Director shall be granted more than one Initial Award.

B. Subsequent Awards. A Non-Employee Director who (i) has been serving as a Non-Employee Director on the Board for at least six months as of the date of any annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders after the Effective Date and (ii) will continue to serve as a Non-Employee Director immediately following such meeting, shall be automatically granted an option to purchase 15,000 shares of the Company’s common stock on the date of such annual meeting. The awards described in this Section II(B) shall be referred to as “Subsequent Awards.” For the avoidance of doubt, a Non-Employee Director elected for the first time to the Board at an annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders shall only receive an Initial Award in connection with such election, and shall not receive any Subsequent Award on the date of such meeting as well.

C. Termination of Service of Employee Directors. Members of the Board who are employees of the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company who subsequently terminate their service with the Company and any parent or subsidiary of the Company and remain on the Board will not receive an Initial Award pursuant to Section II(A)

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above, but to the extent that they are otherwise entitled, will receive, after termination from service with the Company and any parent or subsidiary of the Company, Subsequent Awards as described in Section II(B) above.

D. Terms of Awards Granted to Non-Employee Directors

1. Exercise Price. The per share exercise price of each option granted to a Non-Employee Director shall equal the Fair Market Value (as defined in the Equity Plan) of a share of common stock on the date the option is granted.

2. Vesting. Each Initial Award shall vest and become exercisable in four substantially equal annual installments following the date of grant, such that the Initial Award shall be fully vested on the fourth anniversary of the date of grant, subject to the Non-Employee Director continuing in service as a Non-Employee Director through each such vesting date. Each Subsequent Award shall vest and become exercisable on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date of grant or the day immediately prior to the date of the next annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders occurring after the date of grant, in either case subject to the Non-Employee Director continuing in service on the Board as a Non-Employee Director through each such vesting date. Unless the Board otherwise determines, any portion of an Initial Award or Subsequent Award which is unvested or unexercisable at the time of a Non-Employee Director’s termination of service on the Board as a Non-Employee Director shall be immediately forfeited upon such termination of service and shall not thereafter become vested and exercisable. All of a Non-Employee Director’s Initial Awards and Subsequent Awards shall vest in full immediately prior to the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the Equity Plan), to the extent outstanding at such time.

3. Term. The maximum term of each stock option granted to a Non-Employee Director hereunder shall be ten (10) years from the date the option is granted.

* * * * *

Exhibit 10.5

SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of             , 20[15] between Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and [Name] (“Indemnitee”).

WITNESSETH THAT:

WHEREAS, highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve corporations as [directors] [officers] or in other capacities unless they are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the corporation;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that, in order to attract and retain qualified individuals, the Company will attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its subsidiaries from certain liabilities. Although the furnishing of such insurance has been a customary and widespread practice among United States-based corporations and other business enterprises, the Company believes that, given current market conditions and trends, such insurance may be available to it in the future only at higher premiums and with more exclusions. At the same time, directors, officers, and other persons in service to corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to, among other things, matters that traditionally would have been brought only against the Company or business enterprise itself. The By-laws and Certificate of Incorporation of the Company require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company. Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”). The By-laws and Certificate of Incorporation and the DGCL expressly provide that the indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the Board, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification;

WHEREAS, the uncertainties relating to such insurance and to indemnification have increased the difficulty of attracting and retaining such persons;

WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such persons is detrimental to the best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future;

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified;

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the By-laws and Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and any resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder; [and]

 

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WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the protection available under the Company’s By-laws and Certificate of Incorporation and insurance as adequate in the present circumstances, and may not be willing to serve as an officer or director without adequate protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity. Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that he be so indemnified; [and]

[WHEREAS, Indemnitee has certain rights to indemnification and/or insurance provided by [NAME] which Indemnitee and [NAME] intend to be secondary to the primary obligation of the Company to indemnify Indemnitee as provided herein, with the Company’s acknowledgement and agreement to the foregoing being a material condition to Indemnitee’s willingness to serve on the Board;]

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of Indemnitee’s agreement to serve as an [officer] [director] from and after the date hereof, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Indemnity of Indemnitee. The Company hereby agrees to hold harmless and indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, as such may be amended from time to time. In furtherance of the foregoing indemnification, and without limiting the generality thereof:

(a) Proceedings Other Than Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this Section l(a) if, by reason of his Corporate Status (as hereinafter defined), the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding (as hereinafter defined) other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company. Pursuant to this Section 1(a), Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses (as hereinafter defined), judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him, or on his behalf, in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and with respect to any criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.

(b) Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this Section 1(b) if, by reason of his Corporate Status, the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company. Pursuant to this Section 1(b), Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee, or on the Indemnitee’s behalf, in connection with such Proceeding if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company; provided, however, if applicable law so provides, no indemnification against such Expenses shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter in such Proceeding as to which Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company unless and to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall determine that such indemnification may be made.

 

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(c) Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a party to and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding, he shall be indemnified to the maximum extent permitted by law, as such may be amended from time to time, against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

(d) Indemnification of Appointing Stockholder. If (i) Indemnitee is or was affiliated with one or more venture capital funds that has invested in the Company (an “Appointing Stockholder”), and (ii) the Appointing Stockholder is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding relating to or arising by reason of Appointing Stockholder’s position as a stockholder of, or lender to, the Company, or Appointing Stockholder’s appointment of or affiliation with Indemnitee or any other director, including without limitation any alleged misappropriation of a Company asset or corporate opportunity, any claim of misappropriation or infringement of intellectual property relating to the Company, any alleged false or misleading statement or omission made by the Company (or on its behalf) or its employees or agents, or any allegation of inappropriate control or influence over the Company or its Board members, officers, equity holders or debt holders, then the Appointing Stockholder will be entitled to indemnification hereunder for Expenses to the same extent as Indemnitee, and the terms of this Agreement as they relate to procedures for indemnification of Indemnitee and advancement of Expenses shall apply to any such indemnification of Appointing Stockholder.

The rights provided to the Appointing Stockholder under this Section 2 shall (i) be suspended during any period during which the Appointing Stockholder does not have a representative on the Company’s Board and (ii) terminate on an initial public offering of the Company’s Common Stock; provided, however, that in the event of any such suspension or termination, the Appointing Stockholder’s rights to indemnification will not be suspended or terminated with respect to any Proceeding based in whole or in part on facts and circumstances occurring at any time prior to such suspension or termination regardless of whether the Proceeding arises before or after such suspension or termination. The Company and Indemnitee agree that the Appointing Stockholder is an express third party beneficiary of the terms of this Section 1(d).

2. Additional Indemnity. In addition to, and without regard to any limitations on, the indemnification provided for in Section 1 of this Agreement, the Company shall and hereby does indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee against all Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf if, by reason of his Corporate Status, he is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company), including, without limitation, all liability arising out of the negligence or active or passive wrongdoing of Indemnitee. The only limitation that shall exist upon the Company’s obligations pursuant to this Agreement shall be that the Company shall not be obligated to make any payment to Indemnitee that is finally determined (under the procedures, and subject to the presumptions, set forth in Sections 6 and 7 hereof) to be unlawful.

 

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3. Contribution.

(a) Whether or not the indemnification provided in Sections 1 and 2 hereof is available, in respect of any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), the Company shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount of any judgment or settlement of such action, suit or proceeding without requiring Indemnitee to contribute to such payment and the Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution it may have against Indemnitee. The Company shall not enter into any settlement of any action, suit or proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against Indemnitee.

(b) Without diminishing or impairing the obligations of the Company set forth in the preceding subparagraph, if, for any reason, Indemnitee shall elect or be required to pay all or any portion of any judgment or settlement in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), the Company shall contribute to the amount of Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred and paid or payable by Indemnitee in proportion to the relative benefits received by the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company, other than Indemnitee, who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and Indemnitee, on the other hand, from the transaction or events from which such action, suit or proceeding arose; provided, however, that the proportion determined on the basis of relative benefit may, to the extent necessary to conform to law, be further adjusted by reference to the relative fault of the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company other than Indemnitee who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and Indemnitee, on the other hand, in connection with the transaction or events that resulted in such expenses, judgments, fines or settlement amounts, as well as any other equitable considerations which applicable law may require to be considered. The relative fault of the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company, other than Indemnitee, who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and Indemnitee, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, the degree to which their actions were motivated by intent to gain personal profit or advantage, the degree to which their liability is primary or secondary and the degree to which their conduct is active or passive.

(c) The Company hereby agrees to fully indemnify and hold Indemnitee harmless from any claims of contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or employees of the Company, other than Indemnitee, who may be jointly liable with Indemnitee.

(d) To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount

 

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incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s).

3. Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a witness, or is made (or asked) to respond to discovery requests, in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party, he shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith.

4. Advancement of Expenses. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status within thirty (30) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee and shall include or be preceded or accompanied by a written undertaking by or on behalf of Indemnitee to repay any Expenses advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses. Any advances and undertakings to repay pursuant to this Section 4 shall be unsecured and interest free.

5. Procedures and Presumptions for Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification. It is the intent of this Agreement to secure for Indemnitee rights of indemnity that are as favorable as may be permitted under the DGCL and public policy of the State of Delaware. Accordingly, the parties agree that the following procedures and presumptions shall apply in the event of any question as to whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement:

(a) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any failure of Indemnitee to provide such a request to the Company, or to provide such a request in a timely fashion, shall not relieve the Company of any liability that it may have to Indemnitee unless, and to the extent that, such failure actually and materially prejudices the interests of the Company.

(b) Upon written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to the first sentence of Section 5(a) hereof, a determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto shall be made in the specific case by one of the following four methods, which shall be at the election of the Board: (1) by a majority vote of the disinterested directors, even though less than a quorum, (2) by a committee of disinterested directors designated by a

 

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majority vote of the disinterested directors, even though less than a quorum, (3) if there are no disinterested directors or if the disinterested directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee, or (4) if so directed by the Board, by the stockholders of the Company. For purposes hereof, disinterested directors are those members of the Board who are not parties to the action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.

(c) If the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 5(b) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 5(c). The Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board. Indemnitee may, within ten (10) days after such written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the Company a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 12 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If a written objection is made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20) days after submission by Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 5(a) hereof, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or other court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Indemnitee to the Company’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 5(b) hereof. The Company shall pay any and all reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel incurred by such Independent Counsel in connection with acting pursuant to Section 5(b) hereof, and the Company shall pay all reasonable fees and expenses incident to the procedures of this Section 5(c), regardless of the manner in which such Independent Counsel was selected or appointed.

(d) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person or persons or entity making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence. Neither the failure of the Company (including by its directors or independent legal counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors or independent legal counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

(e) Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise (as hereinafter defined), including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise

 

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or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Enterprise. In addition, the knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement. Whether or not the foregoing provisions of this Section 5(e) are satisfied, it shall in any event be presumed that Indemnitee has at all times acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence.

(f) If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 5 to determine whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within sixty (60) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law; provided, however, that such sixty (60)-day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional thirty (30) days, if the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time to obtain or evaluate documentation and/or information relating thereto; and provided, further, that the foregoing provisions of this Section 5(f) shall not apply if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the stockholders pursuant to Section 5(b) of this Agreement and if (A) within fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Company of the request for such determination, the Board or the Disinterested Directors, if appropriate, resolve to submit such determination to the stockholders for their consideration at an annual meeting thereof to be held within seventy-five (75) days after such receipt and such determination is made thereat, or (B) a special meeting of stockholders is called within fifteen (15) days after such receipt for the purpose of making such determination, such meeting is held for such purpose within sixty (60) days after having been so called and such determination is made thereat.

(g) Indemnitee shall cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any Independent Counsel, member of the Board or stockholder of the Company shall act reasonably and in good faith in making a determination regarding the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement. Any costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.

(h) The Company acknowledges that a settlement or other disposition short of final judgment may be successful if it permits a party to avoid expense, delay, distraction, disruption and uncertainty. In the event that any action, claim or proceeding to

 

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which Indemnitee is a party is resolved in any manner other than by adverse judgment against Indemnitee (including, without limitation, settlement of such action, claim or proceeding with or without payment of money or other consideration) it shall be presumed that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in such action, suit or proceeding. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence.

(i) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

6. Remedies of Indemnitee.

(a) In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 4 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification is made pursuant to Section 5(b) of this Agreement within ninety (90) days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor or (v) payment of indemnification is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or such determination is deemed to have been made pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication in an appropriate court of the State of Delaware, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction, of Indemnitee’s entitlement to such indemnification. Indemnitee shall commence such proceeding seeking an adjudication within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence such proceeding pursuant to this Section 6(a). The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication.

(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 5(b) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 6 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial on the merits, and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of the adverse determination under Section 5(b).

(c) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 5(b) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 6, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s misstatement not materially misleading in connection with the application for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

(d) In the event that Indemnitee, pursuant to this Section 6, seeks a judicial adjudication of his rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement, or

 

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to recover under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, the Company shall pay on his behalf, in advance, any and all expenses (of the types described in the definition of Expenses in Section 12 of this Agreement) actually and reasonably incurred by him in such judicial adjudication, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement of expenses or insurance recovery.

(e) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 6 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefore) advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, such expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee for indemnification or advance of Expenses from the Company under this Agreement or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement of Expenses or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be made prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding.

7. Non-Exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; Primacy of Indemnification; Subrogation.

(a) The rights of indemnification as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, the By-laws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders, a resolution of directors of the Company, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in the DGCL, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification than would be afforded currently under the Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

(b) To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, or agents or fiduciaries of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that such person serves at the request of the Company, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of

 

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the coverage available for any director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary under such policy or policies. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company has directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

(c) [The Company hereby acknowledges that Indemnitee has certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by [●] and certain of its affiliates (collectively, the “Fund Indemnitors”). The Company hereby agrees (i) that it is the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its obligations to Indemnitee are primary and any obligation of the Fund Indemnitors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by Indemnitee are secondary), (ii) that it shall be required to advance the full amount of expenses incurred by Indemnitee and shall be liable for the full amount of all Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms of this Agreement and the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company (or any other agreement between the Company and Indemnitee), without regard to any rights Indemnitee may have against the Fund Indemnitors, and, (iii) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Fund Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Fund Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. The Company further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Fund Indemnitors on behalf of Indemnitee with respect to any claim for which Indemnitee has sought indemnification from the Company shall affect the foregoing and the Fund Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee against the Company. The Company and Indemnitee agree that the Fund Indemnitors are express third party beneficiaries of the terms of this Section 7(c).]

(d) [Except as provided in paragraph (c) above,] in the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee (other than against the Fund Indemnitors), who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

(e) [Except as provided in paragraph (c) above,] the Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder if and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise.

(f) [Except as provided in paragraph (c) above,] the Company’s obligation to indemnify or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise.

 

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8. Exception to Right of Indemnification. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnity in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee:

(a) for which payment has actually been made to or on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision[, provided, that the foregoing shall not affect the rights of Indemnitee or the Fund Indemnitors set forth in Section 7(c) above]; or

(b) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or

(c) in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation or (ii) the Company provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law.

9. Duration of Agreement. All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee is an officer or director of the Company (or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise) and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any Proceeding (or any proceeding commenced under Section 6 hereof) by reason of his Corporate Status, whether or not he is acting or serving in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification can be provided under this Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company), assigns, spouses, heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives.

10. Security. To the extent requested by Indemnitee and approved by the Board, the Company may at any time and from time to time provide security to Indemnitee for the Company’s obligations hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral. Any such security, once provided to Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior written consent of the Indemnitee.

11. Enforcement.

(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumes the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce Indemnitee to serve as an officer or director of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as an officer or director of the Company.

 

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(b) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

(c) The Company shall not seek from a court, or agree to, a “bar order” which would have the effect of prohibiting or limiting the Indemnitee’s rights to receive advancement of expenses under this Agreement.

12. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

(a) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that such person is or was serving at the express written request of the Company.

(b) “Disinterested Director” means a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.

(c) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that Indemnitee is or was serving at the express written request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary.

(d) “Expenses” shall include all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, participating, or being or preparing to be a witness in a Proceeding, or responding to, or objecting to, a request to provide discovery in any Proceeding. Expenses also shall include Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement, including without limitation the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersede as bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.

(e) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements), or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights

 

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under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

(f) “Proceeding” includes any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought by or in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party or otherwise, by reason of his or her Corporate Status, by reason of any action taken by him or of any inaction on his part while acting in his or her Corporate Status; in each case whether or not he is acting or serving in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification can be provided under this Agreement; including one pending on or before the date of this Agreement, but excluding one initiated by an Indemnitee pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement to enforce his rights under this Agreement.

13. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. Further, the invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof as to either Indemitee or Appointing Stockholder shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any provision hereof as to the other. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this Agreement is intended to confer upon Indemnitee and Appointing Stockholder indemnification rights to the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws. In the event any provision hereof conflicts with any applicable law, such provision shall be deemed modified, consistent with the aforementioned intent, to the extent necessary to resolve such conflict.

14. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification, termination or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both of the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

15. Notice By Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in writing upon being served with or otherwise receiving any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification covered hereunder. The failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise unless and only to the extent that such failure or delay materially prejudices the Company.

16. Notices. All notices and other communications given or made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given: (a) upon personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) when sent by confirmed electronic mail or facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not so confirmed, then on the next business day, (c) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (d) one (1) day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, specifying next day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent:

(a) To Indemnitee at the address set forth below Indemnitee signature hereto.

 

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(b) To the Company at:

Seres Therapeutics, Inc.

215 First Street

Cambridge, MA 02142

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

or to such other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company or to the Company by Indemnitee, as the case may be.

17. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or any other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

18. Headings. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

19. Governing Law and Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. The Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware (the “Delaware Court”), and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) appoint, to the extent such party is not otherwise subject to service of process in the State of Delaware, irrevocably The Corporation Trust Center, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 as its agent in the State of Delaware as such party’s agent for acceptance of legal process in connection with any such action or proceeding against such party with the same legal force and validity as if served upon such party personally within the State of Delaware, (iv) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court, and (v) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Indemnification Agreement on and as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

Indemnification Agreement

Exhibit 10.6

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of June 12, 2015, is made by and between Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with any successor thereto, the “Company”), and Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D. (“Executive”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”).

RECITALS

 

A.	It is the desire of the Company to assure itself of the services of Executive following the Effective Date (as defined below) and thereafter by entering into this Agreement.

 

B.	Executive and the Company mutually desire that Executive provide services to the Company on the terms herein provided.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the respective covenants and agreements set forth below, the Parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Employment.

(a) General. Effective on the closing of the Company’s initial public offering of stock pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Effective Date”), the Company shall employ Executive and Executive shall remain in the employ of the Company, for the period and in the positions set forth in this Section 1, and subject to the other terms and conditions herein provided.

(b) At-Will Employment. The Company and Executive acknowledge that Executive’s employment is and shall continue to be at-will, as defined under applicable law, and that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated by either Party at any time for any or no reason (subject to the notice requirements of Section 3(b)). This “at-will” nature of Executive’s employment shall remain unchanged during Executive’s tenure as an employee and may not be changed, except in an express writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company. If Executive’s employment terminates for any reason, Executive shall not be entitled to any payments, benefits, damages, award or compensation other than as provided in this Agreement or otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company or as provided by applicable law. The term of this Agreement (the “Term”) shall commence on the Effective Date and end on the date this Agreement is terminated under Section 3.

(c) Positions and Duties. Executive shall serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company with such responsibilities, duties and authority normally associated with such positions and as may from time to time be assigned to Executive by the Board of Directors of the Company or an authorized committee of the Board (in either case, the “Board”). Executive shall devote substantially all of Executive’s working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company (which shall include service to its affiliates, if applicable) and shall not engage in outside business activities (including serving on outside boards or committees)

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without the consent of the Board, provided that Executive shall be permitted to (i) manage Executive’s personal, financial and legal affairs, (ii) participate in trade associations, and (iii) serve on the board of directors of not-for-profit or tax-exempt charitable organizations, in each case, subject to compliance with this Agreement and provided that such activities do not materially interfere with Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder. Executive agrees to observe and comply with the rules and policies of the Company as adopted by the Company from time to time, in each case as amended from time to time, as set forth in writing, and as delivered or made available to Executive (each, a “Policy”).

2. Compensation and Related Matters.

(a) Annual Base Salary. During the Term, Executive shall receive a base salary at a rate of $464,100 per annum, which shall be paid in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company and shall be pro-rated for partial years of employment. Such annual base salary shall be reviewed (and may be adjusted) from time to time by the Board (such annual base salary, as it may be adjusted from time to time, the “Annual Base Salary”).

(b) Bonus. During the Term, Executive will be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program established by the Board. Executive’s annual incentive compensation under such incentive program (the “Annual Bonus”) shall be targeted at 50% of Executive’s Annual Base Salary. The Annual Bonus payable under the incentive program shall be based on the achievement of performance goals to be determined by the Board. The payment of any Annual Bonus pursuant to the incentive program shall be subject to Executive’s continued employment with the Company through the date of payment, except as otherwise provided in Section 4(b).

(c) Benefits. During the Term, Executive shall be eligible to participate in employee benefit plans, programs and arrangements of the Company (including medical, dental and 401(k) plans), consistent with the terms thereof and as such plans, programs and arrangements may be amended from time to time. In no event shall Executive be eligible to participate in any severance plan or program of the Company, except as set forth in Section 4 of this Agreement. In addition, until the first anniversary of the Effective Date and at the Company’s option thereafter, the Company will reimburse you for reasonable costs you incur for (a) travel between your current residence in Pennsylvania and the Company’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and (b) reasonable lodging near Cambridge, Massachusetts when performing services for the Company.

(d) Vacation. During the Term, Executive shall be entitled to paid personal leave in accordance with the Company’s Policies. Any vacation shall be taken at the reasonable and mutual convenience of the Company and Executive.

(e) Business Expenses. During the Term, the Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonable travel and other business expenses incurred by Executive in the performance of Executive’s duties to the Company in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement Policy.

(f) Key Person Insurance. At any time during the Term, the Company shall have the right to insure the life of Executive for the Company’s sole benefit. The Company shall have the

 

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right to determine the amount of insurance and the type of policy. Executive shall reasonably cooperate with the Company in obtaining such insurance by submitting to physical examinations, by supplying all information reasonably required by any insurance carrier, and by executing all necessary documents reasonably required by any insurance carrier, provided that any information provided to an insurance company or broker shall not be provided to the Company without the prior written authorization of Executive. Executive shall incur no financial obligation by executing any required document, and shall have no interest in any such policy.

3. Termination.

Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated by the Company or Executive, as applicable, without any breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances:

(a) Circumstances.

(i) Death. Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon Executive’s death.

(ii) Disability. If Executive has incurred a Disability, as defined below, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment.

(iii) Termination for Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment for Cause, as defined below.

(iv) Termination without Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment without Cause.

(v) Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for Good Reason, as defined below.

(vi) Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason other than Good Reason or for no reason.

(b) Notice of Termination. Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or by Executive under this Section 3 (other than termination pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)) shall be communicated by a written notice to the other Party hereto (i) indicating the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (ii) setting forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of Executive’s employment under the provision so indicated, if applicable, and (iii) specifying a Date of Termination which, if submitted by Executive, shall be at least forty-five (45) days following the date of such notice (a “Notice of Termination”); provided, however, that in the event that Executive delivers a Notice of Termination to the Company, the Company may, in its sole discretion, change the Date of Termination to any date that occurs following the date of Company’s receipt of such Notice of Termination and is prior to the date specified in such Notice of Termination. A Notice of Termination submitted by the Company may provide for a Date of Termination on the date Executive receives the Notice of Termination, or any date

 

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thereafter elected by the Company in its sole discretion. The failure by the Company to set forth in the Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing of Cause shall not waive any right of the Company hereunder or preclude the Company from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing the Company’s rights hereunder.

(c) Company Obligations upon Termination. Upon termination of Executive’s employment pursuant to any of the circumstances listed in this Section 3, Executive (or Executive’s estate) shall be entitled to receive the sum of: (i) the portion of Executive’s Annual Base Salary earned through the Date of Termination, but not yet paid to Executive; (ii) any expenses owed to Executive pursuant to Section 2(e); and (iii) any amount accrued and arising from Executive’s participation in, or benefits accrued under any employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements, which amounts shall be payable in accordance with the terms and conditions of such employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements (collectively, the “Company Arrangements”). Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. In the event that Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company for any reason, Executive’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be to receive the payments and benefits described in this Section 3(c) or Section 4, as applicable.

(d) Deemed Resignation. Upon termination of Executive’s employment for any reason, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all offices and directorships, if any, then held with the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

4. Severance Payments.

(a) Termination for Cause, or Termination Upon Death, Disability or Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. If Executive’s employment shall terminate as a result of Executive’s death pursuant to Section 3(a)(i) or Disability pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii), pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) for Cause, or pursuant to Section 3(a)(vi) for Executive’s resignation from the Company without Good Reason, then Executive shall not be entitled to any severance payments or benefits, except as provided in Section 3(c).

(b) Termination without Cause, or Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. If Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, then, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service (as defined below), and not revoking, a release of claims substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement (the “Release”), and Executive’s continued compliance with Section 5, Executive shall receive, in addition to payments and benefits set forth in Section 3(c), the following:

(i) an amount in cash equal to the Annual Base Salary, payable in the form of salary continuation in regular installments over the 12-month period following the date of Executive’s Separation from Service (the “Severance Period”) in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices;

 

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(ii) to the extent unpaid as of the Date of Termination, an amount of cash equal to any Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the Company’s fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs, as determined by the Board in its discretion based upon actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive in the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs when bonuses for such prior fiscal year are paid in the ordinary course to actively employed senior executives of the Company; and

(iii) if Executive elects to receive continued medical, dental or vision coverage under one or more of the Company’s group healthcare plans pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), the Company shall directly pay, or reimburse Executive for, the COBRA premiums for Executive and Executive’s covered dependents under such plans during the period commencing on Executive’s Separation from Service and ending upon the earliest of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company determines in its sole discretion that it cannot provide the foregoing benefit without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act) or incurring an excise tax, the Company shall in lieu thereof provide to Executive a taxable monthly payment in an amount equal to the monthly COBRA premium that Executive would be required to pay to continue Executive’s and Executive’s covered dependents’ group health coverage in effect on the Date of Termination (which amount shall be based on the premium for the first month of COBRA coverage), less the amount Executive would have had to pay to receive group health coverage for Executive and his or her covered dependents based on the cost sharing levels in effect on the Date of Termination, which payments shall be made regardless of whether Executive elects COBRA continuation coverage and shall commence in the month following the month in which the Date of Termination occurs and shall end on the earlier of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility).

(c) Change in Control. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 4(b), in the event Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, in either case, within 60 days prior to or 12 months following the date of a Change in Control, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service, and not revoking, the Release, all unvested equity or equity-based awards held by Executive under any Company equity compensation plans that vest solely based on the passage of time shall immediately become 100% vested (for the avoidance of doubt, with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).

(d) Survival. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the provisions of Sections 5 through 9 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term.

 

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5. Restrictive Covenants. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Agreement, Executive will execute and deliver to the Company contemporaneously herewith the Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement attached as Exhibit B (the “Proprietary Information Agreement”). Executive agrees to abide by the terms of the Proprietary Information Agreement, which are hereby incorporated by reference into this Agreement. Executive acknowledges that the provisions of the Proprietary Information Agreement will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term for the periods set forth in the Proprietary Information Agreement.

6. Assignment and Successors.

The Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any of its affiliates or to any successor to all or substantially all of the business or the assets of the Company (by merger or otherwise), and may assign or encumber this Agreement and its rights hereunder as security for indebtedness of the Company and its affiliates. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company, Executive and their respective successors, assigns, personnel and legal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees, and legatees, as applicable. None of Executive’s rights or obligations may be assigned or transferred by Executive, other than Executive’s rights to payments hereunder, which may be transferred only by will or operation of law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall be entitled, to the extent permitted under applicable law and applicable Company Arrangements, to select and change a beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive compensation hereunder following Executive’s death by giving written notice thereof to the Company.

7. Certain Definitions.

(a) Cause. The Company shall have “Cause” to terminate Executive’s employment hereunder upon:

(i) Executive’s failure to (A) substantially perform Executive’s duties with the Company (other than any such failure resulting from Executive’s Disability) or (B) comply with, in any material respect, any of the Company’s Policies;

(ii) the Board’s determination that Executive failed in any material respect to carry out or comply with any lawful and reasonable directive of the Board;

(iii) Executive’s breach of a material provision of this Agreement;

(iv) Executive’s conviction, plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere, or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or crime involving moral turpitude;

(v) Executive’s unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on the Company’s (or any of its affiliate’s) premises or while performing Executive’s duties and responsibilities under this Agreement; or

(vi) Executive’s commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, willful misconduct, or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

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(b) Change in Control. “Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in the version of the Seres Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Incentive Award Plan in effect on the Effective Date.

(c) Code. “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder.

(d) Date of Termination. “Date of Termination” shall mean (i) if Executive’s employment is terminated by Executive’s death, the date of Executive’s death; or (ii) if Executive’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii) – (vi) either the date indicated in the Notice of Termination or the date specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3(b), whichever is earlier.

(e) Disability. “Disability” shall mean, at any time the Company or any of its affiliates sponsors a long-term disability plan for the Company’s employees, “disability” as defined in such long-term disability plan for the purpose of determining a participant’s eligibility for benefits, provided, however, if the long-term disability plan contains multiple definitions of disability, “Disability” shall refer to that definition of disability which, if Executive qualified for such disability benefits, would provide coverage for the longest period of time. The determination of whether Executive has a Disability shall be made by the person or persons required to make disability determinations under the long-term disability plan. At any time the Company does not sponsor a long-term disability plan for its employees, “Disability” shall mean Executive’s inability to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, the essential functions of Executive’s positions hereunder for a total of three months during any six-month period as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness as determined by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and acceptable to Executive or Executive’s legal representative, with such agreement as to acceptability not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Any refusal by Executive to submit to a medical examination for the purpose of determining Disability shall be deemed to constitute conclusive evidence of Executive’s Disability.

(f) Good Reason. For the sole purpose of determining Executive’s right to severance payments and benefits as described above, Executive’s resignation will be for “Good Reason” if Executive resigns within ninety days after any of the following events, unless Executive consents to the applicable event: (i) a decrease in Executive’s Annual Base Salary, other than a reduction in Annual Base Salary of less than 10% that is implemented in connection with a contemporaneous reduction in annual base salaries affecting other senior executives of the Company, (ii) a material decrease in Executive’s authority or areas of responsibility as are commensurate with Executive’s title or positions, or (iii) the relocation of Executive’s primary office to a location more than 50 miles from the Boston metropolitan area. Notwithstanding the

 

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foregoing, no Good Reason will have occurred unless and until Executive has: (a) provided the Company, within 60 days of Executive’s knowledge of the occurrence of the facts and circumstances underlying the Good Reason event, written-notice stating with specificity the applicable facts and circumstances underlying such finding of Good Reason; and (b) provided the Company with an opportunity to cure the same within 30 days after the receipt of such notice.

8. Parachute Payments.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, in the event that any payment or benefit by the Company or otherwise to or for the benefit of Executive, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise (all such payments and benefits, including the payments and benefits under Section 4(b) and Section 4(c) hereof, being hereinafter referred to as the “Total Payments”), would be subject (in whole or in part) to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Total Payments shall be reduced (in the order provided in Section 8(b)) to the minimum extent necessary to avoid the imposition of the Excise Tax on the Total Payments, but only if (i) the net amount of such Total Payments, as so reduced (and after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such reduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such reduced Total Payments), is greater than or equal to (ii) the net amount of such Total Payments without such reduction (but after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such Total Payments and the amount of the Excise Tax to which Executive would be subject in respect of such unreduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such unreduced Total Payments).

(b) The Total Payments shall be reduced in the following order: (i) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any cash severance payments that are exempt from Section 409A of the Code (“Section 409A”), (ii) reduction on a pro-rata basis any non-cash severance payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, (iii) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any other payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, and (iv) reduction of any payments or benefits otherwise payable to Executive on a pro-rata basis or such other manner that complies with Section 409A; provided, in case of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv), that reduction of any payments attributable to the acceleration of vesting of Company equity awards shall be first applied to Company equity awards that would otherwise vest last in time.

(c) All determinations regarding the application of this Section 8 shall be made by an accounting firm or consulting group with experience in performing calculations regarding the applicability of Section 280G of the Code and the Excise Tax selected by the Company (the “Independent Advisors”). For purposes of determinations, no portion of the Total Payments shall be taken into account which, in the opinion of the Independent Advisors, (i) does not constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code (including by reason of Section 280G(b)(4)(A) of the Code) or (ii) constitutes reasonable compensation for services actually rendered, within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(B) of the Code, in excess of the “base amount” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) allocable to

 

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such reasonable compensation. The costs of obtaining such determination and all related fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses incurred in any later audit) shall be borne by the Company.

(d) In the event it is later determined that a greater reduction in the Total Payments should have been made to implement the objective and intent of this Section 8, the excess amount shall be returned immediately by Executive to the Company.

9. Miscellaneous Provisions.

(a) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed, construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with its express terms, and otherwise in accordance with the substantive laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without reference to the principles of conflicts of law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction, and where applicable, the laws of the United States.

(b) Validity. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

(c) Notices. Any notice, request, claim, demand, document and other communication hereunder to any Party shall be effective upon receipt (or refusal of receipt) and shall be in writing and delivered personally or sent by facsimile or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, as follows:

(i) If to the Company, the Chief Financial Officer at its headquarters,

(ii) If to Executive, at the last address that the Company has in its personnel records for Executive, or

(iii) at any other address as any Party shall have specified by notice in writing to the other Party.

(d) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement. Signatures delivered by facsimile shall be deemed effective for all purposes.

(e) Entire Agreement. The terms of this Agreement, and the Proprietary Information Agreement incorporated herein by reference as set forth in Section 5, are intended by the Parties to be the final expression of their agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, including the employment offer letter agreement between Executive and the Company, dated as of April 28, 2014. The Parties further intend that this Agreement shall constitute the complete and exclusive statement of their terms and that no extrinsic evidence whatsoever may be introduced in any judicial, administrative, or other legal proceeding to vary the terms of this Agreement.

 

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(f) Amendments; Waivers. This Agreement may not be modified, amended, or terminated except by an instrument in writing, signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of Company. By an instrument in writing similarly executed, Executive or a duly authorized officer of the Company may waive compliance by the other Party with any specifically identified provision of this Agreement that such other Party was or is obligated to comply with or perform; provided, however, that such waiver shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any other or subsequent failure. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising any right, remedy, or power hereunder preclude any other or further exercise of any other right, remedy, or power provided herein or by law or in equity.

(g) No Inconsistent Actions. The Parties hereto shall not voluntarily undertake or fail to undertake any action or course of action inconsistent with the provisions or essential intent of this Agreement. Furthermore, it is the intent of the Parties hereto to act in a fair and reasonable manner with respect to the interpretation and application of the provisions of this Agreement.

(h) Construction. This Agreement shall be deemed drafted equally by both the Parties. Its language shall be construed as a whole and according to its fair meaning. Any presumption or principle that the language is to be construed against any Party shall not apply. The headings in this Agreement are only for convenience and are not intended to affect construction or interpretation. Any references to paragraphs, subparagraphs, sections or subsections are to those parts of this Agreement, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary. Also, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, (i) the plural includes the singular and the singular includes the plural; (ii) “and” and “or” are each used both conjunctively and disjunctively; (iii) “any,” “all,” “each,” or “every” means “any and all,” and “each and every”; (iv) “includes” and “including” are each “without limitation”; (v) “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and other similar compounds of the word “here” refer to the entire Agreement and not to any particular paragraph, subparagraph, section or subsection; and (vi) all pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular or plural as the identity of the entities or persons referred to may require.

(i) Arbitration. Any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, shall be settled solely and exclusively by a binding arbitration process administered by JAMS/Endispute in Boston, Massachusetts. Such arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the then-existing JAMS/Endispute Rules of Practice and Procedure, with the following exceptions if in conflict: (i) one arbitrator who is a retired judge shall be chosen by JAMS/Endispute; (ii) each Party to the arbitration will pay one-half of the expenses and fees of the arbitrator, together with other expenses of the arbitration incurred or approved by the arbitrator; and (iii) arbitration may proceed in the absence of any Party if written notice (pursuant to the JAMS/Endispute rules and regulations) of the proceedings has been given to such Party. Each Party shall bear its own attorney’s fees and expenses; provided that the arbitrator may assess the prevailing Party’s fees and costs against the non-prevailing Party as part of the arbitrator’s award. The Parties agree to abide by all decisions and awards rendered in such proceedings. Such decisions and awards rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and conclusive. All such controversies, claims or disputes shall be settled in this manner in lieu of any action at law or equity; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as precluding the bringing of an action for injunctive relief or specific performance as provided in this

 

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Agreement. This dispute resolution process and any arbitration hereunder shall be confidential and neither any Party nor the neutral arbitrator shall disclose the existence, contents or results of such process without the prior written consent of all Parties, except where necessary or compelled in a Court to enforce this arbitration provision or an Award from such arbitration or otherwise in a legal proceeding. If JAMS/Endispute no longer exists or is otherwise unavailable, the Parties agree that the American Arbitration Association (“AAA’) shall administer the arbitration in accordance with its then-existing rules as modified by this subsection. In such event, all references herein to JAMS/Endispute shall mean AAA. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive and the Company each have the right to resolve any issue or dispute over intellectual property rights by Court action instead of arbitration.

(j) Enforcement. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future laws effective during the Term, such provision shall be fully severable; this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a portion of this Agreement; and the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance from this Agreement. Furthermore, in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision there shall be added automatically as part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be legal, valid and enforceable.

(k) Withholding. The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement any federal, state, local or foreign withholding or other taxes or charges which the Company is required to withhold. The Company shall be entitled to rely on an opinion of counsel if any questions as to the amount or requirement of withholding shall arise.

(l) Section 409A.

(i) General. The intent of the Parties is that the payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with or be exempt from Section 409A and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, this Agreement shall be interpreted to be in compliance therewith.

(ii) Separation from Service. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement that is considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A and is designated under this Agreement as payable upon Executive’s termination of employment shall be payable only upon Executive’s “separation from service” with the Company within the meaning of Section 409A (a “Separation from Service”) and, except as provided below, any such compensation or benefits described in Section 4 shall not be paid, or, in the case of installments, shall not commence payment, until the thirtieth (30th) day following Executive’s Separation from Service (the “First Payment Date”). Any installment payments that would have been made to Executive during the thirty (30) day period immediately following Executive’s Separation from Service but for the preceding sentence shall be paid to Executive on the First Payment Date and the remaining payments shall be made as provided in this Agreement.

 

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(iii) Specified Employee. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if Executive is deemed by the Company at the time of Executive’s Separation from Service to be a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A, to the extent delayed commencement of any portion of the benefits to which Executive is entitled under this Agreement is required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A, such portion of Executive’s benefits shall not be provided to Executive prior to the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of Executive’s Separation from Service with the Company or (ii) the date of Executive’s death. Upon the first business day following the expiration of the applicable Section 409A period, all payments deferred pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be paid in a lump sum to Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries), and any remaining payments due to Executive under this Agreement shall be paid as otherwise provided herein.

(iv) Expense Reimbursements. To the extent that any reimbursements under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, any such reimbursements payable to Executive shall be paid to Executive no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expense was incurred; provided, that Executive submits Executive’s reimbursement request promptly following the date the expense is incurred, the amount of expenses reimbursed in one year shall not affect the amount eligible for reimbursement in any subsequent year, other than medical expenses referred to in Section 105(b) of the Code, and Executive’s right to reimbursement under this Agreement will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.

(v) Installments. Executive’s right to receive any installment payments under this Agreement, including without limitation any continuation salary payments that are payable on Company payroll dates, shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each such installment payment shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment as permitted under Section 409A. Except as otherwise permitted under Section 409A, no payment hereunder shall be accelerated or deferred unless such acceleration or deferral would not result in additional tax or interest pursuant to Section 409A.

10. Executive Acknowledgement.

Executive acknowledges that Executive has read and understands this Agreement, is fully aware of its legal effect, has not acted in reliance upon any representations or promises made by the Company other than those contained in writing herein, and has entered into this Agreement freely based on Executive’s own judgment.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the date and year first above written.

 

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EXHIBIT A

Separation Agreement and Release

This Separation Agreement and Release (“Agreement”) is made by and between Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D. (“Executive”) and Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Employment Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, the Parties have previously entered into that certain Employment Agreement, dated as of June 12, 2015 (the “Employment Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, in connection with Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate of the Company effective             , 20    , the Parties wish to resolve any and all disputes, claims, complaints, grievances, charges, actions, petitions, and demands that Executive may have against the Company and any of the Releasees as defined below, including, but not limited to, any and all claims arising out of or in any way related to Executive’s employment with or separation from the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates but, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein will be deemed to release any rights or remedies in connection with Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company or Executive’s right to indemnification by the Company or any of its affiliates pursuant to contract or applicable law (collectively, the “Retained Claims”).

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4 of the Employment Agreement, which, pursuant to the Employment Agreement, are conditioned on Executive’s execution and non-revocation of this Agreement, and in consideration of the mutual promises made herein, the Company and Executive hereby agree as follows:

1. Severance Payments; Salary and Benefits. The Company agrees to provide Executive with the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4(b) and/or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement, payable at the times set forth in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, the Employment Agreement. In addition, to the extent not already paid, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Employment Agreement, the Company shall pay or provide to Executive all other payments or benefits described in Section 3(c) of the Employment Agreement, subject to and in accordance with the terms thereof.

2. Release of Claims. Executive agrees that, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, the foregoing consideration represents settlement in full of all outstanding obligations owed to Executive by the Company, any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries and affiliates, and any of their current and former officers, directors, equity holders, managers, employees, agents, investors, attorneys, shareholders, administrators, affiliates, benefit plans, plan administrators, insurers, trustees, divisions, and subsidiaries and predecessor and successor corporations and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”). Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of any of Executive’s affiliated companies or entities and any of their respective heirs, family members, executors, agents, and assigns, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, hereby and forever releases the Releasees from, and agrees not to sue concerning, or in any manner to

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institute, prosecute, or pursue, any claim, complaint, charge, duty, obligation, or cause of action relating to any matters of any kind, whether presently known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, that Executive may possess against any of the Releasees arising from any omissions, acts, facts, or damages that have occurred up until and including the Effective Date of this Agreement (as defined in Section 7 below), including, without limitation:

(a) any and all claims relating to or arising from Executive’s employment or service relationship with the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries or affiliates and the termination of that relationship;

(b) any and all claims relating to, or arising from, Executive’s right to purchase, or actual purchase of any shares of stock or other equity interests of the Company or any of its affiliates, including, without limitation, any claims for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty under applicable state corporate law, and securities fraud under any state or federal law;

(c) any and all claims for wrongful discharge of employment; termination in violation of public policy; discrimination; harassment; retaliation; breach of contract, both express and implied; breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, both express and implied; promissory estoppel; negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress; fraud; negligent or intentional misrepresentation; negligent or intentional interference with contract or prospective economic advantage; unfair business practices; defamation; libel; slander; negligence; personal injury; assault; battery; invasion of privacy; false imprisonment; conversion; and disability benefits;

(d) any and all claims for violation of any federal, state, or municipal statute, including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Equal Pay Act; the Fair Credit Reporting Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974; the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act; and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002;

(e) any and all claims for violation of the federal or any state constitution;

(f) any and all claims arising out of any other laws and regulations relating to employment or employment discrimination;

(g) any claim for any loss, cost, damage, or expense arising out of any dispute over the non-withholding or other tax treatment of any of the proceeds received by Executive as a result of this Agreement; and

(h) any and all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs.

Executive agrees that the release set forth in this section shall be and remain in effect in all respects as a complete general release as to the matters released. This release does not release claims that cannot be released as a matter of law, including, but not limited to, Executive’s right

 

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to report possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation, Executive’s right to file a charge with or participate in a charge by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or any other local, state, or federal administrative body or government agency that is authorized to enforce or administer laws related to employment, against the Company (with the understanding that Executive’s release of claims herein bars Executive from recovering such monetary relief from the Company or any Releasee), claims for unemployment compensation or any state disability insurance benefits pursuant to the terms of applicable state law, claims to continued participation in certain of the Company’s group benefit plans pursuant to the terms and conditions of COBRA, claims to any benefit entitlements vested as the date of separation of Executive’s employment, pursuant to written terms of any employee benefit plan of the Company or its affiliates and Executive’s right under applicable law and any Retained Claims. This release further does not release claims for breach of Section 3(c), Section 4(b) or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement.

3. Acknowledgment of Waiver of Claims under ADEA. Executive understands and acknowledges that Executive is waiving and releasing any rights Executive may have under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (“ADEA”), and that this waiver and release is knowing and voluntary. Executive understands and agrees that this waiver and release does not apply to any rights or claims that may arise under the ADEA after the Effective Date of this Agreement. Executive understands and acknowledges that the consideration given for this waiver and release is in addition to anything of value to which Executive was already entitled. Executive further understands and acknowledges that Executive has been advised by this writing that: (a) Executive should consult with an attorney prior to executing this Agreement; (b) Executive has 21 days within which to consider this Agreement; (c) Executive has 7 days following Executive’s execution of this Agreement to revoke this Agreement pursuant to written notice to the General Counsel of the Company; (d) this Agreement shall not be effective until after the revocation period has expired; and (e) nothing in this Agreement prevents or precludes Executive from challenging or seeking a determination in good faith of the validity of this waiver under the ADEA, nor does it impose any condition precedent, penalties, or costs for doing so, unless specifically authorized by federal law. In the event Executive signs this Agreement and returns it to the Company in less than the 21 day period identified above, Executive hereby acknowledges that Executive has freely and voluntarily chosen to waive the time period allotted for considering this Agreement.

4. Severability. In the event that any provision or any portion of any provision hereof or any surviving agreement made a part hereof becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitrator to be illegal, unenforceable, or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision or portion of provision.

5. No Oral Modification. This Agreement may only be amended in a writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company.

 

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6. Governing Law; Dispute Resolution. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 9(a), 9(c) and 9(i) of the Employment Agreement.

7. Effective Date. If Executive has attained or is over the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then each Party has seven days after that Party signs this Agreement to revoke it and this Agreement will become effective on the eighth day after Executive signed this Agreement, so long as it has been signed by the Parties and has not been revoked by either Party before that date (the “Effective Date”). If Executive has not attained the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then the “Effective Date” shall be the date on which Executive signs this Agreement.

8. Voluntary Execution of Agreement. Executive understands and agrees that Executive executed this Agreement voluntarily, without any duress or undue influence on the part or behalf of the Company or any third party, with the full intent of releasing all of Executive’s claims against the Company and any of the other Releasees. Executive acknowledges that: (a) Executive has read this Agreement; (b) Executive has not relied upon any representations or statements made by the Company that are not specifically set forth in this Agreement; (c) Executive has been represented in the preparation, negotiation, and execution of this Agreement by legal counsel of Executive’s own choice or has elected not to retain legal counsel; (d) Executive understands the terms and consequences of this Agreement and of the releases it contains; and (e) Executive is fully aware of the legal and binding effect of this Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the respective dates set forth below.

 

Dated:
						Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.
						SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Dated:						By:
								Name:
								Title:

 

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EXHIBIT B

Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement

In consideration and as a condition of my employment or continued employment by Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), I hereby agree as follows:

 

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BY SIGNING BELOW, I CERTIFY THAT I HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY AND AM SATISFIED THAT I UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this agreement as a sealed instrument as of the date set forth below.

 

Signed:
		(Employee’s full name)

 

Type or print name:		Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.
Last four digits of SSN:						Date:

 

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Appendix A

 

To:		Seres Therapeutics, Inc.
From:		Roger J. Pomerantz, M.D.
Date:

SUBJECT:		Prior Inventions

The following is a complete list of all inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of my employment by the Company that have been made or conceived or first reduced to practice by me alone or jointly with others prior to my engagement by the Company:

 

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No inventions or improvements

 

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See below:

 

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Additional sheets attached

The following is a list of all patents, patent applications and other patent rights that I invented:

 

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None

 

¨

See below:

Exhibit 10.7

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of June 14, 2015, is made by and between Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with any successor thereto, the “Company”), and Eric D. Shaff (“Executive”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”).

RECITALS

 

A.	It is the desire of the Company to assure itself of the services of Executive following the Effective Date (as defined below) and thereafter by entering into this Agreement.

 

B.	Executive and the Company mutually desire that Executive provide services to the Company on the terms herein provided.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the respective covenants and agreements set forth below, the Parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Employment.

(a) General. Effective on the closing of the Company’s initial public offering of stock pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Effective Date”), the Company shall employ Executive and Executive shall remain in the employ of the Company, for the period and in the positions set forth in this Section 1, and subject to the other terms and conditions herein provided.

(b) At-Will Employment. The Company and Executive acknowledge that Executive’s employment is and shall continue to be at-will, as defined under applicable law, and that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated by either Party at any time for any or no reason (subject to the notice requirements of Section 3(b)). This “at-will” nature of Executive’s employment shall remain unchanged during Executive’s tenure as an employee and may not be changed, except in an express writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company. If Executive’s employment terminates for any reason, Executive shall not be entitled to any payments, benefits, damages, award or compensation other than as provided in this Agreement or otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company or as provided by applicable law. The term of this Agreement (the “Term”) shall commence on the Effective Date and end on the date this Agreement is terminated under Section 3.

(c) Positions and Duties. Executive shall serve as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of the Company with such responsibilities, duties and authority normally associated with such positions and as may from time to time be assigned to Executive by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Executive shall devote substantially all of Executive’s working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company (which shall include service to its affiliates, if applicable) and shall not engage in outside business activities (including serving on outside boards or committees) without the consent of the Board (as defined

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below), provided that Executive shall be permitted to (i) manage Executive’s personal, financial and legal affairs, (ii) participate in trade associations, and (iii) serve on the board of directors of not-for-profit or tax-exempt charitable organizations, in each case, subject to compliance with this Agreement and provided that such activities do not materially interfere with Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder. Executive agrees to observe and comply with the rules and policies of the Company as adopted by the Company from time to time, in each case as amended from time to time, as set forth in writing, and as delivered or made available to Executive (each, a “Policy”).

2. Compensation and Related Matters.

(a) Annual Base Salary. During the Term, Executive shall receive a base salary at a rate of $324,500 per annum, which shall be paid in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company and shall be pro-rated for partial years of employment. Such annual base salary shall be reviewed (and may be adjusted) from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Company or an authorized committee of the Board (in either case, the “Board”) (such annual base salary, as it may be adjusted from time to time, the “Annual Base Salary”).

(b) Bonus. During the Term, Executive will be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program established by the Board. Executive’s annual incentive compensation under such incentive program (the “Annual Bonus”) shall be targeted at 35% of Executive’s Annual Base Salary. The Annual Bonus payable under the incentive program shall be based on the achievement of performance goals to be determined by the Board. The payment of any Annual Bonus pursuant to the incentive program shall be subject to Executive’s continued employment with the Company through the date of payment, except as otherwise provided in Section 4(b).

(c) Benefits. During the Term, Executive shall be eligible to participate in employee benefit plans, programs and arrangements of the Company (including medical, dental and 401(k) plans), consistent with the terms thereof and as such plans, programs and arrangements may be amended from time to time. In no event shall Executive be eligible to participate in any severance plan or program of the Company, except as set forth in Section 4 of this Agreement.

(d) Vacation. During the Term, Executive shall be entitled to paid personal leave in accordance with the Company’s Policies. Any vacation shall be taken at the reasonable and mutual convenience of the Company and Executive.

(e) Business Expenses. During the Term, the Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonable travel and other business expenses incurred by Executive in the performance of Executive’s duties to the Company in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement Policy.

(f) Key Person Insurance. At any time during the Term, the Company shall have the right to insure the life of Executive for the Company’s sole benefit. The Company shall have the right to determine the amount of insurance and the type of policy. Executive shall reasonably cooperate with the Company in obtaining such insurance by submitting to physical examinations, by supplying all information reasonably required by any insurance carrier, and by executing all necessary documents reasonably required by any insurance carrier, provided that any information

 

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provided to an insurance company or broker shall not be provided to the Company without the prior written authorization of Executive. Executive shall incur no financial obligation by executing any required document, and shall have no interest in any such policy.

3. Termination.

Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated by the Company or Executive, as applicable, without any breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances:

(a) Circumstances.

(i) Death. Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon Executive’s death.

(ii) Disability. If Executive has incurred a Disability, as defined below, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment.

(iii) Termination for Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment for Cause, as defined below.

(iv) Termination without Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment without Cause.

(v) Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for Good Reason, as defined below.

(vi) Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason other than Good Reason or for no reason.

(b) Notice of Termination. Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or by Executive under this Section 3 (other than termination pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)) shall be communicated by a written notice to the other Party hereto (i) indicating the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (ii) setting forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of Executive’s employment under the provision so indicated, if applicable, and (iii) specifying a Date of Termination which, if submitted by Executive, shall be at least forty-five (45) days following the date of such notice (a “Notice of Termination”); provided, however, that in the event that Executive delivers a Notice of Termination to the Company, the Company may, in its sole discretion, change the Date of Termination to any date that occurs following the date of Company’s receipt of such Notice of Termination and is prior to the date specified in such Notice of Termination. A Notice of Termination submitted by the Company may provide for a Date of Termination on the date Executive receives the Notice of Termination, or any date thereafter elected by the Company in its sole discretion. The failure by the Company to set forth in the Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing of Cause shall not waive any right of the Company hereunder or preclude the Company from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing the Company’s rights hereunder.

 

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(c) Company Obligations upon Termination. Upon termination of Executive’s employment pursuant to any of the circumstances listed in this Section 3, Executive (or Executive’s estate) shall be entitled to receive the sum of: (i) the portion of Executive’s Annual Base Salary earned through the Date of Termination, but not yet paid to Executive; (ii) any expenses owed to Executive pursuant to Section 2(e); and (iii) any amount accrued and arising from Executive’s participation in, or benefits accrued under any employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements, which amounts shall be payable in accordance with the terms and conditions of such employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements (collectively, the “Company Arrangements”). Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. In the event that Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company for any reason, Executive’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be to receive the payments and benefits described in this Section 3(c) or Section 4, as applicable.

(d) Deemed Resignation. Upon termination of Executive’s employment for any reason, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all offices and directorships, if any, then held with the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

4. Severance Payments.

(a) Termination for Cause, or Termination Upon Death, Disability or Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. If Executive’s employment shall terminate as a result of Executive’s death pursuant to Section 3(a)(i) or Disability pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii), pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) for Cause, or pursuant to Section 3(a)(vi) for Executive’s resignation from the Company without Good Reason, then Executive shall not be entitled to any severance payments or benefits, except as provided in Section 3(c).

(b) Termination without Cause, or Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. If Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, then, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service (as defined below), and not revoking, a release of claims substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement (the “Release”), and Executive’s continued compliance with Section 5, Executive shall receive, in addition to payments and benefits set forth in Section 3(c), the following:

(i) an amount in cash equal to 0.5 times the Annual Base Salary, payable in the form of salary continuation in regular installments over the 6-month period following the date of Executive’s Separation from Service (the “Severance Period”) in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices;

(ii) to the extent unpaid as of the Date of Termination, an amount of cash equal to any Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the Company’s fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs, as determined by the Board in its discretion based upon actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be

 

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paid to Executive in the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs when bonuses for such prior fiscal year are paid in the ordinary course to actively employed senior executives of the Company; and

(iii) if Executive elects to receive continued medical, dental or vision coverage under one or more of the Company’s group healthcare plans pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), the Company shall directly pay, or reimburse Executive for, the COBRA premiums for Executive and Executive’s covered dependents under such plans during the period commencing on Executive’s Separation from Service and ending upon the earliest of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company determines in its sole discretion that it cannot provide the foregoing benefit without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act) or incurring an excise tax, the Company shall in lieu thereof provide to Executive a taxable monthly payment in an amount equal to the monthly COBRA premium that Executive would be required to pay to continue Executive’s and Executive’s covered dependents’ group health coverage in effect on the Date of Termination (which amount shall be based on the premium for the first month of COBRA coverage), less the amount Executive would have had to pay to receive group health coverage for Executive and his or her covered dependents based on the cost sharing levels in effect on the Date of Termination, which payments shall be made regardless of whether Executive elects COBRA continuation coverage and shall commence in the month following the month in which the Date of Termination occurs and shall end on the earlier of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility).

(c) Change in Control. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 4(b), in the event Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, in either case, within 60 days prior to or 12 months following the date of a Change in Control, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service, and not revoking, the Release, all unvested equity or equity-based awards held by Executive under any Company equity compensation plans that vest solely based on the passage of time shall immediately become 100% vested (for the avoidance of doubt, with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).

(d) Survival. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the provisions of Sections 5 through 9 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term.

 

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5. Restrictive Covenants. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Agreement, Executive will execute and deliver to the Company contemporaneously herewith the Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement attached as Exhibit B (the “Proprietary Information Agreement”). Executive agrees to abide by the terms of the Proprietary Information Agreement, which are hereby incorporated by reference into this Agreement. Executive acknowledges that the provisions of the Proprietary Information Agreement will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term for the periods set forth in the Proprietary Information Agreement.

6. Assignment and Successors.

The Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any of its affiliates or to any successor to all or substantially all of the business or the assets of the Company (by merger or otherwise), and may assign or encumber this Agreement and its rights hereunder as security for indebtedness of the Company and its affiliates. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company, Executive and their respective successors, assigns, personnel and legal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees, and legatees, as applicable. None of Executive’s rights or obligations may be assigned or transferred by Executive, other than Executive’s rights to payments hereunder, which may be transferred only by will or operation of law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall be entitled, to the extent permitted under applicable law and applicable Company Arrangements, to select and change a beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive compensation hereunder following Executive’s death by giving written notice thereof to the Company.

7. Certain Definitions.

(a) Cause. The Company shall have “Cause” to terminate Executive’s employment hereunder upon:

(i) Executive’s failure to (A) substantially perform Executive’s duties with the Company (other than any such failure resulting from Executive’s Disability) or (B) comply with, in any material respect, any of the Company’s Policies;

(ii) the Board’s determination that Executive failed in any material respect to carry out or comply with any lawful and reasonable directive of the Board;

(iii) Executive’s breach of a material provision of this Agreement;

(iv) Executive’s conviction, plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere, or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or crime involving moral turpitude;

(v) Executive’s unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on the Company’s (or any of its affiliate’s) premises or while performing Executive’s duties and responsibilities under this Agreement; or

(vi) Executive’s commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, willful misconduct, or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

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(b) Change in Control. “Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in the version of the Seres Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Incentive Award Plan in effect on the Effective Date.

(c) Code. “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder.

(d) Date of Termination. “Date of Termination” shall mean (i) if Executive’s employment is terminated by Executive’s death, the date of Executive’s death; or (ii) if Executive’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii) – (vi) either the date indicated in the Notice of Termination or the date specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3(b), whichever is earlier.

(e) Disability. “Disability” shall mean, at any time the Company or any of its affiliates sponsors a long-term disability plan for the Company’s employees, “disability” as defined in such long-term disability plan for the purpose of determining a participant’s eligibility for benefits, provided, however, if the long-term disability plan contains multiple definitions of disability, “Disability” shall refer to that definition of disability which, if Executive qualified for such disability benefits, would provide coverage for the longest period of time. The determination of whether Executive has a Disability shall be made by the person or persons required to make disability determinations under the long-term disability plan. At any time the Company does not sponsor a long-term disability plan for its employees, “Disability” shall mean Executive’s inability to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, the essential functions of Executive’s positions hereunder for a total of three months during any six-month period as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness as determined by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and acceptable to Executive or Executive’s legal representative, with such agreement as to acceptability not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Any refusal by Executive to submit to a medical examination for the purpose of determining Disability shall be deemed to constitute conclusive evidence of Executive’s Disability.

(f) Good Reason. For the sole purpose of determining Executive’s right to severance payments and benefits as described above, Executive’s resignation will be for “Good Reason” if Executive resigns within ninety days after any of the following events, unless Executive consents to the applicable event: (i) a decrease in Executive’s Annual Base Salary, other than a reduction in Annual Base Salary of less than 10% that is implemented in connection with a contemporaneous reduction in annual base salaries affecting other senior executives of the Company, (ii) a material decrease in Executive’s authority or areas of responsibility as are commensurate with Executive’s title or positions, or (iii) the relocation of Executive’s primary office to a location more than 50 miles from the Boston metropolitan area. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Good Reason will have occurred unless and until Executive has: (a) provided the Company, within 60 days of Executive’s knowledge of the occurrence of the facts and circumstances underlying the Good Reason event, written-notice stating with specificity the applicable facts and circumstances underlying such finding of Good Reason; and (b) provided the Company with an opportunity to cure the same within 30 days after the receipt of such notice.

 

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8. Parachute Payments.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, in the event that any payment or benefit by the Company or otherwise to or for the benefit of Executive, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise (all such payments and benefits, including the payments and benefits under Section 4(b) and Section 4(c) hereof, being hereinafter referred to as the “Total Payments”), would be subject (in whole or in part) to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Total Payments shall be reduced (in the order provided in Section 8(b)) to the minimum extent necessary to avoid the imposition of the Excise Tax on the Total Payments, but only if (i) the net amount of such Total Payments, as so reduced (and after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such reduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such reduced Total Payments), is greater than or equal to (ii) the net amount of such Total Payments without such reduction (but after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such Total Payments and the amount of the Excise Tax to which Executive would be subject in respect of such unreduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such unreduced Total Payments).

(b) The Total Payments shall be reduced in the following order: (i) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any cash severance payments that are exempt from Section 409A of the Code (“Section 409A”), (ii) reduction on a pro-rata basis any non-cash severance payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, (iii) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any other payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, and (iv) reduction of any payments or benefits otherwise payable to Executive on a pro-rata basis or such other manner that complies with Section 409A; provided, in case of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv), that reduction of any payments attributable to the acceleration of vesting of Company equity awards shall be first applied to Company equity awards that would otherwise vest last in time.

(c) All determinations regarding the application of this Section 8 shall be made by an accounting firm or consulting group with experience in performing calculations regarding the applicability of Section 280G of the Code and the Excise Tax selected by the Company (the “Independent Advisors”). For purposes of determinations, no portion of the Total Payments shall be taken into account which, in the opinion of the Independent Advisors, (i) does not constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code (including by reason of Section 280G(b)(4)(A) of the Code) or (ii) constitutes reasonable compensation for services actually rendered, within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(B) of the Code, in excess of the “base amount” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) allocable to such reasonable compensation. The costs of obtaining such determination and all related fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses incurred in any later audit) shall be borne by the Company.

(d) In the event it is later determined that a greater reduction in the Total Payments should have been made to implement the objective and intent of this Section 8, the excess amount shall be returned immediately by Executive to the Company.

 

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9. Miscellaneous Provisions.

(a) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed, construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with its express terms, and otherwise in accordance with the substantive laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without reference to the principles of conflicts of law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction, and where applicable, the laws of the United States.

(b) Validity. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

(c) Notices. Any notice, request, claim, demand, document and other communication hereunder to any Party shall be effective upon receipt (or refusal of receipt) and shall be in writing and delivered personally or sent by facsimile or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, as follows:

(i) If to the Company, the Chief Executive Officer at its headquarters,

(ii) If to Executive, at the last address that the Company has in its personnel records for Executive, or

(iii) at any other address as any Party shall have specified by notice in writing to the other Party.

(d) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement. Signatures delivered by facsimile shall be deemed effective for all purposes.

(e) Entire Agreement. The terms of this Agreement, and the Proprietary Information Agreement incorporated herein by reference as set forth in Section 5, are intended by the Parties to be the final expression of their agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, including the employment offer letter agreement between Executive and the Company, dated as of October 29, 2014. The Parties further intend that this Agreement shall constitute the complete and exclusive statement of their terms and that no extrinsic evidence whatsoever may be introduced in any judicial, administrative, or other legal proceeding to vary the terms of this Agreement.

(f) Amendments; Waivers. This Agreement may not be modified, amended, or terminated except by an instrument in writing, signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of Company. By an instrument in writing similarly executed, Executive or a duly authorized officer of the Company may waive compliance by the other Party with any specifically identified provision of this Agreement that such other Party was or is obligated to comply with or perform;

 

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provided, however, that such waiver shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any other or subsequent failure. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising any right, remedy, or power hereunder preclude any other or further exercise of any other right, remedy, or power provided herein or by law or in equity.

(g) No Inconsistent Actions. The Parties hereto shall not voluntarily undertake or fail to undertake any action or course of action inconsistent with the provisions or essential intent of this Agreement. Furthermore, it is the intent of the Parties hereto to act in a fair and reasonable manner with respect to the interpretation and application of the provisions of this Agreement.

(h) Construction. This Agreement shall be deemed drafted equally by both the Parties. Its language shall be construed as a whole and according to its fair meaning. Any presumption or principle that the language is to be construed against any Party shall not apply. The headings in this Agreement are only for convenience and are not intended to affect construction or interpretation. Any references to paragraphs, subparagraphs, sections or subsections are to those parts of this Agreement, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary. Also, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, (i) the plural includes the singular and the singular includes the plural; (ii) “and” and “or” are each used both conjunctively and disjunctively; (iii) “any,” “all,” “each,” or “every” means “any and all,” and “each and every”; (iv) “includes” and “including” are each “without limitation”; (v) “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and other similar compounds of the word “here” refer to the entire Agreement and not to any particular paragraph, subparagraph, section or subsection; and (vi) all pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular or plural as the identity of the entities or persons referred to may require.

(i) Arbitration. Any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, shall be settled solely and exclusively by a binding arbitration process administered by JAMS/Endispute in Boston, Massachusetts. Such arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the then-existing JAMS/Endispute Rules of Practice and Procedure, with the following exceptions if in conflict: (i) one arbitrator who is a retired judge shall be chosen by JAMS/Endispute; (ii) each Party to the arbitration will pay one-half of the expenses and fees of the arbitrator, together with other expenses of the arbitration incurred or approved by the arbitrator; and (iii) arbitration may proceed in the absence of any Party if written notice (pursuant to the JAMS/Endispute rules and regulations) of the proceedings has been given to such Party. Each Party shall bear its own attorney’s fees and expenses; provided that the arbitrator may assess the prevailing Party’s fees and costs against the non-prevailing Party as part of the arbitrator’s award. The Parties agree to abide by all decisions and awards rendered in such proceedings. Such decisions and awards rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and conclusive. All such controversies, claims or disputes shall be settled in this manner in lieu of any action at law or equity; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as precluding the bringing of an action for injunctive relief or specific performance as provided in this Agreement. This dispute resolution process and any arbitration hereunder shall be confidential and neither any Party nor the neutral arbitrator shall disclose the existence, contents or results of such process without the prior written consent of all Parties, except where necessary or compelled in a Court to enforce this arbitration provision or an Award from such arbitration or otherwise in a legal proceeding. If JAMS/Endispute no longer exists or is otherwise unavailable,

 

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the Parties agree that the American Arbitration Association (“AAA’) shall administer the arbitration in accordance with its then-existing rules as modified by this subsection. In such event, all references herein to JAMS/Endispute shall mean AAA. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive and the Company each have the right to resolve any issue or dispute over intellectual property rights by Court action instead of arbitration.

(j) Enforcement. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future laws effective during the Term, such provision shall be fully severable; this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a portion of this Agreement; and the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance from this Agreement. Furthermore, in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision there shall be added automatically as part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be legal, valid and enforceable.

(k) Withholding. The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement any federal, state, local or foreign withholding or other taxes or charges which the Company is required to withhold. The Company shall be entitled to rely on an opinion of counsel if any questions as to the amount or requirement of withholding shall arise.

(l) Section 409A.

(i) General. The intent of the Parties is that the payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with or be exempt from Section 409A and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, this Agreement shall be interpreted to be in compliance therewith.

(ii) Separation from Service. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement that is considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A and is designated under this Agreement as payable upon Executive’s termination of employment shall be payable only upon Executive’s “separation from service” with the Company within the meaning of Section 409A (a “Separation from Service”) and, except as provided below, any such compensation or benefits described in Section 4 shall not be paid, or, in the case of installments, shall not commence payment, until the thirtieth (30th) day following Executive’s Separation from Service (the “First Payment Date”). Any installment payments that would have been made to Executive during the thirty (30) day period immediately following Executive’s Separation from Service but for the preceding sentence shall be paid to Executive on the First Payment Date and the remaining payments shall be made as provided in this Agreement.

(iii) Specified Employee. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if Executive is deemed by the Company at the time of Executive’s Separation from Service to be a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A, to the extent delayed commencement of any portion of the benefits to which Executive is entitled

 

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under this Agreement is required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A, such portion of Executive’s benefits shall not be provided to Executive prior to the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of Executive’s Separation from Service with the Company or (ii) the date of Executive’s death. Upon the first business day following the expiration of the applicable Section 409A period, all payments deferred pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be paid in a lump sum to Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries), and any remaining payments due to Executive under this Agreement shall be paid as otherwise provided herein.

(iv) Expense Reimbursements. To the extent that any reimbursements under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, any such reimbursements payable to Executive shall be paid to Executive no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expense was incurred; provided, that Executive submits Executive’s reimbursement request promptly following the date the expense is incurred, the amount of expenses reimbursed in one year shall not affect the amount eligible for reimbursement in any subsequent year, other than medical expenses referred to in Section 105(b) of the Code, and Executive’s right to reimbursement under this Agreement will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.

(v) Installments. Executive’s right to receive any installment payments under this Agreement, including without limitation any continuation salary payments that are payable on Company payroll dates, shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each such installment payment shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment as permitted under Section 409A. Except as otherwise permitted under Section 409A, no payment hereunder shall be accelerated or deferred unless such acceleration or deferral would not result in additional tax or interest pursuant to Section 409A.

10. Executive Acknowledgement.

Executive acknowledges that Executive has read and understands this Agreement, is fully aware of its legal effect, has not acted in reliance upon any representations or promises made by the Company other than those contained in writing herein, and has entered into this Agreement freely based on Executive’s own judgment.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the date and year first above written.

 

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EXHIBIT A

Separation Agreement and Release

This Separation Agreement and Release (“Agreement”) is made by and between Eric D. Shaff (“Executive”) and Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Employment Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, the Parties have previously entered into that certain Employment Agreement, dated as of June 14, 2015 (the “Employment Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, in connection with Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate of the Company effective             , 20    , the Parties wish to resolve any and all disputes, claims, complaints, grievances, charges, actions, petitions, and demands that Executive may have against the Company and any of the Releasees as defined below, including, but not limited to, any and all claims arising out of or in any way related to Executive’s employment with or separation from the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates but, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein will be deemed to release any rights or remedies in connection with Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company or Executive’s right to indemnification by the Company or any of its affiliates pursuant to contract or applicable law (collectively, the “Retained Claims”).

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4 of the Employment Agreement, which, pursuant to the Employment Agreement, are conditioned on Executive’s execution and non-revocation of this Agreement, and in consideration of the mutual promises made herein, the Company and Executive hereby agree as follows:

1. Severance Payments; Salary and Benefits. The Company agrees to provide Executive with the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4(b) and/or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement, payable at the times set forth in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, the Employment Agreement. In addition, to the extent not already paid, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Employment Agreement, the Company shall pay or provide to Executive all other payments or benefits described in Section 3(c) of the Employment Agreement, subject to and in accordance with the terms thereof.

2. Release of Claims. Executive agrees that, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, the foregoing consideration represents settlement in full of all outstanding obligations owed to Executive by the Company, any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries and affiliates, and any of their current and former officers, directors, equity holders, managers, employees, agents, investors, attorneys, shareholders, administrators, affiliates, benefit plans, plan administrators, insurers, trustees, divisions, and subsidiaries and predecessor and successor corporations and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”). Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of any of Executive’s affiliated companies or entities and any of their respective heirs, family members, executors, agents, and assigns, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, hereby and forever releases the Releasees from, and agrees not to sue concerning, or in any manner to

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institute, prosecute, or pursue, any claim, complaint, charge, duty, obligation, or cause of action relating to any matters of any kind, whether presently known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, that Executive may possess against any of the Releasees arising from any omissions, acts, facts, or damages that have occurred up until and including the Effective Date of this Agreement (as defined in Section 7 below), including, without limitation:

(a) any and all claims relating to or arising from Executive’s employment or service relationship with the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries or affiliates and the termination of that relationship;

(b) any and all claims relating to, or arising from, Executive’s right to purchase, or actual purchase of any shares of stock or other equity interests of the Company or any of its affiliates, including, without limitation, any claims for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty under applicable state corporate law, and securities fraud under any state or federal law;

(c) any and all claims for wrongful discharge of employment; termination in violation of public policy; discrimination; harassment; retaliation; breach of contract, both express and implied; breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, both express and implied; promissory estoppel; negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress; fraud; negligent or intentional misrepresentation; negligent or intentional interference with contract or prospective economic advantage; unfair business practices; defamation; libel; slander; negligence; personal injury; assault; battery; invasion of privacy; false imprisonment; conversion; and disability benefits;

(d) any and all claims for violation of any federal, state, or municipal statute, including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Equal Pay Act; the Fair Credit Reporting Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974; the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act; and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002;

(e) any and all claims for violation of the federal or any state constitution;

(f) any and all claims arising out of any other laws and regulations relating to employment or employment discrimination;

(g) any claim for any loss, cost, damage, or expense arising out of any dispute over the non-withholding or other tax treatment of any of the proceeds received by Executive as a result of this Agreement; and

(h) any and all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs.

Executive agrees that the release set forth in this section shall be and remain in effect in all respects as a complete general release as to the matters released. This release does not release claims that cannot be released as a matter of law, including, but not limited to, Executive’s right

 

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to report possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation, Executive’s right to file a charge with or participate in a charge by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or any other local, state, or federal administrative body or government agency that is authorized to enforce or administer laws related to employment, against the Company (with the understanding that Executive’s release of claims herein bars Executive from recovering such monetary relief from the Company or any Releasee), claims for unemployment compensation or any state disability insurance benefits pursuant to the terms of applicable state law, claims to continued participation in certain of the Company’s group benefit plans pursuant to the terms and conditions of COBRA, claims to any benefit entitlements vested as the date of separation of Executive’s employment, pursuant to written terms of any employee benefit plan of the Company or its affiliates and Executive’s right under applicable law and any Retained Claims. This release further does not release claims for breach of Section 3(c), Section 4(b) or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement.

3. Acknowledgment of Waiver of Claims under ADEA. Executive understands and acknowledges that Executive is waiving and releasing any rights Executive may have under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (“ADEA”), and that this waiver and release is knowing and voluntary. Executive understands and agrees that this waiver and release does not apply to any rights or claims that may arise under the ADEA after the Effective Date of this Agreement. Executive understands and acknowledges that the consideration given for this waiver and release is in addition to anything of value to which Executive was already entitled. Executive further understands and acknowledges that Executive has been advised by this writing that: (a) Executive should consult with an attorney prior to executing this Agreement; (b) Executive has 21 days within which to consider this Agreement; (c) Executive has 7 days following Executive’s execution of this Agreement to revoke this Agreement pursuant to written notice to the General Counsel of the Company; (d) this Agreement shall not be effective until after the revocation period has expired; and (e) nothing in this Agreement prevents or precludes Executive from challenging or seeking a determination in good faith of the validity of this waiver under the ADEA, nor does it impose any condition precedent, penalties, or costs for doing so, unless specifically authorized by federal law. In the event Executive signs this Agreement and returns it to the Company in less than the 21 day period identified above, Executive hereby acknowledges that Executive has freely and voluntarily chosen to waive the time period allotted for considering this Agreement.

4. Severability. In the event that any provision or any portion of any provision hereof or any surviving agreement made a part hereof becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitrator to be illegal, unenforceable, or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision or portion of provision.

5. No Oral Modification. This Agreement may only be amended in a writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company.

 

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6. Governing Law; Dispute Resolution. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 9(a), 9(c) and 9(i) of the Employment Agreement.

7. Effective Date. If Executive has attained or is over the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then each Party has seven days after that Party signs this Agreement to revoke it and this Agreement will become effective on the eighth day after Executive signed this Agreement, so long as it has been signed by the Parties and has not been revoked by either Party before that date (the “Effective Date”). If Executive has not attained the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then the “Effective Date” shall be the date on which Executive signs this Agreement.

8. Voluntary Execution of Agreement. Executive understands and agrees that Executive executed this Agreement voluntarily, without any duress or undue influence on the part or behalf of the Company or any third party, with the full intent of releasing all of Executive’s claims against the Company and any of the other Releasees. Executive acknowledges that: (a) Executive has read this Agreement; (b) Executive has not relied upon any representations or statements made by the Company that are not specifically set forth in this Agreement; (c) Executive has been represented in the preparation, negotiation, and execution of this Agreement by legal counsel of Executive’s own choice or has elected not to retain legal counsel; (d) Executive understands the terms and consequences of this Agreement and of the releases it contains; and (e) Executive is fully aware of the legal and binding effect of this Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the respective dates set forth below.

 

Dated:
						Eric D. Shaff
						SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Dated:						By:
								Name:
								Title:

 

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EXHIBIT B

Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement

In consideration and as a condition of my employment or continued employment by Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), I hereby agree as follows:

 

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BY SIGNING BELOW, I CERTIFY THAT I HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY AND AM SATISFIED THAT I UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this agreement as a sealed instrument as of the date set forth below.

 

Signed:
		(Employee’s full name)

 

Type or print name:		Eric D. Shaff
Last four digits of SSN:						Date:

 

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Appendix A

 

To:		Seres Therapeutics, Inc.
From:		Eric D. Shaff
Date:

SUBJECT:		Prior Inventions

The following is a complete list of all inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of my employment by the Company that have been made or conceived or first reduced to practice by me alone or jointly with others prior to my engagement by the Company:

 

¨

No inventions or improvements

 

¨

See below:

 

¨

Additional sheets attached

The following is a list of all patents, patent applications and other patent rights that I invented:

 

¨

None

 

¨

See below:

Exhibit 10.8

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of June 13, 2015, is made by and between Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with any successor thereto, the “Company”), and David N. Cook, Ph.D. (“Executive”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”).

RECITALS

 

A.	It is the desire of the Company to assure itself of the services of Executive following the Effective Date (as defined below) and thereafter by entering into this Agreement.

 

B.	Executive and the Company mutually desire that Executive provide services to the Company on the terms herein provided.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the respective covenants and agreements set forth below, the Parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Employment.

(a) General. Effective on the closing of the Company’s initial public offering of stock pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Effective Date”), the Company shall employ Executive and Executive shall remain in the employ of the Company, for the period and in the positions set forth in this Section 1, and subject to the other terms and conditions herein provided.

(b) At-Will Employment. The Company and Executive acknowledge that Executive’s employment is and shall continue to be at-will, as defined under applicable law, and that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated by either Party at any time for any or no reason (subject to the notice requirements of Section 3(b)). This “at-will” nature of Executive’s employment shall remain unchanged during Executive’s tenure as an employee and may not be changed, except in an express writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company. If Executive’s employment terminates for any reason, Executive shall not be entitled to any payments, benefits, damages, award or compensation other than as provided in this Agreement or otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company or as provided by applicable law. The term of this Agreement (the “Term”) shall commence on the Effective Date and end on the date this Agreement is terminated under Section 3.

(c) Positions and Duties. Executive shall serve as Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Research & Development of the Company with such responsibilities, duties and authority normally associated with such positions and as may from time to time be assigned to Executive by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Executive shall devote substantially all of Executive’s working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company (which shall include service to its affiliates, if applicable) and shall not engage in outside business activities (including serving on outside boards or committees)

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without the consent of the Board (as defined below), provided that Executive shall be permitted to (i) manage Executive’s personal, financial and legal affairs, (ii) participate in trade associations, and (iii) serve on the board of directors of not-for-profit or tax-exempt charitable organizations, in each case, subject to compliance with this Agreement and provided that such activities do not materially interfere with Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder. Executive agrees to observe and comply with the rules and policies of the Company as adopted by the Company from time to time, in each case as amended from time to time, as set forth in writing, and as delivered or made available to Executive (each, a “Policy”).

2. Compensation and Related Matters.

(a) Annual Base Salary. During the Term, Executive shall receive a base salary at a rate of $355,900 per annum, which shall be paid in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company and shall be pro-rated for partial years of employment. Such annual base salary shall be reviewed (and may be adjusted) from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Company or an authorized committee of the Board (in either case, the “Board”) (such annual base salary, as it may be adjusted from time to time, the “Annual Base Salary”).

(b) Bonus. During the Term, Executive will be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program established by the Board. Executive’s annual incentive compensation under such incentive program (the “Annual Bonus”) shall be targeted at 35% of Executive’s Annual Base Salary. The Annual Bonus payable under the incentive program shall be based on the achievement of performance goals to be determined by the Board. The payment of any Annual Bonus pursuant to the incentive program shall be subject to Executive’s continued employment with the Company through the date of payment, except as otherwise provided in Section 4(b).

(c) Benefits. During the Term, Executive shall be eligible to participate in employee benefit plans, programs and arrangements of the Company (including medical, dental and 401(k) plans), consistent with the terms thereof and as such plans, programs and arrangements may be amended from time to time. In no event shall Executive be eligible to participate in any severance plan or program of the Company, except as set forth in Section 4 of this Agreement.

(d) Vacation. During the Term, Executive shall be entitled to paid personal leave in accordance with the Company’s Policies. Any vacation shall be taken at the reasonable and mutual convenience of the Company and Executive.

(e) Business Expenses. During the Term, the Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonable travel and other business expenses incurred by Executive in the performance of Executive’s duties to the Company in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement Policy.

(f) Key Person Insurance. At any time during the Term, the Company shall have the right to insure the life of Executive for the Company’s sole benefit. The Company shall have the right to determine the amount of insurance and the type of policy. Executive shall reasonably cooperate with the Company in obtaining such insurance by submitting to physical examinations, by supplying all information reasonably required by any insurance carrier, and by executing all

 

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necessary documents reasonably required by any insurance carrier, provided that any information provided to an insurance company or broker shall not be provided to the Company without the prior written authorization of Executive. Executive shall incur no financial obligation by executing any required document, and shall have no interest in any such policy.

3. Termination.

Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated by the Company or Executive, as applicable, without any breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances:

(a) Circumstances.

(i) Death. Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon Executive’s death.

(ii) Disability. If Executive has incurred a Disability, as defined below, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment.

(iii) Termination for Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment for Cause, as defined below.

(iv) Termination without Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment without Cause.

(v) Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for Good Reason, as defined below.

(vi) Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason other than Good Reason or for no reason.

(b) Notice of Termination. Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or by Executive under this Section 3 (other than termination pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)) shall be communicated by a written notice to the other Party hereto (i) indicating the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (ii) setting forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of Executive’s employment under the provision so indicated, if applicable, and (iii) specifying a Date of Termination which, if submitted by Executive, shall be at least forty-five (45) days following the date of such notice (a “Notice of Termination”); provided, however, that in the event that Executive delivers a Notice of Termination to the Company, the Company may, in its sole discretion, change the Date of Termination to any date that occurs following the date of Company’s receipt of such Notice of Termination and is prior to the date specified in such Notice of Termination. A Notice of Termination submitted by the Company may provide for a Date of Termination on the date Executive receives the Notice of Termination, or any date thereafter elected by the Company in its sole discretion. The failure by the Company to set forth in the Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing of Cause shall not waive any right of the Company hereunder or preclude the Company from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing the Company’s rights hereunder.

 

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(c) Company Obligations upon Termination. Upon termination of Executive’s employment pursuant to any of the circumstances listed in this Section 3, Executive (or Executive’s estate) shall be entitled to receive the sum of: (i) the portion of Executive’s Annual Base Salary earned through the Date of Termination, but not yet paid to Executive; (ii) any expenses owed to Executive pursuant to Section 2(e); and (iii) any amount accrued and arising from Executive’s participation in, or benefits accrued under any employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements, which amounts shall be payable in accordance with the terms and conditions of such employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements (collectively, the “Company Arrangements”). Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. In the event that Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company for any reason, Executive’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be to receive the payments and benefits described in this Section 3(c) or Section 4, as applicable.

(d) Deemed Resignation. Upon termination of Executive’s employment for any reason, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all offices and directorships, if any, then held with the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

4. Severance Payments.

(a) Termination for Cause, or Termination Upon Death, Disability or Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. If Executive’s employment shall terminate as a result of Executive’s death pursuant to Section 3(a)(i) or Disability pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii), pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) for Cause, or pursuant to Section 3(a)(vi) for Executive’s resignation from the Company without Good Reason, then Executive shall not be entitled to any severance payments or benefits, except as provided in Section 3(c).

(b) Termination without Cause, or Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. If Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, then, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service (as defined below), and not revoking, a release of claims substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement (the “Release”), and Executive’s continued compliance with Section 5, Executive shall receive, in addition to payments and benefits set forth in Section 3(c), the following:

(i) an amount in cash equal to 0.5 times the Annual Base Salary, payable in the form of salary continuation in regular installments over the 6-month period following the date of Executive’s Separation from Service (the “Severance Period”) in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices;

(ii) to the extent unpaid as of the Date of Termination, an amount of cash equal to any Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the Company’s fiscal year prior to

 

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the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs, as determined by the Board in its discretion based upon actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive in the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs when bonuses for such prior fiscal year are paid in the ordinary course to actively employed senior executives of the Company; and

(iii) if Executive elects to receive continued medical, dental or vision coverage under one or more of the Company’s group healthcare plans pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), the Company shall directly pay, or reimburse Executive for, the COBRA premiums for Executive and Executive’s covered dependents under such plans during the period commencing on Executive’s Separation from Service and ending upon the earliest of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company determines in its sole discretion that it cannot provide the foregoing benefit without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act) or incurring an excise tax, the Company shall in lieu thereof provide to Executive a taxable monthly payment in an amount equal to the monthly COBRA premium that Executive would be required to pay to continue Executive’s and Executive’s covered dependents’ group health coverage in effect on the Date of Termination (which amount shall be based on the premium for the first month of COBRA coverage), less the amount Executive would have had to pay to receive group health coverage for Executive and his or her covered dependents based on the cost sharing levels in effect on the Date of Termination, which payments shall be made regardless of whether Executive elects COBRA continuation coverage and shall commence in the month following the month in which the Date of Termination occurs and shall end on the earlier of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility).

(c) Change in Control. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 4(b), in the event Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, in either case, within 60 days prior to or 12 months following the date of a Change in Control, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service, and not revoking, the Release, all unvested equity or equity-based awards held by Executive under any Company equity compensation plans that vest solely based on the passage of time shall immediately become 100% vested (for the avoidance of doubt, with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).

(d) Survival. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the provisions of Sections 5 through 9 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term.

 

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5. Restrictive Covenants. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Agreement, Executive will execute and deliver to the Company contemporaneously herewith the Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement attached as Exhibit B (the “Proprietary Information Agreement”). Executive agrees to abide by the terms of the Proprietary Information Agreement, which are hereby incorporated by reference into this Agreement. Executive acknowledges that the provisions of the Proprietary Information Agreement will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term for the periods set forth in the Proprietary Information Agreement.

6. Assignment and Successors.

The Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any of its affiliates or to any successor to all or substantially all of the business or the assets of the Company (by merger or otherwise), and may assign or encumber this Agreement and its rights hereunder as security for indebtedness of the Company and its affiliates. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company, Executive and their respective successors, assigns, personnel and legal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees, and legatees, as applicable. None of Executive’s rights or obligations may be assigned or transferred by Executive, other than Executive’s rights to payments hereunder, which may be transferred only by will or operation of law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall be entitled, to the extent permitted under applicable law and applicable Company Arrangements, to select and change a beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive compensation hereunder following Executive’s death by giving written notice thereof to the Company.

7. Certain Definitions.

(a) Cause. The Company shall have “Cause” to terminate Executive’s employment hereunder upon:

(i) Executive’s failure to (A) substantially perform Executive’s duties with the Company (other than any such failure resulting from Executive’s Disability) or (B) comply with, in any material respect, any of the Company’s Policies;

(ii) the Board’s determination that Executive failed in any material respect to carry out or comply with any lawful and reasonable directive of the Board;

(iii) Executive’s breach of a material provision of this Agreement;

(iv) Executive’s conviction, plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere, or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or crime involving moral turpitude;

(v) Executive’s unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on the Company’s (or any of its affiliate’s) premises or while performing Executive’s duties and responsibilities under this Agreement; or

(vi) Executive’s commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, willful misconduct, or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

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(b) Change in Control. “Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in the version of the Seres Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Incentive Award Plan in effect on the Effective Date.

(c) Code. “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder.

(d) Date of Termination. “Date of Termination” shall mean (i) if Executive’s employment is terminated by Executive’s death, the date of Executive’s death; or (ii) if Executive’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii) – (vi) either the date indicated in the Notice of Termination or the date specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3(b), whichever is earlier.

(e) Disability. “Disability” shall mean, at any time the Company or any of its affiliates sponsors a long-term disability plan for the Company’s employees, “disability” as defined in such long-term disability plan for the purpose of determining a participant’s eligibility for benefits, provided, however, if the long-term disability plan contains multiple definitions of disability, “Disability” shall refer to that definition of disability which, if Executive qualified for such disability benefits, would provide coverage for the longest period of time. The determination of whether Executive has a Disability shall be made by the person or persons required to make disability determinations under the long-term disability plan. At any time the Company does not sponsor a long-term disability plan for its employees, “Disability” shall mean Executive’s inability to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, the essential functions of Executive’s positions hereunder for a total of three months during any six-month period as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness as determined by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and acceptable to Executive or Executive’s legal representative, with such agreement as to acceptability not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Any refusal by Executive to submit to a medical examination for the purpose of determining Disability shall be deemed to constitute conclusive evidence of Executive’s Disability.

(f) Good Reason. For the sole purpose of determining Executive’s right to severance payments and benefits as described above, Executive’s resignation will be for “Good Reason” if Executive resigns within ninety days after any of the following events, unless Executive consents to the applicable event: (i) a decrease in Executive’s Annual Base Salary, other than a reduction in Annual Base Salary of less than 10% that is implemented in connection with a contemporaneous reduction in annual base salaries affecting other senior executives of the Company, (ii) a material decrease in Executive’s authority or areas of responsibility as are commensurate with Executive’s title or positions, or (iii) the relocation of Executive’s primary office to a location more than 50 miles from the Boston metropolitan area. Notwithstanding the

 

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foregoing, no Good Reason will have occurred unless and until Executive has: (a) provided the Company, within 60 days of Executive’s knowledge of the occurrence of the facts and circumstances underlying the Good Reason event, written-notice stating with specificity the applicable facts and circumstances underlying such finding of Good Reason; and (b) provided the Company with an opportunity to cure the same within 30 days after the receipt of such notice.

8. Parachute Payments.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, in the event that any payment or benefit by the Company or otherwise to or for the benefit of Executive, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise (all such payments and benefits, including the payments and benefits under Section 4(b) and Section 4(c) hereof, being hereinafter referred to as the “Total Payments”), would be subject (in whole or in part) to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Total Payments shall be reduced (in the order provided in Section 8(b)) to the minimum extent necessary to avoid the imposition of the Excise Tax on the Total Payments, but only if (i) the net amount of such Total Payments, as so reduced (and after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such reduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such reduced Total Payments), is greater than or equal to (ii) the net amount of such Total Payments without such reduction (but after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such Total Payments and the amount of the Excise Tax to which Executive would be subject in respect of such unreduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such unreduced Total Payments).

(b) The Total Payments shall be reduced in the following order: (i) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any cash severance payments that are exempt from Section 409A of the Code (“Section 409A”), (ii) reduction on a pro-rata basis any non-cash severance payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, (iii) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any other payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, and (iv) reduction of any payments or benefits otherwise payable to Executive on a pro-rata basis or such other manner that complies with Section 409A; provided, in case of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv), that reduction of any payments attributable to the acceleration of vesting of Company equity awards shall be first applied to Company equity awards that would otherwise vest last in time.

(c) All determinations regarding the application of this Section 8 shall be made by an accounting firm or consulting group with experience in performing calculations regarding the applicability of Section 280G of the Code and the Excise Tax selected by the Company (the “Independent Advisors”). For purposes of determinations, no portion of the Total Payments shall be taken into account which, in the opinion of the Independent Advisors, (i) does not constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code (including by reason of Section 280G(b)(4)(A) of the Code) or (ii) constitutes reasonable compensation for services actually rendered, within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(B) of the Code, in excess of the “base amount” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) allocable to

 

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such reasonable compensation. The costs of obtaining such determination and all related fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses incurred in any later audit) shall be borne by the Company.

(d) In the event it is later determined that a greater reduction in the Total Payments should have been made to implement the objective and intent of this Section 8, the excess amount shall be returned immediately by Executive to the Company.

9. Miscellaneous Provisions.

(a) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed, construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with its express terms, and otherwise in accordance with the substantive laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without reference to the principles of conflicts of law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction, and where applicable, the laws of the United States.

(b) Validity. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

(c) Notices. Any notice, request, claim, demand, document and other communication hereunder to any Party shall be effective upon receipt (or refusal of receipt) and shall be in writing and delivered personally or sent by facsimile or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, as follows:

(i) If to the Company, the Chief Financial Officer at its headquarters,

(ii) If to Executive, at the last address that the Company has in its personnel records for Executive, or

(iii) at any other address as any Party shall have specified by notice in writing to the other Party.

(d) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement. Signatures delivered by facsimile shall be deemed effective for all purposes.

(e) Entire Agreement. The terms of this Agreement, and the Proprietary Information Agreement incorporated herein by reference as set forth in Section 5, are intended by the Parties to be the final expression of their agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, including the employment offer letter agreement between Executive and the Company, dated as of October 4, 2012. The Parties further intend that this Agreement shall constitute the complete and exclusive statement of their terms and that no extrinsic evidence whatsoever may be introduced in any judicial, administrative, or other legal proceeding to vary the terms of this Agreement.

 

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(f) Amendments; Waivers. This Agreement may not be modified, amended, or terminated except by an instrument in writing, signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of Company. By an instrument in writing similarly executed, Executive or a duly authorized officer of the Company may waive compliance by the other Party with any specifically identified provision of this Agreement that such other Party was or is obligated to comply with or perform; provided, however, that such waiver shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any other or subsequent failure. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising any right, remedy, or power hereunder preclude any other or further exercise of any other right, remedy, or power provided herein or by law or in equity.

(g) No Inconsistent Actions. The Parties hereto shall not voluntarily undertake or fail to undertake any action or course of action inconsistent with the provisions or essential intent of this Agreement. Furthermore, it is the intent of the Parties hereto to act in a fair and reasonable manner with respect to the interpretation and application of the provisions of this Agreement.

(h) Construction. This Agreement shall be deemed drafted equally by both the Parties. Its language shall be construed as a whole and according to its fair meaning. Any presumption or principle that the language is to be construed against any Party shall not apply. The headings in this Agreement are only for convenience and are not intended to affect construction or interpretation. Any references to paragraphs, subparagraphs, sections or subsections are to those parts of this Agreement, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary. Also, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, (i) the plural includes the singular and the singular includes the plural; (ii) “and” and “or” are each used both conjunctively and disjunctively; (iii) “any,” “all,” “each,” or “every” means “any and all,” and “each and every”; (iv) “includes” and “including” are each “without limitation”; (v) “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and other similar compounds of the word “here” refer to the entire Agreement and not to any particular paragraph, subparagraph, section or subsection; and (vi) all pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular or plural as the identity of the entities or persons referred to may require.

(i) Arbitration. Any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, shall be settled solely and exclusively by a binding arbitration process administered by JAMS/Endispute in Boston, Massachusetts. Such arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the then-existing JAMS/Endispute Rules of Practice and Procedure, with the following exceptions if in conflict: (i) one arbitrator who is a retired judge shall be chosen by JAMS/Endispute; (ii) each Party to the arbitration will pay one-half of the expenses and fees of the arbitrator, together with other expenses of the arbitration incurred or approved by the arbitrator; and (iii) arbitration may proceed in the absence of any Party if written notice (pursuant to the JAMS/Endispute rules and regulations) of the proceedings has been given to such Party. Each Party shall bear its own attorney’s fees and expenses; provided that the arbitrator may assess the prevailing Party’s fees and costs against the non-prevailing Party as part of the arbitrator’s award. The Parties agree to abide by all decisions and awards rendered in such proceedings. Such decisions and awards rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and conclusive. All such controversies, claims or disputes shall be settled in this manner in lieu of any action at law or equity; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as precluding the bringing of an action for injunctive relief or specific performance as provided in this

 

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Agreement. This dispute resolution process and any arbitration hereunder shall be confidential and neither any Party nor the neutral arbitrator shall disclose the existence, contents or results of such process without the prior written consent of all Parties, except where necessary or compelled in a Court to enforce this arbitration provision or an Award from such arbitration or otherwise in a legal proceeding. If JAMS/Endispute no longer exists or is otherwise unavailable, the Parties agree that the American Arbitration Association (“AAA’) shall administer the arbitration in accordance with its then-existing rules as modified by this subsection. In such event, all references herein to JAMS/Endispute shall mean AAA. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive and the Company each have the right to resolve any issue or dispute over intellectual property rights by Court action instead of arbitration.

(j) Enforcement. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future laws effective during the Term, such provision shall be fully severable; this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a portion of this Agreement; and the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance from this Agreement. Furthermore, in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision there shall be added automatically as part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be legal, valid and enforceable.

(k) Withholding. The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement any federal, state, local or foreign withholding or other taxes or charges which the Company is required to withhold. The Company shall be entitled to rely on an opinion of counsel if any questions as to the amount or requirement of withholding shall arise.

(l) Section 409A.

(i) General. The intent of the Parties is that the payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with or be exempt from Section 409A and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, this Agreement shall be interpreted to be in compliance therewith.

(ii) Separation from Service. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement that is considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A and is designated under this Agreement as payable upon Executive’s termination of employment shall be payable only upon Executive’s “separation from service” with the Company within the meaning of Section 409A (a “Separation from Service”) and, except as provided below, any such compensation or benefits described in Section 4 shall not be paid, or, in the case of installments, shall not commence payment, until the thirtieth (30th) day following Executive’s Separation from Service (the “First Payment Date”). Any installment payments that would have been made to Executive during the thirty (30) day period immediately following Executive’s Separation from Service but for the preceding sentence shall be paid to Executive on the First Payment Date and the remaining payments shall be made as provided in this Agreement.

 

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(iii) Specified Employee. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if Executive is deemed by the Company at the time of Executive’s Separation from Service to be a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A, to the extent delayed commencement of any portion of the benefits to which Executive is entitled under this Agreement is required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A, such portion of Executive’s benefits shall not be provided to Executive prior to the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of Executive’s Separation from Service with the Company or (ii) the date of Executive’s death. Upon the first business day following the expiration of the applicable Section 409A period, all payments deferred pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be paid in a lump sum to Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries), and any remaining payments due to Executive under this Agreement shall be paid as otherwise provided herein.

(iv) Expense Reimbursements. To the extent that any reimbursements under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, any such reimbursements payable to Executive shall be paid to Executive no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expense was incurred; provided, that Executive submits Executive’s reimbursement request promptly following the date the expense is incurred, the amount of expenses reimbursed in one year shall not affect the amount eligible for reimbursement in any subsequent year, other than medical expenses referred to in Section 105(b) of the Code, and Executive’s right to reimbursement under this Agreement will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.

(v) Installments. Executive’s right to receive any installment payments under this Agreement, including without limitation any continuation salary payments that are payable on Company payroll dates, shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each such installment payment shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment as permitted under Section 409A. Except as otherwise permitted under Section 409A, no payment hereunder shall be accelerated or deferred unless such acceleration or deferral would not result in additional tax or interest pursuant to Section 409A.

10. Executive Acknowledgement.

Executive acknowledges that Executive has read and understands this Agreement, is fully aware of its legal effect, has not acted in reliance upon any representations or promises made by the Company other than those contained in writing herein, and has entered into this Agreement freely based on Executive’s own judgment.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the date and year first above written.

 

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EXHIBIT A

Separation Agreement and Release

This Separation Agreement and Release (“Agreement”) is made by and between David N. Cook, Ph.D. (“Executive”) and Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Employment Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, the Parties have previously entered into that certain Employment Agreement, dated as of June 13, 2015 (the “Employment Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, in connection with Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate of the Company effective             , 20    , the Parties wish to resolve any and all disputes, claims, complaints, grievances, charges, actions, petitions, and demands that Executive may have against the Company and any of the Releasees as defined below, including, but not limited to, any and all claims arising out of or in any way related to Executive’s employment with or separation from the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates but, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein will be deemed to release any rights or remedies in connection with Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company or Executive’s right to indemnification by the Company or any of its affiliates pursuant to contract or applicable law (collectively, the “Retained Claims”).

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4 of the Employment Agreement, which, pursuant to the Employment Agreement, are conditioned on Executive’s execution and non-revocation of this Agreement, and in consideration of the mutual promises made herein, the Company and Executive hereby agree as follows:

1. Severance Payments; Salary and Benefits. The Company agrees to provide Executive with the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4(b) and/or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement, payable at the times set forth in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, the Employment Agreement. In addition, to the extent not already paid, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Employment Agreement, the Company shall pay or provide to Executive all other payments or benefits described in Section 3(c) of the Employment Agreement, subject to and in accordance with the terms thereof.

2. Release of Claims. Executive agrees that, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, the foregoing consideration represents settlement in full of all outstanding obligations owed to Executive by the Company, any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries and affiliates, and any of their current and former officers, directors, equity holders, managers, employees, agents, investors, attorneys, shareholders, administrators, affiliates, benefit plans, plan administrators, insurers, trustees, divisions, and subsidiaries and predecessor and successor corporations and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”). Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of any of Executive’s affiliated companies or entities and any of their respective heirs, family members, executors, agents, and assigns, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, hereby and forever releases the Releasees from, and agrees not to sue concerning, or in any manner to

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institute, prosecute, or pursue, any claim, complaint, charge, duty, obligation, or cause of action relating to any matters of any kind, whether presently known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, that Executive may possess against any of the Releasees arising from any omissions, acts, facts, or damages that have occurred up until and including the Effective Date of this Agreement (as defined in Section 7 below), including, without limitation:

(a) any and all claims relating to or arising from Executive’s employment or service relationship with the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries or affiliates and the termination of that relationship;

(b) any and all claims relating to, or arising from, Executive’s right to purchase, or actual purchase of any shares of stock or other equity interests of the Company or any of its affiliates, including, without limitation, any claims for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty under applicable state corporate law, and securities fraud under any state or federal law;

(c) any and all claims for wrongful discharge of employment; termination in violation of public policy; discrimination; harassment; retaliation; breach of contract, both express and implied; breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, both express and implied; promissory estoppel; negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress; fraud; negligent or intentional misrepresentation; negligent or intentional interference with contract or prospective economic advantage; unfair business practices; defamation; libel; slander; negligence; personal injury; assault; battery; invasion of privacy; false imprisonment; conversion; and disability benefits;

(d) any and all claims for violation of any federal, state, or municipal statute, including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Equal Pay Act; the Fair Credit Reporting Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974; the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act; and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002;

(e) any and all claims for violation of the federal or any state constitution;

(f) any and all claims arising out of any other laws and regulations relating to employment or employment discrimination;

(g) any claim for any loss, cost, damage, or expense arising out of any dispute over the non-withholding or other tax treatment of any of the proceeds received by Executive as a result of this Agreement; and

(h) any and all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs.

Executive agrees that the release set forth in this section shall be and remain in effect in all respects as a complete general release as to the matters released. This release does not release claims that cannot be released as a matter of law, including, but not limited to, Executive’s right

 

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to report possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation, Executive’s right to file a charge with or participate in a charge by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or any other local, state, or federal administrative body or government agency that is authorized to enforce or administer laws related to employment, against the Company (with the understanding that Executive’s release of claims herein bars Executive from recovering such monetary relief from the Company or any Releasee), claims for unemployment compensation or any state disability insurance benefits pursuant to the terms of applicable state law, claims to continued participation in certain of the Company’s group benefit plans pursuant to the terms and conditions of COBRA, claims to any benefit entitlements vested as the date of separation of Executive’s employment, pursuant to written terms of any employee benefit plan of the Company or its affiliates and Executive’s right under applicable law and any Retained Claims. This release further does not release claims for breach of Section 3(c), Section 4(b) or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement.

3. Acknowledgment of Waiver of Claims under ADEA. Executive understands and acknowledges that Executive is waiving and releasing any rights Executive may have under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (“ADEA”), and that this waiver and release is knowing and voluntary. Executive understands and agrees that this waiver and release does not apply to any rights or claims that may arise under the ADEA after the Effective Date of this Agreement. Executive understands and acknowledges that the consideration given for this waiver and release is in addition to anything of value to which Executive was already entitled. Executive further understands and acknowledges that Executive has been advised by this writing that: (a) Executive should consult with an attorney prior to executing this Agreement; (b) Executive has 21 days within which to consider this Agreement; (c) Executive has 7 days following Executive’s execution of this Agreement to revoke this Agreement pursuant to written notice to the General Counsel of the Company; (d) this Agreement shall not be effective until after the revocation period has expired; and (e) nothing in this Agreement prevents or precludes Executive from challenging or seeking a determination in good faith of the validity of this waiver under the ADEA, nor does it impose any condition precedent, penalties, or costs for doing so, unless specifically authorized by federal law. In the event Executive signs this Agreement and returns it to the Company in less than the 21 day period identified above, Executive hereby acknowledges that Executive has freely and voluntarily chosen to waive the time period allotted for considering this Agreement.

4. Severability. In the event that any provision or any portion of any provision hereof or any surviving agreement made a part hereof becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitrator to be illegal, unenforceable, or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision or portion of provision.

5. No Oral Modification. This Agreement may only be amended in a writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company.

 

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6. Governing Law; Dispute Resolution. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 9(a), 9(c) and 9(i) of the Employment Agreement.

7. Effective Date. If Executive has attained or is over the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then each Party has seven days after that Party signs this Agreement to revoke it and this Agreement will become effective on the eighth day after Executive signed this Agreement, so long as it has been signed by the Parties and has not been revoked by either Party before that date (the “Effective Date”). If Executive has not attained the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then the “Effective Date” shall be the date on which Executive signs this Agreement.

8. Voluntary Execution of Agreement. Executive understands and agrees that Executive executed this Agreement voluntarily, without any duress or undue influence on the part or behalf of the Company or any third party, with the full intent of releasing all of Executive’s claims against the Company and any of the other Releasees. Executive acknowledges that: (a) Executive has read this Agreement; (b) Executive has not relied upon any representations or statements made by the Company that are not specifically set forth in this Agreement; (c) Executive has been represented in the preparation, negotiation, and execution of this Agreement by legal counsel of Executive’s own choice or has elected not to retain legal counsel; (d) Executive understands the terms and consequences of this Agreement and of the releases it contains; and (e) Executive is fully aware of the legal and binding effect of this Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the respective dates set forth below.

 

Dated:
						David N. Cook, Ph.D.
						SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Dated:						By:
								Name:
								Title:

 

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EXHIBIT B

Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement

In consideration and as a condition of my employment or continued employment by Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), I hereby agree as follows:

 

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BY SIGNING BELOW, I CERTIFY THAT I HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY AND AM SATISFIED THAT I UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this agreement as a sealed instrument as of the date set forth below.

 

Signed:
		(Employee’s full name)

 

Type or print name:		David N. Cook, Ph.D.
Last four digits of SSN:						Date:

 

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Appendix A

 

To:		Seres Therapeutics, Inc.
From:		David N. Cook, Ph.D.
Date:

SUBJECT:		Prior Inventions

The following is a complete list of all inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of my employment by the Company that have been made or conceived or first reduced to practice by me alone or jointly with others prior to my engagement by the Company:

 

¨

No inventions or improvements

 

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See below:

 

¨

Additional sheets attached

The following is a list of all patents, patent applications and other patent rights that I invented:

 

¨

None

 

¨

See below:

Exhibit 10.9

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of June 15, 2015, is made by and between Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with any successor thereto, the “Company”), and John G. Aunins, Ph.D. (“Executive”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”).

RECITALS

 

A.	It is the desire of the Company to assure itself of the services of Executive following the Effective Date (as defined below) and thereafter by entering into this Agreement.

 

B.	Executive and the Company mutually desire that Executive provide services to the Company on the terms herein provided.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the respective covenants and agreements set forth below, the Parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Employment.

(a) General. Effective on the closing of the Company’s initial public offering of stock pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Effective Date”), the Company shall employ Executive and Executive shall remain in the employ of the Company, for the period and in the positions set forth in this Section 1, and subject to the other terms and conditions herein provided.

(b) At-Will Employment. The Company and Executive acknowledge that Executive’s employment is and shall continue to be at-will, as defined under applicable law, and that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated by either Party at any time for any or no reason (subject to the notice requirements of Section 3(b)). This “at-will” nature of Executive’s employment shall remain unchanged during Executive’s tenure as an employee and may not be changed, except in an express writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company. If Executive’s employment terminates for any reason, Executive shall not be entitled to any payments, benefits, damages, award or compensation other than as provided in this Agreement or otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company or as provided by applicable law. The term of this Agreement (the “Term”) shall commence on the Effective Date and end on the date this Agreement is terminated under Section 3.

(c) Positions and Duties. Executive shall serve as Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Bioprocess Development of the Company with such responsibilities, duties and authority normally associated with such positions and as may from time to time be assigned to Executive by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Executive shall devote substantially all of Executive’s working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company (which shall include service to its affiliates, if applicable) and shall not engage in outside business activities (including serving on outside boards or committees) without the

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consent of the Board (as defined below), provided that Executive shall be permitted to (i) manage Executive’s personal, financial and legal affairs, (ii) participate in trade associations, and (iii) serve on the board of directors of not-for-profit or tax-exempt charitable organizations, in each case, subject to compliance with this Agreement and provided that such activities do not materially interfere with Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder. Executive agrees to observe and comply with the rules and policies of the Company as adopted by the Company from time to time, in each case as amended from time to time, as set forth in writing, and as delivered or made available to Executive (each, a “Policy”).

2. Compensation and Related Matters.

(a) Annual Base Salary. During the Term, Executive shall receive a base salary at a rate of $301,600 per annum, which shall be paid in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company and shall be pro-rated for partial years of employment. Such annual base salary shall be reviewed (and may be adjusted) from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Company or an authorized committee of the Board (in either case, the “Board”) (such annual base salary, as it may be adjusted from time to time, the “Annual Base Salary”).

(b) Bonus. During the Term, Executive will be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program established by the Board. Executive’s annual incentive compensation under such incentive program (the “Annual Bonus”) shall be targeted at 35% of Executive’s Annual Base Salary. The Annual Bonus payable under the incentive program shall be based on the achievement of performance goals to be determined by the Board. The payment of any Annual Bonus pursuant to the incentive program shall be subject to Executive’s continued employment with the Company through the date of payment, except as otherwise provided in Section 4(b).

(c) Benefits. During the Term, Executive shall be eligible to participate in employee benefit plans, programs and arrangements of the Company (including medical, dental and 401(k) plans), consistent with the terms thereof and as such plans, programs and arrangements may be amended from time to time. In no event shall Executive be eligible to participate in any severance plan or program of the Company, except as set forth in Section 4 of this Agreement.

(d) Change in Control. Immediately prior to a Change in Control, vesting of that certain incentive stock option granted to Executive on May 17, 2013 under the Company’s 2012 Stock Incentive Plan shall be accelerated with respect to 50% of the then-unvested shares subject thereto. For the avoidance of doubt, “Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in the version of the Seres Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Incentive Award Plan in effect on the Effective Date.

(e) Vacation. During the Term, Executive shall be entitled to paid personal leave in accordance with the Company’s Policies. Any vacation shall be taken at the reasonable and mutual convenience of the Company and Executive.

(f) Business Expenses. During the Term, the Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonable travel and other business expenses incurred by Executive in the performance of Executive’s duties to the Company in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement Policy.

(g) Key Person Insurance. At any time during the Term, the Company shall have the right to insure the life of Executive for the Company’s sole benefit. The Company shall have the right to determine the amount of insurance and the type of policy. Executive shall reasonably cooperate with the Company in obtaining such insurance by submitting to physical examinations, by supplying all information reasonably required by any insurance carrier, and by executing all necessary documents reasonably required by any insurance carrier, provided that any information provided to an insurance company or broker shall not be provided to the Company without the prior written authorization of Executive. Executive shall incur no financial obligation by executing any required document, and shall have no interest in any such policy.

 

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3. Termination.

Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated by the Company or Executive, as applicable, without any breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances:

(a) Circumstances.

(i) Death. Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon Executive’s death.

(ii) Disability. If Executive has incurred a Disability, as defined below, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment.

(iii) Termination for Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment for Cause, as defined below.

(iv) Termination without Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment without Cause.

(v) Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for Good Reason, as defined below.

(vi) Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason other than Good Reason or for no reason.

(b) Notice of Termination. Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or by Executive under this Section 3 (other than termination pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)) shall be communicated by a written notice to the other Party hereto (i) indicating the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (ii) setting forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of Executive’s employment under the provision so indicated, if applicable, and (iii) specifying a Date of Termination which, if submitted by Executive, shall be at least forty-five (45) days following the date of such notice (a “Notice of Termination”); provided, however, that in the event that Executive delivers a Notice of Termination to the Company, the Company may, in its sole discretion, change the Date of Termination to any date that occurs following the date of Company’s receipt of such Notice of Termination and is prior to the date specified in such Notice of Termination. A Notice of Termination submitted by the Company may provide for a

 

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Date of Termination on the date Executive receives the Notice of Termination, or any date thereafter elected by the Company in its sole discretion. The failure by the Company to set forth in the Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing of Cause shall not waive any right of the Company hereunder or preclude the Company from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing the Company’s rights hereunder.

(c) Company Obligations upon Termination. Upon termination of Executive’s employment pursuant to any of the circumstances listed in this Section 3, Executive (or Executive’s estate) shall be entitled to receive the sum of: (i) the portion of Executive’s Annual Base Salary earned through the Date of Termination, but not yet paid to Executive; (ii) any expenses owed to Executive pursuant to Section 2(f); and (iii) any amount accrued and arising from Executive’s participation in, or benefits accrued under any employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements, which amounts shall be payable in accordance with the terms and conditions of such employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements (collectively, the “Company Arrangements”). Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. In the event that Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company for any reason, Executive’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be to receive the payments and benefits described in this Section 3(c) or Section 4, as applicable.

(d) Deemed Resignation. Upon termination of Executive’s employment for any reason, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all offices and directorships, if any, then held with the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

4. Severance Payments.

(a) Termination for Cause, or Termination Upon Death, Disability or Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. If Executive’s employment shall terminate as a result of Executive’s death pursuant to Section 3(a)(i) or Disability pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii), pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) for Cause, or pursuant to Section 3(a)(vi) for Executive’s resignation from the Company without Good Reason, then Executive shall not be entitled to any severance payments or benefits, except as provided in Section 3(c).

(b) Termination without Cause, or Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. If Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, then, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service (as defined below), and not revoking, a release of claims substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement (the “Release”), and Executive’s continued compliance with Section 5, Executive shall receive, in addition to payments and benefits set forth in Section 3(c), the following:

(i) an amount in cash equal to 0.5 times the Annual Base Salary, payable in the form of salary continuation in regular installments over the 6-month period following the date of Executive’s Separation from Service (the “Severance Period”) in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices;

 

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(ii) to the extent unpaid as of the Date of Termination, an amount of cash equal to any Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the Company’s fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs, as determined by the Board in its discretion based upon actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive in the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs when bonuses for such prior fiscal year are paid in the ordinary course to actively employed senior executives of the Company; and

(iii) if Executive elects to receive continued medical, dental or vision coverage under one or more of the Company’s group healthcare plans pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), the Company shall directly pay, or reimburse Executive for, the COBRA premiums for Executive and Executive’s covered dependents under such plans during the period commencing on Executive’s Separation from Service and ending upon the earliest of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company determines in its sole discretion that it cannot provide the foregoing benefit without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act) or incurring an excise tax, the Company shall in lieu thereof provide to Executive a taxable monthly payment in an amount equal to the monthly COBRA premium that Executive would be required to pay to continue Executive’s and Executive’s covered dependents’ group health coverage in effect on the Date of Termination (which amount shall be based on the premium for the first month of COBRA coverage), less the amount Executive would have had to pay to receive group health coverage for Executive and his or her covered dependents based on the cost sharing levels in effect on the Date of Termination, which payments shall be made regardless of whether Executive elects COBRA continuation coverage and shall commence in the month following the month in which the Date of Termination occurs and shall end on the earlier of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility).

(c) Change in Control. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 4(b), in the event Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, in either case, within 60 days prior to or 12 months following the date of a Change in Control, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service, and not revoking, the Release, all unvested equity or equity-based awards held by Executive under any Company equity compensation plans that vest solely based on the passage of time shall immediately become 100% vested (for the avoidance of doubt, with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).

(d) Survival. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the provisions of Sections 5 through 9 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term.

 

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5. Restrictive Covenants. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Agreement, Executive will execute and deliver to the Company contemporaneously herewith the Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement attached as Exhibit B (the “Proprietary Information Agreement”). Executive agrees to abide by the terms of the Proprietary Information Agreement, which are hereby incorporated by reference into this Agreement. Executive acknowledges that the provisions of the Proprietary Information Agreement will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term for the periods set forth in the Proprietary Information Agreement.

6. Assignment and Successors.

The Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any of its affiliates or to any successor to all or substantially all of the business or the assets of the Company (by merger or otherwise), and may assign or encumber this Agreement and its rights hereunder as security for indebtedness of the Company and its affiliates. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company, Executive and their respective successors, assigns, personnel and legal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees, and legatees, as applicable. None of Executive’s rights or obligations may be assigned or transferred by Executive, other than Executive’s rights to payments hereunder, which may be transferred only by will or operation of law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall be entitled, to the extent permitted under applicable law and applicable Company Arrangements, to select and change a beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive compensation hereunder following Executive’s death by giving written notice thereof to the Company.

7. Certain Definitions.

(a) Cause. The Company shall have “Cause” to terminate Executive’s employment hereunder upon:

(i) Executive’s failure to (A) substantially perform Executive’s duties with the Company (other than any such failure resulting from Executive’s Disability) or (B) comply with, in any material respect, any of the Company’s Policies;

(ii) the Board’s determination that Executive failed in any material respect to carry out or comply with any lawful and reasonable directive of the Board;

(iii) Executive’s breach of a material provision of this Agreement;

(iv) Executive’s conviction, plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere, or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or crime involving moral turpitude;

(v) Executive’s unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on the Company’s (or any of its affiliate’s) premises or while performing Executive’s duties and responsibilities under this Agreement; or

(vi) Executive’s commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, willful misconduct, or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

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(b) Change in Control. “Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in the version of the Seres Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Incentive Award Plan in effect on the Effective Date.

(c) Code. “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder.

(d) Date of Termination. “Date of Termination” shall mean (i) if Executive’s employment is terminated by Executive’s death, the date of Executive’s death; or (ii) if Executive’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii) – (vi) either the date indicated in the Notice of Termination or the date specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3(b), whichever is earlier.

(e) Disability. “Disability” shall mean, at any time the Company or any of its affiliates sponsors a long-term disability plan for the Company’s employees, “disability” as defined in such long-term disability plan for the purpose of determining a participant’s eligibility for benefits, provided, however, if the long-term disability plan contains multiple definitions of disability, “Disability” shall refer to that definition of disability which, if Executive qualified for such disability benefits, would provide coverage for the longest period of time. The determination of whether Executive has a Disability shall be made by the person or persons required to make disability determinations under the long-term disability plan. At any time the Company does not sponsor a long-term disability plan for its employees, “Disability” shall mean Executive’s inability to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, the essential functions of Executive’s positions hereunder for a total of three months during any six-month period as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness as determined by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and acceptable to Executive or Executive’s legal representative, with such agreement as to acceptability not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Any refusal by Executive to submit to a medical examination for the purpose of determining Disability shall be deemed to constitute conclusive evidence of Executive’s Disability.

(f) Good Reason. For the sole purpose of determining Executive’s right to severance payments and benefits as described above, Executive’s resignation will be for “Good Reason” if Executive resigns within ninety days after any of the following events, unless Executive consents to the applicable event: (i) a decrease in Executive’s Annual Base Salary, other than a reduction in Annual Base Salary of less than 10% that is implemented in connection with a contemporaneous reduction in annual base salaries affecting other senior executives of the Company, (ii) a material decrease in Executive’s authority or areas of responsibility as are commensurate with Executive’s title or positions, or (iii) the relocation of Executive’s primary office to a location more than 50 miles from the Boston metropolitan area. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Good Reason will have occurred unless and until Executive has: (a) provided the Company, within 60 days of Executive’s knowledge of the occurrence of the facts and circumstances underlying the Good Reason event, written-notice stating with specificity the

 

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applicable facts and circumstances underlying such finding of Good Reason; and (b) provided the Company with an opportunity to cure the same within 30 days after the receipt of such notice.

8. Parachute Payments.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, in the event that any payment or benefit by the Company or otherwise to or for the benefit of Executive, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise (all such payments and benefits, including the payments and benefits under Section 4(b) and Section 4(c) hereof, being hereinafter referred to as the “Total Payments”), would be subject (in whole or in part) to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Total Payments shall be reduced (in the order provided in Section 8(b)) to the minimum extent necessary to avoid the imposition of the Excise Tax on the Total Payments, but only if (i) the net amount of such Total Payments, as so reduced (and after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such reduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such reduced Total Payments), is greater than or equal to (ii) the net amount of such Total Payments without such reduction (but after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such Total Payments and the amount of the Excise Tax to which Executive would be subject in respect of such unreduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such unreduced Total Payments).

(b) The Total Payments shall be reduced in the following order: (i) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any cash severance payments that are exempt from Section 409A of the Code (“Section 409A”), (ii) reduction on a pro-rata basis any non-cash severance payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, (iii) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any other payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, and (iv) reduction of any payments or benefits otherwise payable to Executive on a pro-rata basis or such other manner that complies with Section 409A; provided, in case of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv), that reduction of any payments attributable to the acceleration of vesting of Company equity awards shall be first applied to Company equity awards that would otherwise vest last in time.

(c) All determinations regarding the application of this Section 8 shall be made by an accounting firm or consulting group with experience in performing calculations regarding the applicability of Section 280G of the Code and the Excise Tax selected by the Company (the “Independent Advisors”). For purposes of determinations, no portion of the Total Payments shall be taken into account which, in the opinion of the Independent Advisors, (i) does not constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code (including by reason of Section 280G(b)(4)(A) of the Code) or (ii) constitutes reasonable compensation for services actually rendered, within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(B) of the Code, in excess of the “base amount” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) allocable to such reasonable compensation. The costs of obtaining such determination and all related fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses incurred in any later audit) shall be borne by the Company.

(d) In the event it is later determined that a greater reduction in the Total Payments should have been made to implement the objective and intent of this Section 8, the excess amount shall be returned immediately by Executive to the Company.

 

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9. Miscellaneous Provisions.

(a) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed, construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with its express terms, and otherwise in accordance with the substantive laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without reference to the principles of conflicts of law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction, and where applicable, the laws of the United States.

(b) Validity. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

(c) Notices. Any notice, request, claim, demand, document and other communication hereunder to any Party shall be effective upon receipt (or refusal of receipt) and shall be in writing and delivered personally or sent by facsimile or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, as follows:

(i) If to the Company, the Chief Financial Officer at its headquarters,

(ii) If to Executive, at the last address that the Company has in its personnel records for Executive, or

(iii) at any other address as any Party shall have specified by notice in writing to the other Party.

(d) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement. Signatures delivered by facsimile shall be deemed effective for all purposes.

(e) Entire Agreement. The terms of this Agreement, and the Proprietary Information Agreement incorporated herein by reference as set forth in Section 5, are intended by the Parties to be the final expression of their agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, including the employment offer letter agreement between Executive and the Company, dated as of October 18, 2012. The Parties further intend that this Agreement shall constitute the complete and exclusive statement of their terms and that no extrinsic evidence whatsoever may be introduced in any judicial, administrative, or other legal proceeding to vary the terms of this Agreement.

(f) Amendments; Waivers. This Agreement may not be modified, amended, or terminated except by an instrument in writing, signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of Company. By an instrument in writing similarly executed, Executive or a duly authorized officer of the Company may waive compliance by the other Party with any specifically identified provision of this Agreement that such other Party was or is obligated to comply with or perform; provided, however, that such waiver shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to,

 

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any other or subsequent failure. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising any right, remedy, or power hereunder preclude any other or further exercise of any other right, remedy, or power provided herein or by law or in equity.

(g) No Inconsistent Actions. The Parties hereto shall not voluntarily undertake or fail to undertake any action or course of action inconsistent with the provisions or essential intent of this Agreement. Furthermore, it is the intent of the Parties hereto to act in a fair and reasonable manner with respect to the interpretation and application of the provisions of this Agreement.

(h) Construction. This Agreement shall be deemed drafted equally by both the Parties. Its language shall be construed as a whole and according to its fair meaning. Any presumption or principle that the language is to be construed against any Party shall not apply. The headings in this Agreement are only for convenience and are not intended to affect construction or interpretation. Any references to paragraphs, subparagraphs, sections or subsections are to those parts of this Agreement, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary. Also, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, (i) the plural includes the singular and the singular includes the plural; (ii) “and” and “or” are each used both conjunctively and disjunctively; (iii) “any,” “all,” “each,” or “every” means “any and all,” and “each and every”; (iv) “includes” and “including” are each “without limitation”; (v) “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and other similar compounds of the word “here” refer to the entire Agreement and not to any particular paragraph, subparagraph, section or subsection; and (vi) all pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular or plural as the identity of the entities or persons referred to may require.

(i) Arbitration. Any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, shall be settled solely and exclusively by a binding arbitration process administered by JAMS/Endispute in Boston, Massachusetts. Such arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the then-existing JAMS/Endispute Rules of Practice and Procedure, with the following exceptions if in conflict: (i) one arbitrator who is a retired judge shall be chosen by JAMS/Endispute; (ii) each Party to the arbitration will pay one-half of the expenses and fees of the arbitrator, together with other expenses of the arbitration incurred or approved by the arbitrator; and (iii) arbitration may proceed in the absence of any Party if written notice (pursuant to the JAMS/Endispute rules and regulations) of the proceedings has been given to such Party. Each Party shall bear its own attorney’s fees and expenses; provided that the arbitrator may assess the prevailing Party’s fees and costs against the non-prevailing Party as part of the arbitrator’s award. The Parties agree to abide by all decisions and awards rendered in such proceedings. Such decisions and awards rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and conclusive. All such controversies, claims or disputes shall be settled in this manner in lieu of any action at law or equity; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as precluding the bringing of an action for injunctive relief or specific performance as provided in this Agreement. This dispute resolution process and any arbitration hereunder shall be confidential and neither any Party nor the neutral arbitrator shall disclose the existence, contents or results of such process without the prior written consent of all Parties, except where necessary or compelled in a Court to enforce this arbitration provision or an Award from such arbitration or otherwise in a legal proceeding. If JAMS/Endispute no longer exists or is otherwise unavailable, the Parties agree that the American Arbitration Association (“AAA’) shall administer the arbitration in accordance with its then-existing rules as modified by this subsection. In such

 

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event, all references herein to JAMS/Endispute shall mean AAA. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive and the Company each have the right to resolve any issue or dispute over intellectual property rights by Court action instead of arbitration.

(j) Enforcement. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future laws effective during the Term, such provision shall be fully severable; this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a portion of this Agreement; and the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance from this Agreement. Furthermore, in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision there shall be added automatically as part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be legal, valid and enforceable.

(k) Withholding. The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement any federal, state, local or foreign withholding or other taxes or charges which the Company is required to withhold. The Company shall be entitled to rely on an opinion of counsel if any questions as to the amount or requirement of withholding shall arise.

(l) Section 409A.

(i) General. The intent of the Parties is that the payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with or be exempt from Section 409A and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, this Agreement shall be interpreted to be in compliance therewith.

(ii) Separation from Service. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement that is considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A and is designated under this Agreement as payable upon Executive’s termination of employment shall be payable only upon Executive’s “separation from service” with the Company within the meaning of Section 409A (a “Separation from Service”) and, except as provided below, any such compensation or benefits described in Section 4 shall not be paid, or, in the case of installments, shall not commence payment, until the thirtieth (30th) day following Executive’s Separation from Service (the “First Payment Date”). Any installment payments that would have been made to Executive during the thirty (30) day period immediately following Executive’s Separation from Service but for the preceding sentence shall be paid to Executive on the First Payment Date and the remaining payments shall be made as provided in this Agreement.

(iii) Specified Employee. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if Executive is deemed by the Company at the time of Executive’s Separation from Service to be a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A, to the extent delayed commencement of any portion of the benefits to which Executive is entitled under this Agreement is required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A, such portion of Executive’s benefits shall not be provided to Executive prior to the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of Executive’s

 

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Separation from Service with the Company or (ii) the date of Executive’s death. Upon the first business day following the expiration of the applicable Section 409A period, all payments deferred pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be paid in a lump sum to Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries), and any remaining payments due to Executive under this Agreement shall be paid as otherwise provided herein.

(iv) Expense Reimbursements. To the extent that any reimbursements under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, any such reimbursements payable to Executive shall be paid to Executive no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expense was incurred; provided, that Executive submits Executive’s reimbursement request promptly following the date the expense is incurred, the amount of expenses reimbursed in one year shall not affect the amount eligible for reimbursement in any subsequent year, other than medical expenses referred to in Section 105(b) of the Code, and Executive’s right to reimbursement under this Agreement will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.

(v) Installments. Executive’s right to receive any installment payments under this Agreement, including without limitation any continuation salary payments that are payable on Company payroll dates, shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each such installment payment shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment as permitted under Section 409A. Except as otherwise permitted under Section 409A, no payment hereunder shall be accelerated or deferred unless such acceleration or deferral would not result in additional tax or interest pursuant to Section 409A.

10. Executive Acknowledgement.

Executive acknowledges that Executive has read and understands this Agreement, is fully aware of its legal effect, has not acted in reliance upon any representations or promises made by the Company other than those contained in writing herein, and has entered into this Agreement freely based on Executive’s own judgment.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the date and year first above written.

 

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EXHIBIT A

Separation Agreement and Release

This Separation Agreement and Release (“Agreement”) is made by and between John G. Aunins Ph.D. (“Executive”) and Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Employment Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, the Parties have previously entered into that certain Employment Agreement, dated as of June 15, 2015 (the “Employment Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, in connection with Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate of the Company effective             , 20    , the Parties wish to resolve any and all disputes, claims, complaints, grievances, charges, actions, petitions, and demands that Executive may have against the Company and any of the Releasees as defined below, including, but not limited to, any and all claims arising out of or in any way related to Executive’s employment with or separation from the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates but, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein will be deemed to release any rights or remedies in connection with Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company or Executive’s right to indemnification by the Company or any of its affiliates pursuant to contract or applicable law (collectively, the “Retained Claims”).

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4 of the Employment Agreement, which, pursuant to the Employment Agreement, are conditioned on Executive’s execution and non-revocation of this Agreement, and in consideration of the mutual promises made herein, the Company and Executive hereby agree as follows:

1. Severance Payments; Salary and Benefits. The Company agrees to provide Executive with the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4(b) and/or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement, payable at the times set forth in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, the Employment Agreement. In addition, to the extent not already paid, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Employment Agreement, the Company shall pay or provide to Executive all other payments or benefits described in Section 3(c) of the Employment Agreement, subject to and in accordance with the terms thereof.

2. Release of Claims. Executive agrees that, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, the foregoing consideration represents settlement in full of all outstanding obligations owed to Executive by the Company, any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries and affiliates, and any of their current and former officers, directors, equity holders, managers, employees, agents, investors, attorneys, shareholders, administrators, affiliates, benefit plans, plan administrators, insurers, trustees, divisions, and subsidiaries and predecessor and successor corporations and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”). Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of any of Executive’s affiliated companies or entities and any of their respective heirs, family members, executors, agents, and assigns, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, hereby and forever releases the Releasees from, and agrees not to sue concerning, or in any manner to institute, prosecute, or pursue, any claim, complaint, charge, duty, obligation, or cause of action

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relating to any matters of any kind, whether presently known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, that Executive may possess against any of the Releasees arising from any omissions, acts, facts, or damages that have occurred up until and including the Effective Date of this Agreement (as defined in Section 7 below), including, without limitation:

(a) any and all claims relating to or arising from Executive’s employment or service relationship with the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries or affiliates and the termination of that relationship;

(b) any and all claims relating to, or arising from, Executive’s right to purchase, or actual purchase of any shares of stock or other equity interests of the Company or any of its affiliates, including, without limitation, any claims for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty under applicable state corporate law, and securities fraud under any state or federal law;

(c) any and all claims for wrongful discharge of employment; termination in violation of public policy; discrimination; harassment; retaliation; breach of contract, both express and implied; breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, both express and implied; promissory estoppel; negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress; fraud; negligent or intentional misrepresentation; negligent or intentional interference with contract or prospective economic advantage; unfair business practices; defamation; libel; slander; negligence; personal injury; assault; battery; invasion of privacy; false imprisonment; conversion; and disability benefits;

(d) any and all claims for violation of any federal, state, or municipal statute, including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Equal Pay Act; the Fair Credit Reporting Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974; the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act; and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002;

(e) any and all claims for violation of the federal or any state constitution;

(f) any and all claims arising out of any other laws and regulations relating to employment or employment discrimination;

(g) any claim for any loss, cost, damage, or expense arising out of any dispute over the non-withholding or other tax treatment of any of the proceeds received by Executive as a result of this Agreement; and

(h) any and all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs.

Executive agrees that the release set forth in this section shall be and remain in effect in all respects as a complete general release as to the matters released. This release does not release claims that cannot be released as a matter of law, including, but not limited to, Executive’s right to report possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities

 

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Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation, Executive’s right to file a charge with or participate in a charge by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or any other local, state, or federal administrative body or government agency that is authorized to enforce or administer laws related to employment, against the Company (with the understanding that Executive’s release of claims herein bars Executive from recovering such monetary relief from the Company or any Releasee), claims for unemployment compensation or any state disability insurance benefits pursuant to the terms of applicable state law, claims to continued participation in certain of the Company’s group benefit plans pursuant to the terms and conditions of COBRA, claims to any benefit entitlements vested as the date of separation of Executive’s employment, pursuant to written terms of any employee benefit plan of the Company or its affiliates and Executive’s right under applicable law and any Retained Claims. This release further does not release claims for breach of Section 3(c), Section 4(b) or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement.

3. Acknowledgment of Waiver of Claims under ADEA. Executive understands and acknowledges that Executive is waiving and releasing any rights Executive may have under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (“ADEA”), and that this waiver and release is knowing and voluntary. Executive understands and agrees that this waiver and release does not apply to any rights or claims that may arise under the ADEA after the Effective Date of this Agreement. Executive understands and acknowledges that the consideration given for this waiver and release is in addition to anything of value to which Executive was already entitled. Executive further understands and acknowledges that Executive has been advised by this writing that: (a) Executive should consult with an attorney prior to executing this Agreement; (b) Executive has 21 days within which to consider this Agreement; (c) Executive has 7 days following Executive’s execution of this Agreement to revoke this Agreement pursuant to written notice to the General Counsel of the Company; (d) this Agreement shall not be effective until after the revocation period has expired; and (e) nothing in this Agreement prevents or precludes Executive from challenging or seeking a determination in good faith of the validity of this waiver under the ADEA, nor does it impose any condition precedent, penalties, or costs for doing so, unless specifically authorized by federal law. In the event Executive signs this Agreement and returns it to the Company in less than the 21 day period identified above, Executive hereby acknowledges that Executive has freely and voluntarily chosen to waive the time period allotted for considering this Agreement.

4. Severability. In the event that any provision or any portion of any provision hereof or any surviving agreement made a part hereof becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitrator to be illegal, unenforceable, or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision or portion of provision.

5. No Oral Modification. This Agreement may only be amended in a writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company.

6. Governing Law; Dispute Resolution. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 9(a), 9(c) and 9(i) of the Employment Agreement.

 

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7. Effective Date. If Executive has attained or is over the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then each Party has seven days after that Party signs this Agreement to revoke it and this Agreement will become effective on the eighth day after Executive signed this Agreement, so long as it has been signed by the Parties and has not been revoked by either Party before that date (the “Effective Date”). If Executive has not attained the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then the “Effective Date” shall be the date on which Executive signs this Agreement.

8. Voluntary Execution of Agreement. Executive understands and agrees that Executive executed this Agreement voluntarily, without any duress or undue influence on the part or behalf of the Company or any third party, with the full intent of releasing all of Executive’s claims against the Company and any of the other Releasees. Executive acknowledges that: (a) Executive has read this Agreement; (b) Executive has not relied upon any representations or statements made by the Company that are not specifically set forth in this Agreement; (c) Executive has been represented in the preparation, negotiation, and execution of this Agreement by legal counsel of Executive’s own choice or has elected not to retain legal counsel; (d) Executive understands the terms and consequences of this Agreement and of the releases it contains; and (e) Executive is fully aware of the legal and binding effect of this Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the respective dates set forth below.

 

Dated:
						John G. Aunins, Ph.D.
						SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Dated:						By:
								Name:
								Title:

 

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EXHIBIT B

Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement

In consideration and as a condition of my employment or continued employment by Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), I hereby agree as follows:

 

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BY SIGNING BELOW, I CERTIFY THAT I HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY AND AM SATISFIED THAT I UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this agreement as a sealed instrument as of the date set forth below.

 

Signed:
		(Employee’s full name)

 

Type or print name:		John G. Aunins, Ph.D.
Last four digits of SSN:						Date:

 

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Appendix A

 

To:		Seres Therapeutics, Inc.
From:		John G. Aunins, Ph.D.
Date:

SUBJECT:		Prior Inventions

The following is a complete list of all inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of my employment by the Company that have been made or conceived or first reduced to practice by me alone or jointly with others prior to my engagement by the Company:

 

¨

No inventions or improvements

 

¨

See below:

 

¨

Additional sheets attached

The following is a list of all patents, patent applications and other patent rights that I invented:

 

¨

None

 

¨

See below:

Exhibit 10.10

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This Employment Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of June 13, 2015, is made by and between Seres Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (together with any successor thereto, the “Company”), and Michele Trucksis, Ph.D., M.D. (“Executive”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”).

RECITALS

 

A.	It is the desire of the Company to assure itself of the services of Executive following the Effective Date (as defined below) and thereafter by entering into this Agreement.

 

B.	Executive and the Company mutually desire that Executive provide services to the Company on the terms herein provided.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the respective covenants and agreements set forth below, the Parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Employment.

(a) General. Effective on the closing of the Company’s initial public offering of stock pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Effective Date”), the Company shall employ Executive and Executive shall remain in the employ of the Company, for the period and in the positions set forth in this Section 1, and subject to the other terms and conditions herein provided.

(b) At-Will Employment. The Company and Executive acknowledge that Executive’s employment is and shall continue to be at-will, as defined under applicable law, and that Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated by either Party at any time for any or no reason (subject to the notice requirements of Section 3(b)). This “at-will” nature of Executive’s employment shall remain unchanged during Executive’s tenure as an employee and may not be changed, except in an express writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company. If Executive’s employment terminates for any reason, Executive shall not be entitled to any payments, benefits, damages, award or compensation other than as provided in this Agreement or otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company or as provided by applicable law. The term of this Agreement (the “Term”) shall commence on the Effective Date and end on the date this Agreement is terminated under Section 3.

(c) Positions and Duties. Executive shall serve as Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of the Company with such responsibilities, duties and authority normally associated with such positions and as may from time to time be assigned to Executive by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Executive shall devote substantially all of Executive’s working time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company (which shall include service to its affiliates, if applicable) and shall not engage in outside business activities (including serving on outside boards or committees) without the consent of the Board (as defined

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below), provided that Executive shall be permitted to (i) manage Executive’s personal, financial and legal affairs, (ii) participate in trade associations, and (iii) serve on the board of directors of not-for-profit or tax-exempt charitable organizations, in each case, subject to compliance with this Agreement and provided that such activities do not materially interfere with Executive’s performance of Executive’s duties and responsibilities hereunder. Executive agrees to observe and comply with the rules and policies of the Company as adopted by the Company from time to time, in each case as amended from time to time, as set forth in writing, and as delivered or made available to Executive (each, a “Policy”).

2. Compensation and Related Matters.

(a) Annual Base Salary. During the Term, Executive shall receive a base salary at a rate of $364,400 per annum, which shall be paid in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company and shall be pro-rated for partial years of employment. Such annual base salary shall be reviewed (and may be adjusted) from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Company or an authorized committee of the Board (in either case, the “Board”) (such annual base salary, as it may be adjusted from time to time, the “Annual Base Salary”).

(b) Bonus. During the Term, Executive will be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program established by the Board. Executive’s annual incentive compensation under such incentive program (the “Annual Bonus”) shall be targeted at 35% of Executive’s Annual Base Salary. The Annual Bonus payable under the incentive program shall be based on the achievement of performance goals to be determined by the Board. The payment of any Annual Bonus pursuant to the incentive program shall be subject to Executive’s continued employment with the Company through the date of payment, except as otherwise provided in Section 4(b).

(c) Benefits. During the Term, Executive shall be eligible to participate in employee benefit plans, programs and arrangements of the Company (including medical, dental and 401(k) plans), consistent with the terms thereof and as such plans, programs and arrangements may be amended from time to time. In no event shall Executive be eligible to participate in any severance plan or program of the Company, except as set forth in Section 4 of this Agreement.

(d) Vacation. During the Term, Executive shall be entitled to paid personal leave in accordance with the Company’s Policies. Any vacation shall be taken at the reasonable and mutual convenience of the Company and Executive.

(e) Business Expenses. During the Term, the Company shall reimburse Executive for all reasonable travel and other business expenses incurred by Executive in the performance of Executive’s duties to the Company in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement Policy.

(f) Key Person Insurance. At any time during the Term, the Company shall have the right to insure the life of Executive for the Company’s sole benefit. The Company shall have the right to determine the amount of insurance and the type of policy. Executive shall reasonably cooperate with the Company in obtaining such insurance by submitting to physical examinations, by supplying all information reasonably required by any insurance carrier, and by executing all necessary documents reasonably required by any insurance carrier, provided that any information

 

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provided to an insurance company or broker shall not be provided to the Company without the prior written authorization of Executive. Executive shall incur no financial obligation by executing any required document, and shall have no interest in any such policy.

3. Termination.

Executive’s employment hereunder may be terminated by the Company or Executive, as applicable, without any breach of this Agreement under the following circumstances:

(a) Circumstances.

(i) Death. Executive’s employment hereunder shall terminate upon Executive’s death.

(ii) Disability. If Executive has incurred a Disability, as defined below, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment.

(iii) Termination for Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment for Cause, as defined below.

(iv) Termination without Cause. The Company may terminate Executive’s employment without Cause.

(v) Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for Good Reason, as defined below.

(vi) Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. Executive may resign Executive’s employment with the Company for any reason other than Good Reason or for no reason.

(b) Notice of Termination. Any termination of Executive’s employment by the Company or by Executive under this Section 3 (other than termination pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)) shall be communicated by a written notice to the other Party hereto (i) indicating the specific termination provision in this Agreement relied upon, (ii) setting forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of Executive’s employment under the provision so indicated, if applicable, and (iii) specifying a Date of Termination which, if submitted by Executive, shall be at least forty-five (45) days following the date of such notice (a “Notice of Termination”); provided, however, that in the event that Executive delivers a Notice of Termination to the Company, the Company may, in its sole discretion, change the Date of Termination to any date that occurs following the date of Company’s receipt of such Notice of Termination and is prior to the date specified in such Notice of Termination. A Notice of Termination submitted by the Company may provide for a Date of Termination on the date Executive receives the Notice of Termination, or any date thereafter elected by the Company in its sole discretion. The failure by the Company to set forth in the Notice of Termination any fact or circumstance which contributes to a showing of Cause shall not waive any right of the Company hereunder or preclude the Company from asserting such fact or circumstance in enforcing the Company’s rights hereunder.

 

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(c) Company Obligations upon Termination. Upon termination of Executive’s employment pursuant to any of the circumstances listed in this Section 3, Executive (or Executive’s estate) shall be entitled to receive the sum of: (i) the portion of Executive’s Annual Base Salary earned through the Date of Termination, but not yet paid to Executive; (ii) any expenses owed to Executive pursuant to Section 2(e); and (iii) any amount accrued and arising from Executive’s participation in, or benefits accrued under any employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements, which amounts shall be payable in accordance with the terms and conditions of such employee benefit plans, programs or arrangements (collectively, the “Company Arrangements”). Except as otherwise expressly required by law (e.g., COBRA) or as specifically provided herein, all of Executive’s rights to salary, severance, benefits, bonuses and other compensatory amounts hereunder (if any) shall cease upon the termination of Executive’s employment hereunder. In the event that Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company for any reason, Executive’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be to receive the payments and benefits described in this Section 3(c) or Section 4, as applicable.

(d) Deemed Resignation. Upon termination of Executive’s employment for any reason, Executive shall be deemed to have resigned from all offices and directorships, if any, then held with the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

4. Severance Payments.

(a) Termination for Cause, or Termination Upon Death, Disability or Resignation from the Company Without Good Reason. If Executive’s employment shall terminate as a result of Executive’s death pursuant to Section 3(a)(i) or Disability pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii), pursuant to Section 3(a)(iii) for Cause, or pursuant to Section 3(a)(vi) for Executive’s resignation from the Company without Good Reason, then Executive shall not be entitled to any severance payments or benefits, except as provided in Section 3(c).

(b) Termination without Cause, or Resignation from the Company for Good Reason. If Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, then, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service (as defined below), and not revoking, a release of claims substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement (the “Release”), and Executive’s continued compliance with Section 5, Executive shall receive, in addition to payments and benefits set forth in Section 3(c), the following:

(i) an amount in cash equal to 0.5 times the Annual Base Salary, payable in the form of salary continuation in regular installments over the 6-month period following the date of Executive’s Separation from Service (the “Severance Period”) in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices;

(ii) to the extent unpaid as of the Date of Termination, an amount of cash equal to any Annual Bonus earned by Executive for the Company’s fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs, as determined by the Board in its discretion based upon actual performance achieved, which Annual Bonus, if any, shall be paid to Executive in the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs when bonuses for such prior fiscal year are paid in the ordinary course to actively employed senior executives of the Company; and

 

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(iii) if Executive elects to receive continued medical, dental or vision coverage under one or more of the Company’s group healthcare plans pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended (“COBRA”), the Company shall directly pay, or reimburse Executive for, the COBRA premiums for Executive and Executive’s covered dependents under such plans during the period commencing on Executive’s Separation from Service and ending upon the earliest of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company determines in its sole discretion that it cannot provide the foregoing benefit without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act) or incurring an excise tax, the Company shall in lieu thereof provide to Executive a taxable monthly payment in an amount equal to the monthly COBRA premium that Executive would be required to pay to continue Executive’s and Executive’s covered dependents’ group health coverage in effect on the Date of Termination (which amount shall be based on the premium for the first month of COBRA coverage), less the amount Executive would have had to pay to receive group health coverage for Executive and his or her covered dependents based on the cost sharing levels in effect on the Date of Termination, which payments shall be made regardless of whether Executive elects COBRA continuation coverage and shall commence in the month following the month in which the Date of Termination occurs and shall end on the earlier of (X) the last day of the Severance Period, (Y) the date that Executive and/or Executive’s covered dependents become no longer eligible for COBRA or (Z) the date Executive becomes eligible to receive healthcare coverage from a subsequent employer (and Executive agrees to promptly notify the Company of such eligibility).

(c) Change in Control. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 4(b), in the event Executive’s employment terminates without Cause pursuant to Section 3(a)(iv), or pursuant to Section 3(a)(v) due to Executive’s resignation for Good Reason, in either case, within 60 days prior to or 12 months following the date of a Change in Control, subject to Executive signing on or before the 21^st day following Executive’s Separation from Service, and not revoking, the Release, all unvested equity or equity-based awards held by Executive under any Company equity compensation plans that vest solely based on the passage of time shall immediately become 100% vested (for the avoidance of doubt, with any such awards that vest in whole or in part based on the attainment of performance-vesting conditions being governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement).

(d) Survival. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the provisions of Sections 5 through 9 will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term.

 

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5. Restrictive Covenants. As a condition to the effectiveness of this Agreement, Executive will execute and deliver to the Company contemporaneously herewith the Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement attached as Exhibit B (the “Proprietary Information Agreement”). Executive agrees to abide by the terms of the Proprietary Information Agreement, which are hereby incorporated by reference into this Agreement. Executive acknowledges that the provisions of the Proprietary Information Agreement will survive the termination of Executive’s employment and the termination of the Term for the periods set forth in the Proprietary Information Agreement.

6. Assignment and Successors.

The Company may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any of its affiliates or to any successor to all or substantially all of the business or the assets of the Company (by merger or otherwise), and may assign or encumber this Agreement and its rights hereunder as security for indebtedness of the Company and its affiliates. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company, Executive and their respective successors, assigns, personnel and legal representatives, executors, administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees, and legatees, as applicable. None of Executive’s rights or obligations may be assigned or transferred by Executive, other than Executive’s rights to payments hereunder, which may be transferred only by will or operation of law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive shall be entitled, to the extent permitted under applicable law and applicable Company Arrangements, to select and change a beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive compensation hereunder following Executive’s death by giving written notice thereof to the Company.

7. Certain Definitions.

(a) Cause. The Company shall have “Cause” to terminate Executive’s employment hereunder upon:

(i) Executive’s failure to (A) substantially perform Executive’s duties with the Company (other than any such failure resulting from Executive’s Disability) or (B) comply with, in any material respect, any of the Company’s Policies;

(ii) the Board’s determination that Executive failed in any material respect to carry out or comply with any lawful and reasonable directive of the Board;

(iii) Executive’s breach of a material provision of this Agreement;

(iv) Executive’s conviction, plea of no contest, plea of nolo contendere, or imposition of unadjudicated probation for any felony or crime involving moral turpitude;

(v) Executive’s unlawful use (including being under the influence) or possession of illegal drugs on the Company’s (or any of its affiliate’s) premises or while performing Executive’s duties and responsibilities under this Agreement; or

(vi) Executive’s commission of an act of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, willful misconduct, or breach of fiduciary duty against the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

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(b) Change in Control. “Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in the version of the Seres Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Incentive Award Plan in effect on the Effective Date.

(c) Code. “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder.

(d) Date of Termination. “Date of Termination” shall mean (i) if Executive’s employment is terminated by Executive’s death, the date of Executive’s death; or (ii) if Executive’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii) – (vi) either the date indicated in the Notice of Termination or the date specified by the Company pursuant to Section 3(b), whichever is earlier.

(e) Disability. “Disability” shall mean, at any time the Company or any of its affiliates sponsors a long-term disability plan for the Company’s employees, “disability” as defined in such long-term disability plan for the purpose of determining a participant’s eligibility for benefits, provided, however, if the long-term disability plan contains multiple definitions of disability, “Disability” shall refer to that definition of disability which, if Executive qualified for such disability benefits, would provide coverage for the longest period of time. The determination of whether Executive has a Disability shall be made by the person or persons required to make disability determinations under the long-term disability plan. At any time the Company does not sponsor a long-term disability plan for its employees, “Disability” shall mean Executive’s inability to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, the essential functions of Executive’s positions hereunder for a total of three months during any six-month period as a result of incapacity due to mental or physical illness as determined by a physician selected by the Company or its insurers and acceptable to Executive or Executive’s legal representative, with such agreement as to acceptability not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Any refusal by Executive to submit to a medical examination for the purpose of determining Disability shall be deemed to constitute conclusive evidence of Executive’s Disability.

(f) Good Reason. For the sole purpose of determining Executive’s right to severance payments and benefits as described above, Executive’s resignation will be for “Good Reason” if Executive resigns within ninety days after any of the following events, unless Executive consents to the applicable event: (i) a decrease in Executive’s Annual Base Salary, other than a reduction in Annual Base Salary of less than 10% that is implemented in connection with a contemporaneous reduction in annual base salaries affecting other senior executives of the Company, (ii) a material decrease in Executive’s authority or areas of responsibility as are commensurate with Executive’s title or positions, or (iii) the relocation of Executive’s primary office to a location more than 50 miles from the Boston metropolitan area. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Good Reason will have occurred unless and until Executive has: (a) provided the Company, within 60 days of Executive’s knowledge of the occurrence of the facts and circumstances underlying the Good Reason event, written-notice stating with specificity the applicable facts and circumstances underlying such finding of Good Reason; and (b) provided the Company with an opportunity to cure the same within 30 days after the receipt of such notice.

 

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8. Parachute Payments.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, in the event that any payment or benefit by the Company or otherwise to or for the benefit of Executive, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise (all such payments and benefits, including the payments and benefits under Section 4(b) and Section 4(c) hereof, being hereinafter referred to as the “Total Payments”), would be subject (in whole or in part) to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then the Total Payments shall be reduced (in the order provided in Section 8(b)) to the minimum extent necessary to avoid the imposition of the Excise Tax on the Total Payments, but only if (i) the net amount of such Total Payments, as so reduced (and after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such reduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such reduced Total Payments), is greater than or equal to (ii) the net amount of such Total Payments without such reduction (but after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income and employment taxes on such Total Payments and the amount of the Excise Tax to which Executive would be subject in respect of such unreduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such unreduced Total Payments).

(b) The Total Payments shall be reduced in the following order: (i) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any cash severance payments that are exempt from Section 409A of the Code (“Section 409A”), (ii) reduction on a pro-rata basis any non-cash severance payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, (iii) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any other payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A, and (iv) reduction of any payments or benefits otherwise payable to Executive on a pro-rata basis or such other manner that complies with Section 409A; provided, in case of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv), that reduction of any payments attributable to the acceleration of vesting of Company equity awards shall be first applied to Company equity awards that would otherwise vest last in time.

(c) All determinations regarding the application of this Section 8 shall be made by an accounting firm or consulting group with experience in performing calculations regarding the applicability of Section 280G of the Code and the Excise Tax selected by the Company (the “Independent Advisors”). For purposes of determinations, no portion of the Total Payments shall be taken into account which, in the opinion of the Independent Advisors, (i) does not constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code (including by reason of Section 280G(b)(4)(A) of the Code) or (ii) constitutes reasonable compensation for services actually rendered, within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(4)(B) of the Code, in excess of the “base amount” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(3) of the Code) allocable to such reasonable compensation. The costs of obtaining such determination and all related fees and expenses (including related fees and expenses incurred in any later audit) shall be borne by the Company.

(d) In the event it is later determined that a greater reduction in the Total Payments should have been made to implement the objective and intent of this Section 8, the excess amount shall be returned immediately by Executive to the Company.

 

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9. Miscellaneous Provisions.

(a) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed, construed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with its express terms, and otherwise in accordance with the substantive laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts without reference to the principles of conflicts of law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other jurisdiction, and where applicable, the laws of the United States.

(b) Validity. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.

(c) Notices. Any notice, request, claim, demand, document and other communication hereunder to any Party shall be effective upon receipt (or refusal of receipt) and shall be in writing and delivered personally or sent by facsimile or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, as follows:

(i) If to the Company, the Chief Financial Officer at its headquarters,

(ii) If to Executive, at the last address that the Company has in its personnel records for Executive, or

(iii) at any other address as any Party shall have specified by notice in writing to the other Party.

(d) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement. Signatures delivered by facsimile shall be deemed effective for all purposes.

(e) Entire Agreement. The terms of this Agreement, and the Proprietary Information Agreement incorporated herein by reference as set forth in Section 5, are intended by the Parties to be the final expression of their agreement with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, including the employment offer letter agreement between Executive and the Company, dated as of December 23, 2014. The Parties further intend that this Agreement shall constitute the complete and exclusive statement of their terms and that no extrinsic evidence whatsoever may be introduced in any judicial, administrative, or other legal proceeding to vary the terms of this Agreement.

(f) Amendments; Waivers. This Agreement may not be modified, amended, or terminated except by an instrument in writing, signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of Company. By an instrument in writing similarly executed, Executive or a duly authorized officer of the Company may waive compliance by the other Party with any specifically identified provision of this Agreement that such other Party was or is obligated to comply with or perform; provided, however, that such waiver shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any other or subsequent failure. No failure to exercise and no delay in exercising any right, remedy, or power hereunder preclude any other or further exercise of any other right, remedy, or power provided herein or by law or in equity.

 

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(g) No Inconsistent Actions. The Parties hereto shall not voluntarily undertake or fail to undertake any action or course of action inconsistent with the provisions or essential intent of this Agreement. Furthermore, it is the intent of the Parties hereto to act in a fair and reasonable manner with respect to the interpretation and application of the provisions of this Agreement.

(h) Construction. This Agreement shall be deemed drafted equally by both the Parties. Its language shall be construed as a whole and according to its fair meaning. Any presumption or principle that the language is to be construed against any Party shall not apply. The headings in this Agreement are only for convenience and are not intended to affect construction or interpretation. Any references to paragraphs, subparagraphs, sections or subsections are to those parts of this Agreement, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary. Also, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, (i) the plural includes the singular and the singular includes the plural; (ii) “and” and “or” are each used both conjunctively and disjunctively; (iii) “any,” “all,” “each,” or “every” means “any and all,” and “each and every”; (iv) “includes” and “including” are each “without limitation”; (v) “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and other similar compounds of the word “here” refer to the entire Agreement and not to any particular paragraph, subparagraph, section or subsection; and (vi) all pronouns and any variations thereof shall be deemed to refer to the masculine, feminine, neuter, singular or plural as the identity of the entities or persons referred to may require.

(i) Arbitration. Any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, shall be settled solely and exclusively by a binding arbitration process administered by JAMS/Endispute in Boston, Massachusetts. Such arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the then-existing JAMS/Endispute Rules of Practice and Procedure, with the following exceptions if in conflict: (i) one arbitrator who is a retired judge shall be chosen by JAMS/Endispute; (ii) each Party to the arbitration will pay one-half of the expenses and fees of the arbitrator, together with other expenses of the arbitration incurred or approved by the arbitrator; and (iii) arbitration may proceed in the absence of any Party if written notice (pursuant to the JAMS/Endispute rules and regulations) of the proceedings has been given to such Party. Each Party shall bear its own attorney’s fees and expenses; provided that the arbitrator may assess the prevailing Party’s fees and costs against the non-prevailing Party as part of the arbitrator’s award. The Parties agree to abide by all decisions and awards rendered in such proceedings. Such decisions and awards rendered by the arbitrator shall be final and conclusive. All such controversies, claims or disputes shall be settled in this manner in lieu of any action at law or equity; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as precluding the bringing of an action for injunctive relief or specific performance as provided in this Agreement. This dispute resolution process and any arbitration hereunder shall be confidential and neither any Party nor the neutral arbitrator shall disclose the existence, contents or results of such process without the prior written consent of all Parties, except where necessary or compelled in a Court to enforce this arbitration provision or an Award from such arbitration or otherwise in a legal proceeding. If JAMS/Endispute no longer exists or is otherwise unavailable, the Parties agree that the American Arbitration Association (“AAA’) shall administer the arbitration in accordance with its then-existing rules as modified by this subsection. In such event, all references herein to JAMS/Endispute shall mean AAA. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive and the Company each have the right to resolve any issue or dispute over intellectual property rights by Court action instead of arbitration.

 

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(j) Enforcement. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future laws effective during the Term, such provision shall be fully severable; this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a portion of this Agreement; and the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance from this Agreement. Furthermore, in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision there shall be added automatically as part of this Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be legal, valid and enforceable.

(k) Withholding. The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any amounts payable under this Agreement any federal, state, local or foreign withholding or other taxes or charges which the Company is required to withhold. The Company shall be entitled to rely on an opinion of counsel if any questions as to the amount or requirement of withholding shall arise.

(l) Section 409A.

(i) General. The intent of the Parties is that the payments and benefits under this Agreement comply with or be exempt from Section 409A and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, this Agreement shall be interpreted to be in compliance therewith.

(ii) Separation from Service. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, any compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement that is considered nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A and is designated under this Agreement as payable upon Executive’s termination of employment shall be payable only upon Executive’s “separation from service” with the Company within the meaning of Section 409A (a “Separation from Service”) and, except as provided below, any such compensation or benefits described in Section 4 shall not be paid, or, in the case of installments, shall not commence payment, until the thirtieth (30th) day following Executive’s Separation from Service (the “First Payment Date”). Any installment payments that would have been made to Executive during the thirty (30) day period immediately following Executive’s Separation from Service but for the preceding sentence shall be paid to Executive on the First Payment Date and the remaining payments shall be made as provided in this Agreement.

(iii) Specified Employee. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if Executive is deemed by the Company at the time of Executive’s Separation from Service to be a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A, to the extent delayed commencement of any portion of the benefits to which Executive is entitled under this Agreement is required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A, such portion of Executive’s benefits shall not be provided to Executive prior to the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of Executive’s Separation from Service with the Company or (ii) the date of Executive’s death. Upon the first business day following the expiration of the applicable Section 409A period, all payments deferred pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be paid in a lump sum to Executive (or Executive’s estate or beneficiaries), and any remaining payments due to Executive under this Agreement shall be paid as otherwise provided herein.

 

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(iv) Expense Reimbursements. To the extent that any reimbursements under this Agreement are subject to Section 409A, any such reimbursements payable to Executive shall be paid to Executive no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expense was incurred; provided, that Executive submits Executive’s reimbursement request promptly following the date the expense is incurred, the amount of expenses reimbursed in one year shall not affect the amount eligible for reimbursement in any subsequent year, other than medical expenses referred to in Section 105(b) of the Code, and Executive’s right to reimbursement under this Agreement will not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.

(v) Installments. Executive’s right to receive any installment payments under this Agreement, including without limitation any continuation salary payments that are payable on Company payroll dates, shall be treated as a right to receive a series of separate payments and, accordingly, each such installment payment shall at all times be considered a separate and distinct payment as permitted under Section 409A. Except as otherwise permitted under Section 409A, no payment hereunder shall be accelerated or deferred unless such acceleration or deferral would not result in additional tax or interest pursuant to Section 409A.

10. Executive Acknowledgement.

Executive acknowledges that Executive has read and understands this Agreement, is fully aware of its legal effect, has not acted in reliance upon any representations or promises made by the Company other than those contained in writing herein, and has entered into this Agreement freely based on Executive’s own judgment.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the date and year first above written.

 

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EXHIBIT A

Separation Agreement and Release

This Separation Agreement and Release (“Agreement”) is made by and between Michele Trucksis, Ph.D., M.D. (“Executive”) and Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) (collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually referred to as a “Party”). Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Employment Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, the Parties have previously entered into that certain Employment Agreement, dated as of June 13, 2015 (the “Employment Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, in connection with Executive’s termination of employment with the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate of the Company effective             , 20    , the Parties wish to resolve any and all disputes, claims, complaints, grievances, charges, actions, petitions, and demands that Executive may have against the Company and any of the Releasees as defined below, including, but not limited to, any and all claims arising out of or in any way related to Executive’s employment with or separation from the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates but, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein will be deemed to release any rights or remedies in connection with Executive’s ownership of vested equity securities of the Company or Executive’s right to indemnification by the Company or any of its affiliates pursuant to contract or applicable law (collectively, the “Retained Claims”).

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4 of the Employment Agreement, which, pursuant to the Employment Agreement, are conditioned on Executive’s execution and non-revocation of this Agreement, and in consideration of the mutual promises made herein, the Company and Executive hereby agree as follows:

1. Severance Payments; Salary and Benefits. The Company agrees to provide Executive with the severance payments and benefits described in Section 4(b) and/or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement, payable at the times set forth in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, the Employment Agreement. In addition, to the extent not already paid, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Employment Agreement, the Company shall pay or provide to Executive all other payments or benefits described in Section 3(c) of the Employment Agreement, subject to and in accordance with the terms thereof.

2. Release of Claims. Executive agrees that, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, the foregoing consideration represents settlement in full of all outstanding obligations owed to Executive by the Company, any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries and affiliates, and any of their current and former officers, directors, equity holders, managers, employees, agents, investors, attorneys, shareholders, administrators, affiliates, benefit plans, plan administrators, insurers, trustees, divisions, and subsidiaries and predecessor and successor corporations and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”). Executive, on Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of any of Executive’s affiliated companies or entities and any of their respective heirs, family members, executors, agents, and assigns, other than with respect to the Retained Claims, hereby and forever releases the Releasees from, and agrees not to sue concerning, or in any manner to

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institute, prosecute, or pursue, any claim, complaint, charge, duty, obligation, or cause of action relating to any matters of any kind, whether presently known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, that Executive may possess against any of the Releasees arising from any omissions, acts, facts, or damages that have occurred up until and including the Effective Date of this Agreement (as defined in Section 7 below), including, without limitation:

(a) any and all claims relating to or arising from Executive’s employment or service relationship with the Company or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries or affiliates and the termination of that relationship;

(b) any and all claims relating to, or arising from, Executive’s right to purchase, or actual purchase of any shares of stock or other equity interests of the Company or any of its affiliates, including, without limitation, any claims for fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty under applicable state corporate law, and securities fraud under any state or federal law;

(c) any and all claims for wrongful discharge of employment; termination in violation of public policy; discrimination; harassment; retaliation; breach of contract, both express and implied; breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing, both express and implied; promissory estoppel; negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress; fraud; negligent or intentional misrepresentation; negligent or intentional interference with contract or prospective economic advantage; unfair business practices; defamation; libel; slander; negligence; personal injury; assault; battery; invasion of privacy; false imprisonment; conversion; and disability benefits;

(d) any and all claims for violation of any federal, state, or municipal statute, including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Equal Pay Act; the Fair Credit Reporting Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974; the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act; and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002;

(e) any and all claims for violation of the federal or any state constitution;

(f) any and all claims arising out of any other laws and regulations relating to employment or employment discrimination;

(g) any claim for any loss, cost, damage, or expense arising out of any dispute over the non-withholding or other tax treatment of any of the proceeds received by Executive as a result of this Agreement; and

(h) any and all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs.

Executive agrees that the release set forth in this section shall be and remain in effect in all respects as a complete general release as to the matters released. This release does not release claims that cannot be released as a matter of law, including, but not limited to, Executive’s right

 

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to report possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal law or regulation, Executive’s right to file a charge with or participate in a charge by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or any other local, state, or federal administrative body or government agency that is authorized to enforce or administer laws related to employment, against the Company (with the understanding that Executive’s release of claims herein bars Executive from recovering such monetary relief from the Company or any Releasee), claims for unemployment compensation or any state disability insurance benefits pursuant to the terms of applicable state law, claims to continued participation in certain of the Company’s group benefit plans pursuant to the terms and conditions of COBRA, claims to any benefit entitlements vested as the date of separation of Executive’s employment, pursuant to written terms of any employee benefit plan of the Company or its affiliates and Executive’s right under applicable law and any Retained Claims. This release further does not release claims for breach of Section 3(c), Section 4(b) or Section 4(c) of the Employment Agreement.

3. Acknowledgment of Waiver of Claims under ADEA. Executive understands and acknowledges that Executive is waiving and releasing any rights Executive may have under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (“ADEA”), and that this waiver and release is knowing and voluntary. Executive understands and agrees that this waiver and release does not apply to any rights or claims that may arise under the ADEA after the Effective Date of this Agreement. Executive understands and acknowledges that the consideration given for this waiver and release is in addition to anything of value to which Executive was already entitled. Executive further understands and acknowledges that Executive has been advised by this writing that: (a) Executive should consult with an attorney prior to executing this Agreement; (b) Executive has 21 days within which to consider this Agreement; (c) Executive has 7 days following Executive’s execution of this Agreement to revoke this Agreement pursuant to written notice to the General Counsel of the Company; (d) this Agreement shall not be effective until after the revocation period has expired; and (e) nothing in this Agreement prevents or precludes Executive from challenging or seeking a determination in good faith of the validity of this waiver under the ADEA, nor does it impose any condition precedent, penalties, or costs for doing so, unless specifically authorized by federal law. In the event Executive signs this Agreement and returns it to the Company in less than the 21 day period identified above, Executive hereby acknowledges that Executive has freely and voluntarily chosen to waive the time period allotted for considering this Agreement.

4. Severability. In the event that any provision or any portion of any provision hereof or any surviving agreement made a part hereof becomes or is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitrator to be illegal, unenforceable, or void, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect without said provision or portion of provision.

5. No Oral Modification. This Agreement may only be amended in a writing signed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company.

 

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6. Governing Law; Dispute Resolution. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of Sections 9(a), 9(c) and 9(i) of the Employment Agreement.

7. Effective Date. If Executive has attained or is over the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then each Party has seven days after that Party signs this Agreement to revoke it and this Agreement will become effective on the eighth day after Executive signed this Agreement, so long as it has been signed by the Parties and has not been revoked by either Party before that date (the “Effective Date”). If Executive has not attained the age of 40 as of the date of Executive’s termination of employment, then the “Effective Date” shall be the date on which Executive signs this Agreement.

8. Voluntary Execution of Agreement. Executive understands and agrees that Executive executed this Agreement voluntarily, without any duress or undue influence on the part or behalf of the Company or any third party, with the full intent of releasing all of Executive’s claims against the Company and any of the other Releasees. Executive acknowledges that: (a) Executive has read this Agreement; (b) Executive has not relied upon any representations or statements made by the Company that are not specifically set forth in this Agreement; (c) Executive has been represented in the preparation, negotiation, and execution of this Agreement by legal counsel of Executive’s own choice or has elected not to retain legal counsel; (d) Executive understands the terms and consequences of this Agreement and of the releases it contains; and (e) Executive is fully aware of the legal and binding effect of this Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the respective dates set forth below.

 

Dated:
						Michele Trucksis, Ph.D., M.D.
						SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Dated:						By:
								Name:
								Title:

 

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EXHIBIT B

Employee Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation, Confidentiality and Assignment Agreement

In consideration and as a condition of my employment or continued employment by Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), I hereby agree as follows:

 

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BY SIGNING BELOW, I CERTIFY THAT I HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY AND AM SATISFIED THAT I UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this agreement as a sealed instrument as of the date set forth below.

 

Signed:
		(Employee’s full name)

 

Type or print name:		Michele Trucksis, Ph.D., M.D.
Last four digits of SSN:						Date:

 

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Appendix A

 

To:		Seres Therapeutics, Inc.
From:		Michele Trucksis, Ph.D., M.D.
Date:

SUBJECT:		Prior Inventions

The following is a complete list of all inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of my employment by the Company that have been made or conceived or first reduced to practice by me alone or jointly with others prior to my engagement by the Company:

 

¨

No inventions or improvements

 

¨

See below:

 

¨

Additional sheets attached

The following is a list of all patents, patent applications and other patent rights that I invented:

 

¨

None

 

¨

See below:

Exhibit 21.1

SUBSIDIARIES OF SERES THERAPEUTICS, INC.

 

Legal Name of Subsidiary				Jurisdiction of Organization
Seres Therapeutics Securities Corporation				Massachusetts
Seres Therapeutics UK Limited				United Kingdom

EXHIBIT 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the use in this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Seres Therapeutics, Inc., formerly known as Seres Health, Inc., of our report dated April 8, 2015 relating to the consolidated financial statements of Seres Therapeutics, Inc., formerly known as Seres Health, Inc., which appears in such Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

June 16, 2015