Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-226650
Prospectus Supplement
(To Prospectus Dated July 15, 2019)
32,630,983 Shares
Common Stock
We are offering 32,630,983 shares of our common stock to certain institutional investors pursuant to this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus at an offering price of $1.10 per share.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol ALRN. On January 5, 2021, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market was $1.30 per share.
We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company as defined under the federal securities laws and, as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements.
You should read carefully this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before you invest.
Investing in our securities involves risks. See Risk Factors beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and the risk factors incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
We have engaged JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC, which we refer to as JonesTrading or the placement agent, as our exclusive placement agent in connection with this offering. The placement agent has no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities. We have agreed to pay the placement agent the placement agent fees set forth in the table below. See Plan of Distribution beginning on page S-16 of this prospectus supplement for more information regarding these arrangements.
Per Share |
Total | |||
Offering price |
$1.10 | $35,894,080 | ||
Placement agent fees(1) |
$0.066 | $ 2,153,645 | ||
Proceeds to us (before expenses) |
$1.034 | $33,740,435 |
(1) In addition, we have agreed to reimburse the placement agent for certain out-of-pocket expenses. See Plan of Distribution beginning on page S-16 of this prospectus supplement.
Delivery of the securities offered hereby is expected to occur on or about January 8, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions.
The date of this prospectus supplement is January 6, 2021
About this Prospectus Supplement
This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this common stock offering and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein. The second part, the accompanying prospectus, provides more general information. Generally, when we refer to this prospectus, we are referring to both parts of this document combined. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the information contained in the accompanying prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein filed prior to the date of this prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement; provided that if any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later datefor example, a document incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectusthe statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.
We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference herein were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
Neither we nor the placement agent have authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We and the placement agent take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, the securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in any jurisdiction to or from any person to whom or from whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation of an offer in such jurisdiction. The information contained in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, or incorporated by reference herein or therein is accurate only as of the respective dates thereof, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or of any sale of our common stock. It is important for you to read and consider all information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, in making your investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents to which we have referred you in the sections entitled Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference in this prospectus supplement and in the accompanying prospectus.
We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of our common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the offering of the common stock in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the common stock and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus outside the United States. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus by any person in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful for such person to make such an offer or solicitation.
Unless the context otherwise indicates, references in this prospectus to we, our and us refer, collectively, to Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
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This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and in the documents we incorporate by reference herein and therein. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our common stock. You should read this entire prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus carefully, especially the risks of investing in our common stock discussed under Risk Factors beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020, along with our consolidated financial statements and notes to those consolidated financial statements and the other information incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, before making an investment decision.
Our Company
Overview
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is focused on transforming the experience of chemotherapy for cancer patients, enabling them to fight cancer without the fear or burden of chemotherapy-induced side effects. ALRN-6924, our first-in-class MDM2/MDMX dual inhibitor activating p53, is the only reported therapeutic agent in clinical development to employ a biomarker strategy, in which we exclusively focus on treating patients with p53-mutated cancers. With this targeted strategy, ALRN-6924 is designed to protect multiple healthy cell types throughout the body from chemotherapy while chemotherapy continues to destroy cancer cells.
In addition to potentially reducing or eliminating multiple side effects, ALRN-6924 may also improve patients quality of life and help them better tolerate chemotherapy, potentially allowing patients to complete their treatment without dose reductions or delays. Our long-term vision is to provide chemoprotection for patients with p53-mutated cancers, which represents approximately 50% of cancer patients, regardless of cancer type or chemotherapeutic drug.
Risks Associated with Our Business
Our business is subject to a number of risks of which you should be aware before making an investment decision. These risks are discussed more fully in the Risk Factors section of this prospectus supplement immediately following this prospectus supplement summary and in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020, which is incorporated by reference herein. These risks include the following:
| We will need substantial additional funding to continue our operations. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we may be forced to delay, reduce and/or eliminate our research and drug development programs, reduce headcount, and future commercialization efforts, or take other actions that could adversely affect our business. |
| As of November 12, 2020, after considering various risks and uncertainties as prescribed by accounting standard ASU No. 2014-15 (subtopic 205-40), we concluded that there was substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. |
| We have incurred significant losses since inception. We expect to incur losses for the foreseeable future and may never achieve or maintain profitability. |
| We are dependent on the success of our product candidate, ALRN-6924. Our clinical trials of ALRN-6924 may not be successful. If our trials prove unsuccessful or if we are unable to obtain approval for and commercialize ALRN-6924 or experience significant delays in doing so, our business will be materially harmed. |
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| The COVID-19 pandemic may affect our ability to conduct our ongoing and planned clinical trials, disrupt regulatory activities, or have other adverse effects on our business and operations. In addition, this pandemic has caused substantial disruption in the financial markets and may adversely impact economies worldwide, both of which could result in adverse effects on our business and operations. |
| The approach we are taking to discover and develop novel drugs is unproven and may never lead to marketable products. |
| We are pursuing the development of ALRN-6924 in combination with other approved therapeutics. If the FDA revokes approval of any such therapeutic, or if safety, efficacy, manufacturing or supply issues arise with any therapeutic that we use in combination with ALRN-6924 in the future, we may be unable to further develop and/or market ALRN-6924, or we may experience significant regulatory delays, and our business could be materially harmed. |
| The outcome of preclinical testing and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later clinical trials, interim results of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results and the results of our clinical trials may not satisfy the requirements of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. |
| Clinical drug development is a lengthy and expensive process, with an uncertain outcome. If clinical trials of our product candidates fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of regulatory authorities or do not otherwise produce positive results, we may incur additional costs, experience delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development of our product candidates or be unable to obtain marketing approval. |
| We are conducting a clinical trial of ALRN-6924 at sites outside the United States. The FDA may not accept data from trials conducted in such locations and the conduct of trials outside the United States could subject us to additional delays and expense. |
| If serious adverse or unacceptable side effects are identified during the development of our product candidates or we observe limited efficacy of our product candidates, we may need to abandon or limit the development of one or more of our product candidates. |
| We rely on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and some aspects of our research and preclinical studies, and those third parties may not perform satisfactorily, including failing to meet deadlines for the completion of such trials, research and studies. |
| We contract with third parties for the manufacture of our ALRN-6924 for our ongoing clinical trials, and expect to continue to do so for additional clinical trials and ultimately for commercialization. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our product candidates or drugs or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialization efforts. |
| We may enter into strategic collaborations for the development, marketing and commercialization of ALRN-6924 and our other stabilized cell-permeating peptide product candidates. If those collaborations are not successful, the development, marketing and/or commercialization of our product candidates that are the subject of such collaborations would be harmed. |
| If we fail to comply with our obligations under our patent licenses with third parties, we could lose license rights that are important to our business. |
Corporate Information
We were incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on August 6, 2001 under the name Renegade Therapeutics, Inc. We changed our name to Aileron Therapeutics, Inc. in February 2007. Our principal executive
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office is located at 290 Pleasant Street, Unit 112, Watertown, MA 02472, and our telephone number is (617) 995-0900. Our website address is https://www.aileronrx.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. We have included our website address in this prospectus supplement solely as an inactive textual reference.
In this prospectus supplement, unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, references to Aileron, the company, we, us, our and similar references refer to Aileron Therapeutics, Inc. Aileron and other trademarks or service marks of Aileron appearing in this prospectus supplement are the property of Aileron. The other trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus supplement are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus supplement are referred to without the ® and symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, their rights thereto.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company
As a company with less than $1.07 billion of revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. We may remain an emerging growth company until December 31, 2022, or until such earlier time as we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue, the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is more than $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or we issue more than $1 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure and other requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
We are also a smaller reporting company, meaning that the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million and our annual revenue was less than $100 million during our most recently completed fiscal year. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company if either (i) the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million or (ii) our annual revenue was less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and the market value of our stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million. If we are a smaller reporting company at the time we cease to be an emerging growth company, we may continue to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are available to smaller reporting companies. For so long as we remain a smaller reporting company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure and other requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not smaller reporting companies.
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Common stock offered by us |
32,630,983 shares | |
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering |
83,610,151 shares | |
Use of proceeds |
We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund clinical development of ALRN-6924 as a chemoprotective agent; and for working capital and other general corporate purposes. See Use of Proceeds on page S-10 of this prospectus supplement. | |
Risk factors |
See Risk Factors beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement, as well as the other information included in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, for a discussion of certain factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock. | |
Nasdaq Capital Market symbol |
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol ALRN. |
The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on (i) 43,804,175 shares of our common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and (ii) 7,174,993 shares of common stock issued subsequent to December 31, 2020 and prior to the date of this prospectus supplement in connection with our at-the-market offering pursuant to a sales agreement dated July 1, 2019, between us and JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC, and excludes the following:
| 12,935,323 shares of common stock that have been reserved for issuance in connection with warrants outstanding as of December 31, 2020, at an exercise price of $2.00 per share; |
| 4,628,687 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2020, at a weighted-average exercise price of $2.41 per share; and |
| 419,681 and 150,000 shares of common stock available for future issuance, as of December 31, 2020, under our 2017 Stock Incentive Plan and our 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, respectively, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved under these plans. |
Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus supplement reflects and assumes no exercise of the outstanding options and warrants described above.
In addition, the discussion above assumes no additional sales of our common stock under the purchase agreement, dated September 21, 2020, between Lincoln Park Capital Fund LLC, or Lincoln Park, and us, or the Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which we may sell, at our discretion, up to $14.5 million of shares of our common stock from time to time during the 36-month term of the Purchase Agreement.
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Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus and the risk factors in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020 and in our other filings with the SEC that we make from time to time, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, together with other information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, the information and documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or free writing prospectus that we authorize for use in connection with this offering. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition could suffer materially. In such event, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you might lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to This Offering
Our management has broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may invest or spend the proceeds of this offering in ways with which you may not agree or in ways that may not yield a return.
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. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could 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.
In addition, the issuance from time to time of shares of our common stock in this offering, or our ability to issue these shares of common stock in this offering, could result in resales of our common stock by our current stockholders concerned about the potential dilution of their holdings. In turn, these resales could have the effect of depressing the market price for our common stock.
We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, stockholders must rely on capital appreciation, if any, for any return on their investment.
We have never declared nor paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently plan to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the operation, development and growth of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.
The trading price of our common stock has been, and is likely to continue to be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control.
Our stock price is volatile. During the period from June 28, 2017 to January 5, 2021, the closing price of our common stock ranged from a high of $14.91 per share to a low of $0.29 per share. The stock market in general and the market for smaller pharmaceutical and biotechnology 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 public offering price and you may lose some or all of your investment.
If you purchase shares in this offering, you will suffer immediate dilution of your investment.
The public offering price of the shares is substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock. Therefore, if you purchase shares in this offering, you will pay a price per share that substantially
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exceeds our net tangible book value per share after this offering. Based on the public offering price of $1.10 per share, you will experience immediate dilution of $0.47 per share, representing the difference between our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering and the assumed public offering price per share. Furthermore, if previously issued options and warrants to acquire common stock are exercised at prices below the public offering price of the shares, you will experience further dilution. For a further description of the dilution that you will experience immediately after this offering, see Dilution.
You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings.
In order to raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for our common stock at prices that may not be the same as the public offering price for the shares in this offering. We may sell shares or other securities in any other offering at prices that are less than the price paid by investors in this offering, and investors purchasing shares or other securities in the future could have rights superior to existing stockholders. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock, or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price paid by investors in this offering.
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This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. These statements are based on expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management. The words anticipate, believe, goals, seek, estimate, expect, hypothesize, intend, may, might, plan, predict, project, target, potential, will, would, could, should, continue and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
The forward-looking statements in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein include, among other things, statements about:
| our plans to develop and commercialize ALRN-6924, including the potential benefits thereof; |
| our ongoing and future clinical trials for ALRN-6924, whether conducted by us or by any future collaborators, including the timing of initiation of these trials and of the anticipated results; |
| our expectations regarding our ability to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements with our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments; |
| our expectations related to the use of proceeds from this offering; |
| our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; |
| the timing of and our ability to obtain and maintain marketing approvals for our product candidates; |
| the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of any products for which we receive marketing approval; |
| our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy; |
| our intellectual property position and strategy; |
| our ability to identify additional product candidates with significant commercial potential; |
| our plans to enter into collaborations for the development and commercialization of product candidates; |
| potential benefits of any future collaboration; |
| developments relating to our competitors and our industry; |
| the impact of government laws and regulations; |
| the impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on the timing of our clinical development and operations; |
| our ability to continue as a going concern; and |
| our ability to maintain our listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market; |
You are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are referenced in the section of this prospectus supplement entitled Risk Factors and in the other documents we file from time to time with the SEC, specifically our most recent Annual
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Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Except as required by law, we do not undertake or plan to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in plans, assumptions, estimates or projections or other circumstances affecting such forward-looking statements occurring after the date of this prospectus supplement, even if such results, changes or circumstances make it clear that any forward-looking information will not be realized.
We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, collaborations, joint ventures or investments that we may make or enter into.
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We estimate that the net proceeds from our issuance and sale of 32,630,983 shares of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $35.9 million after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, to fund clinical development of ALRN-6924 as a chemoprotective agent and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
We believe that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2023. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. We expect that the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, will enable us to conduct our planned clinical trial of ALRN-6924 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. However, we do not expect that the net proceeds from this offering will enable us to complete the development of ALRN-6924.
This expected use of the net proceeds from this offering and our existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures may vary significantly depending on numerous factors, including the progress of our development, the status of and results from clinical trials, the timing of regulatory submissions and the outcome of regulatory review, 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 money market funds, government-insured bank deposit accounts or U.S. government securities.
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If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your interest will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the price per share you pay in this offering and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after giving effect to this offering.
Our net tangible book value as of September 30, 2020 was approximately $12.4 million, or $0.31 per share. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our total tangible assets, less total liabilities, by the 39,874,847 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2020. Dilution represents the difference between the portion of the amount per share paid by purchasers of shares in this offering and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after giving effect to this offering.
After giving effect to the issuance and sale of 32,630,983 shares of common stock in this offering at the public offering price of $1.10 per share, after deducting estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2020 would have been approximately $45.8 million, or approximately $0.63 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of approximately $0.32 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of approximately $0.47 per share to new investors participating in this offering. The following table illustrates this dilution to the investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering.
Public offering price per share |
$ | 1.10 | ||||||
Net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2020 |
$ | 0.31 | ||||||
Increase in as adjusted net tangible book value per share attributable to investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering |
0.32 | |||||||
|
|
|||||||
As adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering |
0.63 | |||||||
|
|
|||||||
Dilution per share to investors purchasing shares of our common stock in this offering |
$ | 0.47 | ||||||
|
|
The table does not include:
| 9,899,671 shares of common stock issued subsequent to September 30, 2020 and prior to the date of this prospectus supplement in connection with our at-the-market offering pursuant to a sales agreement dated July 1, 2019, between us and JonesTrading Institutional Services LLC, or JonesTrading; |
| 12,935,323 shares of common stock that have been reserved for issuance in connection with warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2020, at an exercise price of $2.00 per share; |
| 4,628,687 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options outstanding as of September 30, 2020, at a weighted-average exercise price of $2.41 per share; and |
| 419,681 and 150,000 shares of common stock available for future issuance, as of September 30, 2020, under our 2017 Stock Incentive Plan and our 2017 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, respectively, as well as any automatic increases in the number of shares of common stock reserved under these plans. |
In addition, the discussion and table assumes no additional sales of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park, pursuant to which we may sell, at our discretion, up to $14.5 million of shares of our common stock from time to time during the 36-month term of the Purchase Agreement.
To the extent that outstanding stock options or warrants are exercised, new stock options or warrants are issued, or we issue additional shares of common stock in the future, there will be further dilution to investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering.
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Material U.S. Federal Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders of Our Common Stock
The following is a discussion of material U.S. federal income and estate tax considerations relating to the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder. For purposes of this discussion, the term non-U.S. holder means a beneficial owner (other than a partnership or other pass-through entity) of our common stock that is not, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or 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 taxation regardless of its source; or |
| a trust, if a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or if the trust has a valid election in effect to be treated as a U.S. person under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations. |
This discussion is based on current provisions of the Code, existing and proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, current administrative rulings, and judicial decisions, as in effect as of the date of this prospectus and all of which are subject to change or to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. Any change or differing interpretation could alter the tax consequences to non-U.S. holders described in this prospectus. In addition, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge one or more of the tax consequences described in this prospectus.
This discussion addresses only non-U.S. holders that hold shares of our common stock as a capital asset (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income and estate taxation that may be relevant to a particular non-U.S. holder in light of that non-U.S. holders individual circumstances nor does it address the alternative minimum tax, the Medicare tax on net investment income or any aspects of U.S. state, local, or non-U.S. taxes. This discussion also does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a non-U.S. holder and does not address the special tax rules applicable to particular non-U.S. holders, such as: insurance companies;
| tax-exempt organizations; |
| financial institutions; |
| brokers or dealers in securities; |
| pension plans; |
| controlled foreign corporations; |
| passive foreign investment companies; |
| owners that hold our common stock as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction, synthetic security, or other integrated investment; and |
| certain U.S. expatriates. |
In addition, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of partnerships or persons who hold their common stock through partnerships or other entities that are pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A partner in a partnership or other pass-through entity that will hold our common stock should consult his, her, or its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our common stock through a partnership or other pass-through entity, as applicable.
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Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal, state, local, and non-U.S. income and other tax considerations of acquiring, holding, and disposing of our common stock.
Dividends
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business and do not intend to pay cash dividends in respect of our common stock in the foreseeable future. In the event that we do make distributions on our common stock, those distributions generally 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. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the non-U.S. holders investment, up to such holders tax basis in the common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain, subject to the tax treatment described below under the heading Gain on Disposition of Common Stock.
Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holders country of residence. A non-U.S. holder of our common stock who claims the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holders country of residence generally will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form) and satisfy applicable certification and other requirements. A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax under an income tax treaty may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim with the IRS. Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under a relevant income tax treaty.
Dividends that are treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by a non-U.S. holder within the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, that are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder within the United States are generally exempt from the 30% withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder satisfies applicable certification and disclosure requirements. However, such U.S. effectively connected income is taxed on a net income basis at the same U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Any U.S. effectively connected income received by a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holders country of residence.
Gain on Disposition of Common Stock
A non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on a disposition of our common stock unless:
| the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. holders conduct of a trade or business in the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the United States; in these cases, the non-U.S. holder will be taxed on a net income basis at the same U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code), and if the non-U.S. holder is a foreign corporation, an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty, may also apply; |
| the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met, in which case the non-U.S. holder will be subject to a 30% tax (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the net gain derived from the disposition, which may be offset by U.S.-source capital losses of the non-U.S. holder, if any; or |
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| we are, or have been at any time during the five-year period preceding such disposition (or the non-U.S. holders holding period, if shorter), a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market and the non-U.S. holder held no more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, directly or indirectly, during the shorter of the five year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period that the non-U.S. holder held our common stock. If we are determined to be a U.S. real property holding corporation and the foregoing exception does not apply, then the non-U.S. holder generally will be taxed on its net gain derived from the disposition at the U.S. federal income tax rates applicable to United States persons (as defined in the Code). Generally, a corporation is a U.S. real property holding corporation if the fair market value of its U.S. real property interests equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. Although there can be no assurance, we believe that we are not currently, and we do not anticipate becoming, a U.S. real property holding corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. No assurance can be provided that our common stock will be regularly traded on an established securities market for purposes of the rule described above. |
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
We must report annually to the IRS and to each non-U.S. holder the gross amount of the distributions on our common stock paid to such holder and the tax withheld, if any, with respect to such distributions. Non-U.S. holders may have to comply with specific certification procedures to establish that the holder is not a U.S. person (as defined in the Code) in order to avoid backup withholding at the applicable rate with respect to dividends on our common stock. Generally, a non-U.S. holder will comply with such procedures if it provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable Form W-8) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a non-U.S. holder, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Dividends paid to non-U.S. holders subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, as described above under the heading Dividends, will generally be exempt from U.S. backup withholding.
Information reporting and backup withholding generally will apply to the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a non-U.S. holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a non-U.S. holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, for information reporting purposes, dispositions effected through a non-U.S. office of a broker with substantial U.S. ownership or operations generally will be treated in a manner similar to dispositions effected through a U.S. office of a broker. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them.
Copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which the non-U.S. holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a non-U.S. holder can be refunded or credited against the non-U.S. holders U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that an appropriate claim is timely filed with the IRS.
FATCA
Provisions of the Code commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, generally impose a 30% withholding tax on dividends on, and gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, our common stock if paid to a foreign entity unless (i) if the foreign entity is a foreign financial institution, the foreign entity undertakes certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification obligations, (ii) if the
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foreign entity is not a foreign financial institution, the foreign entity identifies certain of its U.S. investors, or (iii) the foreign entity is otherwise excepted under FATCA.
Withholding under FATCA generally applies to payments of dividends on our common stock. While withholding under FATCA may apply to payments of gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our common stock, under recently proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations, withholding on payments of gross proceeds is not required. Although such regulations are not final, applicable withholding agents may rely on the proposed regulations until final regulations are issued.
If withholding under FATCA is required on any payment related to our common stock, investors not otherwise subject to withholding (or that otherwise would be entitled to a reduced rate of withholding) on such payment may be required to seek a refund or credit from the IRS. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this section. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in our common stock and the entities through which they hold our common stock.
Federal Estate Tax
Common stock owned or treated as owned by an individual who is a non-U.S. holder (as specially defined for U.S. federal estate tax purposes) at the time of death will be included in the individuals gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes and, therefore, may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax, unless an applicable estate tax or other treaty provides otherwise.
The preceding discussion of material U.S. federal tax considerations is for prospective investors information only. It is not tax advice. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the particular U.S. federal, state, local, and non-U.S. tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of our common stock, including the consequences of any proposed changes in applicable laws.
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Pursuant to a placement agent agreement dated as of January 6, 2021, we have engaged JonesTrading, which we refer to as the placement agent, to act as our exclusive placement agent to solicit offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Under the terms of the placement agent agreement, the placement agent is not purchasing or selling any securities, nor is it required to arrange for the purchase and sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities, but only to use its best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities by us. Therefore, we may not sell the entire amount of the securities being offered hereby. There is no minimum amount of proceeds that is a condition to closing of this offering. We have entered into a securities purchase agreement directly with the institutional investors that purchase our securities in this offering. The securities purchase agreement is included as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K that we have filed with the SEC and that is incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part. Delivery of the securities offered hereby is expected to occur on or about January 8, 2021, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions.
Fees and Expenses
The following table shows the per share and total placement agent fees we will pay in connection with the sale of the securities in this offering, assuming the purchase of all of the securities we are offering.
Per share placement agent cash fee |
$ | 0.066 | ||
Total placement agent cash fee(1) |
$ | 2,153,645 |
(1) | We have also agreed to reimburse the placement agent for certain expenses. See below. |
We have agreed to pay the placement agent a total cash fee equal to 6.00% of the gross proceeds of this offering. We will also reimburse the placement agents reasonable and documented expenses in connection with this offering, including fees and expenses of outside counsel, in the amount of up to $35,000. We estimate the total offering expenses of this offering that will be payable by us, excluding the placement agent fees and expenses, will be approximately $0.4 million.
Other Relationships
JonesTrading may, from time to time, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of its business and may continue to receive compensation from us for such services, including its services in connection with the offer and sale of up to $15.0 million of our common stock in one or more at the market offerings pursuant to our sales agreement with JonesTrading.
Lock-up Agreement
Pursuant to the securities purchase agreement, subject to certain exceptions, we have agreed not to issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of our common stock for a period of 10 days following the consummation of this offering.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the placement agent against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the placement agent may be required to make with respect to any of these liabilities.
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Determination of Offering Price
The offering price of the securities we are offering was negotiated between us and the investors, in consultation with the placement agent based on the trading of our common stock prior to the offering, among other things. Other factors considered in determining the offering price of the securities we are offering include the history and prospects of our company, the stage of development of our business, our business plans for the future and the extent to which they have been implemented, an assessment of our management, general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering and such other factors as were deemed relevant.
Nasdaq Listing
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol ALRN.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Regulation M
The placement agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act and any fees received by it and any profit realized on the sale of the securities by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. The placement agent will be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of our securities by the placement agent. Under these rules and regulations, the placement agent may not (i) engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities and (ii) bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the Exchange Act, until it has completed its participation in the distribution.
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The validity of the shares of our common stock offered hereby is being passed upon for us by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. Duane Morris LLP is acting as counsel for the placement agent in connection with this offering.
The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to the Companys ability to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements) of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
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Where You Can Find More Information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at www.aileronrx.com. Our website is not a part of this prospectus supplement and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.
This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC. The registration statement contains more information than this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus regarding us and the securities, including certain exhibits and schedules. You can obtain a copy of the registration statement from the SEC at the address listed above or from the SECs internet site.
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus much of the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus incorporate by reference the documents listed below (File No. 001-38130) and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents not deemed to be filed), until the offering of the securities under the registration statement is terminated or completed:
| Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2020, including the information specifically incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K from our definitive proxy statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders filed with the SEC on April 28, 2020; |
| Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020 filed with the SEC on May 11, 2020, August 5, 2020 and November 12, 2020, respectively; |
| Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 22, 2020 (Item 8.01 only), June 1, 2020 (Item 8.01 only), June 5, 2020, June 11, 2020, June 18, 2020, September 14, 2020, September 22, 2020 and October 26, 2020, December 21, 2020 and January 6, 2021; and |
| The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on June 23, 2017, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or calling us at the following address or telephone number:
Aileron Therapeutics, Inc.
290 Pleasant Street, Unit 112
Watertown, MA 02472
Attn: Investor Relations
(617) 995-0900
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PROSPECTUS
$150,000,000
Aileron Therapeutics, Inc.
DEBT SECURITIES
COMMON STOCK
PREFERRED STOCK
UNITS
WARRANTS
We may offer and sell securities from time to time in one or more offerings of up to $150,000,000 in aggregate offering price. This prospectus describes the general terms of these securities and the general manner in which these securities will be offered. We will provide the specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus. The prospectus supplements will also describe the specific manner in which these securities will be offered and may also supplement, update or amend information contained in this document. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement before you invest.
We may offer these securities in amounts, at prices and on terms determined at the time of offering. The securities may be sold directly to you, through agents, or through underwriters and dealers. If agents, underwriters or dealers are used to sell the securities, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement.
Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol ALRN.
As of July 1, 2019, the aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $39,796,521, which was calculated based on 22,740,869 shares of outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates and a price per share of $1.75 as of a date within 60 days prior to the date of this prospectus. Pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3, in no event will we sell, pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, securities in a public primary offering with a value exceeding one-third of the aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates in any 12-month period, so long as the aggregate market value of our outstanding common stock held by non-affiliates remains below $75 million. During the 12 calendar months prior to and including the date of this prospectus, we have not offered or sold any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.6 of Form S-3.
Investing in these securities involves certain risks. See Risk Factors included in any accompanying prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus for a discussion of the factors you should carefully consider before deciding to purchase these securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is July 15, 2019.
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This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we refer to as the SEC, utilizing a shelf registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may from time to time sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings for an aggregate initial offering price of up to $150,000,000.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide one or more prospectus supplements that will contain specific information about the terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement together with the additional information described under the heading Where You Can Find More Information beginning on page 3 of this prospectus.
You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus filed by us with the SEC. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in this prospectus or such accompanying prospectus supplement or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.
Unless the context otherwise indicates, references in this prospectus to we, our and us refer, collectively, to Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
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Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, including the risk factors set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other filings we make with the SEC from time to time, which are incorporated by reference herein, before making an investment decision pursuant to this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement relating to a specific offering.
Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected by any or all of these risks or by additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial that may adversely affect us in the future.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at https://www.aileronrx.com/. Our website is not a part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. This prospectus omits some information contained in the registration statement in accordance with SEC rules and regulations. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information about us and our consolidated subsidiaries and the securities we are offering. Statements in this prospectus concerning any document we filed as an exhibit to the registration statement or that we otherwise filed with the SEC are not intended to be comprehensive and are qualified by reference to these filings. You should review the complete document to evaluate these statements.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference much of the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below (File No. 001-38130) and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents not deemed to be filed) between the date of the initial registration statement and the effectiveness of the registration statement and following the effectiveness of the registration statement until the offering of the securities under the registration statement is terminated or completed.
| Our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2018, filed with the SEC on March 29, 2019 and May 8, 2019, respectively, including the information specifically incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K from our definitive proxy statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders filed with the SEC on April 30, 2019; |
| Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on May 8, 2019; |
| Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 1, 2019, April 1, 2019, April 3, 2019, June 5, 2019, June 20, 2019 and June 24, 2019; and |
| The description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on June 23, 2017, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
You may request a copy of these documents, which will be provided to you at no cost, by writing or telephoning us using the following contact information:
Aileron Therapeutics, Inc.
490 Arsenal Way, Suite 210
Watertown, Massachusetts 02472
(617) 995-0900
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This prospectus includes and incorporates forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management and expected market growth are forward-looking statements. The words anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, plan, potential, predict, project, should, target, would and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements in this prospectus, particularly in the Risk Factors section, that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, collaborations, joint ventures or investments that we may make or enter into.
You should read this prospectus and the documents that we reference herein and have filed or incorporated by reference hereto completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
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We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is focused on developing and commercializing a novel class of stabilized cell-permeating alpha-helical peptides to address intracellular targets in oncology and other therapeutic areas. Our lead product candidate, ALRN-6924, is a cell-permeating peptide that disrupts the interaction of p53 suppressors MDM2 and MDMX with tumor suppressor p53 to reactivate tumor suppression in non-mutant, or wild-type, p53 cancers. Based on preclinical data and preliminary evidence of safety and anti-tumor activity in our ongoing clinical trials, we believe that there may be a significant opportunity to develop ALRN-6924 in combination with other drugs for a wide variety of cancers.
Our clinical development program for ALRN-6924 is currently focused on our ongoing Phase 2a clinical trial of the combination of ALRN-6924 and palbociclib (Ibrance), marketed by Pfizer, Inc., for the treatment of MDM2-amplified advanced solid tumors and our planned Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate ALRN-6924 as a myelopreservative agent, to protect against chemotherapy-induced bone marrow toxicity. Our first planned clinical trial to assess the myelopreservation opportunity will be in small cell lung cancer patients who will be treated with the chemotherapy topotecan.
We believe that by using our proprietary stabilized cell-permeating peptide platform, we can develop first-in-class molecules, like ALRN-6924, that contain a novel set of properties. As such, our stabilized cell-permeating peptide drugs may be able to address historically undruggable targets, such as intracellular protein-protein interactions like p53 and MDM2/MDMX, that underlie many diseases with high unmet medical need. We believe that stabilized cell-permeating peptide therapeutics have the potential to become a major class of drugs, like small molecules and monoclonal antibodies, for oncology and other therapeutic areas, and may significantly improve treatment paradigms and clinical outcomes for patients.
Our principal executive offices are located at 490 Arsenal Way, Suite 210, Watertown, MA 02472, and our telephone number is (617) 995-0900.
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We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. General corporate purposes may include working capital and capital expenditures, research and development expenses, including clinical trial costs, general and administrative expenses, potential acquisition of, or investment in, companies, technologies, products or assets that complement our business, and repayment and refinancing of debt. We may temporarily invest the net proceeds in investment-grade, interest-bearing securities until they are used for their stated purpose. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for such purposes. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds.
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
We may offer debt securities which may be senior or subordinated. We refer to the senior debt securities and the subordinated debt securities collectively as debt securities. The following description summarizes the general terms and provisions of the debt securities. We will describe the specific terms of the debt securities and the extent, if any, to which the general provisions summarized below apply to any series of debt securities in the prospectus supplement relating to the series and any applicable free writing prospectus that we authorize to be delivered. When we refer to the Company, we, our, and us in this section, we mean Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., excluding, unless the context otherwise requires or as otherwise expressly stated, our subsidiaries.
We may issue senior debt securities from time to time, in one or more series under a senior indenture to be entered into between us and a senior trustee to be named in a prospectus supplement, which we refer to as the senior trustee. We may issue subordinated debt securities from time to time, in one or more series under a subordinated indenture to be entered into between us and a subordinated trustee to be named in a prospectus supplement, which we refer to as the subordinated trustee. The forms of senior indenture and subordinated indenture are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Together, the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture are referred to as the indentures and, together, the senior trustee and the subordinated trustee are referred to as the trustees. This prospectus briefly outlines some of the provisions of the indentures. The following summary of the material provisions of the indentures is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of the indentures, including definitions of certain terms used in the indentures. Wherever we refer to particular sections or defined terms of the indentures, those sections or defined terms are incorporated by reference in this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement. You should review the indentures that are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part for additional information.
None of the indentures will limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue. The applicable indenture will provide that debt securities may be issued up to an aggregate principal amount authorized from time to time by us and may be payable in any currency or currency unit designated by us or in amounts determined by reference to an index.
General
The senior debt securities will constitute our unsubordinated general obligations and will rank pari passu with our other unsubordinated obligations. The subordinated debt securities will constitute our subordinated general obligations and will be junior in right of payment to our senior indebtedness (including senior debt securities), as described under the heading Certain Terms of the Subordinated Debt SecuritiesSubordination. The debt securities will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities of our subsidiaries unless such subsidiaries expressly guarantee such debt securities.
The debt securities will be our unsecured obligations unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Any secured debt or other secured obligations will be effectively senior to the debt securities to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt or other obligations.
The applicable prospectus supplement and/or free writing prospectus will include any additional or different terms of the debt securities being offered, including the following terms:
| the title and type of the debt securities; |
| whether the debt securities will be senior or subordinated debt securities, and, with respect to debt securities issued under the subordinated indenture the terms on which they are subordinated; |
| the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities; |
| the price or prices at which we will sell the debt securities; |
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| the maturity date or dates of the debt securities and the right, if any, to extend such date or dates; |
| the rate or rates, if any, per year, at which the debt securities will bear interest, or the method of determining such rate or rates; |
| the date or dates from which such interest will accrue, the interest payment dates on which such interest will be payable or the manner of determination of such interest payment dates and the related record dates; |
| the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of that extension; |
| the manner of paying principal and interest and the place or places where principal and interest will be payable; |
| provisions for a sinking fund, purchase fund or other analogous fund, if any; |
| any redemption dates, prices, obligations and restrictions on the debt securities; |
| the currency, currencies or currency units in which the debt securities will be denominated and the currency, currencies or currency units in which principal and interest, if any, on the debt securities may be payable; |
| any conversion or exchange features of the debt securities; |
| whether and upon what terms the debt securities may be defeased; |
| any events of default or covenants in addition to or in lieu of those set forth in the indenture; |
| whether the debt securities will be issued in definitive or global form or in definitive form only upon satisfaction of certain conditions; |
| whether the debt securities will be guaranteed as to payment or performance; |
| whether the debt securities will be secured by any collateral and, if so, a general description of the collateral and the terms and provisions of such collateral, security, pledge or other related agreements; |
| any material tax implications of the debt securities; and |
| any other material terms of the debt securities. |
When we refer to principal in this section with reference to the debt securities, we are also referring to premium, if any.
We may from time to time, without notice to or the consent of the holders of any series of debt securities, create and issue further debt securities of any such series ranking equally with the debt securities of such series in all respects (or in all respects other than (1) the payment of interest accruing prior to the issue date of such further debt securities or (2) the first payment of interest following the issue date of such further debt securities). Such further debt securities may be consolidated and form a single series with the debt securities of such series and have the same terms as to status, redemption or otherwise as the debt securities of such series.
You may present debt securities for exchange and you may present debt securities for transfer in the manner, at the places and subject to the restrictions set forth in the debt securities and the applicable prospectus supplement.
We will provide you those services without charge, although you may have to pay any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with any exchange or transfer, as set forth in the indenture.
Debt securities may bear interest at a fixed rate or a floating rate. Debt securities bearing no interest or interest at a rate that at the time of issuance is below the prevailing market rate (original issue discount securities)
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may be sold at a discount below their stated principal amount. U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to any such discounted debt securities or to certain debt securities issued at par which are treated as having been issued at a discount for U.S. federal income tax purposes will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We may issue debt securities with the principal amount payable on any principal payment date, or the amount of interest payable on any interest payment date, to be determined by reference to one or more currency exchange rates, securities or baskets of securities, commodity prices or indices. You may receive a payment of principal on any principal payment date, or a payment of interest on any interest payment date, that is greater than or less than the amount of principal or interest otherwise payable on such dates, depending on the value on such dates of the applicable currency, security or basket of securities, commodity or index. Information as to the methods for determining the amount of principal or interest payable on any date, the currencies, securities or baskets of securities, commodities or indices to which the amount payable on such date is linked and certain related tax considerations will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Certain Terms of the Senior Debt Securities
Covenants
Unless we indicate otherwise in a prospectus supplement, the senior debt securities will not contain any financial or restrictive covenants, including covenants restricting either us or any of our subsidiaries from incurring, issuing, assuming or guaranteeing any indebtedness secured by a lien on any of our or our subsidiaries property or capital stock, or restricting either us or any of our subsidiaries from entering into sale and leaseback transactions.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
Unless we indicate otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we may not consolidate with or merge into any other person, in a transaction in which we are not the surviving corporation, or convey, transfer or lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any person, in either case, unless:
| the successor entity, if any, is a U.S. corporation, limited liability company, partnership or trust (subject to certain exceptions provided for in the senior indenture); |
| the successor entity assumes our obligations on the senior debt securities and under the senior indenture; |
| immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no default or event of default shall have occurred and be continuing; and |
| certain other conditions are met. |
No Protection in the Event of a Change in Control
Unless we indicate otherwise in a prospectus supplement with respect to a particular series of senior debt securities, the senior debt securities will not contain any provisions that may afford holders of the senior debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control).
Events of Default
Unless we indicate otherwise in a prospectus supplement with respect to a particular series of senior debt securities, the following are events of default under the senior indenture for any series of senior debt securities:
| failure to pay interest on any senior debt securities of such series when due and payable, if that default continues for a period of 90 days (or such other period as may be specified for such series); |
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| failure to pay principal on the senior debt securities of such series when due and payable whether at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration or otherwise (and, if specified for such series, the continuance of such failure for a specified period); |
| default in the performance of or breach of any of our covenants or agreements in the senior indenture applicable to senior debt securities of such series, other than a covenant breach which is specifically dealt with elsewhere in the senior indenture, and that default or breach continues for a period of 90 days after we receive written notice from the trustee or from the holders of 25% or more in aggregate principal amount of the senior debt securities of such series; |
| certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency, whether or not voluntary; and |
| any other event of default provided for in such series of senior debt securities as may be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
The default by us under any other debt, including any other series of debt securities, is not a default under the senior indenture.
If an event of default other than an event of default specified in the fourth bullet point above occurs with respect to a series of senior debt securities and is continuing under the senior indenture, then, and in each such case, either the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of such series then outstanding under the senior indenture (each such series voting as a separate class) by written notice to us and to the trustee, if such notice is given by the holders, may, and the trustee at the request of such holders shall, declare the principal amount of and accrued interest on such series of senior debt securities to be immediately due and payable, and upon this declaration, the same shall become immediately due and payable.
If an event of default specified in the fourth bullet point above occurs with respect to us and is continuing, the entire principal amount of and accrued interest, if any, on each series of senior debt securities then outstanding shall become immediately due and payable.
Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement relating to a series of senior debt securities originally issued at a discount, the amount due upon acceleration shall include only the original issue price of the senior debt securities, the amount of original issue discount accrued to the date of acceleration and accrued interest, if any.
Upon certain conditions, declarations of acceleration may be rescinded and annulled and past defaults may be waived by the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of all the senior debt securities of such series affected by the default, each series voting as a separate class. Furthermore, subject to various provisions in the senior indenture, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of a series of senior debt securities, by notice to the trustee, may waive an existing default or event of default with respect to such senior debt securities and its consequences, except a default in the payment of principal of or interest on such senior debt securities or in respect of a covenant or provision of the senior indenture which cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holders of each such senior debt security. Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any event of default with respect to such senior debt securities shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of the senior indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or event of default or impair any right consequent thereto.
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of a series of senior debt securities may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to such senior debt securities. However, the trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or the senior indenture, that may involve the trustee in personal liability or that the trustee determines in good faith may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of holders of such series of senior debt securities not joining in the giving of such direction and may take any other action it
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deems proper that is not inconsistent with any such direction received from holders of such series of senior debt securities. A holder may not pursue any remedy with respect to the senior indenture or any series of senior debt securities unless:
| the holder gives the trustee written notice of a continuing event of default; |
| the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of such series of senior debt securities make a written request to the trustee to pursue the remedy in respect of such event of default; |
| the requesting holder or holders offer the trustee indemnity satisfactory to the trustee against any costs, liability or expense; |
| the trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and |
| during such 60-day period, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of such series of senior debt securities do not give the trustee a direction that is inconsistent with the request. |
These limitations, however, do not apply to the right of any holder of a senior debt security to receive payment of the principal of and interest, if any, on such senior debt security in accordance with the terms of such debt security, or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment in accordance with the terms of such debt security, on or after the due date for the senior debt securities, which right shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the holder.
The senior indenture requires certain of our officers to certify, on or before a fixed date in each year in which any senior debt security is outstanding, as to their knowledge of our compliance with all covenants, agreements and conditions under the senior indenture.
Satisfaction and Discharge
We can satisfy and discharge our obligations to holders of any series of debt securities if:
| we pay or cause to be paid, as and when due and payable, the principal of and any interest on all senior debt securities of such series outstanding under the senior indenture; or |
| all senior debt securities of such series have become due and payable or will become due and payable within one year (or are to be called for redemption within one year) and we deposit in trust a combination of cash and U.S. government or U.S. government agency obligations that will generate enough cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the debt securities of that series on their various due dates. |
Under current U.S. federal income tax law, the deposit and our legal release from the debt securities would be treated as though we took back your debt securities and gave you your share of the cash and debt securities or bonds deposited in trust. In that event, you could recognize gain or loss on the debt securities you give back to us. Purchasers of the debt securities should consult their own advisers with respect to the tax consequences to them of such deposit and discharge, including the applicability and effect of tax laws other than the U.S. federal income tax law.
Defeasance
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise, the following discussion of legal defeasance and discharge and covenant defeasance will apply to any series of debt securities issued under the indentures.
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Legal Defeasance
We can legally release ourselves from any payment or other obligations on the debt securities of any series (called legal defeasance) if certain conditions are met, including the following:
| We deposit in trust for your benefit and the benefit of all other direct holders of the debt securities of the same series a combination of cash and U.S. government or U.S. government agency obligations that will generate enough cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the debt securities of that series on their various due dates. |
| There is a change in current U.S. federal income tax law or an IRS ruling that lets us make the above deposit without causing you to be taxed on the debt securities any differently than if we did not make the deposit and instead repaid the debt securities ourselves when due. Under current U.S. federal income tax law, the deposit and our legal release from the debt securities would be treated as though we took back your debt securities and gave you your share of the cash and debt securities or bonds deposited in trust. In that event, you could recognize gain or loss on the debt securities you give back to us. |
| We deliver to the trustee a legal opinion of our counsel confirming the tax law change or ruling described above. |
If we accomplish legal defeasance, as described above, you would have to rely solely on the trust deposit for repayment of the debt securities. You could not look to us for repayment in the event of any shortfall.
Covenant Defeasance
Without any change of current U.S. federal tax law, we can make the same type of deposit described above and be released from some of the covenants in the debt securities (called covenant defeasance). In that event, you would lose the protection of those covenants but would gain the protection of having money and securities set aside in trust to repay the debt securities. In order to achieve covenant defeasance, we must do the following (among other things):
| We must deposit in trust for your benefit and the benefit of all other direct holders of the debt securities of the same series a combination of cash and U.S. government or U.S. government agency obligations that will generate enough cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the debt securities of that series on their various due dates. |
| We must deliver to the trustee a legal opinion of our counsel confirming that under current U.S. federal income tax law we may make the above deposit without causing you to be taxed on the debt securities any differently than if we did not make the deposit and instead repaid the debt securities ourselves when due. |
If we accomplish covenant defeasance, you could still look to us for repayment of the debt securities if there were a shortfall in the trust deposit. In fact, if one of the events of default occurred (such as our bankruptcy) and the debt securities become immediately due and payable, there may be such a shortfall. Depending on the events causing the default, you may not be able to obtain payment of the shortfall.
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may amend or supplement the senior indenture or the senior debt securities without the consent of any holder:
| to convey, transfer, assign, mortgage or pledge any assets as security for the senior debt securities of one or more series; |
| to evidence the succession of a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or trust to us, and the assumption by such successor of our covenants, agreements and obligations under the senior |
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indenture or to otherwise comply with the covenant relating to mergers, consolidations and sales of assets; |
| to comply with the requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the senior indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, or the Trust Indenture Act; |
| to add to our covenants such new covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions for the protection of the holders, and to make the occurrence, or the occurrence and continuance, of a default in any such additional covenants, restrictions, conditions or provisions an event of default; |
| to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the senior indenture or in any supplemental indenture or to conform the senior indenture or the senior debt securities to the description of senior debt securities of such series set forth in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement; |
| to provide for or add guarantors with respect to the senior debt securities of any series; |
| to establish the form or forms or terms of the senior debt securities as permitted by the senior indenture; |
| to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment under the senior indenture by a successor trustee, or to make such changes as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts in the senior indenture by more than one trustee; |
| to add to, delete from or revise the conditions, limitations and restrictions on the authorized amount, terms, purposes of issue, authentication and delivery of any series of senior debt securities; |
| to make any change to the senior debt securities of any series so long as no senior debt securities of such series are outstanding; or |
| to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder in any material respect. |
Other amendments and modifications of the senior indenture or the senior debt securities issued may be made, and our compliance with any provision of the senior indenture with respect to any series of senior debt securities may be waived, with the consent of the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding senior debt securities of all series affected by the amendment or modification (voting together as a single class); provided, however, that each affected holder must consent to any modification, amendment or waiver that:
| extends the final maturity of any senior debt securities of such series; |
| reduces the principal amount of any senior debt securities of such series; |
| reduces the rate or extends the time of payment of interest on any senior debt securities of such series; |
| reduces the amount payable upon the redemption of any senior debt securities of such series; |
| changes the currency of payment of principal of or interest on any senior debt securities of such series; |
| reduces the principal amount of original issue discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity or the amount provable in bankruptcy; |
| waives an uncured default in the payment of principal of or interest on the senior debt securities (except in the case of a rescission of acceleration as described above); |
| changes the provisions relating to the waiver of past defaults or changes or impairs the right of holders to receive payment or to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment or conversion of any senior debt securities of such series on or after the due date therefor; |
| modifies any of the provisions of these restrictions on amendments and modifications, except to increase any required percentage or to provide that certain other provisions cannot be modified or |
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waived without the consent of the holder of each senior debt security of such series affected by the modification; or |
| reduces the above-stated percentage of outstanding senior debt securities of such series whose holders must consent to a supplemental indenture or modifies, amends or waives certain provisions of or defaults under the senior indenture. |
It shall not be necessary for the holders to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if the holders consent approves the substance thereof. After an amendment, supplement or waiver of the senior indenture in accordance with the provisions described in this section becomes effective, the trustee must give to the holders affected thereby certain notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. Any failure by the trustee to give such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amendment, supplemental indenture or waiver.
No Personal Liability of Incorporators, Stockholders, Officers, Directors
The senior indenture provides that no recourse shall be had under any obligation, covenant or agreement of ours in the senior indenture or any supplemental indenture, or in any of the senior debt securities or because of the creation of any indebtedness represented thereby, against any of our incorporators, stockholders, officers or directors, past, present or future, or of any predecessor or successor entity thereof under any law, statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise. Each holder, by accepting the senior debt securities, waives and releases all such liability.
Concerning the Trustee
The senior indenture provides that, except during the continuance of an event of default, the trustee will not be liable except for the performance of such duties as are specifically set forth in the senior indenture. If an event of default has occurred and is continuing, the trustee will exercise such rights and powers vested in it under the senior indenture and will use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person would exercise under the circumstances in the conduct of such persons own affairs.
The senior indenture and the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act incorporated by reference therein contain limitations on the rights of the trustee thereunder, should it become a creditor of ours or any of our subsidiaries, to obtain payment of claims in certain cases or to realize on certain property received by it in respect of any such claims, as security or otherwise. The trustee is permitted to engage in other transactions, provided that if it acquires any conflicting interest (as defined in the Trust Indenture Act), it must eliminate such conflict or resign.
We may have normal banking relationships with the senior trustee in the ordinary course of business.
Unclaimed Funds
All funds deposited with the trustee or any paying agent for the payment of principal, premium, interest or additional amounts in respect of the senior debt securities that remain unclaimed for two years after the date upon which such principal, premium or interest became due and payable will be repaid to us. Thereafter, any right of any holder of senior debt securities to such funds shall be enforceable only against us, and the trustee and paying agents will have no liability therefor.
Governing Law
The senior indenture and the senior debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
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Certain Terms of the Subordinated Debt Securities
Other than the terms of the subordinated indenture and subordinated debt securities relating to subordination or otherwise as described in the prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of subordinated debt securities, the terms of the subordinated indenture and subordinated debt securities are identical in all material respects to the terms of the senior indenture and senior debt securities.
Additional or different subordination terms may be specified in the prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series.
Subordination
The indebtedness evidenced by the subordinated debt securities is subordinate to the prior payment in full of all of our senior indebtedness, as defined in the subordinated indenture. During the continuance beyond any applicable grace period of any default in the payment of principal, premium, interest or any other payment due on any of our senior indebtedness, we may not make any payment of principal of or interest on the subordinated debt securities (except for certain sinking fund payments). In addition, upon any payment or distribution of our assets upon any dissolution, winding-up, liquidation or reorganization, the payment of the principal of and interest on the subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to the extent provided in the subordinated indenture in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all our senior indebtedness. Because of this subordination, if we dissolve or otherwise liquidate, holders of our subordinated debt securities may receive less, ratably, than holders of our senior indebtedness. The subordination provisions do not prevent the occurrence of an event of default under the subordinated indenture.
The term senior indebtedness of a person means with respect to such person the principal of, premium, if any, interest on, and any other payment due pursuant to any of the following, whether outstanding on the date of the subordinated indenture or incurred by that person in the future:
| all of the indebtedness of that person for money borrowed; |
| all of the indebtedness of that person evidenced by notes, debentures, bonds or other securities sold by that person for money; |
| all of the lease obligations that are capitalized on the books of that person in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
| all indebtedness of others of the kinds described in the first two bullet points above and all lease obligations of others of the kind described in the third bullet point above that the person, in any manner, assumes or guarantees or that the person in effect guarantees through an agreement to purchase, whether that agreement is contingent or otherwise; and |
| all renewals, extensions or refundings of indebtedness of the kinds described in the first, second or fourth bullet point above and all renewals or extensions of leases of the kinds described in the third or fourth bullet point above; |
unless, in the case of any particular indebtedness, renewal, extension or refunding, the instrument creating or evidencing it or the assumption or guarantee relating to it expressly provides that such indebtedness, renewal, extension or refunding is not superior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities. Our senior debt securities constitute senior indebtedness for purposes of the subordinated debt indenture.
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The following description of our capital stock is intended as a summary only and therefore is not complete. This description is based upon, and is qualified by reference to, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, each as amended from time to time, and by applicable provisions of Delaware corporate law. You should read our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, which are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, for the provisions that are important to you.
Our authorized capital stock consists of 150,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. The following description of our capital stock and provisions of our certificate of incorporation and amended and restated by-laws are summaries and are qualified by reference to our certificate of incorporation and by-laws. Copies of these documents are filed with the SEC as exhibits to our registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. As of May 31, 2019, 26,713,617 shares of common stock were outstanding and no shares of preferred stock were outstanding.
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 will be determined by a plurality of the votes cast by the stockholders entitled to vote on the election. 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, except as otherwise disclosed below. 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 outstanding preferred stock.
In the event of our liquidation or dissolution, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive proportionately all 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. 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.
Listing on The Nasdaq Global Market. Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol ALRN.
Transfer Agent and Registrar. The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Preferred Stock
Under the terms of our certificate of incorporation, our board of directors is authorized 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.
A series of our preferred stock could, depending on the terms of such series, impede the completion of a merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt. Our board of directors will make any determination to issue preferred shares based upon its judgment as to the best interests of our stockholders. Our directors, in so acting, could issue preferred stock having terms that could discourage an acquisition attempt through which an acquirer may be able to change the composition of our board of directors, including a tender offer or other transaction that some, or a majority, of our stockholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which stockholders might receive a premium for their stock over the then-current market price of the stock.
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The preferred stock has the terms described below unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of preferred stock. You should read the prospectus supplement relating to the particular series of preferred stock being offered for specific terms, including:
| the designation and stated value per share of the preferred stock and the number of shares offered; |
| the amount of liquidation preference per share; |
| the price at which the preferred stock will be issued; |
| the dividend rate, or method of calculation of dividends, the dates on which dividends will be payable, whether dividends will be cumulative or noncumulative and, if cumulative, the dates from which dividends will commence to accumulate; |
| any redemption or sinking fund provisions; |
| if other than the currency of the United States, the currency or currencies including composite currencies in which the preferred stock is denominated and/or in which payments will or may be payable; |
| any conversion provisions; and |
| any other rights, preferences, privileges, limitations and restrictions on the preferred stock. |
The preferred stock will, when issued, be fully paid and non-assessable. Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, each series of preferred stock will rank equally as to dividends and liquidation rights in all respects with each other series of preferred stock. The rights of holders of shares of each series of preferred stock will be subordinate to those of our general creditors.
Rank. Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, the preferred stock will, with respect to dividend rights and rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, rank:
| senior to our common stock and to all equity securities ranking junior to such preferred stock with respect to dividend rights or rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs; |
| on a parity with all equity securities issued by us, the terms of which specifically provide that such equity securities rank on a parity with the preferred stock with respect to dividend rights or rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs; and |
| junior to all equity securities issued by us, the terms of which specifically provide that such equity securities rank senior to the preferred stock with respect to dividend rights or rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs. |
The term equity securities does not include convertible debt securities.
Dividends. Holders of the preferred stock of each series will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by our board of directors, cash dividends at such rates and on such dates described in the prospectus supplement. Different series of preferred stock may be entitled to dividends at different rates or based on different methods of calculation. The dividend rate may be fixed or variable or both. Dividends will be payable to the holders of record as they appear on our stock books on record dates fixed by our board of directors, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Dividends on any series of preferred stock may be cumulative or noncumulative, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If our board of directors does not declare a dividend payable on a dividend payment date on any series of noncumulative preferred stock, then the holders of that noncumulative preferred stock will have no right to receive a dividend for that dividend payment date, and we will have no obligation to pay the dividend accrued for that period, whether or not dividends on that series are declared payable on any future dividend payment dates. Dividends on any series of cumulative preferred stock will accrue from the date we initially issue shares of such series or such other date specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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No dividends may be declared or paid or funds set apart for the payment of any dividends on any parity securities unless full dividends have been paid or set apart for payment on the preferred stock. If full dividends are not paid, the preferred stock will share dividends pro rata with the parity securities.
No dividends may be declared or paid or funds set apart for the payment of dividends on any securities junior to the preferred stock unless full dividends for all dividend periods terminating on or prior to the date of the declaration or payment will have been paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment set apart for payment on the preferred stock.
Liquidation Preference. Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, then, before we make any distribution or payment to the holders of any common stock or any other class or series of our capital stock ranking junior to the preferred stock in the distribution of assets upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs, the holders of each series of preferred stock shall be entitled to receive out of assets legally available for distribution to stockholders, liquidating distributions in the amount of the liquidation preference per share set forth in the prospectus supplement, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon. Such dividends will not include any accumulation in respect of unpaid noncumulative dividends for prior dividend periods. Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, after payment of the full amount of their liquidating distributions, the holders of preferred stock will have no right or claim to any of our remaining assets. Upon any such voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, if our available assets are insufficient to pay the amount of the liquidating distributions on all outstanding preferred stock and the corresponding amounts payable on all other classes or series of our capital stock ranking on parity with the preferred stock and all other such classes or series of shares of capital stock ranking on parity with the preferred stock in the distribution of assets, then the holders of the preferred stock and all other such classes or series of capital stock will share ratably in any such distribution of assets in proportion to the full liquidating distributions to which they would otherwise be entitled.
Upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up and if we have made liquidating distributions in full to all holders of preferred stock, we will distribute our remaining assets among the holders of any other classes or series of capital stock ranking junior to the preferred stock according to their respective rights and preferences and, in each case, according to their respective number of shares. For such purposes, our consolidation or merger with or into any other corporation, trust or entity, or the sale, lease or conveyance of all or substantially all of our property or assets will not be deemed to constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs.
Redemption. If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, the preferred stock will be subject to mandatory redemption or redemption at our option, as a whole or in part, in each case upon the terms, at the times and at the redemption prices set forth in such prospectus supplement.
The prospectus supplement relating to a series of preferred stock that is subject to mandatory redemption will specify the number of shares of preferred stock that shall be redeemed by us in each year commencing after a date to be specified, at a redemption price per share to be specified, together with an amount equal to all accrued and unpaid dividends thereon to the date of redemption. Unless the shares have a cumulative dividend, such accrued dividends will not include any accumulation in respect of unpaid dividends for prior dividend periods. We may pay the redemption price in cash or other property, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. If the redemption price for preferred stock of any series is payable only from the net proceeds of the issuance of shares of our capital stock, the terms of such preferred stock may provide that, if no such shares of our capital stock shall have been issued or to the extent the net proceeds from any issuance are insufficient to pay in full the aggregate redemption price then due, such preferred stock shall automatically and mandatorily be converted into the applicable shares of our capital stock pursuant to conversion provisions specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we will not redeem any preferred stock of a series unless:
| if that series of preferred stock has a cumulative dividend, we have declared and paid or contemporaneously declare and pay or set aside funds to pay full cumulative dividends on the preferred stock for all past dividend periods and the then current dividend period; or |
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| if such series of preferred stock does not have a cumulative dividend, we have declared and paid or contemporaneously declare and pay or set aside funds to pay full dividends for the then current dividend period. |
In addition, we will not acquire any preferred stock of a series unless:
| if that series of preferred stock has a cumulative dividend, we have declared and paid or contemporaneously declare and pay or set aside funds to pay full cumulative dividends on all outstanding shares of such series of preferred stock for all past dividend periods and the then current dividend period; or |
| if that series of preferred stock does not have a cumulative dividend, we have declared and paid or contemporaneously declare and pay or set aside funds to pay full dividends on the preferred stock of such series for the then current dividend period. |
However, at any time we may purchase or acquire preferred stock of that series (1) pursuant to a purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all outstanding preferred stock of such series or (2) by conversion into or exchange for shares of our capital stock ranking junior to the preferred stock of such series as to dividends and upon liquidation.
If fewer than all of the outstanding shares of preferred stock of any series are to be redeemed, we will determine the number of shares that may be redeemed pro rata from the holders of record of such shares in proportion to the number of such shares held or for which redemption is requested by such holder or by any other equitable manner that we determine. Such determination will reflect adjustments to avoid redemption of fractional shares.
Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement, we will mail notice of redemption at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the redemption date to each holder of record of preferred stock to be redeemed at the address shown on our stock transfer books. Each notice shall state:
| the redemption date; |
| the number of shares and series of preferred stock to be redeemed; |
| the redemption price; |
| the place or places where certificates for such preferred stock are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price; |
| that dividends on the shares to be redeemed will cease to accrue on such redemption date; |
| the date on which the holders conversion rights, if any, as to such shares shall terminate; and |
| the specific number of shares to be redeemed from each such holder if fewer than all the shares of any series are to be redeemed. |
If notice of redemption has been given and we have set aside the funds necessary for such redemption in trust for the benefit of the holders of any shares called for redemption, then from and after the redemption date, dividends will cease to accrue on such shares, and all rights of the holders of such shares will terminate, except the right to receive the redemption price.
Voting Rights. Holders of preferred stock will not have any voting rights, except as required by law or as indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless otherwise provided for under the terms of any series of preferred stock, no consent or vote of the holders of shares of preferred stock or any series thereof shall be required for any amendment to our certificate of
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incorporation that would increase the number of authorized shares of preferred stock or the number of authorized shares of any series thereof or decrease the number of authorized shares of preferred stock or the number of authorized shares of any series thereof (but not below the number of authorized shares of preferred stock or such series, as the case may be, then outstanding).
Conversion Rights. The terms and conditions, if any, upon which any series of preferred stock is convertible into our common stock will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating thereto. Such terms will include the number of shares of common stock into which the shares of preferred stock are convertible, the conversion price, rate or manner of calculation thereof, the conversion period, provisions as to whether conversion will be at our option or at the option of the holders of the preferred stock, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price and provisions affecting conversion in the event of the redemption.
Transfer Agent and Registrar. The transfer agent and registrar for the preferred stock will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law and Our Charter and Bylaws
Delaware law contains, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws contain, provisions that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another party from acquiring control of us. These provisions, which are summarized below, are expected 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.
Staggered Board; Removal of Directors
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws divide our board of directors into three classes with staggered three-year terms. In addition, a director may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all of our stockholders would be entitled to cast in an annual election of directors. Any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office. The classification of our board of directors and the limitations on the removal of directors and filling of vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of our company.
Stockholder Action by Written Consent; Special Meetings
Our certificate of incorporation provides that any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of such holders and may not be effected by any consent in writing by such holders. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws also provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of our stockholders can only be called by our chairman of the board, our chief executive officer or our board of directors.
Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals
Our bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our board of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting may consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to our secretary of the stockholders intention to bring such business before the meeting. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next stockholder meeting stockholder actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities.
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Delaware Business Combination Statute
We are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Subject to certain exceptions, Section 203 prevents a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with any interested stockholder for three years following the date that the person became an interested stockholder, unless the interested stockholder attained such status with the approval of our board of directors or unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A business combination includes, among other things, a merger or consolidation involving us and the interested stockholder and the sale of more than 10% of our assets. In general, an interested stockholder is any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such entity or person.
Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws
The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporations certificate of incorporation or bylaws, unless a corporations certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Our bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all of our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any annual election of directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all of our stockholders would be entitled to cast in any annual election of directors is required to amend or repeal or to adopt any provisions inconsistent with any of the provisions of our certificate of incorporation described above under Staggered Board; Removal of Directors and Stockholder Action by Written Consent; Special Meetings.
Exclusive Forum Selection
Our certificate of incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our company, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or employees to our company or our stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim against our company arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or (4) any action asserting a claim against our company governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Although our certificate of incorporation contains the choice of forum provision described above, it is possible that a court could rule that such a provision is inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provision is unenforceable.
Authorized but Unissued Shares
Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuance without stockholder approval, subject to any limitations imposed by the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Global Market. These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate finance transactions, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could make it more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.
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We may issue units comprised of one or more of the other securities that may be offered under this prospectus, in any combination. The following, together with the additional information we may include in the applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any units we may offer, we will describe the particular terms of any series of units in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time, or at any time before a specified date.
Any applicable prospectus supplement will describe:
| the material terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
| any material provisions relating to the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and |
| any material provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described above. |
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We may issue warrants to purchase common stock, preferred stock or debt securities. We may offer warrants separately or together with one or more additional warrants, common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, or any combination of those securities in the form of units, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we issue warrants as part of a unit, the accompanying prospectus supplement will specify whether those warrants may be separated from the other securities in the unit prior to the expiration date of the warrants. The applicable prospectus supplement will also describe the following terms of any warrants:
| the specific designation and aggregate number of, and the offering price at which we will issue, the warrants; |
| the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable; |
| the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will begin and the date on which that right will expire or, if you may not continuously exercise the warrants throughout that period, the specific date or dates on which you may exercise the warrants; |
| whether the warrants are to be sold separately or with other securities as parts of units; |
| whether the warrants will be issued in definitive or global form or in any combination of these forms, although, in any case, the form of a warrant included in a unit will correspond to the form of the unit and of any security included in that unit; |
| any applicable material U.S. federal income tax consequences; |
| the identity of the warrant agent for the warrants and of any other depositaries, execution or paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents; |
| the proposed listing, if any, of the warrants or any securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants on any securities exchange; |
| the designation and terms of any equity securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants; |
| the designation, aggregate principal amount, currency and terms of any debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of the warrants; |
| if applicable, the designation and terms of the preferred stock with which the warrants are issued and, the number of warrants issued with each security; |
| if applicable, the date from and after which any warrants issued as part of a unit and the related preferred stock, common stock or debt security will be separately transferable; |
| the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which those shares may be purchased; |
| if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time; |
| information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; |
| the anti-dilution provisions of, and other provisions for changes to or adjustment in the exercise price of, the warrants, if any; |
| any redemption or call provisions; and |
| any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange or exercise of the warrants. |
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Each debt security, warrant and unit will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. Unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise, certificated securities in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the security, and in order to transfer or exchange these securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the securities to the trustee, registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the debt securities, warrants or units represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investors beneficial ownership of the securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.
Global Securities
We may issue the debt securities, warrants and units in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those cases, one or more global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the securities to be represented by global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for securities in definitive registered form, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the global security, the nominees of the depositary or any successors of the depositary or those nominees.
If not described below, any specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any securities to be represented by a global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.
Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or persons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants accounts with the respective principal or face amounts of the securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of these securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in global securities.
So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by the global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture, warrant or unit agreement. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a global security will not be entitled to have the securities represented by the global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the securities under the applicable indenture, warrant or unit agreement. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture, warrant or unit agreement. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, warrant or unit
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agreement, the depositary for the global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.
Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities, and any payments to holders with respect to warrants or units, represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the global security. None of us, or any trustee, warrant agent, unit agent or any other agent of ours, or any agent of any trustee, warrant agent or unit agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial ownership interests.
We expect that the depositary for any of the securities represented by a global security, upon receipt of any payment to holders of principal, premium, interest or other distribution of underlying securities or other property on that registered global security, will immediately credit participants accounts in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers or registered in street name, and will be the responsibility of those participants.
If the depositary for any of the securities represented by a global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for the global security that had been held by the depositary. Any securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a global security will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the relevant trustee, warrant agent, unit agent or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositarys instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global security that had been held by the depositary.
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We may sell securities:
| to or through underwriters; |
| to or through brokers or dealers; |
| through agents; |
| directly to one or more purchasers in negotiated sales or competitively bid transactions; or |
| through a block trade in which the broker or dealer engaged to handle the block trade will attempt to sell the securities as agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; or |
| through a combination of any of these methods of sale. |
In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. We will, in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering, name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act, and describe any commissions that we must pay. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis.
The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions:
| at a fixed price, or prices, which may be changed from time to time; |
| at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
| at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or |
| at negotiated prices. |
Each prospectus supplement will describe the method of distribution of the securities and any applicable restrictions.
The prospectus supplement with respect to the securities of a particular series will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including the following:
| the name of the agent or any underwriters; |
| the public offering or purchase price and the proceeds we will receive from the sale of the securities; |
| any discounts and commissions to be allowed or re-allowed or paid to the agent or underwriters; |
| all other items constituting underwriting compensation; |
| any discounts and commissions to be allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers; and |
| any exchanges on which the securities will be listed. |
If any underwriters or agents are utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will enter into an underwriting agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.
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If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.
If we offer securities in a subscription rights offering to our existing security holders, we may enter into a standby underwriting agreement with dealers, acting as standby underwriters. We may pay the standby underwriters a commitment fee for the securities they commit to purchase on a standby basis. If we do not enter into a standby underwriting arrangement, we may retain a dealer-manager to manage a subscription rights offering for us.
Remarketing firms, agents, underwriters, dealers and other persons may be entitled under agreements which they may enter into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.
If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase securities from us pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date stated in the prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate amount of securities sold pursuant to such contracts shall not be less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom the contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and other institutions, but shall in all cases be subject to our approval. Delayed delivery contracts will not be subject to any conditions except that:
| the purchase by an institution of the securities covered under that contract shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which that institution is subject; and |
| if the securities are also being sold to underwriters acting as principals for their own account, the underwriters shall have purchased such securities not sold for delayed delivery. The underwriters and other persons acting as our agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of delayed delivery contracts. |
Certain agents, underwriters and dealers, and their associates and affiliates may be customers of, have borrowing relationships with, engage in other transactions with, and/or perform services, including investment banking services, for us or one or more of our respective affiliates in the ordinary course of business.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may overallot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.
Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. The applicable prospectus supplement may provide that the original issue date for your securities may be more than two scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities. Accordingly, in such a case, if you wish to trade securities on any
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date prior to the second business day before the original issue date for your securities, you will be required, by virtue of the fact that your securities initially are expected to settle in more than two scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities, to make alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.
The securities may be new issues of securities and may have no established trading market. The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. We can make no assurance as to the liquidity of or the existence of trading markets for any of the securities.
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Unless the applicable prospectus supplement indicates otherwise, the validity of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered will be passed upon by Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.
The financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 have been so incorporated in reliance on the report (which contains an explanatory paragraph relating to the Companys ability to continue as a going concern as described in Note 1 to the financial statements) of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
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32,630,983 Shares
Common Stock
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
January 6, 2021