UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

 

x ANNUAL REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.

 

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014

 

OR

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.

 

For the transition period from ___________ to _____________

 

Commission file number: 001-31326

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.  
  (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)  

 

Delaware   84-1368850
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

 

721 Route 202/206, Suite 130, Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

 

  (908) 864-4444  
  (Registrant’s telephone number,
including area code)
 

 

Securities registered under Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class   Name of each exchange on which registered
None    

 

Securities registered under Section 12(g) of the Act:

 

Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share.

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.   Yes ¨    No x

  

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act .    Yes ¨    No x

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.   Yes x    No ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes x    No ¨

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x

 

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

 

Large accelerated filer   ¨ Accelerated filer ¨
   
Non-accelerated filer ¨ Smaller reporting company   x

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).   Yes ¨     No x

 

As of December 31, 2013, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $28,660,614, based on the closing sales price as reported on the OTCQB Marketplace on that date.

 

The number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock, as of September 15, 2014:

 

Class   Number of Shares
     
Common Stock, $0.01 par value   13,846,361
Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value   580

 

 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Item       Page
             
PART I   1.   Business   1
    1A.   Risk Factors   14
    1B.   Unresolved Staff Comments   30
    2.   Properties   30
    3.   Legal Proceedings   30
    4.   Mine Safety Disclosures   30
             
PART II   5.   Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities   31
    6.   Selected Financial Data   34
    7.   Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations   35
    7A.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk   51
    8.   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data   52
    9.   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure   52
    9A.   Controls and Procedures   52
    9B.   Other Information   53
             
PART III   10.   Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance   54
    11.   Executive Compensation   54
    12.   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters   54
    13.   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence   54
    14.   Principal Accounting Fees and Services   54
             
PART IV   15.   Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules   55
             
SIGNATURES   56
     
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   F-1

 

- i -
 

 

PART I

 

Item 1. Business.

 

Our Business

 

The primary business of Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation incorporated in 1999, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Senesco, Inc., a New Jersey corporation incorporated in 1998, and Fabrus, Inc., a Delaware corporation incorporated in 2011, collectively referred to as “Senesco,” “we,” “us” or “our,” is to utilize our patented and patent-pending technology related to antibody genes, antibody discovery technology, modified cow antibodies, and antibody drug candidates, and certain genes, primarily eukaryotic translation initiation Factor 5A, or Factor 5A, and deoxyhypusine synthase, or DHS, and related technologies for human therapeutic applications to develop novel approaches to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases.

 

In September 2014, the Company began the process of changing its name from Senesco Technologies, Inc. to Sevion Therapeutics, Inc.

 

Acquisition of Fabrus, Inc. - On May 16, 2014 we acquired Fabrus, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or Fabrus, pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization, or the Merger Agreement, by and among Senesco, Fabrus and Senesco Fab Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Senesco, referred to herein as the Merger Sub. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the merger, Merger Sub merged with and into Fabrus, with Fabrus surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Senesco. In accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the merger, each issued and outstanding share of common stock of Merger Sub was automatically converted into one share of common stock of the surviving company and each issued and outstanding share of common stock of Fabrus was cancelled and automatically converted into the right to receive a pro rata portion of the transaction consideration.

 

Antibody Genes - We believe our antibody platforms have broad applicability to human health by allowing the discovery of unique monoclonal antibodies against difficult membrane targets in several therapeutic areas. Our antibody therapeutic candidates target the Kv1.3 ion channel, which is important in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Other antibodies in our pipeline target important cell surface molecules involved in cancer progression.

 

Antibody Discovery Technology - Traditional antibody drug discovery methods, such as phage/yeast display or immunization, rely on competitive selection from a pool of antibodies to identify a lead therapeutic candidate. In these methods, a mixture of antibodies compete for binding to a purified target, and the antibody molecules that bind the strongest to the target, referred to as high affinity, are ultimately discovered. While these approaches have led to many successful antibody therapeutics, there are at least two drawbacks. First, the drug targets have been limited to only those proteins which can be easily purified. Many important target classes, including multispanning membrane proteins, cannot be easily purified in functional form. Secondly, when discovery is driven by selection based on competitive binding and affinity, the result is a significant limitation in the number of functional lead antibodies. In this regards, the highest affinity antibody, however, isn’t always the best therapeutic since lower affinity molecules may have unique activities or lower toxicities than the highest affinity binder. Thus, modulating a pathway more subtly to treat disease is often preferable to affecting it in a binary fashion through competition related to high-affinity binding. We believe the technology to identify (i) antibodies against unpurified targets, particularly multispanning membrane proteins like G Protein Coupled Receptors, or GPCR’s, and ion channels, and (ii) a range of antibodies with different affinities and activities will enable us to discover new antibody drug leads compared to existing technologies.

 

1
 

 

We have developed the world’s first “spatially addressed” antibody library with an expansive combinatorial collection of recombinant antibodies in which each well contains a single species of antibody of known concentration, composition and sequence. Our spatially addressed library allows us to evaluate the therapeutic potential of each antibody individually in a non-competitive way and allows direct discovery on the cell surface. This approach is more analogous to traditional small molecule drug discovery and allows us to screen antibodies for functional drug activity as opposed to simple binding properties. This next generation discovery system unlocks epitopes, targets, and functions that are only identifiable in the context of a living cell.

 

Modified Cow Antibodies - Despite the enormous diversity of the antibody repertoire, human antibodies all have a similar geometry, shape and binding mode. Our scientists have discovered and humanized a novel class of therapeutic antibodies derived from cows that have a highly unusual structure for binding targets. This unique ultralong Complementary Determining Region 3, or CDR3 structural domain found in cow antibodies is comprised of a knob on a stalk that protrudes far from the antibody surface, creating the potential for entirely new types of therapeutic functionality. Using both our humanized spatially addressed antibody library and direct engineering of the knob, we are exploring the ability of utilizing the knob and stalk structure to functionally interact with important therapeutic targets, including GPCRs, ion channels and other multispanning membrane therapeutic targets on the cell surface. Our lead antibody, SVN001, was derived from these efforts.

 

Antibody Drug Candidates – We have created functional antibodies that modulate GPCRs and ion channels, two classes of targets that have proven difficult to address using conventional antibody discovery approaches.

 

SVN001

SVN001 is an ion channel blocking antibody which is potentially the first therapeutic antibody against this target class. SVN001 targets an ion channel, Kv1.3, which has been implicated in a number of different autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis. By targeting a unique subset of immune cells, SVN001 is not believed to be broadly immunosuppressive, therefore potentially improving the safety profile compared to typical immunosuppressants. We are advancing SVN001 through preclinical development where it has demonstrated potent activity.

 

SVN002

SVN002 is a unique antibody against an oncology target that holds the potential to significantly impact highly metastatic tumors that are resistant to the class of drugs that target vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. The target is highly expressed in clear cell renal carcinoma, where it is associated with poor prognosis. We are advancing SVN002 through preclinical development.

 

2
 

 

Factor 5A

 

We believe that our Factor 5A gene regulatory technology could have broad applicability in the human therapeutic field, by either inducing or inhibiting programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis, which is the natural process the human body goes through in order to eliminate redundant or defective cells. Inducing apoptosis is useful in treating cancer where the defective cancer cells have failed to respond to the body’s natural apoptotic signals. Conversely, inhibiting apoptosis may be useful in preventing, ameliorating or treating an exaggerated, acute immune response in a wide range of inflammatory and ischemic diseases attributable to or aggravated by premature apoptosis.

 

Scripps License

 

On August 8, 2014, our subsidiary Fabrus entered into a license agreement with The Scripps Research Institute, or Scripps, whereby Fabrus licensed from Scripps certain intellectual property related to Fabrus’ antibody platforms. In consideration for the license, Fabrus will pay to Scripps an annual license fee in the low five figures as well as a running royalty equal to a rate in the low single digits on net sales of products that include the intellectual property licensed under the agreement. In addition, Fabrus is required to make certain cash payments to Scripps upon the achievement of certain significant product development milestones, such payments ranging from the low six figures to the low seven figures, depending upon the event.

 

SNS01-T for B-cell cancers

 

We have developed a therapeutic candidate, SNS01-T, for the potential treatment of B-cell cancers such as multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas. SNS01-T utilizes our Factor 5A technology and comprises two active components: a DNA plasmid, or pDNA, expressing human eIF5A containing a lysine to arginine substitution at amino acid position 50, or eIF5AK50R, and a small inhibitory RNA, or siRNA. These two components are combined in a fixed ratio with a polymer, polyethyleneimine, or PEI, which enables self-assembly of the DNA and RNA into nanoparticles with demonstrated enhanced delivery to tissues and protection from degradation in the blood stream. Under the control of a B cell selective promoter, SNS01-T’s DNA plasmid up-regulates the apoptotic pathways within cancer cells by preferentially expressing the stable arginine form of the Factor 5A death message in target cells. The siRNA, by silencing the eIF5A gene, reduces expression of the hypusine form of Factor 5A that supports cell survival and proliferation. The silencing of the eIF5A gene by an eIF5A siRNA also down-regulates anti-apoptotic proteins, such as NFkB, ICAM and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which protect malignant cells from apoptosis and promote cell growth in multiple myeloma. The PEI, a cationic polymer, promotes auto-assembly of a nanoparticle with the other two components for intravenous delivery and protects the combination from degradation in the bloodstream until the nanoparticle is taken up by the tumor cell, where the siRNA and DNA plasmid are released.

 

We have been granted orphan drug status for SNS01-T by the United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for the potential treatment of multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, or MCL, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or DLBCL, and are completing a Phase 1b/2a clinical study to assess the effects of SNS01-T in patients with these indications. The clinical study was an open-label, multiple-dose, dose-escalation study, which is evaluating the safety and tolerability of SNS01-T when administered by intravenous infusion in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma. The study design called for four cohorts of three to six patients each. Patients in each cohort received twice-weekly dosing for six weeks followed by up to a four-week safety data review period before escalating to a higher dose level in the next cohort.

 

3
 

 

While the primary objective of this study was to evaluate safety and tolerability, the effect of SNS01-T on tumor response and time to relapse or progression was also assessed using multiple well-established metrics including measurement of monoclonal protein in multiple myeloma and CT/PET imaging in MCL and DLBCL.

 

The study was performed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR, the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown, WV, the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in Seattle, WA, the Pretoria East Hospital, in Pretoria, South Africa and the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

 

The results of the first three cohorts showed that SNS01-T met the criteria for Stable Disease at the end of treatment in 4 of the 10 evaluable patients. Review of the adverse events by the Data Review Committee concluded that SNS01-T showed sufficient safety and tolerability to permit escalation to the dose level in cohort 4. In August 2014, the safety portion of the study established a maximum tolerated dose following the reporting of a second dose limiting toxicity, or DLT, in the fourth and highest dosing cohort (0.375 mg/kg). The first DLT observed was a Grade 4 infusion reaction that occurred in a patient who had not received the designated pre-medications. The second DLT, an uncomplicated Grade 4 neutropenia, occurred after eight doses in a lymphoma patient. A total of eight patients were enrolled into cohort 4. With the completion of the high dose cohort, the trial has completed recruitment. All patients currently enrolled may continue treatment at the recommended cohort 3 dose level of 0.2 mg/kg and will be monitored through completion of their study treatment.

 

SNS01-T used in combination with other drugs

 

We have demonstrated in human multiple myeloma cell lines that there may be an additional benefit to combining SNS01-T with other approved myeloma drugs, such as bortezomib and lenalidomide. We have shown, in vitro, that these drugs are up to forty (40) times more effective in inhibiting cell growth when used in combination with SNS01-T. These results further reinforce the significance of our target and will guide us in designing future clinical studies. We have demonstrated that a high level of tumor eradication in a mouse model of human multiple myeloma was achieved with a combination of SNS01-T and lenalidomide. While SNS01-T alone performed well by completely eliminating tumors in 40% of the animals, complete tumor eradication was achieved in five out of six or 83% of the treated animals that received SNS01-T combined with the optimal study dose of lenalidomide. This effect lasted throughout 6 weeks of observation after the end of treatment. Neither dose of lenalidomide used alone eliminated tumors in any of the treated mice. Most recently, we have demonstrated the benefits of combining SNS01-T with bortezomib. In a mouse model of human multiple myeloma, SNS01-T as a monotherapy achieved 59% tumor growth inhibition, which exceeded that of bortezomib alone at either the 0.2 mg/kg dose (22% inhibition) or at the 0.5 mg/kg dose (39% inhibition). However, the combination of SNS01-T with 0.5 mg/kg of bortezomib resulted in 89% tumor inhibition, which was significantly more effective than either SNS01-T or bortezomib alone.

 

4
 

 

We have demonstrated that the combination of lenalidomide and SNS01-T performs better than either treatment alone in mouse xenograft models of human mantle cell lymphoma. When SCID mice, implanted with an aggressive human mantle cell lymphoma cell line (JVM2), were treated with either 15 mg/kg lenalidomide (5 times weekly by intra-peritoneal injection) or 0.375 mg/kg SNS01-T (twice weekly by intravenous injection) there was a growth delay of 4 days and 14 days, respectively. Mice treated with a combination of both drugs using the same dose levels and dosing regimens exhibited a tumor growth delay of 27 days (p value = 0.0008).

 

The median survival of mice treated with control nanoparticles was 21 days. Mice treated with lenalidomide or SNS01-T had a median survival of 28 days (33 % increase) and 37 days (76 % increase), respectively. Mice treated with the drug combination had a median survival of 52 days, an increase in survival of 148 %. Survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method revealed that treatment of mice with the drug combination resulted in statistically significant increases in survival compared to both SNS01-T (p value = 0.002) and lenalidomide (p value = 0.007) alone. We believe that the results of these studies not only support moving forward in multiple myeloma, but also support extending our clinical evaluation of SNS01-T in other B-cell cancers.

 

We may consider other human diseases in order to determine the role of Factor 5A and SNS01-T. We may further expand our research and development program beyond the initiatives listed above to include other diseases and research centers.

 

Human Therapeutic Target Markets

 

We believe that our eIF5A platform technology may have broad applicability in the human therapeutic field, by either inducing or inhibiting apoptosis. Inducing apoptosis may be useful in treating certain forms of cancer where tumor cells do not respond to immune system signals to undergo apoptosis. Inhibiting apoptosis may be useful in preventing or treating a wide range of inflammatory and ischemic diseases attributed to premature apoptosis, including diabetes, diabetic retinopathy and lung inflammation.

 

We anticipate that we may enter into a collaboration with a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company to support the further development of SNS01-T after we complete our Phase 1b/2a clinical trial in multiple myeloma, MCL and DLBCL. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to enter into such a collaboration or that one will be available on terms satisfactory to us.

 

Human Therapeutic Research Program

 

Our antibody research program consists of preclinical in vitro and in vivo experiments aimed at discerning the role of inhibition of the Kv1.3 ion channel with SVN001. These experiments show potent (sub-nanomolar) activities against human T-cells in regard to inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokine release, for example TNF a , IL-17, granzyme B as well as T-cell activation and proliferation. Biochemical studies indicate the feasibility of manufacturing and formulation for subcutaneous administration in future studies. Our second antibody, SVN002, blocks a key pathway in angiogenesis and could be useful in treating solid tumors, particularly clear cell renal cell carcinoma, which is highly angiogenic and ultimately develops resistance to VEGF inhibitors. In vitro and in vivo experiments are designed to assess the activity of SVN002 on angiogenic signaling pathways and tumor inhibitory activity. Planned future research for SVN001 and SVN002 includes further in vitro and in vivo mechanistic and toxicology studies to support an investigational new drug or IND application.

 

5
 

 

Our human gene-regulation therapeutic research program, which consists of pre-clinical in-vitro and in-vivo experiments designed to assess the role and mode of action of Factor 5A in human diseases and a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial, was performed by third party researchers, at our direction, at Criterium, our contract research organization and the University of Waterloo and other facilities. Additionally, we outsource certain projects, such as our clinical trial, to other third party research organizations.

 

On September 1, 1998, we entered into, and have extended through August 31, 2015, a research and development agreement with the University of Waterloo and Dr. Thompson as the principal inventor. The Research and Development Agreement provides that the University of Waterloo will perform research and development under our direction, and we will pay for the cost of this work and make certain payments to the University of Waterloo. In return for payments made under the Research and Development Agreements, we have all rights to the intellectual property derived from the research.

 

Our planned future research and development initiatives for human therapeutics include:

 

· Multiple Myeloma, Mantle Cell Lymphoma and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. Complete our Phase 1b/2a clinical trial by October 2014.

 

· We may consider targeting cancers in other tissues by modifying the structure of SNS01-T, e.g., liver cancer.

 

· We are exploring the use of our Factor 5A technology in other disease applications in oncology and inflammation.

 

In order to pursue the above research initiatives, as well as other research initiatives that may arise, we will use our cash reserves as of June 30, 2014. However, it will be necessary for us to raise a significant amount of additional working capital in the future. If we are unable to raise the necessary funds, we may be required to significantly curtail the future development of some or all of our research initiatives and we will be unable to pursue other possible research initiatives.

 

We may further expand our research and development program beyond the initiatives listed above to include other diseases and research centers.

 

Human Therapeutic Suppliers

 

The materials for our lead therapeutic candidate, SNS01-T, for multiple myeloma consists of three parts: a pDNA expressing human eIF5A K50R ; an siRNA, whose sequence corresponds to an untranslated region of native eIF5A mRNA; and linear PEI which enables self-assembly of the nucleic acids into nanoparticles. We have entered into supply agreements for the components as follows:

 

On June 27, 2008, we entered into a supply agreement with VGXI, Inc., or VGXI, under which VGXI will supply us with the plasmid portion of the Company’s combination therapy, hereinafter referred to as the VGXI Product. The agreement has an initial term that commenced on the date of the agreement and runs for a period of five (5) years, which has been extended through March 2015. Our financial obligation under the agreement is dependent upon the amount of VGXI Product ordered by the Company.

 

6
 

 

On June 30, 2008, we entered into a supply agreement with Polyplus-transfection, or POLYPLUS, under which POLYPLUS will supply the Company with its “in vivo-jetPEI”, hereinafter referred to as the POLYPLUS Product, which is used in the formulation and systemic delivery of the Company’s combination therapy. The agreement has an initial term which commenced on the date of the agreement and runs until the eighth anniversary of the first sale of our product containing the POLYPLUS Product. The agreement shall automatically renew for consecutive one (1) year periods thereafter, except if terminated by either party upon six (6) months written notice prior to the initial or any subsequent renewal term. The Company’s financial obligation under the agreement is dependent upon the amount of POLYPLUS Product ordered by the Company.

 

Human Therapeutic Competition

 

Our competitors in human therapeutics that are presently attempting to distribute their technology have generally utilized one of the following distribution channels:

 

· Entering into strategic alliances, including licensing technology to major marketing and distribution partners; or

 

· Developing in-house production and marketing capabilities.

 

In addition, some competitors are established distribution companies, which alleviates the need for strategic alliances, while others are attempting to create their own distribution and marketing channels.

 

There are many large companies working in the therapeutic antibody field including Genentech, Inc., Amgen, Inc., Biogen Idec, Inc., Novartis AG, Janssen Biotech, Inc., Sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Pfizer, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Kyawa Hokko Kirin Pharma, Inc., Daiichii Sankyo Company Limited, Astellas Pharma Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., AbbVie, Inc., Seattle Genetics, Inc., and Immunogen, Inc.. Similarly, there are several small companies developing technologies for antibody discovery, including Adimab LLC, X-body Biosciences, Inc., Innovative Targeting Solutions, Inc., Heptares Therapeutics Ltd, Kymab Ltd, and Novimmune SA. Other companies are working on unique scaffolds, including Ablynx NV and ArGen-X N.V. Additionally, there are many large companies and development stage companies working in the field of apoptosis and B-cell cancer research including Celgene, Inc., Takeda/Millennium, ONYX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Amgen Inc., Janssen Biotech, Inc., Novartis AG, and Pharmacyclics, Inc.

 

We do not currently have any commercialized products, and therefore, it is difficult to assess our competitive position in the market. However, we believe that if we are able to develop and commercialize a product or products under our patents to our Factor 5A platform technology, we will have a competitive position in the markets in which we will operate.

 

Agricultural Applications

 

Our agricultural research is focused on the discovery and development of certain gene technologies, which are designed to confer positive traits on fruits, flowers, vegetables, forestry species and agronomic crops.

 

7
 

 

We have licensed this technology to various strategic partners. We may continue to license this technology, as opportunities arise, to additional strategic partners and/or enter into joint collaborations or ventures.

 

Agricultural Development and License Agreements

 

We previously entered into several development and license agreements with certain licensees. Below is a summary of the activity that has occurred with each licensee during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014:

 

Bayer CropScience (“Bayer”)

 

In 2006, we licensed our technology to Bayer to enhance canola yields and in 2007 for rice and cotton. Although considerable progress had been made by Bayer, continuing research on eIF5A and DHS did not achieve Bayer’s commercial performance requirements and was deprioritized from Bayer’s portfolio of technologies. Therefore, in November 2013, we received notice from Bayer that it has decided not to further pursue applications of our eIF5A and DHS technology to enhance the yields of cotton, rice and Brassica (canola) and returned the rights to do so to us.

 

Monsanto Company (“Monsanto”)

 

In 2007, we licensed our technology to Monsanto to enhance corn and soy yields. Monsanto developed several constructs and has performed field trials on those constructs. However, those constructs did not meet Monsanto’s commercial performance. Therefore, in July 2014, we received notice from Monsanto that unless there are further developments in our technology, it has decided not to further produce additional transgenic plants incorporating our technology to enhance the yields of corn and soy.

 

Rahan Meristem (“Rahan”)

 

In 1999, we entered into a joint collaboration agreement with Rahan, which was converted into a license agreement in 2012, to develop a banana with enhanced shelf-life and disease resistance using our Lipase, DHS and eiF5A. Rahan has achieved positive results for shelf life and disease resistance and is continuing to work with our technology.

 

BioCorp Ventures, LLC (“BCV”)

 

On May 14, 2013, we entered into a research and development agreement with BCV, to evaluate our eIF5A technology platform for the development of plants and plant products suitable for use in the production of biofuel and biofuel feedstock, including all species of algae and all species in the genus Miscanthus (perennial grasses).

 

On May 15, 2014, BCV was in breach of the agreement. Specifically, BCV did not make the payment required or issue our equity interest to us on the due date. On June 19, 2014, we sent BCV a notice of breach. As such breach had not been cured by July 19, 2014, the Agreement was terminated in its entirety.

 

8
 

 

The Scotts Company (“Scotts”)

 

In March 2004, we licensed our technology to the Scotts Company to enhance bloom yield, biomass and stress tolerance of ornamental plants and turf grass. Scotts has performed field trials and is continuing to work with our technology.

 

Arborgen, LLC (“Arborgen”)

 

In June 2006, we licensed our technology to ArborGen to enhance the growth of certain species of trees. ArborGen has seen strong enhancement of growth in greenhouse-grown seedlings and in its initial field trials. However, these initial enhancements began to fade over successive years of growth in the field. While they still have field trials in process, they have indicated to us that they do not anticipate continuing future development efforts.

 

Cal/West Seeds

 

In September 2002, we entered into an exclusive development and license agreement with Cal/West Seeds to commercialize our technology in certain varieties of alfalfa. In 2013, Cal/West Seeds became Alforex and was sold to Dow AgroSciences. Recently, Dow informed us that for budgetary reasons, they will not pursue regulatory approval of the enhanced alfalfa and will be discontinuing future development efforts.

 

As a result of the activity that has occurred during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, we are unable to determine the probability of any of our current partners or potential future partners developing or commercializing a product containing our technology.

 

Intellectual Property

 

We have thirty-one (31) issued patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or PTO, and seventy-seven (77) issued patents from foreign countries. Of our one hundred and eight (108) domestic and foreign issued patents, sixty-eight (68) are for the use of our technology in agricultural applications and forty (40) relate to human therapeutics applications.

 

In addition to our one hundred and eight (108) patents, we have a wide variety of patent applications, including divisional applications and continuations-in-part, in process with the PTO and internationally. We intend to continue our strategy of enhancing these new patent applications through the addition of data as it is collected.

 

Additionally, we have entered into royalty bearing license agreements whereby we license certain worldwide patent rights. The licenses provide for the payment of an annual maintenance fee, milestone payments upon our achievement of certain milestones and royalty payments based on net sales of a product containing technology covered by the patent rights.

 

Our core human therapeutic technology patents are set to expire in 2021 in the United States and 2025 outside the United States, and our patents related to multiple myeloma are set to expire, both in and outside the United States in 2029. Our agricultural patents are generally set to expire in 2019 in the United States and 2025 outside the United States.

 

9
 

 

On June 13, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States of America ruled that naturally-occurring DNA sequences are unpatentable since they are products of nature. The Court further fund that cDNA sequences, which are copies of non-intron containing mRNA sequences created in the laboratory, are patent eligible. We believe that the Supreme Court ruling has little impact on our patent portfolio overall and no impact on our human patents, which do not rely on claims on naturally-occurring DNA sequences. SNS01-T comprises two synthetic constructs, siRNA and a DNA plasmid, which are protected by composition of matter and method of use patent claims.

 

During our 2014, 2013 and 2012 fiscal years, we reviewed our patent portfolio in order to determine if we could reduce our cost of patent prosecution and maintenance. We identified several patents and patents pending that we believe we no longer need to maintain without having a material impact on the portfolio. We determined that we would no longer incur the cost to prosecute or maintain those patents or patents pending.

 

Government Regulation

 

Our current activities in human therapeutics related to our clinical trial in multiple myeloma, requires approval by the FDA. We have an open IND with the FDA for use of SNS01-T for the treatment of multiple myeloma and are subject to additional reporting to and monitoring by the FDA. Additionally, federal, state and foreign regulations relating to crop protection products and human therapeutic applications developed through biotechnology are subject to public concerns and political circumstances, and, as a result, regulations have changed and may change substantially in the future. Accordingly, we may become subject to governmental regulations or approvals or become subject to licensing requirements in connection with our research and development efforts. We may also be required to obtain such licensing or approval from the governmental regulatory agencies described above, or from state agencies, prior to the commercialization of our genetically transformed plants and human therapeutic technology. In addition, our marketing partners who utilize our technology or sell products grown with our technology may be subject to government regulations. If unfavorable governmental regulations are imposed on our technology or if we fail to obtain licenses or approvals in a timely manner, we may not be able to continue our operations.

 

In addition, our ongoing preclinical research with cell lines and lab animal models of human disease is not currently subject to the FDA requirements that govern clinical trials. However, use of our technology, SNS01-T, for human therapeutic applications, is subject to FDA regulation. Generally, the FDA must approve any drug or biologic product before it can be marketed in the United States. In addition, prior to being sold outside of the U.S., any products resulting from the application of our human therapeutic technology must be approved by the regulatory agencies of foreign governments. Prior to filing a new drug application or biologics license application with the FDA, we would have to perform extensive clinical trials, and prior to beginning any clinical trial, we need to perform extensive preclinical testing which could take several years and may require substantial expenditures.

 

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At present, the U.S. federal government regulation of biotechnology is divided among three agencies: (i) the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates the import, field-testing and interstate movement of specific types of genetic engineering that may be used in the creation of transformed plants; (ii) the Environmental Protection Agency regulates activity related to the invention of plant pesticides and herbicides, which may include certain kinds of transformed plants; and (iii) the FDA regulates foods derived from new plant varieties. The FDA requires that transformed plants meet the same standards for safety that are required for all other plants and foods in general. Except in the case of additives that significantly alter a food’s structure, the FDA does not require any additional standards or specific approval for genetically engineered foods but expects transformed plant developers to consult the FDA before introducing a new food into the market place.

 

Employees

 

We have thirteen (13) employees, four (4) of whom are executive officers and who are involved in our management and we also have eight (8) consultants. Additionally, we are performing funded research at the University of Waterloo, and other commercial research facilities.

 

The officers are assisted by a Scientific Advisory Board that consists of prominent experts in the fields of human cell and plant biology as follows:

 

· Alan Bennett, Ph.D., who serves as the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, is the Associate Vice Chancellor of the Office of Technology Transfer at the University of California. His research interests include the molecular biology of tomato fruit development and ripening, the molecular basis of membrane transport, and cell wall disassembly.

 

· Charles A. Dinarello, M.D., who serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board, is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the author of over 500 published research articles. In addition to his active academic research career, Dr. Dinarello has held advisory positions with two branches of the National Institutes of Health and positions on the Board of Governors of both the Weizmann Institute and Ben Gurion University.

 

· James E. Mier, M.D., who serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. He is also a practicing physician in the Division of Hematology-Oncology at Beth Israel. Dr. Mier’s research is funded by the NIH and he is a member of numerous professional societies.

 

· Greg Adams, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and a Co-Leader of the Developmental Therapeutics Program at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Dr. Adams heads an active research group focused on developing engineered antibodies using phage display and knowledge-based (rational) design. His current research is focused on developing antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of breast and ovarian cancers, characterizing the properties required for efficient tumor-targeting by engineered antibody-based molecules and the detection of circulating tumor antigens using piezoelectric immuno-nanocantilevers. He graduated with a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of California at Davis, where he researched preclinical tumor targeting with radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies, focusing on the interactions between the antibodies and receptors on the liver. Dr. Adams also serves on the scientific advisory boards of Symphogen A/S, Viventia Bio, Inc., Endo Health Solutions, Inc. (Oncology Advisory Board), Avipep Pty Ltd. and Avid Biologics, Inc. and has served in the past on the advisory boards of YM Biosciences, Inc., Arana Therapeutics Limited, Absalus, Inc. and Xerion Pharmaceuticals AG. Dr. Adams is a member of the Editorial Boards of Cancer Immunology Research, MAbs and Cancer Biotherapy Radiopharmaceuticals and recently rotated off of the editorial board of Cancer Research.

 

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· Tom Boone, was responsible for discovery and protein engineering as Vice Present and Global head of Proteins Sciences at Amgen, Inc. for 28 years. He was responsible for moving many molecules in to the clinic, including several approved drugs such as Neupogen, Prolia/Xgeva, N-plate etc. His expertise is in protein engineering, production, purification and process development from the bench scale to the clinical grade materials.

 

· Richard A. Lerner, M.D., served as President of The Scripps Research Institute, a private, non-profit biomedical research organization, from 1986 until 2011 and is currently serving as an institute professor. He is well known for major discoveries in antibody biology and engineering, including development of antibody phage display tehnology. Dr. Lerner is a member of numerous scientific associations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Dr. Lerner serves as director of Sequenom, Inc. (Nasal: SQNM), a life sciences company. He is also on the Board of Directors for OPKO Health, Inc., Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, and the board of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE:TEVA). He previously served as a director of Kraft Foods, Inc. and Xencor, Inc., a biotechnology company, and on the Siemens’ Advisory Board for Molecular Medicine of Siemens AG.

 

Furthermore, pursuant to the Research and Development Agreements, a substantial amount of our research and development activities are conducted at the University of Waterloo under the supervision of Dr. Thompson, our founder and Vice President. We utilize the University’s research staff including graduate and post-graduate researchers.

 

We may also contract research to additional university laboratories or to other companies in order to advance the development of our technology.

 

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Safe Harbor Statement

 

The statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by, among other things, the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy that involve risks and uncertainties. In particular, our statements regarding the anticipated growth in the markets for our technologies, the continued advancement of our research, the approval of our patent applications, the possibility of governmental approval in order to sell or offer for sale to the general public a genetically engineered plant or plant product, the successful implementation of our commercialization strategy, including the success of our human therapeutic partners, statements relating to our patent applications, the anticipated long term growth of our business, the results of our preclinical or clinical studies, if any, the quotation of the Company’s common stock on an over-the-counter securities market , and the timing of the projects and trends in future operating performance are examples of such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, our ability to integrate the Fabrus science and operations, our ability to continue as a going concern, our ability to recruit patients for its clinical trial, our limited operating history, our need for additional capital to fund our operations until we are able to generate a profit, the current economic environment, our outsourcing of our research and development activities, our significant future capital needs, our dependence on our patents and proprietary rights and the enforcement of these rights, the potential for our competitors or third parties to allege that we are infringing upon their intellectual property rights, the potential that our security measures may not adequately protect our unpatented technology, potential difficulty in managing our growth and expanding our operations, our lack of marketing or sales history and dependence on third-party marketing partners, our potential future dependence on joint ventures and strategic alliances to develop and market our technology, the intense competition in the human therapeutic biotechnology industry, the various government regulations that our business is subject to, the potential that our preclinical studies and clinical trials of our human therapeutic applications may be unsuccessful, any inability to license from third parties their proprietary technologies or processes which we use in connection with the development of our technology, the length, expense and uncertainty associated with clinical trials for our human therapeutic technology, the potential that, even if we receive regulatory approval, consumers may not accept products containing our technology, our dependence on key personnel, the potential that certain provisions of our charter, by-laws and Delaware law could make a takeover difficult, increasing political and social turmoil, the potential that our management and other affiliates, due to their significant control of our common stock have the ability to significantly influence our actions, the potential that a significant portion of our total outstanding shares of common stock may be sold in the market in the near future, the limited trading market of our common stock, fluctuations in the market price of our common stock, our dividend policy and potential for our stockholders to be diluted.

 

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ITEM 1A: Risk Factors

 

The more prominent risks and uncertainties inherent in our business are described below. However, additional risks and uncertainties may also impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations may suffer.

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

Recurring losses and negative cash flows from operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern and we may not be able to continue as a going concern.

 

Our recurring losses from operations and negative cash flows from operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern and as a result, our independent registered public accounting firm included an explanatory paragraph in its report on our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014. Substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern may create negative reactions to the price of the common shares of our stock and we may have a more difficult time obtaining financing.

 

We have prepared our financial statements on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or amounts of liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue in existence.

 

However, as of June 30, 2014, we believe we have enough cash to fund operations through at least March 31, 2015.

 

We have a limited operating history and have incurred substantial losses and expect to incur future losses .

 

We are a development stage biotechnology company with a limited operating history and limited assets and capital. We have incurred losses each year since inception and had an accumulated deficit of $88,280,266 at June 30, 2014. We have generated minimal revenues by licensing our technology for certain crops to companies willing to share in our development costs. In addition, our technology may not be ready for commercialization for several years. We expect to continue to incur losses for the next several years because we anticipate that our expenditures on research and development and administrative activities will significantly exceed our revenues during that period. We cannot predict when, if ever, we will become profitable.

 

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We will need additional capital to fund our operations until we are able to generate a profit.

 

Our operations to date have required significant cash expenditures. Our future capital requirements will depend on the results of our research and development activities, preclinical and clinical studies, and competitive and technological advances.

 

We will need to obtain more funding in the future through collaborations or other arrangements with research institutions and corporate partners, or public and private offerings of our securities, including debt or equity financing. We may not be able to obtain adequate funds for our operations from these sources when needed or on acceptable terms. Future collaborations or similar arrangements may require us to license valuable intellectual property to, or to share substantial economic benefits with, our collaborators. If we raise additional capital by issuing additional equity or securities convertible into equity, our stockholders may experience dilution and our share price may decline. Any debt financing may result in restrictions on our spending.

 

If we are unable to raise additional funds, we will need to do one or more of the following:

 

· delay, scale-back or eliminate some or all of our research and product development programs;
· provide licenses to third parties to develop and commercialize products or technologies that we would otherwise seek to develop and commercialize ourselves;
· seek strategic alliances or business combinations;
· attempt to sell our company;
· cease operations; or
· declare bankruptcy.

 

We believe that at the projected rate of spending we should have sufficient cash to maintain our present operations at least through March 31, 2015.

 

We may be adversely affected by the current economic environment.

 

Our ability to obtain financing, invest in and grow our business, and meet our financial obligations depends on our operating and financial performance, which in turn is subject to numerous factors. In addition to factors specific to our business, prevailing economic conditions and financial, business and other factors beyond our control can also affect our business and ability to raise capital. We cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the current economic climate and financial market conditions could adversely impact our business.

 

Materials necessary to manufacture some of our compounds currently under development may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, which may delay our development and commercialization of these compounds.

 

Some of the materials necessary for the manufacture of our compounds under development may, from time to time, be available either in limited quantities, or from a limited number of manufacturers, or both. Our contract manufacturers need to obtain these materials for our clinical trials and, potentially, for commercial distribution when and if we obtain marketing approval for these compounds. Suppliers may not sell us these materials at the time we need them or on commercially reasonable terms. If we are unable to obtain the materials needed to conduct our clinical trials, product testing and potential regulatory approval could be delayed, adversely affecting our ability to develop the product candidates. Similarly, if we are unable to obtain critical manufacturing materials after regulatory approval has been obtained for a product candidate, the commercial launch of that product candidate could be delayed or there could be a shortage in supply, which could materially affect our ability to generate revenues from that product candidate. If suppliers increase the price of manufacturing materials, the price for one or more of our products may increase, which may make our products less competitive in the marketplace. If it becomes necessary to change suppliers for any of these materials or if any of our suppliers experience a shutdown or disruption at the facilities used to produce these materials, due to technical, regulatory or other reasons, it could harm our ability to manufacture our products.

 

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We depend on a limited number of technologies and, if our technologies are not commercially successful, we will have no alternative source of revenue .

 

Our primary business is the development and licensing of technology to (i) discover and engineer monoclonal antibodies and (ii) identify, isolate, characterize and promote or silence genes which control the death of cells in humans and plants. Our future revenue and profitability critically depend upon our ability, or our licensees’ ability, to successfully develop apoptosis and senescence gene technology and later license or market such technology. We have conducted experiments on certain crops with favorable results and have conducted certain preliminary cell-line and animal experiments, which have provided us with data upon which we have designed additional research programs. However, we cannot give any assurance that our technology will be commercially successful or economically viable for any crops or human therapeutic applications.

 

In addition, no assurance can be given that adverse consequences might not result from the use of our technology such as the development of negative effects on humans or plants or reduced benefits in terms of crop yield or protection. Our failure to obtain market acceptance of our technology or the failure of our current or potential licensees to successfully commercialize such technology would have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

We outsource much of our research and development activities and, if we are unsuccessful in maintaining our alliances with these third parties, our research and development efforts may be delayed or curtailed.

 

We rely on third parties to perform much of our research and development activities. At this time, we have limited internal capabilities to perform our own research and development activities. Accordingly, the failure of third party research partners to perform under agreements entered into with us, or our failure to renew important research agreements with these third parties, may delay or curtail our research and development efforts.

 

We have significant future capital needs and may be unable to raise capital when needed, which could force us to delay or reduce our research and development efforts.

 

As of June 30, 2014, we had a cash balance of $6,111,340 and working capital of $5,399,227. Using our available reserves as of June 30, 2014, we believe that we can operate according to our current business plan at least through March 31, 2015.

 

To date, we have generated minimal revenues and anticipate that our operating costs will exceed any revenues generated over the next several years. Therefore, we will be required to raise additional capital in the future in order to operate in accordance with our current business plan, and this funding may not be available on favorable terms, if at all. If we are unable to raise additional funds, we will need to do one or more of the following:

 

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· delay, scale back or eliminate some or all of our research and development programs;
· provide a license to third parties to develop and commercialize our technology that we would otherwise seek to develop and commercialize ourselves;
· seek strategic alliances or business combinations;
· attempt to sell our company;
· cease operations; or

· declare bankruptcy.

 

In addition, in connection with any funding, if we need to issue more equity securities than our certificate of incorporation currently authorizes we will need stockholder approval. If stockholder approval is not obtained or if adequate funds are not available, we may be required to curtail operations significantly or to obtain funds through arrangements with collaborative partners or others that may require us to relinquish rights to certain of our technologies, product candidates, products or potential markets. Investors may experience dilution in their investment from future offerings of our common stock. For example, if we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, such an issuance would reduce the percentage ownership of existing stockholders. In addition, assuming the exercise of all options and warrants outstanding and the conversion of the preferred stock into common stock, as of June 30, 2014, we had 476,643,652 shares of common stock authorized but unissued and unreserved, which may be issued from time to time by our board of directors. Furthermore, we may need to issue securities that have rights, preferences and privileges senior to our common stock. Failure to obtain financing on acceptable terms would have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.

 

Since our inception, we have financed all of our operations through equity and debt financings. Our future capital requirements depend on numerous factors, including:

 

· the scope of our research and development;
· our ability to attract business partners willing to share in our development costs;
· our ability to successfully commercialize our technology;
· competing technological and market developments;
· our ability to enter into collaborative arrangements for the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of other products; and
· the cost of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights.

 

Our business depends upon our patents and proprietary rights and the enforcement of these rights. Our failure to obtain and maintain patent protection may increase competition and reduce demand for our technology.

 

As a result of the substantial length of time and expense associated with developing products and bringing them to the marketplace in the biotechnology and agricultural industries, obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection for technologies, products and processes is of vital importance. Our success will depend in part on several factors, including, without limitation:

 

· our ability to obtain patent protection for our technologies and processes;
· our ability to preserve our trade secrets; and

· our ability to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of other parties both in the United States and in foreign countries.

 

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As of June 30, 2014, we have been issued thirty-one (31) patents by the PTO and seventy-seven (77) patents from foreign countries. We have also filed numerous patent applications for our technology in the United States and in several foreign countries, which technology is vital to our primary business, as well as several continuations in part on these patent applications. Our success depends in part upon the grant of patents from our pending patent applications. In addition, we have licensed certain antibody technology from The Scripps Research Institute, or Scripps, pursuant to a license agreement dated August 8, 2014. If we are in breach of this license agreement, and Scripps elects to terminate the agreement, this termination could have a material adverse effect to our business in the future.

 

Although we believe that our technology is unique and that it will not violate or infringe upon the proprietary rights of any third party, we cannot assure you that these claims will not be made or if made, could be successfully defended against. If we do not obtain and maintain patent protection, we may face increased competition in the United States and internationally, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

Since patent applications in the United States are maintained in secrecy until patents are issued, and since publication of discoveries in the scientific and patent literature tend to lag behind actual discoveries by several months, we cannot be certain that we were the first creator of the inventions covered by our pending patent applications or that we were the first to file patent applications for these inventions.

 

In addition, among other things, we cannot assure you that:

 

· our patent applications will result in the issuance of patents;
· any patents issued or licensed to us will be free from challenge and if challenged, would be held to be valid;
· any patents issued or licensed to us will provide commercially significant protection for our technology, products and processes;
· other companies will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information which is not covered by our patent rights;
· other companies will not obtain access to our know-how;
· other companies will not be granted patents that may prevent the commercialization of our technology; or

· we will not incur licensing fees and the payment of significant other fees or royalties to third parties for the use of their intellectual property in order to enable us to conduct our business.

 

Our competitors may allege that we are infringing upon their intellectual property rights, forcing us to incur substantial costs and expenses in resulting litigation, the outcome of which would be uncertain.

 

Patent law is still evolving relative to the scope and enforceability of claims in the fields in which we operate. We are like most biotechnology companies in that our patent protection is highly uncertain and involves complex legal and technical questions for which legal principles are not yet firmly established. In addition, if issued, our patents may not contain claims sufficiently broad to protect us against third parties with similar technologies or products, or provide us with any competitive advantage.

 

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The PTO and the courts have not established a consistent policy regarding the breadth of claims allowed in biotechnology patents. The allowance of broader claims may increase the incidence and cost of patent interference proceedings and the risk of infringement litigation. On the other hand, the allowance of narrower claims may limit the scope and value of our proprietary rights.

 

The laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States, and many companies have encountered significant problems and costs in protecting their proprietary rights in these foreign countries.

 

We could become involved in infringement actions to enforce and/or protect our patents. Regardless of the outcome, patent litigation is expensive and time consuming and would distract our management from other activities. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we could because they have substantially greater resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any patent litigation could limit our ability to continue our operations.

 

If our technology infringes the intellectual property of our competitors or other third parties, we may be required to pay license fees or damages.

 

The current patent landscape surrounding siRNA technology is unclear due to the recent proliferation of siRNA-related patent litigation and grants of third-party patents encompassing this technology. If any relevant claims of third party patents that are adverse to us are upheld as valid and enforceable, we could be prevented from commercializing our technology or could be required to obtain licenses from the owners of such patents. We cannot assure you that such licenses would be available or, if available, would be on acceptable terms. Some licenses may be non-exclusive and, therefore, our competitors may have access to the same technology licensed to us. In addition, if any parties successfully claim that the creation or use of our technology infringes upon their intellectual property rights, we may be forced to pay damages, including treble damages.

 

Our security measures may not adequately protect our unpatented technology and, if we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information and know-how, the value of our technology may be adversely affected.

 

Our success depends upon know-how, unpatentable trade secrets, and the skills, knowledge and experience of our scientific and technical personnel. We require all employees to disclose and assign to us the rights to their ideas, developments, discoveries and inventions. All of the current employees have also entered into Non-disclosure, Non-competition and Invention Assignment Agreements. We also attempt to enter into similar agreements with our consultants, advisors and research collaborators. We cannot assure you that adequate protection for our trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information against unauthorized use or disclosure will be available.

 

We occasionally provide information to research collaborators in academic institutions and request that the collaborators conduct certain tests. We cannot assure you that the academic institutions will not assert intellectual property rights in the results of the tests conducted by the research collaborators, or that the academic institutions will grant licenses under such intellectual property rights to us on acceptable terms, if at all. If the assertion of intellectual property rights by an academic institution is substantiated, and the academic institution does not grant intellectual property rights to us, these events could limit our ability to commercialize our technology.

 

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As we evolve from a company primarily involved in the research and development of our technology into one that is also involved in the commercialization of our technology, we may have difficulty managing our growth and expanding our operations.

 

As our business grows, we may need to add employees and enhance our management, systems and procedures. We may need to successfully integrate our internal operations with the operations of our marketing partners, manufacturers, distributors and suppliers to produce and market commercially viable products. We may also need to manage additional relationships with various collaborative partners, suppliers and other organizations. Expanding our business may place a significant burden on our management and operations. We may not be able to implement improvements to our management information and control systems in an efficient and timely manner and we may discover deficiencies in our existing systems and controls. Our failure to effectively respond to such changes may make it difficult for us to manage our growth and expand our operations.

 

We are in the process of combining the assets and operations of Fabrus into our company, which will increase our infrastructure and reporting burden.

 

The integration of the business and assets of Fabrus is of critical importance to our future success. The success of the integration will depend, in a large part, on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits, including synergies, cost savings, innovation and operational efficiencies, from combining Fabrus and Senesco. To realize these anticipated benefits, these businesses must be successfully integrated. The failure to integrate successfully and to manage successfully the challenges presented by the integration process may prevent us from achieving the anticipated benefits of this acquisition. Any difficulties in successfully integrating these businesses, or any delays in the integration process, could adversely affect our business, financial results and financial condition.

 

We have no marketing or sales history and depend on third party marketing partners. Any failure of these parties to perform would delay or limit our commercialization efforts.

 

We have no history of marketing, distributing or selling biotechnology products, and we are relying on our ability to successfully establish marketing partners or other arrangements with third parties to market, distribute and sell a commercially viable product both here and abroad. Our business plan envisions creating strategic alliances to access needed commercialization and marketing expertise. We may not be able to attract qualified sub-licensees, distributors or marketing partners, and even if qualified, these marketing partners may not be able to successfully market agricultural products or human therapeutic applications developed with our technology. If our current or potential future marketing partners fail to provide adequate levels of sales, our commercialization efforts will be delayed or limited and we may not be able to generate revenue.

 

We will depend on joint ventures and strategic alliances to develop and market our technology and, if these arrangements are not successful, our technology may not be developed and the expenses to commercialize our technology will increase.

 

In its current state of development, our technology is not ready to be marketed to consumers. We intend to follow a multi-faceted commercialization strategy that involves the licensing of our technology to business partners for the purpose of further technological development, marketing and distribution. We have and are seeking business partners who will share the burden of our development costs while our technology is still being developed, and who will pay us royalties when they market and distribute products incorporating our technology upon commercialization. The establishment of joint ventures and strategic alliances may create future competitors, especially in certain regions abroad where we do not pursue patent protection. If we fail to establish beneficial business partners and strategic alliances, our growth will suffer and the continued development of our technology may be harmed.

 

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Competition in the human therapeutic industry is intense and technology is changing rapidly. If our competitors market their technology faster than we do, we may not be able to generate revenues from the commercialization of our technology .

 

There are many large companies working in the therapeutic antibody field and similarly may develop technologies related to antibody discovery. These companies include Genentech, Inc., Amgen, Inc., Biogen Idec, Inc., Novartis AG, Janssen Biotech, Inc., Sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Pfizer, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Kyawa Hokko Kirin Pharma, Inc., Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited, Astellas Pharma, Inc., Merck & Co. Inc., AbbVie, Inc., Seattle Genetics, Inc., and Immunogen, Inc.. Similarly, there are several small companies developing technologies for antibody discovery, including Adimab LLC, X-body Biosciences, Inc., Innovative Targeting Solutions, Inc., Heptares Therapeutics Ltd, Kymab Ltd., and Novimmune SA. Other companies are working on unique scaffolds, including Ablynx NV and ArGen-X N.V.

 

Many human therapeutic companies are engaged in research and development activities relating to apoptosis and senescence. We may be unable to compete successfully against our current and future competitors, which may result in price reductions, reduced margins and the inability to achieve market acceptance for products containing our technology. Some of our competitors that are involved in apoptosis research include: Celgene Corporation; Takeda/Millennium; ONYX Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Amgen Inc.; Janssen Biotech, Inc.; Novartis AG; and Pharmacyclics, Inc. Many of these competitors have substantially greater financial, marketing, sales, distribution and technical resources than us and have more experience in research and development, clinical trials, regulatory matters, manufacturing and marketing. We anticipate increased competition in the future as new companies enter the market and new technologies become available. Our technology may be rendered obsolete or uneconomical by technological advances or entirely different approaches developed by one or more of our competitors, which will prevent or limit our ability to generate revenues from the commercialization of our technology.

 

Our business is subject to various government regulations and, if we or our licensees are unable to obtain regulatory approval, we may not be able to continue our operations.

 

At present, the U.S. federal government regulation of biotechnology is divided among three agencies:

 

· the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, regulates the import, field testing and interstate movement of specific types of genetic engineering that may be used in the creation of transgenic plants;
· the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, regulates activity related to the invention of plant pesticides and herbicides, which may include certain kinds of transgenic plants; and

· the FDA regulates foods derived from new plant varieties.

 

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The FDA requires that transgenic plants meet the same standards for safety that are required for all other plants and foods in general. Except in the case of additives that significantly alter a food’s structure, the FDA does not require any additional standards or specific approval for genetically engineered foods, but expects transgenic plant developers to consult the FDA before introducing a new food into the marketplace.

 

Use of our technology, if developed for human therapeutic applications, is also subject to FDA regulation. The FDA must approve any drug or biologic product before it can be marketed in the United States. In addition, prior to being sold outside of the United States, any products resulting from the application of our human therapeutic technology must be approved by the regulatory agencies of foreign governments. Prior to filing a new drug application or biologics license application with the FDA, we would have to perform extensive clinical trials, and prior to beginning any clinical trial, we would need to perform extensive preclinical testing which could take several years and may require substantial expenditures.

 

We believe that our current agricultural activities, which to date have been confined to research and development efforts, do not require licensing or approval by any governmental regulatory agency. However, we are performing clinical trials in connection with our human therapeutic applications, which is subject to FDA approval. Additionally, federal, state and foreign regulations relating to crop protection products and human therapeutic applications developed through biotechnology are subject to public concerns and political circumstances, and, as a result, regulations have changed and may change substantially in the future. Accordingly, we may become subject to governmental regulations or approvals or become subject to licensing requirements in connection with our research and development efforts. We may also be required to obtain such licensing or approval from the governmental regulatory agencies described above, or from state agencies, prior to the commercialization of our genetically transformed plants and human therapeutic technology. In addition, our marketing partners who utilize our technology or sell products grown with our technology may be subject to government regulations. If unfavorable governmental regulations are imposed on our technology or if we fail to obtain licenses or approvals in a timely manner, we may not be able to continue our operations.

 

Preclinical studies of our human therapeutic applications may be unsuccessful, which could delay or prevent regulatory approval.

 

Preclinical studies may reveal that our human therapeutic technology is ineffective or harmful, and/or may be unsuccessful in demonstrating efficacy and safety of our human therapeutic technology, which would significantly limit the possibility of obtaining regulatory approval for any drug or biologic product manufactured with our technology. The FDA requires submission of extensive preclinical, clinical and manufacturing data to assess the efficacy and safety of potential products. Any delay in receiving approval for any applicable IND from the FDA would result in a delay in the commencement of the related clinical trial. Additionally, we could be required to perform additional preclinical studies prior to the FDA approving any applicable IND. Furthermore, the success of preliminary studies does not ensure commercial success, and later-stage clinical trials may fail to confirm the results of the preliminary studies.

 

22
 

 

Our success will depend on the success of our clinical trials of our human therapeutic applications.

 

It may take several years to complete the clinical trials of a product, and failure of one or more of our clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. We believe that the development of our product candidate involves significant risks at each stage of testing. If clinical trial difficulties and failures arise, our product candidate may never be approved for sale or become commercially viable.

 

There are a number of difficulties and risks associated with clinical trials. These difficulties and risks may result in the failure to receive regulatory approval to sell our product candidate or the inability to commercialize our product candidate. The possibility exists that:

 

· we may discover that the product candidate does not exhibit the expected therapeutic results in humans, may cause harmful side effects or have other unexpected characteristics that may delay or preclude regulatory approval or limit commercial use if approved;

 

· the results from early clinical trials may not be statistically significant or predictive of results that will be obtained from expanded advanced clinical trials;

 

· institutional review boards or regulators, including the FDA, may hold, suspend or terminate our clinical research or the clinical trials of our product candidate for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements or if, in their opinion, the participating subjects are being exposed to unacceptable health risks;

 

· subjects may drop out of our clinical trials;

 

· our preclinical studies or clinical trials may produce negative, inconsistent or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials; and

 

· the cost of our clinical trials may be greater than we currently anticipate.

 

Clinical trials for our human therapeutic technology will be lengthy and expensive and their outcome is uncertain.

 

Before obtaining regulatory approval for the commercial sales of any product containing our technology, we must demonstrate through clinical testing that our technology and any product containing our technology is safe and effective for use in humans. Conducting clinical trials is a time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process and typically requires years to complete. In our industry, the results from preclinical studies and early clinical trials often are not predictive of results obtained in later-stage clinical trials. Some products and technologies that have shown promising results in preclinical studies or early clinical trials subsequently fail to establish sufficient safety and efficacy data necessary to obtain regulatory approval. At any time during clinical trials, we or the FDA might delay or halt any clinical trial for various reasons, including:

 

· occurrence of unacceptable toxicities or side effects;

 

· ineffectiveness of the product candidate;

 

· negative or inconclusive results from the clinical trials, or results that necessitate additional studies or clinical trials;

 

23
 

 

· delays in obtaining or maintaining required approvals from institutions, review boards or other reviewing entities at clinical sites;

 

· delays in patient enrollment; or

 

· insufficient funding or a reprioritization of financial or other resources.

 

Any failure or substantial delay in successfully completing clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval for our product candidates could severely harm our business.

 

If our clinical trials for our product candidates are delayed, we would be unable to commercialize our product candidates on a timely basis, which would materially harm our business.

 

Planned clinical trials may not begin on time or may need to be restructured after they have begun. Clinical trials can be delayed for a variety of reasons, including delays related to:

 

· obtaining an effective IND or regulatory approval to commence a clinical trial;

 

· negotiating acceptable clinical trial agreement terms with prospective trial sites;

 

· obtaining institutional review board approval to conduct a clinical trial at a prospective site;

 

· recruiting qualified subjects to participate in clinical trials;

 

· competition in recruiting clinical investigators;

 

· shortage or lack of availability of supplies of drugs for clinical trials;

 

· the need to repeat clinical trials as a result of inconclusive results or poorly executed testing;

 

· the placement of a clinical hold on a study;

 

· the failure of third parties conducting and overseeing the operations of our clinical trials to perform their contractual or regulatory obligations in a timely fashion; and

 

· exposure of clinical trial subjects to unexpected and unacceptable health risks or noncompliance with regulatory requirements, which may result in suspension of the trial.

 

We believe that our product candidates have significant milestones to reach, including the successful completion of clinical trials, before commercialization. If we have significant delays in or termination of clinical trials, our financial results and the commercial prospects for our product candidates or any other products that we may develop will be adversely impacted. In addition, our product development costs would increase and our ability to generate revenue could be impaired.

 

24
 

 

Any inability to license from third parties their proprietary technologies or processes which we use in connection with the development of our technology may impair our business.

 

Other companies, universities and research institutions have or may obtain patents that could limit our ability to use our technology in a product candidate or impair our competitive position. As a result, we would have to obtain licenses from other parties before we could continue using our technology in a product candidate. Any necessary licenses may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. If we do not obtain required licenses, we may not be able to develop our technology into a product candidate or we may encounter significant delays in development while we redesign methods that are found to infringe on the patents held by others.

 

Even if we receive regulatory approval, consumers may not accept products containing our technology, which will prevent us from being profitable since we have no other source of revenue.

 

We cannot guarantee that consumers will accept products containing our technology. Recently, there has been consumer concern and consumer advocate activism with respect to genetically-engineered agricultural consumer products. The adverse consequences from heightened consumer concern in this regard could affect the markets for agricultural products developed with our technology and could also result in increased government regulation in response to that concern. If the public or potential customers perceive our technology to be genetic modification or genetic engineering, agricultural products grown with our technology may not gain market acceptance.

 

We face potential product liability exposure far in excess of our limited insurance coverage.

 

We may be held liable if any product we or our collaborators develop causes injury or is found otherwise unsuitable during product testing, manufacturing, marketing or sale. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims could result in decreased demand for our product candidates, injury to our reputation, withdrawal of patients from our clinical trials, substantial monetary awards to trial participants and the inability to commercialize any products that we may develop. These claims might be made directly by consumers, health care providers, pharmaceutical companies or others selling or testing our products. We have obtained limited product liability insurance coverage for our clinical trials; however, our insurance may not reimburse us or may not be sufficient to reimburse us for expenses or losses we may suffer. Moreover, if insurance coverage becomes more expensive, we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses due to liability. If we obtain marketing approval for any of our product candidates, we intend to expand our insurance coverage to include the sale of commercial products, but we may be unable to obtain commercially reasonable product liability insurance for any products approved for marketing. On occasion, juries have awarded large judgments in class action lawsuits for claims based on drugs that had unanticipated side effects. In addition, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, in general, have been subject to significant medical malpractice litigation. A successful product liability claim or series of claims brought against us could harm our reputation and business and would decrease our cash reserves.

 

25
 

 

We depend on our key personnel and, if we are not able to attract and retain qualified scientific and business personnel, we may not be able to grow our business or develop and commercialize our technology.

 

We are highly dependent on our scientific advisors, consultants and third-party research partners. Our success will also depend in part on the continued service of our key employees and our ability to identify, hire and retain additional qualified personnel in an intensely competitive market. Although we have a research agreement with Dr. John Thompson, this agreement may be terminated upon short or no notice. Additionally, except for our Chief Executive Officer, we do not have employment agreements with our key employees. We do not maintain key person life insurance on any member of management. The failure to attract and retain key personnel could limit our growth and hinder our research and development efforts.

 

Certain provisions of our charter, by-laws, Delaware law and stock plans could make a takeover difficult.

 

Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change in control would be beneficial to stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors to issue, without stockholder approval, 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock with voting, conversion and other rights and preferences that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of our common stock.

 

In addition, we are subject to the Business Combination Act of the Delaware General Corporation Law which, subject to certain exceptions, restricts certain transactions and business combinations between a corporation and a stockholder owning 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock for a period of three years from the date such stockholder becomes a 15% owner. These provisions may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us without action by our stockholders and, therefore, could adversely affect the value of our common stock.

 

Furthermore, in the event of our merger or consolidation with or into another corporation, or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets in which the successor corporation does not assume our outstanding equity awards or issue equivalent equity awards, our current equity plans require the accelerated vesting of such outstanding equity awards.

 

26
 

  

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

 

Penny stock regulations may impose certain restrictions on marketability of our securities.

 

The SEC has adopted regulations which generally define a “penny stock” to be any equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions. As a result, our common stock is subject to rules that impose additional sales practice requirements on broker dealers who sell such securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors (generally those with assets in excess of $1,000,000 or annual income exceeding $200,000, or $300,000 together with their spouse). For transactions covered by such rules, the broker dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchase of such securities and have received the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to the purchase. Additionally, for any transaction involving a penny stock, unless exempt, the rules require the delivery, prior to the transaction, of a risk disclosure document mandated by the SEC relating to the penny stock market. The broker dealer must also disclose the commission payable to both the broker dealer and the registered representative, current quotations for the securities and, if the broker dealer is the sole market maker, the broker dealer must disclose this fact and the broker dealer’s presumed control over the market.

 

Finally, monthly statements must be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the account and information on the limited market in penny stocks. Broker-dealers must wait two business days after providing buyers with disclosure materials regarding a security before effecting a transaction in such security. Consequently, the “penny stock” rules restrict the ability of broker dealers to sell our securities and affect the ability of investors to sell our securities in the secondary market and the price at which such purchasers can sell any such securities, thereby affecting the liquidity of the market for our common stock.

 

Stockholders should be aware that, according to the SEC, the market for penny stocks has suffered in recent years from patterns of fraud and abuse. Such patterns include:

 

· control of the market for the security by one or more broker-dealers that are often related to the promoter or issuer;

 

· manipulation of prices through prearranged matching of purchases and sales and false and misleading press releases;

 

· “boiler room” practices involving high pressure sales tactics and unrealistic price projections by inexperienced sales persons;

 

· excessive and undisclosed bid-ask differentials and markups by selling broker-dealers; and

 

· the wholesale dumping of the same securities by promoters and broker-dealers after prices have been manipulated to a desired level, along with the inevitable collapse of those prices with consequent investor losses.

 

Our management is aware of the abuses that have occurred historically in the penny stock market.

 

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Our management and other affiliates have significant control of our common stock and could significantly influence our actions in a manner that conflicts with our interests and the interests of other stockholders.

 

As of June 30, 2014, our executive officers and directors together beneficially own approximately 31% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, assuming the exercise of options and warrants which are currently exercisable or will become exercisable within 60 days of June 30, 2014, held by these stockholders. Additionally, there are four shareholders that each beneficially own more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. As a result, these stockholders, acting together, will be able to exercise significant influence over matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors, and may not always act in the best interests of other stockholders. Such a concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of us, including transactions in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then-current market prices.

 

A significant portion of our total outstanding shares of common stock may be sold in the market in the near future, which could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly.

 

As of June 30, 2014, we had 13,846,361 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding and 580 shares of convertible preferred stock outstanding which can convert into 290,000 shares of common stock. 5,194,494 shares are registered pursuant to registration statements on Forms S-1 or S-3 or are either eligible to be sold under SEC Rule 144 or are in the public float. An additional 1,746,666 shares will become eligible to be sold under SEC Rule 144 on August 21, 2014 and the remaining 6,905,201 shares will become eligible to be sold under SEC Rule 144 on November 16, 2014. In addition, we have registered 1,876,722 shares of our common stock underlying warrants previously issued and still outstanding and we registered 1,845,976 shares of our common stock underlying options granted or to be granted under our stock option plans. Consequently, sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, may have a material adverse effect on our stock price.

 

Our common stock has a limited trading market, which could limit your ability to resell your shares of common stock at or above your purchase price.

 

Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTCQB Marketplace, operated by the OTC Markets Group, or OTCQB, and our common stock currently has a limited trading market. We cannot assure you that an active trading market will develop or, if developed, will be maintained. As a result, our stockholders may find it difficult to dispose of shares of our common stock and, as a result, may suffer a loss of all or a substantial portion of their investment.

 

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The market price of our common stock may fluctuate and may drop below the price you paid.

 

We cannot assure you that you will be able to resell the shares of our common stock at or above your purchase price. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include:

 

· quarterly variations in operating results;
· the progress or perceived progress of our research and development efforts;
· changes in accounting treatments or principles;
· announcements by us or our competitors of new technology, product and service offerings, significant contracts, acquisitions or strategic relationships;
· additions or departures of key personnel;
· future offerings or resales of our common stock or other securities;
· stock market price and volume fluctuations of publicly-traded companies in general and development companies in particular; and
· general political, economic and market conditions.

 

For example, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, our common stock traded between $1.90 and $7.00 per share.

 

Because we do not intend to pay, and have not paid, any cash dividends on our shares of common stock, our stockholders will not be able to receive a return on their shares unless the value of our common stock appreciates and they sell their shares.

 

We have never paid or declared any cash dividends on our common stock, and we intend to retain any future earnings to finance the development and expansion of our business. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Therefore, our stockholders will not be able to receive a return on their investment unless the value of our common stock appreciates and they sell their shares.

 

Our stockholders may experience substantial dilution as a result of the conversion of convertible preferred stock, the exercise of options and warrants to purchase our common stock, or due to anti-dilution provisions relating to any on the foregoing.

 

As of June 30, 2014, we have outstanding 580 shares of convertible preferred stock which may convert into 290,000 shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase 7,237,774 shares of our common stock.  In addition, as of June 30, 2014, we have reserved 1,845,976 shares of our common stock for issuance upon the exercise of options granted or available to be granted pursuant to our stock option plan, all of which may be granted in the future.  Furthermore, in connection with the preferred stock agreements, we are required to reserve an additional 146,236 shares of common stock. The conversion of the convertible preferred stock and the exercise of these options and warrants will result in dilution to our existing stockholders and could have a material adverse effect on our stock price. The conversion price of the convertible preferred stock is also subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments.

 

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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

 

None.

 

Item 2. Properties.

 

Effective May 19, 2011, we lease office space in Bridgewater, New Jersey for a current monthly rental fee of $6,032. The lease expires on November 30, 2014. Additionally, we lease laboratory space in La Jolla, California on a month to month basis for a current monthly rental fee of $14,875.The office and laboratory space is in good condition, and we believe they will adequately serve as our headquarters and laboratory over the term of the lease. We also believe that the office and laboratory space is adequately insured by the lessors.

 

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

 

We are not currently a party to any legal proceedings; however, we may become involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business.

 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

 

None.

 

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PART II

 

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder

Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

 

Our common stock currently trades on the OTCQB Marketplace under the symbol SNTI.

 

The following table sets forth, for each of the quarters since the quarter ended September 30, 2012, the range of the high and low bid information or sales price, as applicable, for our common shares quoted on the OTCQB Marketplace or the NYSE MKT, as applicable. The prices in the table represent prices between dealers and do not include adjustments for retail mark-up, markdown or commission and may not represent actual transactions.

 

Quarter
Ended
    Common
Stock
 
      High     Low  
               
  September 30, 2012     $ 32.00     $ 17.20  
  December 31, 2012     $ 23.00     $ 11.39  
  March 31, 2013     $ 17.00     $ 8.00  
  June 30, 2013     $ 9.00     $ 2.00  
  September 30, 2013     $ 7.00     $ 1.90  
  December 31, 2013     $ 6.35     $ 3.00  
  March 31, 2014     $ 6.09     $ 3.03  
  June 30, 2014     $ 3.69     $ 2.40  

 


 

As of September 15, 2014, the approximate number of holders of record of our common stock was 272 . This number does not include “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers and other financial institutions.

 

We have neither paid nor declared dividends on our common stock since our inception, and we do not plan to pay dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We expect that any earnings, which we may realize, will be retained to finance the growth of our company.

 

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The following table provides information about the securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans as of June 30, 2014.

 

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

 

    Number of securities
to be issued upon 
exercise of outstanding 
options, warrants 
and rights and restricted
stock units
    Weighted-average
exercise price of 
outstanding options, 
warrants and rights and
restricted stock units
    Number of securities
remaining
available for future
issuance
under equity
compensation plans
 
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders     979,304 (1)   $ 9.49       856,672 (2)
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders                  
Total     979,304 (1)   $ 9.49       856,672 (2)

 


 

(1) Issued pursuant to our 1998 Stock Plan and 2008 Stock Plan.

 

(2) Available for future issuance pursuant to our 2008 Stock Plan.

 

RECENT SALES OF UNREGISTERED SECURITIES; USE OF PROCEEDS FROM REGISTERED SECURITIES

 

None, except as previously disclosed on our Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q and Current Reports on Forms 8-K.

 

32
 

 

PERFORMANCE GRAPH

 

The graph below matches the Company’s cumulative 5-Year total shareholder return on common stock with the cumulative total returns of the NYSE MKT Composite index and the RDG MicroCap Biotechnology index. The graph tracks the performance of a $100 investment in our common stock and in each index (with the reinvestment of all dividends) from 6/30/2009 to 6/30/2014.

 

 

   

6/09

   

6/10

   

6/11

   

6/12

   

6/13

   

6/14

 
                                     
Senesco Technologies, Inc.     100.00       37.95       33.73       25.06       3.25       3.37  
NYSE MKT Composite     100.00       129.08       158.87       150.97       154.48       208.87  
RDG MicroCap Biotechnology     100.00       103.21       106.22       125.11       102.93       91.09  

 

The stock price performance included in this graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

 

33
 

 

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

 

The following Selected Financial Data should be read in conjunction with “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

 

    Fiscal Year Ended June 30,  
    2014     2013     2012     2011     2010  
    (In thousands, except per share data)  
Statement of Operations Data:                                        
                                         
Revenue   $ 100     $ -     $ 200     $ -     $ 140  
                                         
Operating expenses:                                        
                                         
General and administrative     3,683       2,500       2,724       2,610       2,349  
Research and development     3,339       2,086       3,566       2,720       2,637  
Acquisition related costs     545       -       -       -       -  
Impairment of patents     1,351       -       -       -       -  
Write off of patents abandoned     330       64       321       1,588       -  
                                         
Total operating expenses     9,248       4,650       5,611       7,918       4,986  
                                         
Loss from operations     (9,148 )     (4,650 )     (5,411 )     (7,918 )     (4,846 )
                                         
Grant income     -       -       -       244       -  
Fair value – warrant liability     -       371       472       609       2,517  
Other noncash expense     -       -       -       (116 )     -  
Loss on extinguishment of debt     -       (1,725 )     -       -       (362 )
Amortization of debt discount and financing costs     -       -       -       -       (10,081 )
Interest expense – convertible notes     -       -       -       -       (587 )
Interest expense, net     (77 )     (119 )     (127 )     (88 )     (24 )
                                         
Net loss     (9,225 )     (6,123 )     (5,066 )     (7,269 )     (13,383 )
                                         
Preferred dividends     (4,629 )     (863 )     (1,626 )     (2,638 )     (6,240 )
                                         
Net loss available to common shares   $ (13,854 )   $ (6,986 )   $ (6,692 )   $ (9,907 )   $ (19,623 )
                                         
Basic and diluted net loss per  common share   $ (2.53 )   $ (5.11 )   $ (7.81 )   $ (14.29 )   $ (67.40 )
                                         
Basic and diluted weighted average  number of common shares outstanding     5,477       1,366       857       693       291  
                                         
Balance Sheet Data:                                        
                                         
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 6,111     $ 1,602     $ 2,001     $ 3,610     $ 8,026  
Working capital     5,399       310       387       1,788       6,002  
Total assets     33,335       7,097       6,955       8,597       13,912  
Accumulated deficit     (88,280 )     (74,426 )     (67,440 )     (60,748 )     (50,841 )
Total stockholders’ equity     27,490       3,786       3,453       4,517       7,981  

 

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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

 

The discussion in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contains trend analysis, estimates and other forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements containing the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “continue,” and other words of similar import or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, estimates and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those set forth in such forward-looking statements as a result of, but not limited to, the “Risk Factors” described in Part I, Item 1A. You should read the following discussion and analysis along with the “Selected Financial Data” and the financial statements and notes attached to those statements included elsewhere in this report.

 

Overview

 

We do not expect to generate significant revenues for several years, during which time we will engage in significant research and development efforts.

 

Our protein biologics technology comprises (i) a platform to discover and engineer human antibodies directly on the cell surface, (ii) antibodies derived from cows that contain ultralong binding regions that may be useful in binding certain therapeutic epitopes, and (iii) a chimerasome nanocage capable of encapsulating therapeutic payloads for drug delivery.

 

Our preclinical antibody development program comprises an antibody against the ion channel Kv1.3, which is an important molecule in regulating T-cell activation in a number of autoimmune diseases. We have performed experiments showing that this antibody potently blocks activation of human T-cells in vitro . Future development efforts will include a Phase I clinical trial.

 

Our human therapeutic research program, which has consisted of clinical and pre-clinical in-vitro and in-vivo experiments designed to assess the role and method of action of the Factor 5A genes in human diseases, is performed, at our direction, at our laboratory, the University of Waterloo and other commercial research facilities.

 

We have developed a therapeutic candidate, SNS01-T, for the potential treatment of multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma and diffuse large b-cell lymphoma and have been granted orphan drug status for SNS01-T by the FDA for the potential treatment of multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

 

We have completed a Phase 1b/2a clinical study with SNS01-T in multiple myeloma, mantle cell and diffuse large b-cell lymphoma patients. The clinical study was an open-label, multiple-dose, dose-escalation study, which will evaluate the safety and tolerability of SNS01-T when administered by intravenous infusion to relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients. The study design called for four cohorts of three to six patients each. Patients in each cohort received twice-weekly dosing for six weeks followed by a safety data review period before escalating to a higher dose level in the next cohort. While the primary objective of the initial study was to evaluate safety and tolerability, the effect of SNS01-T on tumor response was also evaluated using multiple, well-established criteria including measurement of the monoclonal protein, or M-protein.

 

35
 

 

We may consider other human diseases in order to determine the role of Factor 5A and SNS01-T.

 

Consistent with our commercialization strategy, we may license our technology for human health applications or for additional crops, as the opportunities may arise, that may result in additional license fees, revenues from contract research and other related revenues. Successful future operations will depend on our and our partners’ ability to transform our research and development activities into a commercially feasible technology.

 

36
 

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

Revenue Recognition

 

We record revenue under technology license and development agreements related to the following. Actual fees received may vary from the recorded estimated revenues.

 

· Nonrefundable upfront license fees that are received in exchange for the transfer of our technology to licensees, for which no further obligations to the licensee exist with respect to the basic technology transferred, are recognized as revenue on the earlier of when payments are received or collections are assured.
· Nonrefundable upfront license fees that are received in connection with agreements that include time-based payments are, together with the time-based payments, deferred and amortized ratably over the estimated research period of the license.
· Milestone payments, which are contingent upon the achievement of certain research goals, are recognized as revenue when the milestones, as defined in the particular agreement, are achieved.

 

The effect of any change in revenues from technology license and development agreements would be reflected in revenues in the period such determination was made. Historically, no such adjustments have been made.

 

Estimates of Expenses

 

Our research and development agreements with third parties provide for an estimate of our expenses and costs, which are variable and are based on the actual services performed by the third party. We estimate the aggregate amount of the expenses based upon the projected amounts that are set forth in the agreements, and we accrue the expenses for which we have not yet been invoiced or prepay the expenses that have been invoiced but the services have not yet been performed. In estimating the expenses, we consider, among other things, the following factors:

 

· the existence of any prior relationship between us and the third party provider;
· the past results of prior research and development services performed by the third party provider; and
· the scope and timing of the research and development services set forth in the agreement with the third party provider.

 

After the research services are performed and we are invoiced, we make any adjustments that are necessary to accurately report research and development expense for the period.

 

Income Taxes

 

We account for income taxes in accordance with an asset and liability approach requiring the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded without consideration as to their ability to be realized. The deferred tax asset includes net operating loss and credit carryforwards, and the cumulative temporary differences related to stock-based compensation. The portion of any deferred tax asset, for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized, must then be offset by recording a valuation allowance against the asset.

 

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In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. Management believes it is more likely than not that we will not realize the deferred tax assets in excess of deferred tax liabilities, and as such, a full valuation allowance is maintained against the net deferred tax assets.

 

While we believe that our tax positions are fully supportable, there is a risk that certain positions could be challenged successfully. In these instances, we look to establish reserves. If we determine that a tax position is more likely than not of being sustained upon audit, based solely on the technical merits of the position, we recognize the benefit. We measure the benefit by determining the amount that has likelihood greater than 50% of being realized upon settlement. We presume that all tax positions will be examined by a taxing authority with full knowledge of all relevant information. We regularly monitor our tax positions, tax assets and tax liabilities. We reevaluate the technical merits of our tax positions and recognize an uncertain tax benefit or derecognize a previously recorded tax benefit when (i) there is a completion of a tax audit, (ii) there is a change in applicable tax law including a tax case or legislative guidance, or (iii) there is an expiration of the statute of limitations. Significant judgment is required in accounting for tax reserves.

 

Stock-based Compensation

 

We measure all employee stock-based compensation awards using a fair value method and record such expense in our consolidated financial statements. Such expense is amortized on a straight line basis over the requisite service period of the award.

 

We estimate the grant date fair value of stock options using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model which requires the input of highly subjective assumptions. These assumptions include estimating the expected term of the award, the estimated volatility of our stock price over the expected term and the probability of achievement of any performance goals that may be required to be achieved in order for the stock options to vest. Changes in these assumptions and in the estimated forfeitures of stock option awards may materially affect the amount of stock-based compensation recognized in our consolidated statements of operations.

 

In connection with any performance goals that may be required to be achieved in order for the stock options to vest, our management reviews the specific goals of such plans to determine if such goals have been achieved or are probable that they will be achieved. If the goals have been achieved or are probable of being achieved, then the amount of compensation expense determined on the date of grant related to those specific goals is charged to compensation expense at such time.

 

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Patent Costs

 

We test patent costs for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that we may not be able to recover an asset’s carrying amount. We evaluate the recoverability of an asset by comparing its carrying amount to the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of that asset. If the undiscounted cash flows are not sufficient to recover the carrying amount, we measure any impairment loss as the excess of the carrying amount of the asset over its fair value. Events which could trigger asset impairment include significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results, significant changes in the manner or use of an asset or in our overall business strategy, significant negative industry or economic trends, shortening of product life-cycles, negative changes in third party reimbursement, or changes in technology.

 

As of June 30, 2014, we determined that market value of our agricultural patent costs was less than its carrying value. Therefore, we recorded an impairment for the full carrying value of the agricultural patent costs at June 30, 2014.

 

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

 

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired by the Company. Goodwill is not amortized, but assessed for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently if impairment indicators exist. The impairment model prescribes a two-step method for determining impairment.

 

The first step compares a reporting unit’s fair value to its carrying amount to identify potential goodwill impairment. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, the second step of the impairment test must be completed to measure the amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill impairment loss, if any. Step two requires an assignment of the reporting unit’s fair value to the reporting unit’s assets and liabilities to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill. The implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill is then compared with the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill to determine the goodwill impairment loss to be recognized, if any. For the year ended June 30, 2014, the Company determined that there was no impairment to goodwill.

 

Intangible assets include in-process research and development (IPR&D) of pharmaceutical product candidates. IPR&D are considered indefinite-lived intangible assets and are assessed for impairment annually or more frequently if impairment indicators exist. If the associated research and development effort is abandoned, the related assets will be written-off and the Company will record a non-cash impairment loss on its consolidated statement of operations. For those compounds that reach commercialization, the IPR&D assets will be amortized over their estimated useful lives. For the year ended June 30, 2014, the Company determined that there was no impairment to IPR&D.

    

Warrant Liability

 

We compute valuations each quarter using the Black-Scholes model , which requires the input of subjective assumptions for volatility, for warrants that have an exercise price reset feature to account for the various possibilities that could occur due to changes in the inputs to the Black-Scholes model as a result of contractually-obligated changes. We effectively weight each calculation based on the likelihood of occurrence to determine the value of the derivative at the reporting date. The fair value of the warrants that have cash settlement features is estimated using the Black-Scholes model. Changes in these assumptions may materially affect the amount of the warrant liability recorded on our consolidated balance sheet.

 

Impairment of intangible assets

 

We assess the impairment in value of intangible assets at least annually or sooner if circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors we consider important which could trigger an impairment review include the following:

 

significant negative industry trends;
significant underutilization of the assets;
significant changes in how we use the assets or its plans for their use; and
changes in technology and the appearance of competing technology.

 

If a triggering event occurs and if our review determines that the future undiscounted cash flows related to the groups, including these assets, will not be sufficient to recover their carrying value, we will reduce the carrying values of these assets down to its estimate of fair value.

 

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

Overview

 

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, net cash of $4,868,133 was used in operating activities primarily due to a net loss of $9,225,234 which was reduced by non-cash expenses of $3,327,661 and by changes in operating assets and liabilities in the amount of $1,029,440.

 

The $1,029,440 change in operating assets and liabilities was the result of a decrease in prepaid research supplies and expenses in the amount of $868,837 and an increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses in the amount of $160,603 due to the timing of expenses and payments.

 

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, cash provided by investing activities amounted to $646,937. The Company received $1,274,662 in cash from the acquisition of Fabrus, Inc., which was partially reduced by $627,725 of patent costs incurred and fixed assets purchased.

 

Cash provided by financing activities during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 amounted to $8,730,243, which comprises $10,917,325 as a result of the issuance of common stock and warrants and the exercise of certain warrants, offset by the repayment and cancellation of the line of credit in the amount of $2,187,082.

 

As of June 30, 2014, our cash balance totaled $6,111,340, and we had working capital of $5,399,227.

 

Capital Resources

 

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, we received $100,000 under our license and development agreements. We have not been profitable since inception, we will continue to incur additional operating losses in the future, and we will require additional financing to continue the development and subsequent commercialization of our technology. While we do not expect to generate significant revenues from the licensing of our technology for several years, we may enter into additional licensing or other agreements with marketing and distribution partners that may result in additional license fees, receive revenues from contract research, or other related revenue.

 

Financing

 

In October 2013, we issued an aggregate of 690,000 shares of common stock for gross proceeds in the amount of $1,725,000 and net proceeds in the amount of $1,560,770.

 

In December 2013, we issued an aggregate of 1,800,000 shares of common stock and 5,400,000 warrants in a public offering for gross proceeds in the amount of $5,400,000 and net proceeds in the amount of $5,278,236.

 

In February 2014, we amended certain warrants issued in December 2013 to reduce the exercise price from $4.00 to $2.00 per share. In connection with this amendment, certain of these warrants were exercised, resulting in gross proceeds in the amount of $3,493,332.

 

Additionally, during the year ended June 30, 2014, we received additional gross proceeds in the amount of $585,289 from the exercise of warrants.

 

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Contractual Obligations

 

The following table lists our cash contractual obligations as of June 30, 2014:

 

    Payments Due by Period  
Contractual Obligations   Total     Less than
1 year
    1 – 3 years     3 – 5 years     More than
5 years
 
Research and Development Agreements (1)(2)   $ 796,708     $ 717,508     $ 79,200     $     $  
Facility, Rent and Operating Leases   $ 30,160     $ 30,160     $     $     $  
Employment and Consulting Agreements   $ 1,286,860     $ 1,286,860     $     $     $  
Total Contractual Cash Obligations   $ 2,113,728     $ 2,034,528     $ 79,200     $     $  

 

(1) Certain of our research and development agreements disclosed herein provide that payment is to be made in Canadian dollars and, therefore, the contractual obligations are subject to fluctuations in the exchange rate.
(2) Certain of our agreements provide for automatic renewal, which is reflected in the table, unless terminated earlier by the parties to the respective agreements.

 

Effective June 20, 2011, we entered into a Master Services Agreement with Criterium under which CRITERIUM will provide professional and technical services in connection with the management of our Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for the treatment of multiple myeloma, MCL and DLBCL. The agreement, as amended, has an initial term that commences on the date of the agreement and runs for a period of thirty-nine (39) months. Our remaining financial obligation under the agreement, as amended, is estimated to be $210,000 and is included in the above table.

 

Effective August 15, 2011, we entered into a Clinical Trial Research Agreement with Mayo Clinic, or MAYO, under which MAYO will perform our Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for the treatment of multiple myeloma, MCL and DLBCL. The agreement has an initial term that commences on the date of the agreement and continues until the study is completed and all final study documentation required to be provided is received and accepted by us. Our financial obligation under the agreement includes a fixed cost and a cost per patient. The cost per patient is not included in the above table.

 

Effective September 1, 2014, we extended our research and development agreement with the University of Waterloo for an additional one-year period through August 31, 2015, in the amount of CAD $475,200, or approximately USD $475,000. Effective March 1, 2014, the budget for the research and development agreement was amended to increase the monthly amount from $30,950 to $39,600 through August 31, 2014. The agreement automatically renews for successive one-year terms unless terminated 180 days prior to renewal. Research and development expenses under this agreement for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012 aggregated USD $413,220, USD $628,995 and USD $573,368, respectively, and USD $8,191,516 for the cumulative period through June 30, 2014. Future obligations to be paid under the agreement through August 31, 2015 equal approximately U.S. $554,400.

 

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On May 16, 2014, the Company entered into a retention agreement with the former Chief Executive Officer and current President of the Company, providing for certain severance benefits in the event of certain terminations of employment with the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the retention agreement, if, during the one-year period following the effective date of the retention agreement the employee (i) is terminated without cause, (ii) resigns for good reason or (iii) is not offered the position of “Chief Executive Officer” of the Company and the employee resigns within 30 days of the expiration of such one year period, the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment equal to his target bonus plus his annual base salary for the year in which such event occurs, (b) COBRA benefits for one year beginning on the first day of the month following such event and (c) reimbursement of life-insurance costs for one year following such event. Moreover, if in connection with a change of control transaction, the employee’s employment is terminated or he resigns for good cause, the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment equal to his target bonus plus two times his annual base salary for the year in which such event occurs and (b) COBRA benefits for two years beginning on the first day of the month following such event. Additionally, in connection with the occurrence of any of the triggering events described above, the employee’s outstanding equity awards would become fully vested and exercisable and would remain exercisable until the expiration of each equity award’s maximum term. The estimated value of the retention agreement is approximately $293,000 if for one year or $586,000 if for two years.

 

On June 25, 2014, the Company entered into an employment agreement with the current Chief Executive Officer, providing for certain severance benefits in the event of certain terminations of employment with the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, if, during the one-year period following the effective date of the employment agreement the employee, (i) is terminated without cause or (ii) resigns for good reason (each a “Qualifying Termination”), the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to 18 months’ salary, calculated at the rate of his then current Base Salary, (b) COBRA benefits for 18 months beginning on the first day of the month following such Qualifying Termination and (c) reimbursement of life-insurance costs for 18 months following such Qualifying Termination. If the employee undergoes a Qualifying Termination after the one-year period following the effective date of the Employment Agreement, the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to 12 months’ salary, calculated at the rate of his then current Base Salary, (b) COBRA benefits for 12 months beginning on the first day of the month following such Qualifying Termination and (c) reimbursement of life-insurance costs for 12 months following such Qualifying Termination. Moreover, if in connection with a change of control transaction, the employee is terminated or he resigns for good cause, the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to 24 months’ salary, calculated at the rate of his then current Base Salary, (b) COBRA benefits for 24 months beginning on the first day of the month following such Qualifying Termination and (c) reimbursement of life-insurance costs for 24 months following such Qualifying Termination. Additionally, in connection with the occurrence of any of the triggering events described above, the employee’s outstanding equity awards would become fully vested and exercisable and would remain exercisable until the expiration of the equity award’s maximum term. The estimated value of the employment agreement in the event is approximately $317,000 if for one year, $475,000 if for eighteen months or $634,000 if for two years.

 

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We expect our capital requirements to increase significantly over the next several years as we commence new research and development efforts, increase our business and administrative infrastructure and embark on developing in-house business capabilities and facilities. Our future liquidity and capital funding requirements will depend on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the levels and costs of our research and development initiatives and the cost and timing of the expansion of our business development and administrative staff.

 

We anticipate that, based upon our current cash balance at June 30, 2014, we will be able to fund our operations at least through March 31, 2015.

 

Over the next 12 months, we plan to fund our research and development and commercialization activities:

 

· by utilizing our current cash balance and investments,

 

· by raising capital through the placement of equity or debt instruments, and

 

· by raising capital through the execution of additional licensing agreements for our technology.

 

We cannot assure you that we will be able to raise money through any of the foregoing transactions, or on favorable terms, if at all.

 

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Results of Operations

 

Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2014

 

On May 16, 2014 we acquired Fabrus, Inc., or Fabrus. Accordingly, the results of operations for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 include the accounts of Fabrus for the period from May 16, 2014 through June 30, 2014.

 

Revenue

 

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, we earned revenue in the amount of $100,000, which consisted of a milestone payment in connection with an agricultural license agreement.

 

We did not earn any revenue during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013

 

Operating expenses

 

    Fiscal Year Ended June 30,  
    2014     2013     Change     %  
                         
General and administrative   $ 3,683,350     $ 2,499,624     $ 1,183,726       47.4 %
Research and development     3,338,687       2,086,666       1,252,021       60.0 %
Acquisition related costs     544,978       -       544,978       -  
Impairment of patents     1,350,591       -       1,350,591       -  
Write-off of patents abandoned     330,190       64,210       265,980       414.2 %
Total operating expenses   $ 9,247,796     $ 4,650,500     $ 4,597,296       98.9 %

 

Due to the acquisition of Fabrus, we expect cash operating expenses to increase over the next 12 months as we anticipate that research and development expenses will increase as we continue to expand our research and development activities.

 

General and administrative expenses

 

General and administrative expenses consist of the following:

 

    Fiscal Year ended June 30,  
    2014     2013     Change     %  
                         
Stock-based compensation   $ 1,185,118     $ 639,828     $ 545,290       85.2 %
Payroll and benefits     622,421       594,456       27,965       4.7 %
Investor relations     731,749       103,816       627,933       604.9 %
Professional fees     277,712       475,274       (197,562 )     (41.6 )%
Depreciation and amortization     333,465       293,629       39,836       13.6 %
Consultants     216,869       35,594       181,275       509.3 %
Other general and administrative expenses     316,016       357,027       (41,011 )     (11.5 )%
                                 
Total general and administrative expenses   $ 3,683,350     $ 2,499,624     $ 1,183,726       47.4 %

 

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· Stock-based compensation for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2013 consisted of the amortized portion of the Black-Scholes value of options, restricted stock units and warrants granted to directors, employees and consultants. During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, 778,480 and 89,670 options, respectively, were granted to such individuals.

 

Stock-based compensation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 was higher than the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily due to more options being issued during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014. Additionally, 105,000 shares of common stock were issued in connection with certain consulting agreements during the year ended June 30, 2014.

 

· Payroll and benefits for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 was higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013, primarily due to separating the position of CEO and President effective May 16, 2014.

 

· Investor relations fees for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 was higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily as a result of a new investor relations program started in October 2013, the termination of an investor relations consulting agreement in September 2013 and a special meeting of stockholders held in August 2013.

 

· Professional fees for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 was lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily as a result of a decrease in legal fees as, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 it was not necessary to address certain items that were being addressed during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.

 

· Depreciation and amortization for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 was higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily as a result of an increase in amortization of patent costs.

 

· Consulting fees for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 were higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily due to certain financial advisory agreements entered into during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014.

 

· Other general and administrative expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 were lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily due to a decrease in cash director fees, which was partially offset by an increase in insurance and conferences.

 

We expect cash-based general and administrative expenses to increase over the next twelve months.

 

Research and development expenses

 

    Fiscal Year Ended June 30,  
    2014     2013     Change     %  
Stock-based compensation   $ 112,106     $ 84,865     $ 27,241       32.1 %
Phase 1b/2a clinical trial     2,170,160       1,035,079       1,135,081       109.7 %
Research contract with the                                
University of Waterloo     413,220       628,997       (215,777 )     34.3 %
Payroll     297,872       174,360       123,512       70.8 %
Other research and development     345,329       163,365       81,964       111.4 %
                                 
Total research and development   $ 3,338,687     $ 2,086,666     $ 1,252,021       60.0 %

 

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· Stock-based compensation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 was higher than the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily due to the number of options granted during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 being higher than the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.

 

· The cost of the Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 was higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily due to the number of patients being treated and the number of sites treating patients during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 being higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.

 

· The cost associated with the research contract with the University of Waterloo for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 was lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily due to a decrease in amount being funded for agricultural and human health research at this site.

 

· Payroll for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 was higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily as a result of an increase in the number of employees effective with the Fabrus acquisition on May 16, 2014.

 

· Other research and development costs for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 were higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 primarily due to costs to run the laboratory in connection with the acquisition of Fabrus on May 16, 2014.

 

We expect our research and development costs to increase as we continue our current research projects, incorporate the Fabrus research projects for and begin new human therapeutic initiatives

 

Impairment of patents

 

During the year ended June 30, 2014, we determined that the carrying cost of our agricultural patents exceeded the expected future undiscounted cash flows. Accordingly, we recorded an impairment of the agricultural patents for the fully net carrying cost of $1,350,591.

 

Write-off of patents abandoned

 

During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2013, we reviewed our patent portfolio in order to determine if we could reduce our cost of patent prosecution and maintenance. We identified several patents and patents pending that we believe we no longer need to maintain without having a material impact on the portfolio. We determined that we would no longer incur the cost to prosecute or maintain those patents or patents pending. Therefore, we wrote-off the net book value of those patents and patents pending in the amounts of $330,190 and $64,210, respectively.

 

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Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2013

 

Revenue

 

We did not earn any revenue during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.

 

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, we earned revenue in the amount of $200,000, which consisted of a milestone payment in connection with an agricultural license agreement.

 

Operating expenses

 

    Fiscal Year Ended June 30,  
    2013     2012     Change     %  
General and administrative   $ 2,499,624     $ 2,724,144     $ (224,520 )     (8.2 )%
                                 
Research and development     2,086,666       2,566,247       (479,581 )     (18.7 )%
                                 
Write-off of patents abandoned     64,210       321,137       (256,927 )     (80.0 )%
                                 
Total operating expenses   $ 4,650,500     $ 5,611,528     $ (961,028 )     (17.1 )%

 

General and administrative expenses

 

General and administrative expenses consist of the following:

 

    Fiscal Year ended June 30,  
    2013     2012     Change     %  
Stock-based compensation   $ 639,828   $ 721,197     $ (81,369 )     (11.3 )%
Payroll and benefits     594,456       588,407       6,049       1.0 %
Investor relations     103,816       203,871       (100,055 )     (49.0 )%
Professional fees     475,274       518,473       (43,199 )     (8.3 )%
Director fees     62,375       44,625       17,750       39.8 %
Depreciation and amortization     293,629       258,023       35,606       13.8 %
Other general and administrative expenses     330,246       389,548       (59,302 )     (15.2 )%
                                 
Total general and administrative expenses   $ 2,499,624     $ 2,724,144     $ (224.520 )     (8.2 )%

 

· Stock-based compensation for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2013 and June 30, 2012 consisted of the amortized portion of the Black-Scholes value of options, restricted stock units and warrants granted to directors, employees and consultants. During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, 8,966,978 and 5,274,428 options, respectively, were granted to such individuals.

 

Stock-based compensation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was lower than the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily due to management’s assessment of the probability of the vesting of the goal based options granted during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 being lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. Additionally, the options granted during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, vested at a lower percentage than had been estimated at June 30, 2012. Therefore, stock-based compensation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was further reduced.

 

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· Payroll and benefits for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, primarily as a result of a 401K contribution made during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. There was no 401K contribution during the fiscal year ended June, 2013. This was partially offset by salary increases effective July 1, 2012.

 

· Investor relations fees for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily as a result of lower consultant fees.

 

· Professional fees for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily as a result of a decrease in legal and accounting fees. Legal fees decreased primarily due to higher discounts received during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 and a decrease in fees incurred in connection with the exploration of alternative uses of our technology. Accounting fees decreased primarily due to the use of a consultant to prepare a valuation of the Company’s intangible assets during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

 

· Director fees for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 were higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, primarily as a result of more meetings being held during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.

 

· Depreciation and amortization for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily as a result of an increase in amortization of patent costs.

 

· Other general and administrative expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 were lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily due to a decrease in conferences and travel, office supplies, state taxes and transfer agent fees.

 

Research and development expenses

 

    Fiscal Year Ended June 30,  
    2013     2012     Change     %  
Stock-based compensation   $ 84,865     $ 44,807     $ 40,058       8.9 %
Phase 1b/2a clinical trial     1,035,079       1,101,775       (66,696 )     (6.1 )%
Research contract with the University of Waterloo     628,997       573,368       55,629       9.7 %
Payroll     174,360       167,834       6,526       3.9 %
Other research and development     163,365       678,463       (515,098 )     (75.9 )%
                                 
Total research and development   $ 2,086,666     $ 2,566,247     $ (479,581 )     (18.7 )%

 

· Stock-based compensation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was higher than the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily because the number of options granted during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was higher than the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

 

· The cost associated with the research contract with the University of Waterloo for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 were higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily due to an increase in amount being funded for human health research.

 

· Payroll for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was higher than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily as a result of a salary increases effective July 1, 2012.

 

48
 

 

· Other research and development costs for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 was lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily due to a decrease in the costs in connection with agricultural research programs and formulation studies.

 

The breakdown of our research and development expenses between our agricultural and human therapeutic research programs are as follows:

    Fiscal Year ended June 30,  
    2013     %     2012     %  
Agricultural research programs   $ 53,566       3 %   $ 279,736       11 %
Human therapeutic research programs     2,033,100       97 %     2,286,511       89 %
                                 
Total research and development expenses   $ 2,086,666       100 %   $ 2,566,247       100 %

 

· Agricultural research expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 were lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily due to a reduction in the funding for agricultural research at the University of Waterloo and the amendment to the Rahan Meristem agreement for the development of bananas. Effective January 1, 2012, we amended the Rahan Meristem agreement whereby we no longer incur costs related to such development.

 

· Human therapeutic research expenses for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 were lower than for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 primarily as a result of the timing of certain aspects of the development of our drug candidate, SNS01-T, for treating multiple myeloma. Specifically, during the nine months ended March 31, 2012, we incurred costs related to the formulation of SNS01-T, which we did not incur during the nine months ended March 31, 2013.

 

Write-off of patents abandoned

 

During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2013 and June 30, 2012, we reviewed our patent portfolio in order to determine if we could reduce our cost of patent prosecution and maintenance. We identified several patents and patents pending that we believe we no longer need to maintain without having a material impact on the portfolio. We determined that we would no longer incur the cost to prosecute or maintain those patents or patents pending. Therefore, we wrote-off the net book value of those patents and patents pending in the amounts of $64,210 and $321,137, respectively.

 

49
 

 

Other non-operating income and expense

 

Change in fair value of warrant liability

 

The amounts represent the change in the fair value of the warrant liability for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2013 and 2012. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013 the fair value of the warrant liability decreased due to the expiration of certain warrants and a decrease in the Black-Scholes values of the remaining warrants as the expected term was shorter in 2013 and there was greater disparity between the market price of our common stock and the exercise price of the warrants.

 

Loss on settlement of warrant liabilities

 

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013, certain warrants that were recorded as liabilities were exchanged for common stock. The loss on the settlement of warrant liabilities represents the fair value of the common stock received by the warrant holders less the Black-Scholes value of the warrants exchanged on the date of the exchange.

 

50
 

 

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

 

Foreign Currency Risk

 

Our financial statements are denominated in United States dollars and, except for our agreement with the University of Waterloo, which is denominated in Canadian dollars, all of our contracts are denominated in United States dollars. Therefore, we believe that fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates will not result in any material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. In the event we derive a greater portion of our revenues from international operations or in the event a greater portion of our expenses are incurred internationally and denominated in a foreign currency, then changes in foreign currency exchange rates could affect our results of operations and financial condition.

 

Interest Rate Risk

 

Our exposure to market risks for interest rate changes is not significant. Interest rates on our short-term debt are subject to change, however, the effect of interest rate changes would not be material.

 

Our investments in cash represent high-quality financial instruments, primarily money market funds, with an effective duration of the portfolio of less than one year which we believe are subject to limited credit risk. We currently do not hedge our interest rate exposure. Due to the short-term nature of our investments, which we plan to hold until maturity, we do not believe that we have any material exposure to interest rate risk arising from our investments.

 

51
 

 

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

 

The financial statements required to be filed pursuant to this Item 8 are included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. A list of the financial statements filed herewith is found at "Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules."

 

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

 

None.

 

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on this evaluation, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

 

Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

Our company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our company’s principle executive and principal financial officers and effected by our company’s board of directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. and includes those policies and procedures that:

 

· Pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of our company;

 

· Provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of our company are being made only in accordance with authorization of management and directors of our company; and

 

· Provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risks that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

52
 

 

Management assessed the effectiveness of our company’s internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2014. In making this assessment, management used the criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued in 1992 by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, or COSO.

 

Based on this assessment, management has concluded that, as of June 30, 2014 our company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective.

 

Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the company’s registered public accounting firm pursuant to applicable law that permits the Company to provide only management’s report in this annual report.

 

Changes in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting

 

No change in our internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.

 

Item 9B. Other Information.

 

None.

 

53
 

 

PART III

 

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

 

The information relating to our directors, nominees for election as directors and executive officers under the headings "Election of Directors" and "Executive Officers" in our definitive proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC is incorporated herein by reference to such proxy statement.

 

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

 

The discussion under the heading "Executive Compensation" in our definitive proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC is incorporated herein by reference to such proxy statement.

 

Item 12.                 Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

 

The discussion under the heading "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" in our definitive proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC is incorporated herein by reference to such proxy statement.

 

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

 

The discussion under the heading "Certain Relationships and Related Transactions" in our definitive proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC is incorporated herein by reference to such proxy statement.

 

Item 14 . Principal Accounting Fees and Services.

 

The discussion under the heading "Principal Accountant Fees and Services" in our definitive proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC is incorporated herein by reference to such proxy statement.

 

54
 

 

PART IV

 

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

 

(a) (1)           Financial Statements.

 

Reference is made to the Index to Financial Statements on Page F-1.

 

(a) (2)           Financial Statement Schedules.

 

None.

 

(a) (3)           Exhibits.

 

Reference is made to the Exhibit Index on Page 58.

 

55
 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized this 29th day of September, 2014.

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Ronald Martell
    Ronald Martell, Chief Executive Officer
    (principal executive officer)
     
  By: /s/ Joel Brooks
    Joel Brooks, Chief Financial Officer,
    Secretary and Treasurer
    (principal financial and accounting officer)

 

56
 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Harlan W. Waksal, M.D.   Chairman and Director   September 29 , 2014
Harlan W. Waksal, M.D.        
         
/s/ Ronald Martell   Chief Executive Officer and Director   September 29, 2014
Ronald Martell   (principal executive officer)    
         
/s/ Joel Brooks   Chief Financial Officer, Secretary   September 29, 2014
Joel Brooks   and Treasurer (principal financial    
    and accounting officer)    
         
/s/ Vaughn M. Smider, M.D.   Chief Scientific Officer and Director   September 29, 2014
Vaughn Smider, M.D.        
         
/s/ John Braca   Director   September 29, 2014
John Braca        
         
/s/ Christopher Forbes   Director   September 29, 2014
Christopher Forbes        
         
/s/ Phillip Frost, M.D.   Director   September 29, 2014
Phillip Frost, M.D.        
         
/s/ Steven Rubin   Director   September 29, 2014
Steven Rubin        
         
/s/ David Rector   Director   September 29, 2014
David Rector        

 

57
 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description of Exhibit
     
2.1   Merger Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among Nava Leisure USA, Inc., an Idaho corporation, the Principal Stockholders (as defined therein), Nava Leisure Acquisition Corp., and Senesco, Inc., dated October 9, 1998.  (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A dated January 11, 1999.)
     
2.2   Merger Agreement and Plan of Merger by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., an Idaho corporation, and Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation, dated September 30, 1999.  (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended September 30, 1999.)
     
2.3   Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization, dated as of May 16, 2014, by and among Senesco Technologies, Inc., Senesco Fab Acquisition Corporation and Fabrus, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 19, 2014.)
     
3.1   Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Senesco Technologies, Inc. filed with the State of Delaware on January 22, 2007.  (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2006.)
     
3.2   Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Senesco Technologies, Inc. filed with the State of Delaware on January 22, 2008. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2007.)
     
3.3   Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Senesco Technologies, Inc. filed with the State of Delaware on September 22, 2009. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K/A for the period ended June 30, 2009.)
     
3.4   Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Senesco Technologies, Inc. filed with the State of Delaware on May 25, 2010. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 28, 2010.)
     
3.5   Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Senesco Technologies, Inc. filed with the State of Delaware on December 22, 2011. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2011.)
     
3.6   Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Senesco Technologies, Inc. filed with the State of Delaware on April 1, 2013. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2013.)
     
3.7   Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on October 16, 2013. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on October 21, 2013).

 

58
 

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description of Exhibit
     
3.8   Amended and Restated By-laws of Senesco Technologies, Inc. as adopted on October 2, 2000. (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended December 31, 2000.)
     
3.9   Certificate of Designations to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation.  (Series A) (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on March 29, 2010.)
     
4.1   Form of Series FA Warrant issued on May 16, 2014. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 19, 2014.)
     
4.2   Form of Series FB Warrant issued on May 16, 2014. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 19, 2014.)
     
4.3   Form of Series FC Warrant issued on May 16, 2014. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 19, 2014.)
     
4.4   Form of Series FD Warrant issued on May 16, 2014. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 19, 2014.)
     
4.5   Form of Series FE Warrant issued on May 16, 2014. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 19, 2014.)
     
4.6   Form of December 2013 Series A Warrant. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on December 12, 2013.)
     
4.7   Form of December 2013 Series B Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on December 12, 2013.)
     
4.8   Form of Amended and Restated December 2013 Series B Warrant. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on February 27, 2014.)
     
4.9   Form of December 2013 Series C Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on December 12, 2013.)
     
4.10   Form of Series B Warrant issued to Partlet Holdings Ltd. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K, filed on July 10, 2009.)
     
4.11   Form of Series A Warrant issued to each of Robert Forbes, Timothy Forbes, Harlan W. Waksal, M.D., Rudolf Stalder, Christopher Forbes, David Rector, John N. Braca, Jack Van Hulst, Warren Isabelle and the Thomas C. Quick Charitable Foundation. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K, filed on July 30, 2009.)

 

59
 

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description of Exhibit
     
4.12   Form of Series B Warrant issued to each of Robert Forbes, Timothy Forbes, Harlan W. Waksal, M.D., Rudolf Stalder, Christopher Forbes, David Rector, John N. Braca, Jack Van Hulst, Warren Isabelle and the Thomas C. Quick Charitable Foundation. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K, filed on July 30, 2009.)
     
4.13   Form of Series B Warrant issued to Cato Holding Company. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K, filed on July 30, 2009.)
     
4.14   Form of Series A Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued to certain accredited investors (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on March 29, 2010.)
     
4.15   Form of Series B Common Stock Purchase Warrant issued to certain affiliated investors (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on March 29, 2010.)
     
4.16   Form of Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on January 9, 2012.)
     
4.17   Form of Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on March 2, 2012.)
     
4.18   Form of Warrant Clarification Letter (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.16 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2012.)
     
4.19   Form of January 2013 Warrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on January 4, 2013.)
     
10.1   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Christopher Forbes, dated January 21, 1999.  (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended December 31, 1998.)
     
10.2   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and John Braca, dated October 8, 2003.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.38 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-KSB for the period ended June 30, 2004.)
     
10.3   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and David Rector dated as of April, 2002.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended September 30, 2004.)
     
10.4   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Harlan W. Waksal, M.D. dated as of October 24, 2008.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2009.)

 

60
 

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description of Exhibit
     
10.5   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D. dated as of May 25, 2010.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 25, 2010.)
     
10.6 †   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Phillip Frost, M.D. dated as of May 16, 2014. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.7 †   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Vaughn Smider dated as of May 16, 2014. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.8 †   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Steven Rubin dated as of May 16, 2014. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.9 †   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and James Graziano dated as of May 16, 2014. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.10 †   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Miguel de los Rios dated as of May 16, 2014. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.11 †   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Joel Brooks dated as of May 25, 2010. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.12 †   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and John E. Thompson, Ph.D. dated as of May 25, 2010. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.13 †   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Richard Dondero dated as of May 25, 2010.  (Filed herewith.)
     
10.14 †   Indemnification Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Ronald A. Martell dated as of June 25, 2014.  (Filed herewith.)

  

61
 

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description of Exhibit
     
10.15*   Consulting Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and John E. Thompson, Ph.D., dated July 12, 1999.  (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-KSB for the period ended June 30, 2000.)
     
10.16*   Amendment to Consulting Agreement of July 12, 1999, as modified on February 8, 2001, by and between Senesco, Inc. and John E. Thompson, Ph.D., dated December 13, 2002.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended December 31, 2002.)
     
10.17*   Amendment # 8 to Consulting Agreement of July 12, 1999, as modified, by and between Senesco, Inc. and John E. Thompson, Ph.D., dated June 20, 2013. (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2013.)
     
10.18 †*   Amendment # 9 to Consulting Agreement of July 12, 1999, as modified, by and between Senesco, Inc. and John E. Thompson, Ph.D., dated June 20, 2014. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.19 +   Development Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and ArborGen, LLC, dated June 28, 2002.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.31 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended June 30, 2002.)
     
10.20 +   Commercial License Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and ArborGen, LLC dated as of December 21, 2006.  (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2006.)
     
10.21 +   Development and License Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Calwest Seeds, dated September 14, 2002.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended September 30, 2002.)
     
10.22 +   Development and License Agreement by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and The Scotts Company, dated March 8, 2004.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended March 31, 2004.)
     
10.23 +   Development and License Agreement with Broin and Associates, Inc. (currently known as Poet) dated as of October 14, 2004.  (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended September 30, 2004.)
     
10.24 +   Patent License Agreement with Monsanto Company dated as of August 6, 2007. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2007.)

 

62
 

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description of Exhibit
     
10.25   Biofuels Evaluation and License Agreement by and between BioCorp Ventures LLC, Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Senesco, Inc. dated May 14, 2013. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.24 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K/A for the period ended June 30, 2013.)
     
10.26 †   Notice of Termination of Biofuels Evaluation and License Agreement by and between BioCorp Ventures LLC, Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Senesco, Inc. dated August 13, 2014. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.27+   Amended and Restated Agreement by and between Rahan Meristem (1998) LTD., Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Senesco, Inc. dated December 22, 2011. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2011.)
     
10.28 †++   License Agreement by and between Fabrus, Inc. and The Scripps Research Institute, dated August 8, 2014. (Filed herewith.)
     
10.29   Research Agreement by and among Senesco Technologies, Inc., Dr. John E. Thompson and the University of Waterloo, dated September 1, 1998, as amended. (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended December 31, 1998.)
     
10.30   Amendment to Research Agreement by and among the University of Waterloo, Senesco, Inc., and Dr. John E. Thompson, Ph.D., dated June 11, 2012. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.31 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2012.)
     
10.31   Amendment to Research Agreement by and among the University of Waterloo, Senesco, Inc. and Dr. John E. Thompson, Ph.D., dated September 1, 2012. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.32 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2012.)
     
10.32   Amendment to Research Agreement by and among the University of Waterloo, Senesco, Inc. and Dr. John E. Thompson, Ph.D., dated May 16, 2013. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2013.)
     
10.33   Amendment to Research Agreement by and between the University of Waterloo, Dr. John Thompson, Ph.D. and Senesco, Inc., dated as of March 1, 2014 (incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2014.)
     
10.34 +   Master Product Sale Agreement with VGXI, Inc. dated as of June 27, 2008. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2008.)

 

63
 

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description of Exhibit
     
10.35   Master Product Sale Agreement with Polyplus-transfection dated as of June 30, 2008. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.30 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2008.)
     
10.36   Proposal for Manufacture and Supply by and between Avecia Biotechnology, Inc. and Senesco Technologies, Inc. dated as of September 4, 2008. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2008.)
     
10.37   Master Services Agreement by and between Criterium, Inc. and Senesco Technologies, Inc. dated June 20, 2011. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.35 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2011.)
     
10.38   Clinical Trial Research Agreement by and between Mayo Clinic and Senesco Technologies, Inc. dated August 15, 2011. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.36 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2011.)
     
10.39   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of December 11, 2013 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on December 12, 2013.)
     
10.40   Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 30, 2013 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on October 1, 2013.)
     
10.41   Registration Rights Agreement dated March 26, 2010 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and certain investors. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on March 29, 2010.)
     
10.42   Sublease Agreement, dated as of May 16, 2011 and effective as of May 19, 2011, by and between Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A., as Sublandlord, and Senesco Technologies, Inc., as Subtenant. (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 25, 2011.)
     
10.43   Notice of extension of sublease agreement by and between Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A., as Sublandlord, and Senesco Technologies, Inc., as Subtenant, dated November 26, 2012. (Incorporated by reference to Senesco Technologies, Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for the period ended June 30, 2013.)
     
10.44 †   Notice of extension of sublease agreement by and between Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A., as Sublandord, and Senesco Technologies, Inc., as Subtenant, dated July 14, 2014 (Filed herewith.)
     
10.45 *   1998 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended on December 13, 2002. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended December 31, 2002.)

 

64
 

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description of Exhibit
     
10.46*   Amended and Restated Senesco Technologies, Inc. 2008 Incentive Compensation Plan (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2014.)
     
10.47*   Form of Stock Option Agreement under the Senesco Technologies, Inc. 2008 Stock Incentive Plan. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2009.)
     
10.48*   Retention Policy. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on October 9, 2012.)
     
10.49*   Employment Agreement, dated as of June 25, 2014, by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Ronald A. Martell. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on June 27, 2014.)
     
10.50*   Retention Agreement, dated as of May 16, 2014, by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on May 19, 2014.)
     
10.51   Form of Series B Warrant Amendment Agreement, dated as of February 21, 2014. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on February 27, 2014.)
     
10.52   Form of Series A Warrant Amendment Agreement, dated as of June 13, 2014. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on June 16, 2014.)
     
10.53   Form of Series FA Warrant Amendment Agreement, dated as of June 13, 2014. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. current report on Form 8-K filed on June 16, 2014.)
     
21.1 †   Subsidiaries of the Registrant (filed herewith).
     
23.1 †   Consent of McGladrey LLP.
     
31.1 †   Certification of the principal executive officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
     
31.2 †   Certification of the principal financial and accounting officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
     
32.1 †   Certification of the principal executive officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
     
32.2 †   Certification of the principal financial and accounting officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

 

65
 

 

Exhibit

No.

  Description of Exhibit
     
101.1 †   Financial Statements from the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Senesco Technologies, Inc. for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014, filed on September 29, 2014, formatted in XBRL (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Operations, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity, (iv)the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and (v) the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

* A management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement required to be filed as an exhibit pursuant to Item 13(a) of Form 10-K.
Filed herewith.
+ The SEC granted Confidential Treatment for portions of this Exhibit.
++ Portions of this Exhibit have been redacted pursuant to a confidential treatment request filed with the SEC.

 

66
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

JUNE 30, 2014

 

F- 1
 

  

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm F-3
   
Consolidated Financial Statements:  
   
Balance Sheets F-4
Statements of Operations F-5
Statements of Stockholders' Equity F-6
Statements of Cash Flows F-7
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements F-8

 

F- 2
 

  

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders

Senesco Technologies, Inc.

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Subsidiaries as of June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2013, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended June 30, 2014. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Subsidiaries as of June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2013, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended June 30, 2014, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations, generated minimal revenues, and continues to incur significant expenses that exceed revenue streams. This raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

/s/ McGladrey LLP

New York, New York

September 26, 2014

 

F- 3
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

    June 30,     June 30,  
    2014     2013  
             
ASSETS                
                 
CURRENT ASSETS:                
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 6,111,340     $ 1,602,294  
Accounts receivable     43,133       -  
Prepaid research supplies and expenses     1,069,925       1,919,220  
                 
Total Current Assets     7,224,398       3,521,514  
                 
Equipment, furniture and fixtures, net     223,475       4,555  
Patents, net     2,178,867       3,566,497  
Acquired research and development     9,800,000       -  
Goodwill     13,902,917       -  
Security deposit     5,171       5,171  
                 
TOTAL ASSETS   $ 33,334,828     $ 7,097,737  
                 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY                
                 
CURRENT LIABILITIES:                
Accounts payable   $ 901,180     $ 637,320  
Accrued expenses     923,991       387,540  
Line of credit     -       2,187,082  
                 
Total Current Liabilities     1,825,171       3,211,942  
Deferred tax liability     3,920,000       -  
Other liabilities     99,728       99,728  
                 
TOTAL LIABILITIES     5,844,899       3,311,670  
                 
COMMITMENTS (Note 12)                
                 
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:                
                 
Convertible preferred stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 5,000,000 shares                
Series A 10,297 shares issued and 580 and 800 shares outstanding, respectively (liquidation preference of $594,500 and $820,000 at June 30, 2014 and June 30, 2013, respectively)     6       8  
Common stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 500,000,000 shares, issued and outstanding 13,846,361 and 2,272,062, respectively     138,463       22,721  
Capital in excess of par     115,631,726       78,189,173  
Accumulated deficit     (88,280,266 )     (74,425,835 )
                 
Total Stockholders' Equity     27,489,929       3,786,067  
                 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY   $ 33,334,828     $ 7,097,737  

 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

F- 4
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

  

    Fiscal Year Ended June 30,  
    2014     2013     2012  
                   
Licensing Revenue   $ 100,000     $ -     $ 200,000  
                         
Operating expenses:                        
General and administrative     3,683,350       2,499,624       2,724,144  
Research and development     3,338,687       2,086,666       2,566,247  
Acquisition related costs     544,978       -       -  
Impairment of patents     1,350,591       -       -  
Write-off of patents abandoned     330,190       64,210       321,137  
                         
Total operating expenses     9,247,796       4,650,500       5,611,528  
                         
Loss from operations     (9,147,796 )     (4,650,500 )     (5,411,528 )
                         
Other non-operating income (expense)                        
                         
Change in fair value of warrant liability     -       371,591       472,463  
                         
Loss on settlement of warrant liabilities     -       (1,724,546 )     -  
                         
Interest expense - net     (77,438 )     (119,087 )     (127,068 )
                         
Net loss     (9,225,234 )     (6,122,542 )     (5,066,133 )
                         
Preferred dividends     (4,629,197 )     (862,998 )     (1,625,727 )
                         
Loss applicable to common shares     (13,854,431 )     (6,985,540 )     (6,691,860 )
                         
Other comprehensive loss     -       -       -  
                         
Comprehensive loss   $ (13,854,431 )   $ (6,985,540 )   $ (6,691,860 )
                         
Basic and diluted net loss per common share   $ (2.53 )   $ (5.11 )   $ (7.81 )
                         
Basic and diluted weighted-average number of common shares outstanding     5,476,717       1,366,384       857,033  

 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

F- 5
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

   

    Preferred Stock     Common Stock     Capital in Excess     Accumulated     Stockholders'  
    Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount     of Par Value     Deficit     Equity  
                                           
Balance at June 30, 2011     4,890     $ 49       777,697     $ 7,777     $ 65,258,072     $ (60,748,435 )   $ 4,517,463  
                                                         
Issuance of common stock for cash, net     -       -       128,423       1,284       3,226,632       -       3,227,916  
                                                         
Preferred stock converted into common stock     (311 )     (3 )     11,786       118       (115 )     -       -  
                                                         
Issuance of common stock as dividends     -       -       23,219       232       556,918       (434,898 )     122,252  
                                                         
Deemed dividend - Preferred Stock     -       -       -       -       1,076,355       (1,076,355 )     -  
                                                         
Fair market value of options and warrants vested     -       -       -       -       766,004       -       766,004  
                                                         
Accrued dividends     -       -       -       -       -       (114,474 )     (114,474 )
                                                         
Net loss     -       -       -       -       -       (5,066,133 )     (5,066,133 )
                                                         
Balance at June 30, 2012     4,579       46       941,125       9,411       70,883,866       (67,440,295 )     3,453,028  
                                                         
Issuance of common stock for cash, net     -       -       721,872       7,219       4,037,444       -       4,044,663  
                                                         
Fair value of warrants issued     -       -       -       -       (459,000 )     -       (459,000 )
                                                         
Preferred stock converted into common stock     (3,779 )     (38 )     202,846       2,029       (1,991 )     -       -  
                                                         
Issuance of common stock as dividends     -       -       37,197       372       590,949       (476,847 )     114,474  
                                                         
Issuance of common stock in exchange for warrants     -       -       369,022       3,690       1,720,856       -       1,724,546  
                                                         
Deemed dividend - preferred stock     -       -       -       -       366,151       (366,151 )     -  
                                                         
Reclassification of warrant liability     -       -       -       -       326,205       -       326,205  
                                                         
Stock-based compensation     -       -       -       -       724,693       -       724,693  
                                                         
Accrued dividends     -       -       -       -       -       (20,000 )     (20,000 )
                                                         
Net loss     -       -       -       -       -       (6,122,542 )     (6,122,542 )
                                                         
Balance at June 30, 2013     800       8       2,272,062       22,721       78,189,173       (74,425,835 )     3,786,067  
                                                         
Issuance of common stock and warrants for cash, net     -       -       2,490,000       24,900       6,814,106       -       6,839,006  
                                                         
Exercise of warrants for cash     -       -       1,941,956       19,419       4,059,202       -       4,078,621  
                                                         
Cash paid for fractional shares due to reverse split     -       -       (100 )     (1 )     (302 )     -       (303 )
                                                         
Stock-based compensation     -       -       10,000       100       861,136       -       861,236  
                                                         
Issuance of common stock for services     -       -       123,750       1,238       434,750       -       435,988  
                                                         
Issuance of equity in the acquisition of Fabrus, Inc.                     6,905,201       69,052       20,639,995       -       20,709,047  
                                                         
Preferred stock converted into common stock     (220 )     (2 )     73,333       733       (731 )             -  
                                              -          
Issuance of common stock as dividends     -       -       30,159       301       118,316       (98,616 )     20,001  
                                                         
Deemed dividend in conjunction with warrant amendments     -       -       -       -       4,516,081       (4,516,081 )     -  
                                                         
Accrued dividends     -       -       -       -       -       (14,500 )     (14,500 )
                                                         
Net loss     -       -       -       -       -       (9,225,234 )     (9,225,234 )
                                                         
Balance at June 30, 2014     580     $ 6       13,846,361     $ 138,463     $ 115,631,726     $ (88,280,266 )   $ 27,489,929  

 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

F- 6
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

  

    Fiscal Year Ended June 30,  
    2014     2013     2012  
Cash flows from operating activities:                        
Net loss   $ (9,225,234 )   $ (6,122,542 )   $ (5,066,133 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:                        
Noncash income related to change in fair value of warrant liability     -       (371,591 )     (472,463 )
Stock-based compensation expense     1,297,224       724,693       766,004  
Depreciation and amortization     349,656       293,629       258,023  
Write-off of patent costs     1,680,781       64,210       321,137  
Loss on settlement of warrant liabilities     -       1,724,546       -  
(Increase) decrease in operating assets, net of effects of acquisition:                        
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     868,837       (370,696 )     (102,460 )
Security deposit     -       -       7,187  
Increase (decrease) in operating liabilities, net of effects of acquisition:                        
Accounts payable     (145,257 )     42,806       34,989  
Accrued expenses     305,860       112,319       (132,333 )
Net cash used in operating activities     (4,868,133 )     (3,902,626 )     (4,386,049 )
                         
Cash flows from investing activities:                        
Cash received on acquisition of Fabrus, Inc.     1,274,662       -       -  
Patent costs     (624,532 )     (527,761 )     (446,035 )
Purchase of equipment, furniture and fixtures     (3,194 )     (1,281 )     (4,461 )
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities     646,936       (529,042 )     (450,496 )
                         
Cash flows from financing activities:                        
Repayment of line of credit     (2,187,082 )     (12,026 )     -  
Proceeds from issuance of common stock and warrants, net and exercise of warrants and options     10,917,325       4,044,663       3,227,916  
Net cash provided by financing activities     8,730,243       4,032,637       3,227,916  
                         
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents     4,509,046       (399,031 )     (1,608,629 )
                         
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period     1,602,294       2,001,325       3,609,954  
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $ 6,111,340     $ 1,602,294     $ 2,001,325  
                         
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash transactions:                        
Conversion of preferred stock into common stock   $ 731     $ 202,808     $ 11,783  
Allocation of common stock proceeds to warrants     -       459,000       -  
Allocation of preferred stock proceeds to warrants and beneficial conversion feature     -       -       1,076,355  
Issuance of common stock for dividend payments on preferred stock     67,541       591,321       557,153  
Dividends accrued on preferred stock     14,500       20,000       114,474  
                         
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:                        
Cash paid for interest     85,893       122,454       134,549  
                         
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing transactions                        
Issuance of common stock, warrants and options in connection with the acquisition of Fabrus, Inc.     20,709,047       -       -  
Noncash Assets acquired:                        
Accounts Receivable     43,133       -       -  
Prepaid Expenses     19,542       -       -  
Equipment     234,000       -       -  
Acquired Research and Development     9,800,000       -       -  
Goodwill     13,902,917       -       -  
      23,999,592                  
Liabilities assumed:                        
Accounts Payable     409,117       -       -  
Accrued Payroll     74,525       -       -  
Accrued Expenses     161,565       -       -  
Deferred Tax Liability     3,920,000                  
      4,565,207                  
                         
Cash acquired in acquisition of Fabrus, Inc.     1,274,662       -       -  

 

See Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 

F- 7
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

1. Principal Business Activity:

 

The Company

 

Senesco Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”), which includes the accounts of Senesco, Inc., a New Jersey corporation (“SI”) and Fabrus, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Fabrus”), is a clinical-stage biotech company specializing in cancer therapeutics and immunological diseases driven by a unique combination of gene regulation, antibody therapeutics and nanocage delivery systems. Its proprietary gene regulation technology has demonstrated the ability to eliminate cancer cells and protect healthy cells from premature death. The antibody approach is a novel discovery paradigm with the proven capability to identify functional therapeutic monoclonal antibodies against challenging cell surface targets that previously have been highly resistant to therapeutic antibody discovery. The Company is completing a Phase 1b/2a trial with a product candidate that is designed to treat B-cell cancers, which include multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s B-cell lymphomas. The Company has several antibodies in its preclinical pipeline. The first to move forward is a potentially first/best in class candidate antibody that targets an ion channel important in autoimmunity and inflammation.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative United States generally accepted accounting principles as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) and Accounting Standards Update (ASU) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

 

On May 16, 2014, the Company acquired all of the equity interest in Fabrus. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the merger (the “Merger”), a subsidiary of the Company merged with and into Fabrus, with Fabrus surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. See note 3 for additional information.

 

Liquidity

 

The financial statements of the Company have been prepared on a going-concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. Accordingly, the financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary should the Company be unable to continue in existence. The Company has not generated substantial revenues and has not yet achieved profitable operations. There is no assurance that profitable operations, if ever achieved, could be sustained on a continuing basis. In addition, development activities, clinical and preclinical testing, and commercialization of the Company’s products will require significant additional financing. The Company’s accumulated deficit at June 30, 2014 totalled $88,280,266, and management expects to incur substantial and increasing losses in future periods. The success of the Company is subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including among others, uncertainty of product development; competition in the Company’s field of use; uncertainty of capital availability; uncertainty in the Company’s ability to enter into agreements with collaborative partners; dependence on third parties; and dependence on key personnel. The Company plans to finance future operations with a combination of proceeds from the issuance of common stock, licensing fees, and revenues from future product sales, if any. The Company has not generated positive cash flows from operations, and there are no assurances that the Company will be successful in obtaining an adequate level of financing for the development and commercialization of its planned products. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The Company does not have adequate cash on hand to cover its anticipated expenses for the next 12 months. If the Company fails to raise a significant amount of capital, it may need to significantly curtail operations, cease operations or seek federal bankruptcy protection in the near future. These conditions raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Consequently, the audit report prepared by the Company’s independent public accounting firm relating to its financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2014 includes a going concern explanatory paragraph.

 

F- 8
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

As of June 30, 2014, the Company had cash and cash equivalents in the amount of $6,111,340, which consisted of checking accounts and money market funds. The Company estimates that its cash and cash equivalents will cover its expenses at least through March 31, 2015. In order to provide the Company with the cash resources necessary to fund operations through at least June 30, 2015, the Company will continue its efforts to raise additional capital through a private or public equity placement in the near future.

 

If the Company is unable to raise additional funds, it will need to do one or more of the following:

 

· delay, scale-back or eliminate some or all of its research and product development programs;
· license third parties to develop and commercialize products or technologies that it would otherwise seek to develop and commercialize itself;
· seek strategic alliances or business combinations;
· attempt to sell the Company;
· cease operations; or
· declare bankruptcy.

 

Risks and Uncertainties

 

The Company operates in an industry that is subject to intense competition, government regulation and rapid technological change. The Company's operations are subject to significant risk and uncertainties including financial, operational, technological, regulatory and other risks, including the potential risk of business failure.

 

The Company’s limited capital resources and operations to date have been funded primarily with the proceeds from public and private equity and debt financings and milestone payments on license agreements.

 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:

 

Principles of consolidation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Senesco Technologies, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Senesco, Inc. and Fabrus, Inc. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Management Estimates and Judgments

 

Management considers many factors in selecting appropriate financial accounting policies and controls, and in developing the estimates and assumptions that are used in the preparation of these financial statements. Management must apply significant judgment in this process. In addition, other factors may affect estimates, including expected business and operational changes, sensitivity and volatility associated with the assumptions used in developing estimates, and whether historical trends are expected to be representative of future trends. The estimation process often may yield a range of potentially reasonable estimates of the ultimate future outcomes and management must select an amount that falls within that range of reasonable estimates. This process may result in actual results differing materially from those estimated amounts used in the preparation of the financial statements if these results differ from historical experience, or other assumptions do not turn out to be substantially accurate, even if such assumptions are reasonable when made. In preparing these financial statements, management used significant estimates in the following areas, among others: stock-based compensation expense, the determination of the fair value of stock-based awards, the accounting for research and development costs and accrued expenses.

 

Business Combinations

 

The Company accounts for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations . Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their acquisition date fair values. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of identifiable assets and liabilities acquired as a result of the business combination. Acquisition-related costs, which amounted to $544,978 including advisory, legal, accounting, valuation and other costs, are expensed in the periods in which the costs are incurred.

 

F- 9
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

 

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments with an original maturity of 90 days or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents consist of deposits that are readily convertible into cash.

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements, defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands the related disclosure requirements. The guidance applies under other accounting pronouncements that require or permit fair value measurements. The statement indicates, among other things, that a fair value measurement assumes that the transaction to sell an asset or transfer a liability occurs in the principal market for the asset or liability or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the asset or liability. ASC 820 defines fair value based upon an exit price model.

 

The Company categorizes its financial instruments into a three-level fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). If the inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the category level is based on the lowest priority level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument. Financial assets recorded at fair value on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets are categorized as follows:

 

Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets;
Level 2: Inputs, other than the quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly; and
Level 3: Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions.

 

The carrying value of prepaid research supplies and expenses, accounts payable and accrued expenses reported in the consolidated balance sheets equal or approximate fair value due to their short maturities.

 

Concentrations of Credit Risk

 

The Company maintains its cash primarily in investment accounts within two large financial institutions. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures these balances up to $250,000 per bank. The Company has not experienced any losses on its bank deposits and believes these deposits do not expose the Company to any significant credit risk.

 

Prepaid Research Services and Supplies

 

Prepaid research services and supplies are carried at cost and are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. When such services are performed and supplies are used, the carrying value of the supplies are expensed in the period that they are performed or used for the development of proprietary applications and processes.

 

Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures, Net

 

Equipment, furniture and fixtures are recorded at cost, except for the equipment acquired in the acquisition of Fabrus, which is recorded at fair value (see note 3). Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over three to four years for office equipment, five years for lab equipment and five to seven years for furniture and fixtures. Expenditures for major renewals and improvements are capitalized, and expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred. (See note 5).

 

F- 10
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Patent Costs, Net

 

The Company conducts research and development activities, the cost of which is expensed as incurred, in order to generate patents that can be licensed to third parties in exchange for license fees and royalties. Because the patents are the basis of the Company’s future revenue, the patent costs are capitalized. The capitalized patent costs represent the outside legal fees incurred by the Company to submit and undertake all necessary efforts to have such patent applications issued as patents.

 

The length of time that it takes for an initial patent application to be approved is generally between four to six years. However, due to the unique nature of each patent application, the actual length of time may vary. If a patent application is denied or the Company no longer is pursuing the issuance of a patent, the associated cost of that application would be written off. Additionally, should a patent application become impaired during the application process, the Company would write down or write off the associated cost of that patent application.

 

Issued patents and agricultural patent applications pending are being amortized over the lessor of 17 years from inception, the expected economic life of the patent, or the remaining life of the patent from the time the costs are incurred. (See note 6).

 

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

 

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired by the Company. Goodwill is not amortized, but assessed for impairment on an annual basis or more frequently if impairment indicators exist. The impairment model prescribes a two-step method for determining impairment.

 

The first step compares a reporting unit’s fair value to its carrying amount to identify potential goodwill impairment. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, the second step of the impairment test must be completed to measure the amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill impairment loss, if any. Step two requires an assignment of the reporting unit’s fair value to the reporting unit’s assets and liabilities to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill. The implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill is then compared with the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill to determine the goodwill impairment loss to be recognized, if any. For the year ended June 30, 2014, the Company determined that there was no impairment to goodwill.

 

Intangible assets include in-process research and development (IPR&D) of pharmaceutical product candidates. IPR&D are considered indefinite-lived intangible assets and are assessed for impairment annually or more frequently if impairment indicators exist. If the associated research and development effort is abandoned, the related assets will be written-off and the Company will record a non-cash impairment loss on its consolidated statement of operations. For those compounds that reach commercialization, the IPR&D assets will be amortized over their estimated useful lives. For the year ended June 30, 2014, the Company determined that there was no impairment to IPR&D

 

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

 

The Company assesses the impairment in value of intangible assets whenever events or circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors the Company considers important which could trigger an impairment review include the following:

 

significant negative industry trends;
significant underutilization of the assets;
significant changes in how the Company uses the assets or its plans for their use; and
changes in technology and the appearance of competing technology.

 

If a triggering event occurs and if the Company's review determines that the future undiscounted cash flows related to the groups, including these assets, will not be sufficient to recover their carrying value, the Company will reduce the carrying values of these assets down to its estimate of fair value.

 

Net Loss per Common Share

 

Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”) assumed to be outstanding during the period of computation. Diluted earnings per share is computed similar to basic earnings per share except that the denominator is increased to include the number of additional shares of Common Stock that would have been outstanding if the potential shares of Common Stock had been issued and if the additional shares of Common Stock were dilutive.

 

F- 11
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

For all periods presented, basic and diluted loss per share are the same, as any additional Common Stock equivalents would be anti-dilutive. Potentially dilutive shares of Common Stock have been excluded from the calculation of the weighted average number of dilutive shares of Common Stock as follows:

 

    June 30,  
    2014     2013     2012  
Common Stock to be issued upon conversion of convertible preferred stock     290,000       266,667       176,115  
Outstanding warrants     7,237,774       283,156       572,260  
Outstanding options     979,304       231,748       156,477  
                         
Total potentially dilutive shares of Common Stock     8,507,078       781,571       904,852  

 

Income Taxes

 

Income taxes are recorded in accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, which provides for deferred taxes using an asset and liability approach. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are provided, if based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

 

The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740. When uncertain tax positions exist, the Company recognizes the tax benefit of tax positions to the extent that the benefit will more likely than not be realized. The determination as to whether the tax benefit will more likely than not be realized is based upon the technical merits of the tax position as well as consideration of the available facts and circumstances. As of June 30, 2014, the Company’s tax years prior to June 30, 2010 are no longer subject to examination by the tax authorities. The Company is not currently under examination by any U.S. federal or state jurisdictions. As of June 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company does not have any significant uncertain tax positions.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company has received certain nonrefundable upfront fees in exchange for the transfer of its technology to licensees. Upon delivery of the technology, the Company had no further obligations to the licensee with respect to the basic technology transferred and, accordingly, recognized revenue at that time. The Company has and may continue to receive additional payments from its licensees in the event such licensees achieve certain development or commercialization milestones in their particular field of use. Milestone payments, which are contingent upon the achievement of certain research goals, are recognized as revenue when the milestones, as defined in the particular agreement, are achieved.

 

Stock-based Payments

 

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation under the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees and directors based on estimated fair values on the grant date.

 

F- 12
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

For stock options issued to employees, the Company estimates the grant-date fair value of each option using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The use of the Black-Scholes option pricing model requires management to make assumptions with respect to the expected term of the option, the expected volatility of the common stock consistent with the expected life of the option, risk-free interest rates, the value of the common stock and expected dividend yields of the common stock. For awards subject to service-based vesting conditions, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, equal to the grant date fair value of stock options on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting term. For awards subject to both performance and service-based vesting conditions, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expense using the straight-line recognition method when it is probable that the performance condition will be achieved. Forfeitures are required to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Share-based payments issued to non-employees are recorded at their fair values, and are periodically revalued as the equity instruments vest and are recognized as expense over the related service period in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718 and ASC Topic 505, Equity.

 

The following table sets forth the total stock-based compensation expense and issuance of Common Stock for services included in the consolidated statements of operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and from inception to date.

 

    Fiscal Year Ended June 30,  
    2014     2013     2012  
General and administrative   $ 1,185,118     $ 639,828     $ 721,197  
Research and development     112,106       84,865       44,807  
                         
Total   $ 1,297,224     $ 724,693     $ 766,004  

 

The Company estimated the fair value of each option grant throughout the year using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model using the following assumptions:

 

    Fiscal Year Ended June 30,  
    2014   2013   2012  
               
Risk-free interest rate (1)   1.6 - 2.7%   0.3-0.8%   0.4-1.9%  
Expected volatility   85 - 99%   67-102%   78-105%  
Dividend yield   None   None   None  
Expected life (2)   5.0 - 10.0   2.5 - 10.0   2.5 - 10.0  

 

(1) Represents the interest rate on a U.S. Treasury security with a maturity date corresponding to that of the option term.

 

(2) Expected life for employee based stock options was estimated using the “simplified” method, as allowed under the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 110.

 

The economic values of the options will depend on the future price of the Company's Common Stock which cannot be forecast with reasonable accuracy.

 

Research and Development

 

Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. These costs include, but are not limited to, employee-related expenses, including salaries, benefits and travel and stock-based compensation of the Company’s research and development personnel; expenses incurred under agreements with contract research organizations and investigative sites that conduct preclinical studies; facilities; other supplies; allocated facilities, depreciation and other expenses, which include rent and utilities; insurance; and costs associated with preclinical activities and regulatory operations.

 

F- 13
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Costs for certain development activities, such as clinical trials, are recognized based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using data such as subject enrollment, clinical site activations or information provided to the Company by its vendors with respect to their actual costs incurred. Payments for these activities are based on the terms of the individual arrangements, which may differ from the pattern of costs incurred, and are reflected in the financial statements as prepaid or accrued research and development expense, as the case may be.

 

Comprehensive Loss

 

Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. Comprehensive loss was equal to net loss for all periods presented.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Applicable to the Company

 

On June 10, 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-10, Development Stage Entities (Topic 915): Elimination of Certain Financial Reporting Requirements, Including an Amendment to Variable Interest Entities Guidance in Topic 810, Consolidation (“ASU 2014 10”). The guidance is intended to reduce the overall cost and complexity associated with financial reporting for development stage entities without reducing the availability of relevant information. The FASB also believes the changes will simplify the consolidation accounting guidance by removing the differential accounting requirements for development stage entities. As a result of these changes, there no longer will be any accounting or reporting differences in GAAP between development stage entities and other operating entities. For organizations defined as public business entities, the presentation and disclosure requirements in Topic 915 will no longer be required starting with the first annual period beginning after December 15, 2014, including interim periods therein. Early application is permitted for any annual reporting period or interim period for which the entity’s financial statements have not yet been issued (public business entities) or made available for issuance (other entities). The Company early adopted this guidance in 2014 and, as a result, the Company will no longer need to present inception-to-date information about income statement line items, cash flows, and equity transactions.

 

In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide that a Performance Target Could be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period,” (“ASU 2014-12”). ASU 2014-12 requires that a performance target that affects vesting, and that could be achieved after the requisite service period, be treated as a performance condition. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant date fair value of the award. This update further clarifies that compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved and should represent the compensation cost attributable to the period(s) for which the requisite service has already been rendered. The Company does not anticipate that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on its financial statements.

 

Reclassifications

 

The Company’s board of directors authorized a 1:100 reverse stock split on September 30, 2013, to take effect on October 21, 2013. All share and related option and warrant information presented in these financial statements and accompanying footnotes have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the reduced number of shares resulting from this action.

 

F- 14
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

3. Acquisition of Fabrus, Inc.

 

On May 16, 2014, the Company completed a merger pursuant to a Plan of Merger and Reorganization (the “Merger Agreement”), whereby the Company acquired all of the outstanding ownership interests of Fabrus, Inc., a privately-owned biotechnology company which has developed an advanced platform for therapeutic antibody discovery and development. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Company issued 6,905,201 shares of its common stock with a fair value of $18,298,782, 3,578,481 warrants to purchase common stock with exercise prices ranging from $2.00 to $4.00 with a fair value of $2,349,853 and options to purchase common stock with an exercise price of $2.65 with a fair value of $285,224 totaling $20,933,859. The primary purpose for the acquisition was to acquire additional cutting edge technologies in development in order to increase the Company’s portfolio.

 

In accordance with the acquisition method of accounting, the issuance of replacement stock options to the employees of Fabrus at the date of the merger must be accounted for as a modification of the original award by Fabrus. As a result, $60,412 represented the fair value of pre-acquisition services to the Company and was accounted for as additional purchase price in the merger. In addition, $224,812, will be amortized as post combination services from the merger date through the end of the vesting period.

 

The Company’s consolidated financial statements reflect the operating results of Fabrus since May 16, 2014. The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date:

 

 

Purchase price per valuation     20,933,859  
Less: options to be recognized in the future     (224,812 )
Purchase price for goodwill calculation     20,709,047  
         
Assets acquired:        
Cash     1,274,662  
Accounts receivable     43,133  
Prepaid expenses     19,542  
Equipment     234,000  
Acquired research and development     9,800,000  
Goodwill     13,902,917  
      25,274,254  
         
Liabilities assumed:        
Accounts payable     (409,117 )
Accrued payroll     (74,525 )
Accrued expenses     (161,565 )
Deferred tax liability     (3,920,000 )
      (4,565,207 )
Net assets of Fabrus, Inc. acquired     20,709,047  

 

Goodwill, which is comprised of synergies from combining operations, and acquired research and development is accounted for as an indefinite lived intangible asset and is subject to annual impairment testing. Goodwill is not expected to be deducted for income tax purposes.

 

F- 15
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The following represents our pro-forma Consolidated Statements of Income as if Fabrus had been included in our consolidated results since July 1, 2012:

 

    Year Ended  
    June 30, 2014     June 30, 2013  
    (unaudited)     (unaudited)  
             
Total revenue   $ 182,229     $ 7,819  
                 
Net loss   $ (11,017,792 )   $ (6,308,007 )
                 
Loss applicable to common shares   $ (15,646,989 )   $ (7,171,005 )
                 
Basis and diluted net loss per common share   $ (1.36 )   $ (1.16 )

   

For 2013, pro-forma adjustments of $11,458 and $47,545, respectively, were made to eliminate transaction cost and interest expense related to the convertible debt that were converted into common shares at the time of the acquisition.

 

The following represents our pro-forma Consolidated Statements of Income as if Fabrus had been included in our consolidated results since July 1, 2013:

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2014

(unaudited)

 

                Pro-Forma           Combined  
    Senesco     Fabrus     Adjustments     Notes     Pro-Forma  
    (unaudited)     (unaudited)     (unaudited)           (unaudited)  
                               
Revenue   $ 100,000     $ 82,229                     $ 182,229  
                                         
Operating expenses:                                        
General and administrative     3,623,200       592,539       10,026       (1 )     4,225,765  
Research and development     3,079,789       2,136,512       -               5,216,301  
Acquisition related costs     513,028       478,522       (991,550 )     (2 )     -  
Impairment of patent costs     1,350,591       -       -               1,350,591  
Write-off of patents abandoned     330,190       -       -               330,190  
Total operating expenses     8,896,798       3,207,573       (981,524 )           11,122,847  
Loss from operations     (8,796,798 )     (3,125,344 )     981,524             (10,940,618 )
Interest (expense) income - net     (77,174 )     (130,505 )     130,505       (3 )     (77,174 )
Net loss     (8,873,972 )     (3,255,849 )     1,112,029             (11,017,792 )
Preferred dividends     (4,629,197 )     -       -               (4,629,197 )
Loss applicable to common shares     (13,503,169 )     (3,255,849 )     1,112,029             (15,646,989 )
Other comprehensive loss     -       -       -               -  
Comprehensive loss   $ (13,503,169 )   $ (3,255,849 )   $ 1,112,029         $ (15,646,989 )
Basic and diluted net loss per common share   $ (2.47 )     -       -             $ (1.36 )
Basic and diluted weighted-average number                                        
of common shares outstanding     5,476,717       -       6,034,957               11,511,674  

 

(1) Reflects an adjustment to record additional depreciation expense for the step up in fair value of Fabrus fixed assets.

 

(2) Reflects adjustments to eliminate acquisition-related costs included in the historical financial statements which are directly attributable to the acquistion, but are not expected to have a continuing impact on the results of the combined entity.

 

(3) Reflects an adjustment to eliminate interest expense included in the historical financial statements of Fabrus related to convertible promissory notes that were converted into shares of common stock in connection with the acquisition.

 

For the year ended June 30, 2014, net loss for the period from May 16, 2014 through June 30, 2014 related to Fabrus was $351,262.

 

4. Fair Value Measurements:

 

The following tables provide the assets and liabilities carried at fair value measured on a recurring basis as of June 30, 2014 and 2013:

 

    Carrying     Fair Value Measurement at June 30, 2014  
    Value     Level 1     Level 2     Level 3  
Assets:                        
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 6,111,340     $ 6,111,340     $ -     $ -  

 

 

    Carrying     Fair Value Measurement at June 30, 2013  
    Value     Level 1     Level 2     Level 3  
Assets:                                
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 1,602,294     $ 1,602,294     $ -     $ -  

 

5. Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures:

 

Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures consist of the following:

 

    June 30,  
    2014     2013  
             
Laboratory Equipment   $ 225,854     $ -  
Office Equipment   $ 37,950     $ 32,334  
Furniture and fixtures     73,398       67,674  
      337,202       100,008  
Less—Accumulated depreciation     (113,727 )     (95,453 )
    $ 223,475     $ 4,555  

 

F- 16
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Depreciation expense aggregated $18,275, $2,583 and $2,386 for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

 

6. Patent Costs:

 

Patent costs consist of the following:

 

    June 30,  
    2014     2013  
             
Patents approved   $ 1,082,759     $ 2,665,436  
Patents pending     1,264,462       1,919,360  
      2,347,221       4,584,796  
Accumulated amortization     (168,354 )     (1,018,299 )
    $ 2,178,867     $ 3,566,497  

 

During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company incurred $624,531 and $527,761 of legal fees related to the prosecution of patent costs.

 

During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, in order to reduce its cost of patent prosecution and maintenance, the Company reviewed its patent portfolio and identified several patents and patent applications that it believed it no longer needed to maintain without having a material impact on the patent portfolio. Accordingly, during the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company wrote off patent costs in the net amount of $330,190, $64,210 and $321,137, respectively.

 

As of June 30, 2014, the Company determined that carrying value of its agricultural patents and patent applications was impaired. Accordingly, the Company recorded an impairment of the full carrying value of its agricultural patents in the amount of $1,350,591.

 

Amortization expense amounted to $331,381, $291,046 and $255,637 for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

 

Estimated amortization expense for the next five fiscal years is as follows:

 

Fiscal Year ended June 30,        
2015   $ 150,000  
2016     150,000  
2017     150,000  
2018     150,000  
2019     150,000  

  

F- 17
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  

7. Accrued Expenses:

 

Accrued expenses were comprised of the following:

 

    June 30,  
    2014     2013  
             
Accrued research   $ 588,613     $ 210,696  
Accrued payroll     114,872       12,869  
Accrued dividends payable     14,500       20,000  
Accrued other     206,006       143,975  
    $ 923,991     $ 387,540  

 

8. Line of Credit:

 

On February 17, 2010, the Company entered into a credit agreement with JMP Securities LLC. The agreement provided the Company with, subject to certain restrictions, including the existence of suitable collateral, up to a $3.0 million line of credit upon which the Company could draw at any time (the “Line of Credit”). Any draws upon the Line of Credit accrued interest at an annual rate of (i) the broker rate in effect at the interest date (which was 3.75% throughout Fiscal 2014), plus (ii) 2.0%. There were no other conditions or fees associated with the Line of Credit. The Line of Credit was not secured by any assets of the Company, but it was secured by certain assets of one of a member of the Company’s Board of Directors, Harlan W. Waksal, M.D., which was held by JMP Securities.

 

On February 26, 2014, the Company repaid the then outstanding balance of $2,187,082 and cancelled the Line of Credit. In connection with the termination of the Line of Credit, the security interest on Dr. Waksal’s assets mentioned above was terminated. Accordingly, the balance outstanding as of June 30, 2014 and 2013 was $0 and $2,187,082, respectively.

 

Total interest expense recorded under the Line of Credit for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012 amounted to $85,629, $122,453 and $134,549, respectively.

 

9. Stockholders’ Equity:

 

Preferred Stock

 

On April 1, 2010, the Company sold 10,297 shares of 10% Series A convertible preferred stock to non-affiliated purchasers for $10,297,000. On June 2, 2010, the Company sold 1,200 shares of 10% Series B convertible preferred stock (together with the Series A preferred stock, the “Convertible Preferred Stock”) to affiliated purchasers for $1,200,000. After deducting cash closing costs of $742,159, the Company received aggregate net cash proceeds from the sale of the Convertible Preferred Stock in the amount of $10,754,841.

 

Pursuant to the terms of the Convertible Preferred Stock agreements, the Convertible Preferred Stock was initially convertible into approximately 359,281 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, subject to adjustment. In addition, the holders of the Convertible Preferred Stock received immediately exercisable warrants to purchase up to approximately 359,281 shares of the Company’s Common Stock.

 

Each share of Convertible Preferred Stock has a stated value of $1,000 (the “Stated Value”). Each holder of shares of Convertible Preferred Stock is entitled to receive semi-annual dividends at the rate of 10% per annum of the Stated Value for each share of Convertible Preferred Stock held by such holder. Except in limited circumstances, the Company can elect to pay the dividends in cash or shares of Common Stock. If the dividends are paid in shares of Common Stock, such shares will be priced at the lower of 90% of the average volume weighted-average price for the 20 trading days immediately preceding the payment date or $22.40. The dividends were subject to a 30% make whole provision. On April 1, 2013 the make whole provision had been satisfied.

 

F- 18
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

During the fiscal years ended June, 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, a total of 17,524, 37,197 and 23,219 shares of common stock with a fair value of $67,541, $591,321 and $557,170 were issued in connection with the payment of dividends on the Convertible Preferred Stock. The adjustments were recorded as an increase to both additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit.

 

The shares of Convertible Preferred Stock were convertible into shares of Common Stock at an initial conversion price of $32.00 per share and are convertible at any time. The conversion price is subject to adjustment if the Company sells or grants any Common Stock or Common Stock equivalents, subject to certain exclusions, at an effective price per share that is lower than the conversion price of the Convertible Preferred Stock. After 18 months from the date of issuance of the Convertible Preferred Stock, if the Company’s Common Stock trades above $80.00 for 20 out of 30 consecutive trading days, the Convertible Preferred Stock will no longer be subject to adjustment. As a result of multiple issuances of shares of common stock, as of June 30, 2014, the initial conversion prices have been adjusted from $32.00 per share to $2.00 per share.

 

During the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, in connection with the adjustments to the conversion price, due to a beneficial conversion feature, dividends in the amount of $0, $1,076,355 and $366,151 were recorded as an increase to both additional-paid-in capital and accumulated deficit.

 

In connection with a convertible preferred stock conversion agreement entered into in June 2013, an additional 11,250 shares of Common Stock were issued to the holders of Convertible Preferred Stock.

 

Warrants

 

Pursuant to the purchase agreements, the Company delivered a Warrant to purchase shares of Common Stock to the Series A Non-Affiliate Investors and a Warrant to purchase shares of Common Stock to the Series B Affiliate Investors (the “Warrants”). Each Warrant has an initial exercise price of $35.00 per share of Common Stock. The Warrants were immediately exercisable and have a five year term. The Warrants issued to the Series A Non-Affiliate Investors also contain a provision which limits the holder’s beneficial ownership to a maximum of 4.99% (which percentage may be increased to 9.99% upon 60 days notice to the Company).

 

On August 8, 2012, pursuant to a warrant exchange agreement, 172,625 warrants were exchanged for 69,022 shares of Common Stock. In connection with the warrant exchange, a loss on the settlement of warrant liabilities in the amount of $785,171 was recorded.

 

Common Stock

 

On December 14, 2011, the stockholders approved a proposal to increase the authorized Common Stock of the Company from 250,000,000 shares to 350,000,000 shares. On March 25, 2013, the stockholders approved a proposal to increase the authorized Common Stock of the Company from 350,000,000 shares to 500,000,000 shares.

 

Public Placements of Common Stock and Warrants

 

December 16, 2013

 

On December 16, 2013, the Company completed a Common Stock and Warrant offering for $5,400,000 in gross proceeds, before deducting offering expenses, in a registered direct offering of 180,000 units consisting of ten shares of the Company’s Common Stock, six month warrants to purchase ten shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $3 per share (the “Series A Warrants”), six month warrants to purchase ten shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $4 per share (the “Series B Warrants”), and three year warrants to purchase ten shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $4 per share (the “Series C Warrants”).

 

The net offering proceeds to the Company from the sale of the units, after deducting the offering expenses of $121,764, was $5,278,236. The net proceeds of the offering is being used for working capital, research and development and general corporate purposes.

 

F- 19
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

On February 21, 2014, the Company amended and restated 1,746,666 of the Series B Warrants pursuant to a Warrant Amendment Agreement (the “Series B Warrant Amendment Agreement”) by and among the Company and certain holders of the Series B Warrants (the “Warrant Holders”). Pursuant to the terms of the Series B Warrant Amendment Agreement, the Company and each Warrant Holder agreed to amend and restate the Warrant held by such Warrant Holder for a new amended and restated warrant, with an exercise price of $2.00 per share and an expiration date of February 21, 2014 (the “Amended Warrants”). In connection with the amendment of such warrants, a dividend was recorded in the amount of $2,820,866, which represents the difference in pre-amendment and post-amendment Black-Scholes value of the Series B Warrants.

 

Following the amendment of the series B Warrants, the Warrant Holders of Amended Warrants to purchase 1,746,666 shares of Common Stock exercised their Amended Warrants, resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of $3,493,332.

 

On June 13, 2014, the Company amended and restated 1,630,000 of the Series A Warrants pursuant to a Series A Warrant Amendment Agreement by and among the Company and all remaining holders of the Series A Warrants whereby such warrants were extended for a six month period through December 16, 2014. In connection with the amendment of such warrants, a dividend was recorded in the amount of $847,600, which represents the difference in pre-amendment and post-amendment Black-Scholes value of the Series A Warrants.

 

October 2, 2013

 

On October 2, 2013, the Company completed a Common Stock offering for $1,725,000 in gross proceeds, before deducting estimated offering expenses, in a registered direct offering of 690,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock. Each share was sold at a price of $2.50 per share. The shares were sold pursuant to the Registration Statement in the form of a unit, at $5.00 per unit, with each unit consisting of 2 shares of Common Stock.

 

The net offering proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Common Stock, after deducting the offering expenses of $164,230, were $1,560,770. The net proceeds of the offering will be used for working capital, research and development and general corporate purposes.

 

May 9, 2013 Placement

 

On May 9, 2013, the Company entered into definitive agreements to issue 418,333 shares of Common Stock at an offering price of $3.00 per share for gross proceeds of $1,255,000, before deducting offering expenses, in a registered direct offering. Additionally, the shares contained exercise price reset features for a period of one year from the date of issuance.

 

The net offering proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Common Stock, after deducting the offering expenses of $153,318, were $1,101,682. The net proceeds of the offering are being used for working capital, research and development and general corporate purposes.

 

The Offering closed on May 10, 2013.

 

In connection with the offering of common stock on October 2, 2013, the Company issued an additional 3,867 shares of common stock under the exercise price reset feature. A dividend in the amount of $15,468 was recorded by the Company.

 

In connection with the amendment to the Series B warrants on February 21, 2014, the Company issued an additional 8,770 shares of common stock under the exercise price reset feature. A dividend in the amount of $35,606 was recorded by the Company.

 

F- 20
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

January 4, 2013 Placement

 

On January 4, 2013, the Company entered into definitive agreements to issue 300,000 shares of Common Stock and five year warrants to purchase 300,000 shares of Common Stock with an exercise price of $12.00 per share for gross proceeds of $3,000,000, before deducting offering expenses, in a registered direct offering. The warrants were exercisable from the date that was one year and one day following the issuance date until the fifth anniversary of the issuance date and contained standard anti-dilution provisions and adjustment provisions in the event of stock splits, combinations, dividends, distributions or reorganizations. Additionally, the warrants contained exercise price reset features for a period of eighteen months from the date of issuance and cash settlement features in the event of a fundamental transaction. Due to the cash settlement features in the Warrants, $459,000 of the net proceeds was recorded as a warrant liability. Each Share, together with the Warrant, was sold at a price of $10.00 per unit. In April and June 2013, all of the warrants were exchanged for Common Stock.

 

The net offering proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Common Stock and Warrants, after deducting the offering expenses of $151,202, were $2,848,798. Six hundred thousand dollars of the net proceeds of the offering was used for investor relations purposes and the remainder was used for working capital, research and development and general corporate purposes.

 

The Offering closed on January 8, 2013.

 

January 6, 2012 and March 1, 2012 Placement

 

On January 6, 2012 and March 1, 2012, the Company entered into securities purchase agreements to raise an aggregate of $2,862,012 in gross proceeds through the sale of an aggregate of 110,077 shares of its Common Stock. The investors, excluding officers and directors of Senesco or funds affiliated with such officers or directors participating in the offering, also received 50% warrant coverage at an exercise price of $28.60 per share. The Common Stock and 50% warrant coverage (the “Unit”) was priced at $26.00 per Unit.

 

At the Market Sales Agreement

 

On December 22, 2010, the Company entered into an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement (the “ATM”) under which the Company, from time to time, may issue and sell shares of its Common Stock, with an aggregate offering price of up to $5,500,000. Such Common Stock will be offered and sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-170140), which became effective on November 9, 2010.

 

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013, the Company issued 3,539 shares of Common Stock under the ATM for proceeds of $94,183, net of offering costs.

 

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012, the Company issued 18,346 shares of Common Stock under the ATM for proceeds of $477,257, net of offering costs.

 

From the inception of the ATM through June 30, 2013, the Company had issued 80,999 shares of Common Stock under the ATM for proceeds of $2,311,137, net of offering costs.

 

In November 2012, the Company was delisted from the NYSE MKT exchange and is now quoted on the OTCQB. Since the Company is no longer listed on the NYSE MKT exchange, the Company is no longer be able to issue and sell shares of its Common Stock under the ATM and the ATM was terminated.

 

F- 21
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

10. Stock-Based Compensation

 

In December 2008, the Company adopted the 2008 Incentive Compensation Plan (the "2008 Plan"), which provides for the grant of stock options, stock grants and stock purchase rights to certain designated employees and certain other persons performing services for the Company, as designated by the board of directors. Pursuant to the 2008 Plan and subsequent amendments, an aggregate of 1,830,810 shares of Common Stock has been reserved for issuance. Additionally, on January 1 of each calendar year beginning with the calendar year 2012, the share reserve will automatically increase so that the total number of shares available for issuance under the 2008 Plan is 15% of the fully diluted shares as of the date of such increase, but in no event will such annual increase exceed 500,000 shares per year. The 2008 Plan is intended to serve as a successor to the Amended and Restated 1998 Stock Incentive Plan (the “1998 Plan”), which terminated in December 2008.

 

Between February 19, 2009 and May 5, 2014, the Company filed a registration statement with the SEC to register all of the 1,830,810 shares of Common Stock underlying the 2008 Plan. The registration statement and amendments were deemed effective upon filing.

 

The terms and vesting schedules for share-based awards vary by type of grant and the employment status of the grantee. Generally, the awards vest based upon time-based conditions or achievement of specified goals and milestones.

 

On November 16, 2012, the Company issued 37,050 options that were subject to vesting first based upon specified goals and milestones and then based upon time-based conditions. On the issuance date, such options had an aggregate Black-Scholes value of $489,060. As of June 30, 2013, the Company reviewed the specified goals and milestones on an employee by employee basis. Based upon the review, the Company has estimated that it was probable that, on average, the employees would achieve 55% of the target goals. As a result, the Company was recognizing 55% of the aggregate fair value of the options ratably over the time-based vesting period. Subsequent to June 30, 2013, the compensation committee determined that the employees actually achieved 25% of the target goals. As a result, the Company is now recognizing 25% of the aggregate fair value of the options ratably over the time-based vesting period.

 

On September 13, 2013, the Company issued 46,780 options that are subject to vesting first based upon specified goals and milestones and then based upon time-based conditions. On the issuance date, such options had an aggregate Black-Scholes value of $201,154. As of June 30, 2014, the Company reviewed the specified goals and milestones on an employee by employee basis. Based upon the review, the Company has estimated that it was probable that, on average, the employees would achieve 81% of the target goals. As a result, the Company is recognizing 81% of the aggregate fair value of the options ratably over the time-based vesting period.

 

F- 22
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Stock option activity under the 2008 Plan and 1998 Plan is summarized as follows:

 

          Weighted        
    Aggregate     Average     Exercise Price  
    Number     Exercise Price     Range  
Outstanding, July 31, 2011     113,483     $ 78.00       $ 26.00 - 400.00  
Granted     52,744       23.00       20.00 - 26.00  
Exercised     -       -       -  
Cancelled     -       -       -  
Expired     (9,750 )     232.00       150.00 –  400.00  
Outstanding, June 30, 2012     156,477       50.00       20.00 - 345.00  
Granted     89,670       14.00       4.00 - 18.00  
Exercised     -       -       -  
Cancelled     (11,525 )     23.00       23.00  
Expired     (2,875 )     202.00       109.00 - 235.00  
Outstanding, June 30, 2013     231,748       35.00       4.00 –  345.00  
Granted     778,480       2.94       2.65 - 5.40  
Exercised     -       -       -  
Cancelled     (27,788 )     16.50       16.50  
Expired     (3,136 )     229.65       52.00 - 315.00  
Outstanding, June 30, 2014     979,304     $ 9.49       $2.65 - 345.00  
                         
Options exercisable at June 30, 2012     101,011     $ 62.00          
Options exercisable at June 30, 2013     166,122     $ 41.00          
Options exercisable at June 30, 2014     428,286     $ 17.48          
                         
Weighted average fair value of options granted during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012   $ 17.00                  
Weighted average fair value of options granted during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013   $ 11.00                  
Weighted average fair value of options granted during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2014   $ 2.11                  

 

Non-vested stock option activity under the Plan is summarized as follows:

 

          Weighted-average  
    Number of     Grant-Date  
    Options     Fair Value  
Non-vested stock options at July 1, 2013     65,626     $ 16.00  
Granted     778,480       2.11  
Vested     (265,300 )     3.62  
Forfeited     (27,788 )     13.20  
Non-vested stock options at June 30, 2014     551,018     $ 2.29  

 

As of June 30, 2014, the aggregate intrinsic value of stock options outstanding was $86,157, with a weighted-average remaining term of 9.2 years. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercisable at that same date was $17,433, with a weighted-average remaining term of 8.3 years. As of June 30, 2014, the Company has 856,672 shares available for future stock option grants.

 

F- 23
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

As of June 30, 2014, total estimated compensation expense not yet recognized related to stock option grants amounted to $1,285,624, which will be recognized over the next 48 months.

 

Warrants

 

Total outstanding warrants at June 30, 2014 were as follows:

 

Strike Price     Warrants  
$ 345.00       150  
$ 140.00       50  
$ 108.00       25  
$ 60.00       27,703  
$ 35.00       197,453  
$ 32.00       3,000  
$ 28.60       49,270  
$ 26.00       50  
$ 4.00       3,600,033  
$ 3.00       3,260,030  
$ 2.00       95,050  
$ 1.00       4,960  
             
          7,237,774  

 

As of June 30, 2014, all of the above warrants are exercisable expiring at various dates through 2019. At June 30, 2014, the weighted-average exercise price on the above warrants was $4.83.

 

On August 8, 2012, pursuant to a warrant exchange agreement, 172,625 of the warrants with an exercise price of $35.00 were exchanged for 69,022 shares of Common Stock. In connection with this warrant exchange, a loss on the settlement of warrant liabilities was recorded in the amount of $785,171.

 

On April 8, 2013 and June 24, 2013, pursuant to warrant exchange agreements, an aggregate of 300,000 of the warrants with an initial exercise price of $12.00, which was subsequently reset to $3.00, were exchanged for an aggregate of 300,000 shares of Common Stock. In connection with this warrant exchange, a loss on the settlement of warrant liabilities was recorded in the amount of $939,375.

 

On February 21, 2014, pursuant to warrant amendment agreements, an aggregate of 1,746,666 of the Series B warrants with an initial exercise price of $4.00 and expiration date of June 16, 2014, were amended and restated to have an exercise price of $2.00 per share and an expiration date of February 21, 2014. Following the amendment, the warrant holders of amended warrants to purchase 1,746,666 shares of Common Stock exercised their amended warrants, resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of $3,493,332. In connection with the amendment of such warrants, a dividend was recorded in the amount of $2,820,866, which represents the difference in pre-amendment and post-amendment Black-Scholes value of the Series B Warrants.

 

On June 13, 2014, pursuant to warrant amendment agreements, an aggregate of 3,260,030 of the Series A and FA warrants with an exercise price and an expiration date of June 16, 2014 were amended and restated whereby such warrants were extended for a six month period through December 16, 2014. In connection with the amendment of such warrants, a dividend was recorded in the amount of $1,695,216, which represents the difference in pre-amendment and post-amendment Black-Scholes value of the Series A Warrants.

 

F- 24
 

  

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

11. Income Taxes:

 

Since the Company has recurring losses and a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets, there is no tax expense (benefit) for all periods presented.

 

The Company files a consolidated federal income tax return. The subsidiaries file separate state and local income tax returns.

 

As of June 30, 2014, the Company had federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carry forwards of $60,404,000 and state NOL carry forwards of approximately $53,024,000 which are available to reduce future taxable income. The federal NOL carry forwards will begin to expire in 2019. The state NOL carry forwards will begin to expire at various dates starting in 2019.  The NOL carry forwards are subject to review and possible adjustment by the Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities. NOL carry forwards may become subject to an annual limitation in the event of certain cumulative changes in the ownership interest of significant shareholders over a three-year period in excess of 50%, as defined under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as well as similar state tax provisions. This could limit the amount of NOLs that the Company can utilize annually to offset future taxable income or tax liabilities. The amount of the annual limitation, if any, will be determined based on the value of the Company immediately prior to the ownership change. As of June 30, 2014, The Company has not performed such an analysis. Subsequent ownership changes may further affect the limitation in future years.

 

The Company's reserves related to taxes are based on a determination of whether and how much of a tax benefit taken by the Company in its tax filings or positions is more likely than not to be realized. The Company recognized no material adjustment for unrecognized income tax benefits. Through June 30, 2014, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits or related interest and penalties accrued.

 

ASC 740 requires a valuation allowance to reduce the deferred tax assets reported if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. After consideration of all the evidence, both positive and negative, the Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets at June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, because the Company's management has determined that is it more likely than not that these assets will not be fully realized. The valuation allowance increased by $5,271,000 and $ 1,881,000 during the years ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, due primarily to the generation of net operating losses during the periods.

 

The reconciliation of the effective income tax rate to the federal statutory rate is as follows:

 

    June 30,  
    2014     2013     2012  
Federal income tax provision at statutory rate     (34.0 )%     (34.0 )%     (34.0 )%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit     (5.4 )%     -       -  
Fair value - warrant liability     -       (2.0 )%     (3.2 )%
Loss on settlement of warrant liabilities     -       1.0 %     -  
Other     -     (4.0 )%     (0.6 )%
Permanet items      3.1 %     -       -  
Valuation allowance     36.3 %     39.0 %     37.8 %
                         
Actual income tax provision (benefit) effective tax rate     - %     - %     - %

 

F- 25
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  

The principal components of deferred income tax assets consist of the following:

 

    June 30,  
    2014     2013  
Deferred Tax Assets:                
Net operating loss carryforwards   $ 23,719,000     $ 19,269,000  
Stock-based compensation     2,721,000       2,507,000  
Other     651,000       44,000  
Deferred tax assets     27,091,000       21,820,000  
Deferred Tax Liabilities:                
Indefinite-lived intangibles     (3,920,000 )     -  
Deferred tax liabilities     (3,920,000 )     -
Less: valuation allowance     (27,091,000 )     (21,820,000 )
Net deferred tax asset / (liability)   $ (3,920,000 )   $ -  

 

The Company will recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. As of June 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions and no amounts have been recognized in the Company's Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

 

The Company files income tax returns in the United States, and various state jurisdictions. The federal and state income tax returns are generally subject to tax examinations for the tax years ended June 30, 2011 through June 30, 2014. To the extent the Company has tax attribute carryforwards, the tax years in which the attribute was generated may still be adjusted upon examination by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities to the e-xtent utilized in a future period.

 

12. Commitments:

 

Research Agreement

 

Effective September 1, 1998, the Company entered into a research and development agreement, which has subsequently been renewed, with The University of Waterloo which an officer and stockholder of the Company, is affiliated with. Pursuant to the agreement, the university provides research and development under the direction of the researcher and the Company. The agreement is renewable annually by the Company which has the right of termination upon 30 days' advance written notice. The Company has extended the research and development agreement for an additional one-year period through August 31, 2015 in the amount of Can $475,200.

 

Research and development expenses under this agreement for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012 aggregated U.S. $413,220, U.S. $628,995 and U.S. $573,368, respectively. Future obligations to be paid under the agreement through August 31, 2015 equal approximately U.S. $554,400.

 

Supply and service agreements

 

Effective June 20, 2011, the Company entered into an agreement with Criterium, Inc. (“Criterium”) under which Criterium will provide monitoring, project and data management services in connection with the Company’s Phase 1b/2a clinical trial. The agreement, as amended, had an initial term that commences on the date of the agreement and runs through September 30, 2014. The Company’s remaining financial obligation under the agreement is estimated to be approximately $210,000.

 

Consulting and other Agreements

 

Effective May 1, 1999, the Company entered into a consulting agreement for research and development with 1438120 Ontario Limited, which is owned by an officer of the Company. The agreement was renewed for an additional one-year term through June 30, 2015. Future obligations to be paid under the agreement equal $67,500.

 

The Company is obligated under a non-cancelable operating lease of office space expiring on November 30, 2015. The aggregate minimum future payments are $30,160. Rent expense charged to operations under this lease aggregated $70,170, $69,538 and $69,174 for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

 

Retention Agreement

 

On May 16, 2014, the Company entered into a retention agreement with the former Chief Executive Officer and current President of the Company, providing for certain severance benefits in the event of certain terminations of employment with the Company.

 

F- 26
 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Pursuant to the terms of the retention agreement, if, during the one-year period following the effective date of the retention agreement if the employee (i) is terminated without cause, (ii) resigns for good reason or (iii) is not offered the position of “Chief Executive Officer” of the Company and the employee resigns within 30 days of the expiration of such one year period, the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment equal to his target bonus plus his annual base salary for the year in which such event occurs, (b) COBRA benefits for one year beginning on the first day of the month following such event and (c) reimbursement of life-insurance costs for one year following such event. Moreover, if in connection with a change of control transaction, the employee’s employment is terminated or he resigns for good cause, the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment equal to his target bonus plus two times his annual base salary for the year in which such event occurs and (b) COBRA benefits for two years beginning on the first day of the month following such event. Additionally, in connection with the occurrence of any of the triggering events described above, the employee’s outstanding equity awards would become fully vested and exercisable and would remain exercisable until the expiration of each equity award’s maximum term.

 

The estimated value of the retention agreement is approximately $293,000 if for one year or $586,000 if for two years.

 

Employment Agreement

 

On June 25, 2014, the Company entered into an employment agreement with the current Chief Executive Officer, providing for certain severance benefits in the event of certain terminations of employment with the Company.

 

Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, if, during the one-year period following the effective date of the employment agreement the employee, (i) is terminated without cause or (ii) resigns for good reason (each a “Qualifying Termination”), the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to 18 months’ salary, calculated at the rate of his then current Base Salary, (b) COBRA benefits for 18 months beginning on the first day of the month following such Qualifying Termination and (c) reimbursement of life-insurance costs for 18 months following such Qualifying Termination. If the employee undergoes a Qualifying Termination after the one-year period following the effective date of the Employment Agreement, the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to 12 months’ salary, calculated at the rate of his then current Base Salary, (b) COBRA benefits for 12 months beginning on the first day of the month following such Qualifying Termination and (c) reimbursement of life-insurance costs for 12 months following such Qualifying Termination. Moreover, if in connection with a change of control transaction, the employee is terminated or he resigns for good cause, the employee would receive (a) a lump sum cash payment in an amount equal to 24 months’ salary, calculated at the rate of his then current Base Salary, (b) COBRA benefits for 24 months beginning on the first day of the month following such Qualifying Termination and (c) reimbursement of life-insurance costs for 24 months following such Qualifying Termination. Additionally, in connection with the occurrence of any of the triggering events described above, the employee’s outstanding equity awards would become fully vested and exercisable and would remain exercisable until the expiration of the equity award’s maximum term.

 

The estimated value of the employment agreement in the event is approximately $317,000 if for one year, $475,000 if for eighteen months or $634,000 if for two years.

  

F- 27

 

Exhibit 10.6

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of May 16, 2014 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Phillip Frost, M.D. ("Indemnitee").

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee is an executive of the Company and performs valuable services in such capacity for the Company;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be limited;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company as an executive, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

 
 

  

NOW, THEREFORE , the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.            Indemnification .

 

(a)         Indemnification of Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.

 

(b)        Reviewing Party . Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.

 

- 2 -
 

 

(c)        Change in Control . The Company agrees that if there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws as now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(d)         Mandatory Payment of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.

 

2.            Expenses; Indemnification Procedure .

 

(a)         Advancement of Expenses . The Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.

 

(b)         Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee . Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

- 3 -
 

  

(c)        No Presumptions; Burden of Proof . For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere , or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.

 

(d)        Notice to Insurers . If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such policies. Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall limit the Company’s obligations as otherwise provided for herein, including the Company’s obligation to pay Expenses under Section 1(b) or to advance Expenses under Section 2(a).

 

(e)        Selection of Counsel . In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation at Indemnitee’s expense and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

- 4 -
 

  

3.            Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity .

 

(a)        Scope . The Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s By-laws or by statute. In the event of any change after the date of this Agreement in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the rights of the corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the rights of this Company to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b)        Nonexclusivity . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its By-laws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the relevant business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

4.            No Duplication of Payments . The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.

 

5.            Partial Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

6.            Mutual Acknowledgment . Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

- 5 -
 

 

7.            Liability Insurance . To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

8.            Exceptions . Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a)        Excluded Action or Omissions . To indemnify Indemnitee for acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law.

 

(b)        Claims Initiated by Indemnitee . To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise required under the applicable provisions of the business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(c)        Lack of Good Faith . To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d)        Claims Under Section 16(b) . To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any similar successor statute.

 

9.            Period of Limitations . No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two (2)-year period; provided , however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

- 6 -
 

  

10.            Construction of Certain Phrases .

 

(a)        For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b)        For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.

 

(c)        For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under said Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than twenty percent (20%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

- 7 -
 

 

(d)        For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).

 

(e)        For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company’s Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.

 

(f)        For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

 

11.            Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

 

12.            Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

 

13.             Attorneys’ Fees . In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

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14.            Notice . All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice.

 

15.            Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in and for Middlesex County, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

16.             Severability . The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

17.             Choice of Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

18.            Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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19.            Amendment and Termination . No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

20.            Integration and Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

21.            No Construction as Employment Agreement . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

**********

 

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

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
   
  /s/ Leslie J. Browne
  By:     Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.
  Title:  President

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:

 

INDEMNITEE:

   
   
(signature)  

 

   
(print name)  

 

   
(address)  

  

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.7

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of May 16, 2014 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Vaughn V. Smider ("Indemnitee").

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee is an executive of the Company and performs valuable services in such capacity for the Company;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be limited;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company as an executive, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

 
 

 

NOW, THEREFORE , the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.            Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.

 

(b)           Reviewing Party . Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.

 

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(c)           Change in Control . The Company agrees that if there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws as now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(d)           Mandatory Payment of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.

 

2.            Expenses; Indemnification Procedure .

 

(a)           Advancement of Expenses . The Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.

 

(b)           Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee . Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

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(c)           No Presumptions; Burden of Proof . For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere , or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.

 

(d)           Notice to Insurers . If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such policies. Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall limit the Company’s obligations as otherwise provided for herein, including the Company’s obligation to pay Expenses under Section 1(b) or to advance Expenses under Section 2(a).

 

(e)           Selection of Counsel . In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation at Indemnitee’s expense and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

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3.            Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity .

 

(a)           Scope . The Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s By-laws or by statute. In the event of any change after the date of this Agreement in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the rights of the corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the rights of this Company to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b)           Nonexclusivity . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its By-laws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the relevant business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

4.            No Duplication of Payments . The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.

 

5.            Partial Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

6.            Mutual Acknowledgment . Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

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7.            Liability Insurance . To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

8.            Exceptions . Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a)           Excluded Action or Omissions . To indemnify Indemnitee for acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law.

 

(b)           Claims Initiated by Indemnitee . To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise required under the applicable provisions of the business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(c)           Lack of Good Faith . To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d)           Claims Under Section 16(b) . To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any similar successor statute.

 

9.            Period of Limitations . No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two (2)-year period; provided , however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

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10.           Construction of Certain Phrases .

 

(a)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.

 

(c)          For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under said Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than twenty percent (20%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

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(d)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).

 

(e)          For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company’s Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.

 

(f)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

 

11.           Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

 

12.           Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

 

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13.           Attorneys’ Fees . In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

14.           Notice . All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice.

 

15.           Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in and for Middlesex County, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

16.           Severability . The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

17.           Choice of Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

18.           Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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19.           Amendment and Termination . No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

20.           Integration and Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

21.           No Construction as Employment Agreement . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

**********

 

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

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
   
  /s/ Leslie J. Browne
  By: Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.
  Title: President

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:  
   
INDEMNITEE:  
   
   
(signature)  
   
   
(print name)  
   
   
(address)  

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.8

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of May 16, 2014 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Steven Rubin ("Indemnitee").

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee is a director of the Company and performs valuable services in such capacities for the Company;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be limited;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company as a director, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

 
 

 

NOW, THEREFORE , the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.              Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.

 

(b)           Reviewing Party . Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.

 

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(c)           Change in Control . The Company agrees that if there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws as now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(d)           Mandatory Payment of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.

 

2.              Expenses; Indemnification Procedure .

 

(a)           Advancement of Expenses . The Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.

 

(b)           Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee . Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

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(c)           No Presumptions; Burden of Proof . For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere , or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.

 

(d)           Notice to Insurers . If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such policies. Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall limit the Company’s obligations as otherwise provided for herein, including the Company’s obligation to pay Expenses under Section 1(b) or to advance Expenses under Section 2(a).

 

(e)           Selection of Counsel . In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation at Indemnitee’s expense and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

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3.              Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity .

 

(a)           Scope . The Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s By-laws or by statute. In the event of any change after the date of this Agreement in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the rights of the corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the rights of this Company to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b)           Nonexclusivity . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its By-laws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the relevant business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

4.              No Duplication of Payments . The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.

 

5.              Partial Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

6.              Mutual Acknowledgment . Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

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7.              Liability Insurance . To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

8.              Exceptions . Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a)           Excluded Action or Omissions . To indemnify Indemnitee for acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law.

 

(b)           Claims Initiated by Indemnitee . To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise required under the applicable provisions of the business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(c)           Lack of Good Faith . To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d)           Claims Under Section 16(b) . To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any similar successor statute.

 

9.              Period of Limitations . No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two (2)-year period; provided , however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

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10.           Construction of Certain Phrases .

 

(a)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.

 

(c)          For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under said Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than twenty percent (20%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

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(d)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).

 

(e)          For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company’s Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.

 

(f)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

 

11.           Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

 

12.           Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

 

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13.           Attorneys’ Fees . In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

14.           Notice . All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice.

 

15.           Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in and for Mercer County, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

16.           Severability . The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

17.           Choice of Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

18.           Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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19.           Amendment and Termination . No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

20.           Integration and Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

21.           No Construction as Employment Agreement . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

**********

 

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

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
   
  /s/ Leslie J. Browne
  By: Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.
  Title: President

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:  
   
INDEMNITEE:  
   
   
(signature)  
   
   
(print name)  
   
   
(address)  

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.9

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of May 16, 2014 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and James Graziano ("Indemnitee").

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee is an executive of the Company and performs valuable services in such capacity for the Company;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be limited;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company as an executive, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

 
 

 

NOW, THEREFORE , the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.             Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.

 

(b)           Reviewing Party . Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.

 

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(c)           Change in Control . The Company agrees that if there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws as now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(d)           Mandatory Payment of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.

 

2.             Expenses; Indemnification Procedure .

 

(a)           Advancement of Expenses . The Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.

 

(b)           Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee . Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

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(c)           No Presumptions; Burden of Proof . For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere , or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.

 

(d)           Notice to Insurers . If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such policies. Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall limit the Company’s obligations as otherwise provided for herein, including the Company’s obligation to pay Expenses under Section 1(b) or to advance Expenses under Section 2(a).

 

(e)           Selection of Counsel . In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation at Indemnitee’s expense and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

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3.             Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity .

 

(a)           Scope . The Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s By-laws or by statute. In the event of any change after the date of this Agreement in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the rights of the corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the rights of this Company to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b)           Nonexclusivity . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its By-laws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the relevant business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

4.             No Duplication of Payments . The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.

 

5.             Partial Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

6.             Mutual Acknowledgment . Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

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7.             Liability Insurance . To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

8.             Exceptions . Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a)           Excluded Action or Omissions . To indemnify Indemnitee for acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law.

 

(b)           Claims Initiated by Indemnitee . To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise required under the applicable provisions of the business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(c)           Lack of Good Faith . To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d)           Claims Under Section 16(b) . To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any similar successor statute.

 

9.             Period of Limitations . No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two (2)-year period; provided , however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

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10.          Construction of Certain Phrases .

 

(a)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.

 

(c)          For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under said Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than twenty percent (20%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

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(d)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).

 

(e)          For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company’s Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.

 

(f)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

 

11.          Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

 

12.          Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

 

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13.          Attorneys’ Fees . In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

14.          Notice . All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice.

 

15.          Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in and for Middlesex County, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

16.          Severability . The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

17.          Choice of Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

18.          Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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19.          Amendment and Termination . No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

20.          Integration and Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

21.          No Construction as Employment Agreement . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

**********

 

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

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
   
  /s/ Leslie J. Browne
  By: Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.
  Title: President

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:  
   
INDEMNITEE:  
   
   
(signature)  
   
   
(print name)  
   
   
(address)  

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.10

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of May 16, 2014 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Miguel de los Rios ("Indemnitee").

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee is an executive of the Company and performs valuable services in such capacity for the Company;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be limited;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company as an executive, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

 
 

 

NOW, THEREFORE , the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.              Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.

 

(b)           Reviewing Party . Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.

 

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(c)           Change in Control . The Company agrees that if there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws as now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(d)           Mandatory Payment of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.

 

2.              Expenses; Indemnification Procedure .

 

(a)           Advancement of Expenses . The Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.

 

(b)           Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee . Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

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(c)           No Presumptions; Burden of Proof . For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere , or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.

 

(d)           Notice to Insurers . If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such policies. Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall limit the Company’s obligations as otherwise provided for herein, including the Company’s obligation to pay Expenses under Section 1(b) or to advance Expenses under Section 2(a).

 

(e)           Selection of Counsel . In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation at Indemnitee’s expense and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

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3.              Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity .

 

(a)           Scope . The Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s By-laws or by statute. In the event of any change after the date of this Agreement in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the rights of the corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the rights of this Company to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b)           Nonexclusivity . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its By-laws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the relevant business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

4.              No Duplication of Payments . The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.

 

5.              Partial Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

6.              Mutual Acknowledgment . Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

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7.              Liability Insurance . To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

8.              Exceptions . Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a)           Excluded Action or Omissions . To indemnify Indemnitee for acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law.

 

(b)           Claims Initiated by Indemnitee . To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise required under the applicable provisions of the business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(c)           Lack of Good Faith . To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d)           Claims Under Section 16(b) . To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any similar successor statute.

 

9.              Period of Limitations . No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two (2)-year period; provided , however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

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10.           Construction of Certain Phrases .

 

(a)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.

 

(c)          For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under said Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than twenty percent (20%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

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(d)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).

 

(e)          For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company’s Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.

 

(f)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

 

11.           Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

 

12.           Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

 

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13.           Attorneys’ Fees . In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

14.           Notice . All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice.

 

15.           Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in and for Middlesex County, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

16.           Severability . The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

17.           Choice of Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

18.           Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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19.           Amendment and Termination . No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

20.           Integration and Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

21.           No Construction as Employment Agreement . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

**********

 

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

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
   
  /s/ Leslie J. Browne
  By: Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.
  Title: President

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:  
   
INDEMNITEE:  
   
   
(signature)  
   
   
(print name)  
   
   
(address)  

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.11

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of May 25, 2010 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Joel Brooks ("Indemnitee").

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee is an executive of the Company and performs valuable services in such capacity for the Company;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be limited;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company as an executive, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

 
 

  

NOW, THEREFORE , the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.              Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.

 

(b)           Reviewing Party . Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.

 

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(c)           Change in Control . The Company agrees that if there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws as now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(d)           Mandatory Payment of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.

 

2.              Expenses; Indemnification Procedure .

 

(a)           Advancement of Expenses . The Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.

 

(b)           Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee . Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

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(c)           No Presumptions; Burden of Proof . For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere , or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.

 

(d)           Notice to Insurers . If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such policies. Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall limit the Company’s obligations as otherwise provided for herein, including the Company’s obligation to pay Expenses under Section 1(b) or to advance Expenses under Section 2(a).

 

(e)           Selection of Counsel . In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation at Indemnitee’s expense and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

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3.              Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity .

 

(a)           Scope . The Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s By-laws or by statute. In the event of any change after the date of this Agreement in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the rights of the corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the rights of this Company to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b)           Nonexclusivity . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its By-laws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the relevant business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

4.              No Duplication of Payments . The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.

 

5.              Partial Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

6.              Mutual Acknowledgment . Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

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7.              Liability Insurance . To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

8.              Exceptions . Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a)           Excluded Action or Omissions . To indemnify Indemnitee for acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law.

 

(b)           Claims Initiated by Indemnitee . To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise required under the applicable provisions of the business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(c)           Lack of Good Faith . To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d)           Claims Under Section 16(b) . To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any similar successor statute.

 

9.              Period of Limitations . No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two (2)-year period; provided , however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

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10.            Construction of Certain Phrases .

 

(a)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.

 

(c)          For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under said Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than twenty percent (20%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

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(d)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).

 

(e)          For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company’s Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.

 

(f)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

 

11.            Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

 

12.            Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

 

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13.            Attorneys’ Fees . In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

14.            Notice . All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice.

 

15.            Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in and for Middlesex County, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

16.            Severability . The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

17.            Choice of Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

18.            Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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19.            Amendment and Termination . No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

20.            Integration and Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

21.            No Construction as Employment Agreement . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

**********

 

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

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
   
   /s/ Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.
  By: Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:

 

INDEMNITEE:

 

   
(signature)  
   
   
(print name)  
   
   
(address)  

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.12

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of May 25, 2010 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and John E. Thompson, Ph.D. ("Indemnitee").

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee is an executive of the Company and performs valuable services in such capacity for the Company;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be limited;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company as an executive, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

 
 

 

NOW, THEREFORE , the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.             Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.

 

(b)           Reviewing Party . Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.

 

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(c)           Change in Control . The Company agrees that if there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws as now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(d)           Mandatory Payment of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.

 

2.             Expenses; Indemnification Procedure .

 

(a)           Advancement of Expenses . The Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.

 

(b)           Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee . Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

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(c)           No Presumptions; Burden of Proof . For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere , or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.

 

(d)           Notice to Insurers . If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such policies. Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall limit the Company’s obligations as otherwise provided for herein, including the Company’s obligation to pay Expenses under Section 1(b) or to advance Expenses under Section 2(a).

 

(e)           Selection of Counsel . In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation at Indemnitee’s expense and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

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3.             Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity .

 

(a)           Scope . The Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s By-laws or by statute. In the event of any change after the date of this Agreement in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the rights of the corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the rights of this Company to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b)           Nonexclusivity . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its By-laws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the relevant business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

4.             No Duplication of Payments . The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.

 

5.             Partial Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

6.             Mutual Acknowledgment . Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

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7.             Liability Insurance . To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

8.             Exceptions . Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a)           Excluded Action or Omissions . To indemnify Indemnitee for acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law.

 

(b)           Claims Initiated by Indemnitee . To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise required under the applicable provisions of the business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(c)           Lack of Good Faith . To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d)           Claims Under Section 16(b) . To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any similar successor statute.

 

9.             Period of Limitations . No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two (2)-year period; provided , however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

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10.           Construction of Certain Phrases .

 

(a)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.

 

(c)          For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under said Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than twenty percent (20%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

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(d)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).

 

(e)          For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company’s Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.

 

(f)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

 

11.           Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

 

12.           Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

 

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13.           Attorneys’ Fees . In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

14.           Notice . All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice.

 

15.           Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in and for Middlesex County, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

16.           Severability . The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

17.           Choice of Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

18.           Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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19.           Amendment and Termination . No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

20.           Integration and Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

21.           No Construction as Employment Agreement . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

**********

 

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

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
   
  /s/ Leslie J. Browne
  By: Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:  
   
INDEMNITEE:  
   
   
(signature)  
   
   
(print name)  
   
   
(address)  

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.13

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of May 25, 2010 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Richard Dondero ("Indemnitee").

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee is an executive of the Company and performs valuable services in such capacity for the Company;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be limited;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company as an executive, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

 
 

 

NOW, THEREFORE , the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.             Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.

 

(b)           Reviewing Party . Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.

 

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(c)           Change in Control . The Company agrees that if there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws as now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(d)           Mandatory Payment of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.

 

2.             Expenses; Indemnification Procedure .

 

(a)           Advancement of Expenses . The Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.

 

(b)           Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee . Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

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(c)           No Presumptions; Burden of Proof . For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere , or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.

 

(d)           Notice to Insurers . If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such policies. Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall limit the Company’s obligations as otherwise provided for herein, including the Company’s obligation to pay Expenses under Section 1(b) or to advance Expenses under Section 2(a).

 

(e)           Selection of Counsel . In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation at Indemnitee’s expense and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

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3.             Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity .

 

(a)           Scope . The Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s By-laws or by statute. In the event of any change after the date of this Agreement in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the rights of the corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the rights of this Company to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b)           Nonexclusivity . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its By-laws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the relevant business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

4.             No Duplication of Payments . The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.

 

5.             Partial Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

6.             Mutual Acknowledgment . Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

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7.             Liability Insurance . To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

8.             Exceptions . Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a)           Excluded Action or Omissions . To indemnify Indemnitee for acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law.

 

(b)           Claims Initiated by Indemnitee . To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise required under the applicable provisions of the business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(c)           Lack of Good Faith . To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d)           Claims Under Section 16(b) . To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any similar successor statute.

 

9.             Period of Limitations . No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two (2)-year period; provided , however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

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10.           Construction of Certain Phrases .

 

(a)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.

 

(c)          For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under said Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than twenty percent (20%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

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(d)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).

 

(e)          For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company’s Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.

 

(f)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

 

11.           Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

 

12.           Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

 

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13.           Attorneys’ Fees . In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

14.           Notice . All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice.

 

15.           Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in and for Middlesex County, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

16.           Severability . The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

17.           Choice of Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

18.           Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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19.           Amendment and Termination . No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

20.           Integration and Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

21.           No Construction as Employment Agreement . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

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

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
   
   
  /s/ Leslie J. Browne
  By: Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:  
   
INDEMNITEE:  
   
   
(signature)  
   
   
(print name)  
   
   
(address)  

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.14 

 

SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement ("Agreement") is made as of June 25, 2014 by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and Ronald A. Martell ("Indemnitee").

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee is an executive of the Company and performs valuable services in such capacity for the Company;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee recognize the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general, subjecting directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the availability and coverage of liability insurance may be limited;

 

WHEREAS , the Company and Indemnitee further recognize the difficulty in obtaining liability insurance for its directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries, the significant increases in the cost of such insurance and the general reductions in the coverage of such insurance;

 

WHEREAS , Indemnitee does not regard the current protection available as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Indemnitee and other directors, officers, employees, agents and fiduciaries of the Company may not be willing to continue to serve in such capacities without additional protection; and

 

WHEREAS , the Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals, such as Indemnitee, to serve the Company and, in part, in order to induce Indemnitee to continue to provide services to the Company as an executive, the Company wishes to provide for the indemnification and advancing of expenses to Indemnitee to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

NOW, THEREFORE , the Company and Indemnitee hereby agree as follows:

 

 
 

 

1. Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Expenses . The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law if Indemnitee was or is or becomes a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or other participant in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, or any hearing, inquiry or investigation that Indemnitee in good faith believes might lead to the institution of any such action, suit, proceeding or alternative dispute resolution mechanism, whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or other (hereinafter a "Claim") by reason of (or arising in part out of) any event or occurrence related to the fact that Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or any subsidiary of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action or inaction on the part of Indemnitee while serving in such capacity (hereinafter an "Indemnifiable Event") against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees and all other costs, expenses and obligations incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness in or participating in (including on appeal), or preparing to defend, be a witness in or participate in, any such action, suit, proceeding, alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing, inquiry or investigation), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (if such settlement is approved in advance by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of such Claim and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (collectively, hereinafter "Expenses"), including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of such Expenses. Such payment of Expenses shall be made by the Company as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor is presented to the Company.

 

(b)           Reviewing Party . Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the obligations of the Company under Section l(a) shall be subject to the condition that the Reviewing Party (as described in Section 10(e) hereof) shall not have determined (in a written opinion, in any case in which the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section 1(c) hereof is involved) that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law, and (ii) the obligation of the Company to make an advance payment of Expenses to Indemnitee pursuant to Section 2(a) (an "Expense Advance") shall be subject to the condition that, if, when and to the extent that the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be so indemnified under applicable law, the Company shall be entitled to be reimbursed by Indemnitee (who hereby agrees to reimburse the Company) for all such amounts theretofore paid; provided, however, that if Indemnitee has commenced or thereafter commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any determination made by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee would not be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be binding and Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance until a final judicial determination is made with respect thereto (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed). Indemnitee’s obligation to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance shall be unsecured and no interest shall be charged thereon. If there has not been a Change in Control (as defined in Section 10(c) hereof), the Reviewing Party shall be selected by the Board of Directors, and if there has been such a Change in Control (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control), the Reviewing Party shall be the Independent Legal Counsel referred to in Section l(c) hereof. If there has been no determination by the Reviewing Party or if the Reviewing Party determines that Indemnitee substantively would not be permitted to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation seeking an initial determination by the court or challenging any such determination by the Reviewing Party or any aspect thereof, including the legal or factual bases therefor, and the Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. Any determination by the Reviewing Party otherwise shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and Indemnitee.

 

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(c)           Change in Control . The Company agrees that if there is a Change in Control of the Company (other than a Change in Control which has been approved by a majority of the Company’s Board of Directors who were directors immediately prior to such Change in Control) then with respect to all matters thereafter arising concerning the rights of Indemnitee to payments of Expenses and Expense Advances under this Agreement or any other agreement or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws as now or hereafter in effect, the Company shall seek legal advice only from Independent Legal Counsel (as defined in Section 10(d) hereof) selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Company (which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld). Such counsel, among other things, shall render its written opinion to the Company and Indemnitee as to whether and to what extent Indemnitee would be permitted to be indemnified under applicable law. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Legal Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(d)           Mandatory Payment of Expenses . Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement other than Section 9 hereof, to the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, including, without limitation, the dismissal of an action without prejudice, in defense of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation referred to in Section (1)(a) hereof or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection therewith.

 

2. Expenses; Indemnification Procedure .

 

(a)           Advancement of Expenses . The Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee as soon as practicable but in any event no later than five (5) days after written demand by Indemnitee therefor to the Company.

 

(b)           Notice/Cooperation by Indemnitee . Indemnitee shall, as a condition precedent to Indemnitee’s right to be indemnified under this Agreement, give the Company notice in writing as soon as practicable of any Claim made against Indemnitee for which indemnification will or could be sought under this Agreement. Notice to the Company shall be directed to the Secretary of the Company at the address shown on the signature page of this Agreement (or such other address as the Company shall designate in writing to Indemnitee). In addition, Indemnitee shall give the Company such information and cooperation as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

- 3 -
 

 

(c)           No Presumptions; Burden of Proof . For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any claim, action, suit or proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere , or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law. In addition, neither the failure of the Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief. In connection with any determination by the Reviewing Party or otherwise as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish that Indemnitee is not so entitled.

 

(d)           Notice to Insurers . If, at the time of the receipt by the Company of a notice of a Claim pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof, the Company has liability insurance in effect which may cover such Claim, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Claim to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation in accordance with the terms of such policies. Nothing in this Section 2(d) shall limit the Company’s obligations as otherwise provided for herein, including the Company’s obligation to pay Expenses under Section 1(b) or to advance Expenses under Section 2(a).

 

(e)           Selection of Counsel . In the event the Company shall be obligated hereunder to pay the Expenses of any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, the Company, if appropriate, shall be entitled to assume the defense of such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation with counsel approved by Indemnitee, upon the delivery to Indemnitee of written notice of its election so to do. After delivery of such notice, approval of such counsel by Indemnitee and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation; provided that, (i) Indemnitee shall have the right to employ Indemnitee’s counsel in any such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation at Indemnitee’s expense and (ii) if (A) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (B) Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest between the Company and Indemnitee in the conduct of any such defense, or (C) the Company shall not continue to retain such counsel to defend such action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, then the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be at the expense of the Company.

 

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3. Additional Indemnification Rights; Nonexclusivity .

 

(a)           Scope . The Company hereby agrees to indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, notwithstanding that such indemnification is not specifically authorized by the other provisions of this Agreement, the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, the Company’s By-laws or by statute. In the event of any change after the date of this Agreement in any applicable law, statute or rule which expands the rights of the corporation to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits afforded by such change. In the event of any change in any applicable law, statute or rule which narrows the rights of this Company to indemnify a member of its board of directors or an officer, employee, agent or fiduciary, such change, to the extent not otherwise required by such law, statute or rule to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

 

(b)           Nonexclusivity . The indemnification provided by this Agreement shall be in addition to any rights to which Indemnitee may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, its By-laws, any agreement, any vote of shareholders or disinterested directors, the relevant business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, or otherwise. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to Indemnitee for any action taken or not taken while serving in an indemnified capacity even though Indemnitee may have ceased to serve in such capacity.

 

4.           No Duplication of Payments . The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation made against Indemnitee to the extent Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (under any insurance policy, Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder.

 

5.           Partial Indemnification . If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of Expenses in the investigation, defense, appeal or settlement of any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, but not, however, for all of the total amount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for the portion of such Expenses to which Indemnitee is entitled.

 

6.           Mutual Acknowledgment . Both the Company and Indemnitee acknowledge that in certain instances, Federal law or applicable public policy may prohibit the Company from indemnifying its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries under this Agreement or otherwise. Indemnitee understands and acknowledges that the Company has undertaken or may be required in the future to undertake with the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit the question of indemnification to a court in certain circumstances for a determination of the Company’s right under public policy to indemnify Indemnitee.

 

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7.           Liability Insurance . To the extent the Company maintains liability insurance applicable to directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policies in such a manner as to provide Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if Indemnitee is a director; or of the Company’s officers, if Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer; or of the Company’s key employees, agents or fiduciaries, if Indemnitee is not an officer or director but is a key employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

8.           Exceptions . Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement:

 

(a)           Excluded Action or Omissions . To indemnify Indemnitee for acts, omissions or transactions from which Indemnitee may not be relieved of liability under applicable law.

 

(b)           Claims Initiated by Indemnitee . To indemnify or advance expenses to Indemnitee with respect to proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement or any other agreement or insurance policy or under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws now or hereafter in effect relating to Claims for Indemnifiable Events, (ii) in specific cases if the Board of Directors has approved the initiation or bringing of such suit, or (iii) as otherwise required under the applicable provisions of the business corporation law of the Company’s state of incorporation, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advance expense payment or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(c)           Lack of Good Faith . To indemnify Indemnitee for any expenses incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to any proceeding instituted by Indemnitee to enforce or interpret this Agreement, if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that each of the material assertions made by the Indemnitee in such proceeding was not made in good faith or was frivolous; or

 

(d)           Claims Under Section 16(b) . To indemnify Indemnitee for expenses and the payment of profits arising from the purchase and sale by Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or any similar successor statute.

 

9.           Period of Limitations . No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company against Indemnitee, Indemnitee’s estate, spouse, heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two (2)-year period; provided , however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action, such shorter period shall govern.

 

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10.           Construction of Certain Phrases .

 

(a)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to the "Company" shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees, agents or fiduciaries, so that if Indemnitee is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise, Indemnitee shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Agreement with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as Indemnitee would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(b)          For purposes of this Agreement, references to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Company" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or its beneficiaries; and if Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan, Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Company" as referred to in this Agreement.

 

(c)          For purposes of this Agreement a "Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if (i) any "person" (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), other than a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the shareholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of stock of the Company, is or becomes the "beneficial owner" (as determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under said Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than twenty percent (20%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities, (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company and any new director whose election by the Board of Directors or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof, or (iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the Voting Securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into Voting Securities of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the Voting Securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of (in one transaction or a series of transactions) all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

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(d)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Independent Legal Counsel" shall mean an attorney or firm of attorneys, selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 1(c) hereof, who shall not have otherwise performed services for the Company or Indemnitee within the last three years (other than with respect to matters concerning the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnity agreements).

 

(e)          For purposes of this Agreement, a "Reviewing Party" shall mean any appropriate person or body consisting of a member or members of the Company’s Board of Directors or any other person or body appointed by the Board of Directors who is not a party to the particular Claim for which Indemnitee is seeking indemnification, or Independent Legal Counsel.

 

(f)          For purposes of this Agreement, "Voting Securities" shall mean any securities of the Company that vote generally in the election of directors.

 

11.           Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original.

 

12.           Binding Effect; Successors and Assigns . This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company, spouses, heirs, and personal and legal representatives. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. This Agreement shall continue in effect regardless of whether Indemnitee continues to serve as a director of the Company or of any other enterprise at the Company’s request.

 

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13.           Attorneys’ Fees . In the event that any action is instituted by Indemnitee under this Agreement or under any liability insurance policies maintained by the Company to enforce or interpret any of the terms hereof or thereof, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee with respect to such action, regardless of whether Indemnitee is ultimately successful in such action, and shall be entitled to the advancement of Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court of competent jurisdiction over such action determines that each of the material assertions made by Indemnitee as a basis for such action were not made in good faith or were frivolous. In the event of an action instituted by or in the name of the Company under this Agreement to enforce or interpret any of the terms of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be paid all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in defense of such action (including costs and expenses incurred with respect to Indemnitee’s counterclaims and cross-claims made in such action), and shall be entitled to the advancement Expenses with respect to such action, unless as a part of such action the court having jurisdiction over such action determines that each of Indemnitee’s material defenses to such action were made in bad faith or were frivolous.

 

14.           Notice . All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed duly given (i) if delivered by hand and receipted for by the party addressee, on the date of such receipt, or (ii) if mailed by domestic certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date postmarked. Addresses for notice to either party are as shown on the signature page of this Agreement, or as subsequently modified by written notice.

 

15.           Consent to Jurisdiction . The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of New Jersey for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Superior Court of the State of New Jersey in and for Middlesex County, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

16.           Severability . The provisions of this Agreement shall be severable in the event that any of the provisions hereof (including any provision within a single section, paragraph or sentence) are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, and the remaining provisions shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. Furthermore, to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitations, each portion of this Agreement containing any provision held to be invalid, void or otherwise unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, void or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

17.           Choice of Law . This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, as applied to contracts between New Jersey residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of New Jersey, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

18.           Subrogation . In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

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19.           Amendment and Termination . No amendment, modification, termination or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective unless it is in writing signed by both the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

20.           Integration and Entire Agreement . This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between the parties hereto and supersedes and merges all previous written and oral negotiations, commitments, understandings and agreements relating to the subject matter hereof between the parties hereto.

 

21.           No Construction as Employment Agreement . Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as giving Indemnitee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

**********

 

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

 

  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

  /s/ Joel Brooks
  By:    Joel Brooks.
  Title:  Chief Financial Officer

 

AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED:

 

INDEMNITEE:

 

/s/ Ronald A. Martell  
(signature)  

 

Ronald A. Martell  

(print name)

 

 
(address)  

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.18 

 

June 15, 2014

 

Dr. John Thompson

1438120 Ontario Limited

University of Waterloo

Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1

Canada

 

Re:       Amendment #9 to Consulting Agreement of July 12, 1999

 

Dear Dr. Thompson:

 

This will modify paragraph 11 of your Consulting Agreement with Senesco dated July 12, 1999, as modified.

 

Effective immediately, the term of the Consulting Agreement, as modified, will be extended for an additional 1 year term through June 30, 2015.

 

All other terms of the Agreement remain unchanged.

 

Sincerely,

  

Leslie J. Browne, Ph.D.

President

Senesco, Inc.

  

Acknowledged and Agreed:

 

/s/ John Thompson  
1438120 Ontario Limited  
Dr. John Thompson  

  

 

 

Exhibit 10.26

 

CONFIDENTIAL

 

August 13, 2014

 

VIA REGISTERED MAIL

 

BioCorp Ventures LLC

336 Bon Air Center #418

Greenbrae, CA 94904

Attn: Tony Shapiro

 

Re: Notice of Termination

 

Dear Mr. Shapiro:

 

Reference is made to our Notice of Material Breach dated June 19, 2014 (“Notice of Breach”) and to the Biofuels Evaluation and License Agreement dated May 14, 2013 ( the “Agreement”) by and between Senesco Technologies, Inc. (“Senesco”) and Senesco, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Senesco, on the one hand (collectively, the “Senesco Parties”), and BioCorp Ventures LLC (“BCV”), on the other. Capitalized terms that are used in this letter and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to them in the Notice of Breach or if not defined in the Notice of Breach, in the Agreement. All section references used in this letter refer to the Agreement unless otherwise specified.

 

Neither the Payment nor Senesco’s Equity Interest were received and BCV failed to exercise Commercially Reasonable Efforts. Accordingly, as set forth in the Notice of Breach, the Agreement is now terminated effective July 19, 2014 (“Date of Termination”)

 

Notwithstanding the termination, BCV’s continuing obligations and responsibilities under the Agreement include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

· pursuant to Section 9.6(a), BCV must make the Payment plus accrued interest, which was due on the Date of Termination;
· pursuant to Section 9.8, all liabilities or obligations accruing under the Agreement prior to termination, including BCV’s obligation to issue Senesco’s Equity Interest and to provide all reports that were due under Section 3.1(e), survive;
· pursuant to Section 5.3, BCV must return all Senesco Confidential Information, including all copies and extracts of documents and all manifestations of the Confidential Information in any form;

 

 
 

 

· pursuant to Section 9.6, all licenses granted to BCV immediately cease as of the Date of Termination;
· pursuant to Section 9.6(b), BCV and its Affiliates and Sublicensees must immediately cease all sales of Licensed Product as of the Date of Termination; and
· pursuant to Section 9.6(c), any granted Sublicenses that include commercialization rights will remain in full force and effect and Senesco will enter into appropriate agreements or amendments to the Sublicense to substitute itself for BCV as the licensor thereunder; provided that (i) the Sublicense complies with the terms of the Agreement, (ii) the Sublicensee is not then in breach of its Sublicense, (iii) the Sublicensee agrees to be bound to the Senesco Parties as licensors under the terms and conditions of the Sublicense without imposing any greater obligation, representation, warranty or liability on the Senesco Parties than imposed on the Senesco Parties under the Agreement, and (iv) all payments under the Sublicense in respect of the Biofuel IP and Licensed Products shall be made directly to Senesco. If any of the foregoing requirements are not satisfied with respect to a Sublicense, such Sublicense terminated on the Date of Termination. For all Sublicense agreements that have been granted, please provide Senesco with a true and correct copy of the Sublicense agreement in accordance with Section 2.2(b), so the above may be effectuated.

 

Please be advised that, notwithstanding the termination of the Agreement, Senesco reserves all rights to take any and all actions with respect to any breaches that it is legally entitled to take pursuant to the Agreement and any other relevant document and applicable law, including the pursuit of all damages that may be suffered by Senesco as a result of BCV’s breach of the Agreement. Nothing contained in this letter shall constitute a waiver of any right, power or remedy of Senesco under the Agreement or any other relevant document or applicable law.

 

Sincerely,

 

Senesco Technologies, Inc.

 

By: /s/ Joel Brooks  
Name: Joel Brooks  
Title: CFO  

 

cc: Emilio Ragosa, Esq.

 

- 2 -

 

Exhibit 10.28

 

Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

LICENSE AGREEMENT

 

This License Agreement is effective as of August 8 th , 2014 (the “Effective Date”), by and between THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation (“TSRI”), and FABRUS, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Licensee”), each located at the respective address set forth in Section 13.16 below, with respect to the facts set forth below.

 

RECITALS

 

A.  TSRI is engaged in fundamental scientific biomedical and biochemical research including research relating to stem cell transduction.

 

B.  Licensee is engaged in the research and development of therapeutic products for rare and severe diseases.

 

C.  TSRI has disclosed to Licensee certain technology and TSRI has the right to grant a license to the technology, subject to certain rights of the U.S. Government resulting from the receipt by TSRI of certain funding from the U.S. Government.

 

D.  TSRI desires to grant to Licensee, and Licensee wishes to acquire from TSRI, a license to certain patent rights of TSRI, all subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and conditions set forth herein, TSRI and Licensee hereby agree as follows:

 

1.            Definitions . Capitalized terms shall have the meaning set forth herein.

 

1.1            Affiliate . The term “Affiliate” shall mean any entity which directly or indirectly controls, or is controlled by Licensee. The term “control” as used herein means (a) in the case of corporate entities, direct or indirect ownership of at least fifty percent (50%) of the stock or shares entitled to vote for the election of directors; or (b) in the case of non-corporate entities, direct or indirect ownership of at least fifty percent (50%) of the equity interests with the power to direct the management and policies of such non-corporate entities. The term “Licensee” as used throughout this Agreement also includes its Affiliates.

 

1.2            Challenge . Licensee will be deemed to have made a “Challenge” of the Licensed Patent Rights if Licensee or a Sublicensee: (a) institutes, or causes its counsel to institute on Licensee’s or such Sublicensee’s behalf, any interference, opposition, re-examination or similar proceeding with respect to any Licensed Patent Right with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or any foreign patent office; or (b) makes any filing or institutes any legal proceeding, or causes its counsel to make any filing or institute any legal proceeding on Licensee’s or such Sublicensee’s behalf, with a court or other governmental body (including, without limitation, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or any foreign patent office) in which one or more claims or allegations challenges the validity or enforceability of any Licensed Patent Right; provided, however, that, any such action described in ***.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

   

1.3            Confidential Information . The term “Confidential Information” shall mean any and all proprietary or confidential information of TSRI or Licensee that the applicable party (the “Disclosing Party”) discloses to the other party (the “Receiving Party”) at any time and from time to time during the term of this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement shall be considered the Confidential Information of both parties. Information shall not be considered confidential to the extent that the Receiving Party can establish by competent proof that such information:

 

(a)          is publicly disclosed through no fault of the Receiving Party, either before or after it becomes known to the Receiving Party;

 

(b)          was known to the Receiving Party prior to the date of this Agreement, which knowledge was acquired independently and not from the Disclosing Party (or the Disclosing Party’s employees); or

 

(c)          is subsequently disclosed to the Receiving Party in good faith by a third party who is not under any obligation to maintain the confidentiality of such information, and without breach of this Agreement by the Receiving Party.

 

Specific Confidential Information disclosed to a Receiving Party shall not be deemed to be within any of the foregoing exceptions merely because it is (i) embraced by more general information in the public domain or in the Receiving Party’s possession; (ii) a combination of features or data that can be pieced together by combining individual features or data from multiple sources in the public domain or in the Receiving Party’s possession to reconstruct the Confidential Information, but none of which shows the entire combination; and/or (iii) a selection or part of a document or embodiment where other information in the same document or embodiment becomes part of the public domain or in the Receiving Party’s possession.

 

1.4            Field . The term “Field” shall mean all fields of use.

 

1.5            Licensed Patent Rights . The term “Licensed Patent Rights” shall mean Patent Rights Umbrella and Patent Rights Humanized.

 

1.6            Licensed Product . The term “Licensed Product” shall mean any product the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or importation of which would, in the absence of the license granted by this Agreement, infringe any of the Licensed Patent Rights, but excluding products containing or comprising ***.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

1.7            Net Sales . The term “Net Sales” shall mean the gross amounts invoiced by Licensee and its Sublicensees, or any of them, on all sales of Licensed Products, less the following items, to the extent directly applicable to such sales of Licensed Products (if not previously deducted from the amount invoiced): (a) reasonable and customary trade, quantity and cash discounts actually granted; (b) reasonable and customary rebates and retroactive price reductions actually granted, including but not limited to rebates and chargeback payments granted to managed health care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers (or equivalents thereof), national, state/provincial, local, and other governments, their agencies and purchasers and reimbursers, or to trade customers; (c) credits or allowances actually granted upon claims of nonconforming Licensed Products, rejections or returns of Licensed Products; (d) prepaid freight charges for the delivery of Licensed Products; and (e) sales, use or excise taxes imposed or other governmental taxes charged and actually paid on the with sale of Licensed Products (but excluding any value added taxes or taxes based on income or gross receipts Net Sales shall include all consideration charged by Licensee or Sublicensees in exchange for any Licensed Products, including without limitation any monetary payments or, with regard to any other property paid in exchange for any Licensed Products, an amount in cash equal to the fair market value of such property. For purposes of determining Net Sales, a sale shall be deemed to have occurred when an invoice therefor is generated or the Licensed Product is shipped for delivery, whichever occurs first. Sales of Licensed Products by Licensee to a Sublicensee or Affiliate for resale or by a Sublicensee to an Affiliate of Licensee for resale shall be excluded, and only the subsequent sale of such Licensed Products by such Affiliates or Sublicensees to unrelated parties shall be deemed Net Sales hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Net Sales shall not include the use of any Licensed Product in any clinical, pre-clinical or non-clinical research or development activities, or provision of License Products in a sampling program or compassionate use program in which no monetary or other consideration is paid to or received by Licensee or any Sublicensee.

 

The deductible items listed in sub-clauses (a) – (e) above shall be either (i) included as line items on the invoice, or (ii) documented as being specifically attributable to actual sales of Licensed Products in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) or International Financing Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), as applicable, consistently applied throughout the organization of the selling party, and provided that such amounts are included in the quarterly Royalty Reports that Licensee sends to TSRI pursuant to Section 5.4. If Licensee or other selling party receives refunds or reimbursements of any amounts deducted as set forth herein, then such refunded or reimbursed amounts shall be considered Net Sales in the applicable reporting period in which such refunded or reimbursed amounts are received.

 

1.8            Patent Rights Humanized . The term “Patent Rights Humanized” shall mean:

 

(a)          Patent application number ***;

 

(b)          United States and foreign counterpart patents or patent applications claiming and entitled to the priority date of the respective patents and patent application(s) referenced in sub-clause (a) above;

 

(c)          Divisionals, substitutions, continued prosecution applications, including requests for continued examination, and continuations of any patents or patent applications referenced in sub-clauses (a) and (b) above and any patents issued thereon;

 

(d)          Any claim(s) of a continuation-in-part claiming and entitled to the priority date of the respective patents and patent application(s) referenced in sub-clauses (a) - (c) above and any patents issued thereon; and

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

(e)          Reissues, reexaminations, renewals and patent term extensions of the patents referenced in sub-clauses (a) - (d) above.

 

1.9            Patent Rights Umbrella . The term “Patent Rights Umbrella” shall mean:

 

(a)          Patent application number ***;

 

(b)          United States and foreign counterpart patents or patent applications claiming and entitled to the priority date of the respective patents and patent application(s) referenced in sub-clause (a) above;

 

(c)          Divisionals, substitutions, continued prosecution applications, including requests for continued examination, and continuations of any patents or patent applications referenced in sub-clauses (a) and (b) above and any patents issued thereon;

 

(d)          Any claim(s) of a continuation-in-part claiming and entitled to the priority date of the respective patents and patent application(s) referenced in sub-clauses (a) - (c) above and any patents issued thereon; and

 

(e)          Reissues, reexaminations, renewals and patent term extensions of the patents referenced in sub-clauses (a) - (d) above.

 

1.10          Royalty Report . The term “Royalty Report” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term as provided in Section 5.4.

 

1.11          Sublicensee . The term “Sublicensee” shall mean any third party to whom Licensee grants a sublicense or distribution or marketing rights with respect to the rights conferred upon Licensee under this Agreement, as contemplated by Section 2.2.

 

1.12          Sublicense Revenues . The term “Sublicense Revenues” shall mean all revenues and other consideration paid to Licensee in consideration of (a) the grant by Licensee of a sublicense to the Licensed Patent Rights to any Third Party that is not an Affiliate, (b) the grant of distribution or marketing rights with respect to Licensed Products, and/or (c) the sale or other transfer of that portion of Licensee’s or an Affiliate’s business or assets that relates to the rights granted under this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Sublicense Revenues shall include without limitation all upfront fees, license fees, milestone payments, technology access fees, premiums above the fair market value on sales of debt or equity securities of Licensee or of an Affiliate, annual maintenance fees, and any other payments received in consideration of such sublicense, distribution or marketing rights or sale or other transfer. Sublicense Revenues shall include revenues and other consideration paid to Licensee in consideration of the grant by Licensee of a sublicense to the Licensed Patent Rights, whether under the agreement in which the sublicense is granted or under any other agreement entered into between Licensee as part of the same transaction in which such sublicense is granted. However, Sublicense Revenues shall exclude: (i) all royalties on a Sublicensee’s (and its sublicensees’) sales of Licensed Products; (ii) payments for debt or equity securities of Licensee or of an Affiliate to the extent of the fair market value of such securities as of the date of receipt of such payments, as determined by Licensee’s or such Affiliate’s board of directors; (iii) reimbursement for patent filing, prosecution and maintenance costs of the Licensed Patent Rights incurred by Licensee; (iv) funding or reimbursement for costs of research and development activities conducted by Licensee or for the cost of goods of materials supplied by Licensee in each case to the extent attributable to the Licensed Patent Rights and/or Licensed Products and which are incurred after the execution of such sublicense; and (v) any proceeds from the sale or other transfer of substantially all of Licensee’s business or assets. Any non-cash Sublicense Revenues received by Licensee shall be valued at its fair market value as of the date of receipt as mutually determined in good faith by the parties.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

   

1.13          Valid Claim . The term “Valid Claim” shall mean a claim of an issued and unexpired patent within the Licensed Patent Rights that has not been held invalid or unenforceable by a court or other appropriate governmental body of competent jurisdiction in a ruling that is unappealed or unappealable within the time allowed for appeal. The term “Valid Claim” shall also include the claims of a pending patent application within the Licensed Patent Rights which have not been pending for a period of more than seven (7) years from the date of first examination on the merits of that patent application.

 

2.            Grant of License .

 

2.1            Grant of License Under Licensed Patent Rights . TSRI hereby grants and Licensee accepts, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, a worldwide, royalty-bearing license, with limited rights to sublicense pursuant to Section 2.2, under the Licensed Patent Rights to practice the inventions claimed in the Licensed Patent Rights to make, have made, use, have used, sell, have sold, offer to sell and import Licensed Products in the Field.

 

2.2            Sublicensing . Licensee shall have the right to grant and authorize sublicenses (with the right to grant further sublicenses) to any party with respect to the rights conferred upon Licensee under this Agreement. Any sublicense granted under this Section 2.2 shall be subject in all respects to the applicable provisions contained in this Agreement (including without limitation the provisions regarding governmental interest, reservation of rights, development efforts, reporting, audit rights, indemnity, insurance, Challenges, warranty disclaimer, limitation of liability, confidentiality, and rights upon expiration or termination). In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and the terms of any sublicense, the terms of this Agreement shall control. Licensee shall forward to TSRI a copy of any and all fully executed sublicense agreements within thirty (30) days of execution. Licensee shall at all times be and remain responsible for the compliance by Sublicensees with the terms and conditions of this Agreement as applicable to such Sublicensees, including without limitation the payment of all amounts that may become due hereunder as a result of any Sublicensees’ activities.

 

2.3            No Other License. This Agreement confers no license or rights by implication, estoppel or otherwise under any patent applications or patents or intellectual property of TSRI other than the Licensed Patent Rights regardless of whether such patent applications, patents or intellectual property are dominant or subordinate to the Licensed Patent Rights.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

2.4           *** TSRI agrees that it shall not grant any other licenses to TSRI’s interest in the Licensed Patent Rights other than a license to ***. ***shall exclude products with respect to ***.

 

2.5            Governmental Interest . Licensee and TSRI acknowledge that TSRI has received, and expects to continue to receive, funding from the United States Government in support of TSRI’s research activities. Licensee and TSRI acknowledge and agree that their respective rights and obligations under this Agreement shall be subject to the rights of the United States Government, existing and as amended, which may arise or result from TSRI’s receipt of research support from the United States Government, including without limitation 37 C.F.R. Part 401, the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) Grants Policy Statement and the NIH Guidelines for Obtaining and Disseminating Biomedical Research Resources.

 

2.6            Reservation of Rights . Notwithstanding the license granted under Section 2.1, TSRI reserves the right to use for any internal research and educational purposes any Licensed Patent Rights licensed hereunder, without TSRI being obligated to pay Licensee any royalties or other compensation or to account to Licensee in any way. In addition, TSRI reserves the right to grant non-exclusive licenses to use the Licensed Patent Rights for internal research and educational purposes to other nonprofit or academic institutions, without the other nonprofit or academic institution being obligated to pay Licensee any royalties or other compensation or to account to Licensee in any way.

 

3.            Royalties and Other Payments .

 

3.1            Annual Maintenance Fee . Licensee shall pay to TSRI a nonrefundable minimum annual fee in the amount of ***. The first payment is due on January 1, 2015 and subsequent payments will be made on January 1 of each subsequent calendar year during the term of this Agreement. Such payments may be credited against running royalties due for that calendar year and Royalty Reports shall reflect such a credit. The minimum annual fee shall not be credited against any milestone payments, Sublicense Payments, royalties due for any preceding or subsequent calendar year or against any other amounts due by Licensee under this Agreement.

 

3.2            Running Royalties . Licensee shall pay to TSRI running royalties on a Licensed Product-by-Licensed Product and country-by-country basis in the amount of *** of Net Sales of Licensed Products in all countries in which the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or import of such Licensed Product would, in the absence of the license under the Licensed Patent Rights granted by this Agreement, infringe one or more Valid Claims in that country.

 

3.3            Royalty Payments . Licensee shall pay to TSRI all royalties required by Section 3.2 within *** days after the end of each calendar quarter, based upon Net Sales during the immediately preceding calendar quarter. Licensee shall make all such royalty payments itself to TSRI, and/or cause its Affiliates or Sublicensees to pay to TSRI all royalties resulting from Net Sales by its Affiliates or Sublicensees, within the time period specified in the preceding sentence.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

3.4            Combination Products . If a Licensed Product is sold in any country in combination with another active ingredient that is not a Licensed Product (“Combination Product”), then Net Sales of the Licensed Product portion of such Combination Product shall be calculated by multiplying the actual gross selling price of the Combination Product, less the deductions in Section 1.7, by the fraction A/(A+B), where A is the average gross sale price of the Licensed Product in such country during the royalty period in question, when sold separately from such other active ingredient in the same strength and dosage form, and B is the average gross sale price of the other active ingredient in that country during the royalty period in question, when sold separately from the Licensed Product in the same strength and dosage form. If either the Licensed Product or the other active ingredient is not sold separately in a given country during that royalty period, or if the average gross sale price of the Licensed Product or the other active ingredient when sold separately from each other in such country cannot be determined, then Net Sales of such Licensed Product portion of the Combination Product shall be as reasonably allocated by Licensee between such Licensed Product and such other active ingredient based on the relative value contributed by each component, and as agreed by TSRI, such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

 

3.5            Royalty Credit . If Licensee, its Affiliate or its Sublicensee is required to license or acquire technology from a third party because the manufacture, use, sell, offer for sale or import of any Licensed Product pursuant to the license to the Licensed Patent Rights granted in Section 2.1 would infringe that third party’s rights unless a license or other right to such third party technology is obtained, then Licensee may deduct up to *** of amounts paid to such third party from the payments owing to TSRI for such Licensed Product. The above offset right is subject to the requirement that (i) the royalty or other amounts owed to TSRI under this Agreement shall not be reduced by more than *** of the amounts that would otherwise be due hereunder without such credit and (ii) if payments to such third party are subject to a royalty stacking credit, that credit shall be applied to determine the payments due to the third party, which in turn shall be used to determine the Royalty Credit applicable to Licensee’s payments to TSRI. Licensee will give TSRI prior written notice of any third party arrangement prior to seeking to deduct any payments to the third party under the terms of this Section 3.5 in order to explain to TSRI the basis for licensing or acquiring rights to such third party’s technology in accordance with the parameters set forth above.

 

3.6            No Multiple Royalties . No multiple royalties shall be due because any Licensed Product is covered by more than one of the Licensed Patent Rights. In such case, Licensee shall pay only one royalty at the applicable rate pursuant to Section 3.2 above, as adjusted pursuant to Section 3.4 and/or Section 3.5, as applicable.

 

3.7            Arms-Length Transactions . On sales of Licensed Products which are made in other than an arm’s-length transaction, the value of the Net Sales attributed under this Section 3 to such a transaction shall be that which would have been received in an arm’s-length transaction, based on sales of like quality and quantity of Licensed Products on or about the time of such transaction in the applicable country.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

3.8           Payment Increase in the Event of a Challenge .

 

3.8.1            Royalty Increase . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, in the event Licensee or a Sublicensee directly or indirectly institutes or makes any Challenges, the amount of the minimum annual fee and the milestone payments and the percentage rate for royalties set forth in Section 3.2 shall be doubled during the pendency of such Challenges from the date the Challenging party first institutes or makes such Challenges and during the pendency of such Challenges, and shall continue to apply after the conclusion of such Challenges in the event that at least one (1) Valid Claim that covers a Licensed Product is held to be valid and enforceable.

 

3.8.2            No Right to Recoup . In the event Licensee or a Sublicensee directly or indirectly institutes or makes any Challenges, Licensee shall have no right to recoup, recover, set-off or otherwise get reimbursement of any royalties, annual fees, Sublicense Payments, milestone payments, patent costs or other monies paid hereunder to TSRI prior to or during the period of such Challenges. Licensee hereby voluntarily and irrevocably waives any right to seek return of such royalties, annual fees, Sublicense Payments, milestone payments, patent costs or other monies in the event Licensee or a Sublicensee directly or indirectly institutes or makes any Challenges.

 

3.8.3            Pre-Challenge Requirements . Licensee will provide written notice to TSRI at least one hundred eighty (180) days prior to Licensee or a Sublicensee instituting or making any Challenges. Licensee will include with such written notice a summary description of facts and arguments that support its contention that any of the Licensed Patent Rights are invalid or unenforceable. During such one hundred eighty (180) day period, the parties will discuss the same and attempt in good faith to mutually resolve such issues.

 

3.8.4            Reasonable Provisions . The parties agree that neither of them is entering into this Agreement with the anticipation that Challenges will be instituted or made by Licensee or any of its Sublicensees against TSRI, and consequently the percentage rates for royalties and Sublicense Payments and the other financial terms and conditions herein reflect that understanding. Licensee and TSRI further agree that if the parties did expect that such Challenges would be made against TSRI, the percentage rates for royalties and Sublicense Payments and the other financial terms and conditions herein would be significantly higher. Accordingly, the parties agree that the provisions for increasing the percentage rates for royalties and Sublicense Payments and the other amounts specified in Section 3.8.1 and the other provisions of this Section 3.8 are reasonable and reflect a mutual adjustment of certain financial provisions of this Agreement to accommodate those situations in which a Challenge is made against TSRI in lieu of increasing the percentage rates for royalties and Sublicense Payments and the other financial terms and conditions of this Agreement as of the Effective Date.

 

3.9            Duration of Royalty Obligations . The royalty obligations of Licensee as to each Licensed Product shall continue on a country-by-country basis until the expiration of the last to expire Valid Claim that covers such Licensed Product in that country.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

4.            Additional Consideration .

 

4.1            Sublicense Payments . All Sublicense Revenues shall be reported and Sublicense Payments (defined below) paid to TSRI by Licensee within thirty (30) days of Licensee’s receipt of such Sublicense Revenues. Licensee’s reports to TSRI regarding Sublicense Revenues shall contain an explanation and calculation of the amount of Sublicense Payments due to TSRI pursuant to the schedule below. Licensee’s obligation to pay Sublicense Payments to TSRI shall continue for as long as royalties are due to TSRI pursuant to Section 3.8. Licensee shall pay to TSRI a non-creditable, non-refundable percentage of Sublicense Revenues according to the following schedule (“Sublicense Payments”):

 

Date of Sublicense Grant   Percent of Sublicense
(from Effective Date)   Revenues Payable to TSRI
     
Sublicense agreement executed prior to ***   ***
     
Sublicense agreement executed after ***   ***
     
Sublicense agreement executed after ***   ***

 

Any milestone payment that Licensee makes to TSRI under Section 4.2 below upon achievement of a given milestone event by a Sublicensee will be credited against any payment due under this Section 4.1 only with respect to Sublicense Revenues received in connection with achievement of the same milestone event and only up to the amount of the Sublicense Payment due hereunder (i.e., no carry forward credit if the credit from the milestone payment exceeds the amount of the Sublicense Payment due for the same milestone event).

 

4.2            Product Development Milestones . Licensee shall pay to TSRI the following non-creditable, non-refundable amounts for the achievement of the following product development milestone events within thirty (30) days of the first achievement of each milestone event with respect to each Licensed Product by Licensee or its Affiliate or Sublicensee as follows:

 

Milestone Event   Payment
     
Initiation of ***   ***
     
Initiation of ***   ***
     
Initiation of ***   ***
     
***   ***

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

For clarification, each of the foregoing milestone payments shall be payable only one time for each Licensed Product that is or contains a particular molecular entity as an active ingredient, and only with respect to the first achievement of the applicable milestone by a Licensed Product comprising or containing that same molecular entity, regardless of the number of Licensed Products comprising or containing that same molecular entity that achieve such milestone.

 

For purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions shall apply

 

(a)          The term “FDA” means the United States Food and Drug Administration.

 

(b)          The term “first commercial sale” means the first sale of a Licensed Product by Licensee or its Affiliate or Sublicensee to a third party that is not an Affiliate or Sublicensee in a given country after the receipt of all permits, authorizations, licenses and approvals (or waivers) required for the commercialization of such Licensed Product in such country (including pricing and reimbursement approval if required).

 

(c)          The term “IND” means an Investigational New Drug application (as more fully defined in 21 C.F.R. Part 312, et. seq. ) filed with the FDA, or the equivalent application filed with any equivalent agency or governmental authority in the European Union or Japan.

 

(d)          The term “Initiation” means, with respect to a clinical trial, the first dosing of the first patient in such trial.

 

(e)          The term “Phase 1 Trial” means a clinical trial that provides for the first introduction into humans of a Licensed Product, conducted in normal volunteers or patients, and would satisfy the requirements for a Phase 1 study as defined in 21 C.F.R. §312.21(a) (or its successor regulation), or its equivalent in the European Union or Japan.

 

(f)          The term “Phase 2 Trial” means a clinical trial that is conducted in human patients to evaluate the safety, dose ranging and efficacy of a Licensed Product and would satisfy the requirements for a Phase 2 study as defined in 21 C.F.R. §312.21(b) (or its successor regulation), or its equivalent in the European Union or Japan.

 

(g)          The term “Phase 3 Trial” means a pivotal clinical trial that is conducted in human patients with a defined dose or a set of defined doses and would satisfy the requirements for a Phase 3 study as defined in 21 C.F.R. §312.21(c) (or its successor regulation), or its equivalent in the European Union or Japan, and is designed to ascertain efficacy and safety of a Licensed Product for the purpose of submitting an application for marketing authorization to the applicable regulatory authority.

 

4.3 *** Sublicensing Payments . TSRI shall pay Licensee *** for the license of *** .

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

5.            Development and Commercialization Activities .

 

5.1            Development Plan and Benchmarks . Attached hereto as Exhibit A is Licensee’s development plan under which Licensee currently intends to bring the subject matter of the Licensed Patent Rights to the point of commercial use (“Commercial Development Plan”). Attached hereto as Exhibit B is a list of benchmarks with respect to development of Licensed Products (“Benchmarks”) and the target date for meeting such Benchmarks. Licensee shall use commercially reasonable efforts, itself or through its Sublicensees, to develop and obtain regulatory approvals to market and sell Licensed Products in the Field as promptly as is reasonably and commercially feasible, and, subject to obtaining necessary regulatory approvals, to produce and sell reasonable quantities of Licensed Products.

 

5.2            Progress Reports . Licensee shall keep TSRI generally informed as to Licensee’s progress with respect to its development of Licensed Products, including without limitation its regulatory filings and approvals, marketing, production, and sale of Licensed Products and its efforts to sublicense the Licensed Patent Rights. Licensee shall also provide to TSRI written annual reports on its progress in the development and commercialization of Licensed Products in the Field by September 30 of each calendar year. These progress reports shall include without limitation: progress on research and development of Licensed Products; status of applications for regulatory approvals for Licensed Products; progress towards achieving the Benchmarks; manufacturing of Licensed Products; sublicensing of Licensed Patent Rights; marketing, importing and sales efforts with respect to Licensed Products during the preceding calendar year as well as plans for the present calendar year; and a summary of the results of animal experiments and IND-enabling studies with respect to Licensed Products. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that achievement of the Benchmarks on or before the target dates set forth on Exhibit B shall be evidence of compliance by Licensee with its development obligations hereunder for the time periods specified in Exhibit B. If reported progress in these annual reports shows that the Benchmarks have not been achieved by the target dates set forth on Exhibit B, Licensee shall explain the reasons for such differences in its annual reports, and Licensee may amend Exhibit B upon written consent by TSRI, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, if such proposed amendment is supported by a detailed showing by Licensee of its commercially reasonable efforts at diligence in its performance of research and development of Licensed Products. Licensee shall also report to TSRI the dates that Licensee or its Sublicensees achieve the events described on Exhibit C attached hereto within ninety (90) days of such occurrences.

 

5.3            Failure of Diligence Efforts . If Licensee does not achieve a Benchmark within the time provided in Exhibit B (as may be amended as provided above) following commercially reasonable efforts of Licensee to meet such Benchmark, and does not achieve such Benchmark within a *** months cure period, then Licensee may make the milestone payment under Section 4.2 corresponding to such Benchmark, and Licensee and TSRI shall negotiate a new time for achievement of such Benchmark and any subsequent timeframes relying upon the meeting of such Benchmark. If Licensee fails to meet the revised time for achieving such Benchmark, TSRI has the right, at its option, to terminate this Agreement, terminate the licensed rights hereunder with respect to a particular Licensed Product or country, or notwithstanding Section 2.4 shall have the right to grant a license to any third party, upon *** days’ prior written notice to Licensee. For clarification, failure to achieve the Benchmarks within the time provided in Exhibit B (as may be amended as provided above) shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement by Licensee.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

5.4            Royalty Reports . Licensee shall submit to TSRI, no later than *** days after the end of each calendar quarter, following the first commercial sale of the first Licensed Product, a royalty report (the “Royalty Report”) setting forth for such quarter at least the following information on a country-by-country and Licensed Product-by-Licensed Product basis:

 

(a)          the number of units of Licensed Products sold by Licensee and its Sublicensees;

 

(b)          the gross amounts due or invoiced for such Licensed Products sold by Licensee and its Sublicensees;

 

(c)          a detailed listing of any credits under Section 3.5 and deductions applicable to determine Net Sales of Licensed Products pursuant to Section 1.7, the calculation for Combination Products under Section 3.4, and any refunds or reimbursed amounts previously deducted which are deemed Net Sales pursuant to Section 1.7; and

 

(d)          the amount of royalties due under Section 3, or if no royalties are due to TSRI for any reporting period, the statement that no royalties are due and a detailed explanation why they are not due for that quarterly period.

 

Each Royalty Report shall be certified as correct by an officer of Licensee.

 

5.5            Payments . Licensee shall pay to TSRI with each Royalty Report the amount of royalties due with respect to such quarter. Licensee shall specify which Licensed Patent Rights are utilized for each Licensed Product included in the Royalty Report. All payments due under this Agreement shall be deemed received when funds are credited to TSRI’s bank account and shall be payable by check or wire transfer in United States Dollars to an account designated by TSRI.

 

5.6            Foreign Sales . The remittance of royalties payable on sales outside the United States shall be payable to TSRI in United States Dollar equivalents at the official rate of exchange of the currency of the country from which the royalties are payable, as quoted in The Wall Street Journal for the last business day of the calendar quarter in which the royalties are payable. If the transfer of or the conversion into the United States Dollar equivalents of any such remittance in any such instance is not lawful or possible, the payment of such part of the royalties as is necessary shall be made by the deposit thereof, in the currency of the country where the sale was made on which the royalty was based, to the credit and account of TSRI or its nominee in any commercial bank or trust company designated by TSRI and located in that country, prompt written notice of which shall be given by Licensee to TSRI.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

6.            Record Keeping . Licensee shall keep, and shall require its Affiliates and Sublicensees to keep, accurate records (together with supporting documentation) of sales of Licensed Products under this Agreement, as appropriate to determine the amount of royalties, Sublicense Payments and other monies due to TSRI hereunder. Such records shall be retained for at least three (3) years following the end of the reporting period to which such records relate. Such records shall be available, upon prior written notice to Licensee, during normal business hours for examination and copying by and independent certified public accountant designated by TSRI for the purpose of verifying the accuracy of Licensee’s reports and payments hereunder provided that such accountant shall enter into a reasonable confidentiality agreement with Licensee prior to conducting such examination. In conducting examinations pursuant to this Section 6, such accountant shall have access to, and may disclose to TSRI in confidence, all records which TSRI or its accountant reasonably believes to be relevant to the calculation of royalties and other payments due to TSRI under this Agreement. Except as set forth above, such accountant shall not disclose to TSRI any information other than information relating to the accuracy of reports and payments made under this Agreement. These examinations shall be at TSRI’s expense, except that if an examination shows an underreporting or underpayment of *** or more for any twelve (12) month period, then Licensee shall pay the cost of such examination (including TSRI’s accountant’s fees and other out-of-pocket costs), as well as any additional payments that would have been payable to TSRI under this Agreement had Licensee reported correctly, plus interest on such amounts at the rate of *** per month. All payments due hereunder shall be made within thirty (30) days of Licensee’s receipt of a copy of the audit report. TSRI may exercise its audit rights under this Section 6 no more frequently than once in any calendar year, and TSRI may audit records of any given financial period no more than once.

 

7.            Patent Matters .

 

7.1            Patent Prosecution and Maintenance . From and after the date of this Agreement, the provisions of this Section 7 shall control the prosecution of any patent application and maintenance of any patent included within Licensed Patent Rights. *** shall (a) direct and control the preparation, filing and prosecution of the United States and foreign patent applications within the *** (including without limitation any reissues, reexaminations, appeals to appropriate patent offices and/or courts, post-issuance proceedings, interferences and foreign oppositions); and (b) maintain the patents issuing therefrom. *** shall (i) direct and control the preparation, filing and prosecution of the United States and foreign patent applications within the *** (including without limitation any reissues, reexaminations, appeals to appropriate patent offices and/or courts, post-issuance proceedings, interferences and foreign oppositions); and (ii) maintain the patents issuing therefrom. TSRI shall have the right to select the patent counsel reasonably acceptable to Licensee with respect to Patent Rights Umbrella and TSRI may also use TSRI’s Office of Patent Counsel (“OPC”) in addition to outside patent counsel for the patent prosecution and maintenance described herein. The fees and expenses associated with such work done by TSRI’s OPC and its outside patent counsel shall be paid by Licensee as set forth below. Licensee shall have the right to select patent counsel reasonably acceptable to TSRI with respect to Patent Rights Humanized.

 

7.2            Information to Licensee . Each party shall keep the other party timely informed with regard to the patent application and maintenance processes with respect to Licensed Patent Rights. Each party shall deliver to the other party copies of all patent applications, amendments, related correspondence and other related patent documents with respect to Licensed Patent Rights. Licensee shall have ***. TSRI, its patent counsel and OPC will use reasonable efforts to implement all reasonable and timely requests made by Licensee with regard to the preparation, filing, prosecution and/or maintenance of the patent applications and/or patents within Patent Rights Umbrella; provided, however, that in the event of a disagreement between TSRI and Licensee with respect to any such patent prosecution or maintenance matters, TSRI shall have the final decision making authority over all such matters.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

7.3            Patent Costs . Licensee acknowledges and agrees that the licenses granted hereunder are in partial consideration for Licensee’s agreement to pay patent fees and expenses as described herein. Licensee shall pay to TSRI all fees and expenses for the work referenced in Sections 7.1 and 7.2 according to the following schedule:

 

***   ***
     
*** excluding *** (and related application(s) as described in clauses 1.9 (b)-(e)) and *** (and related application(s) as described in clauses 1.9 (b)-(e))   ***
     
*** (and related application(s) as described in clauses 1.9 (b)-(e))   ***
     
*** (and related application(s) as described in clauses 1.9 (b)-(e))   ***

 

***, in its sole discretion, will be responsible for all patent costs it incurs for the filing and prosecution of ***. ***shall pay ***of the patent costs incurred by *** for filing and prosecuting any patent applications comprising the *** as referenced in ***, other than (i) *** (and related application(s) as described in Section ***), for which *** shall pay all of the patent costs incurred for filing and prosecuting, and (ii) *** (and related application(s) as described in Section ***), for which *** shall pay none of the patent costs incurred for filing and prosecuting. Licensee shall pay to TSRI such patent fees and expenses associated with the work on the Patent Rights Umbrella performed by TSRI’s OPC and/or its outside patent counsel payable by Licensee in accordance with this Section 7.3 within thirty (30) days after Licensee receives an invoice itemizing such expenses. Failure of Licensee to pay patent fees and expenses as set forth in this Section 7.3 shall immediately relieve TSRI from its obligation to incur any further patent fees and expenses. For clarity, if Licensee does not pay any patent fees and expenses due to TSRI (for work performed by TSRI’s OPC or by outside patent counsel) in accordance with this Section 7.3 within thirty (30) days after Licensee’s receipt of an itemized invoice therefor, TSRI shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to cease all patent prosecution and maintenance and allow Patent Rights Umbrella to go abandoned. Such action by TSRI shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement. Licensee may elect with a minimum of *** days’ prior written notice to TSRI, to discontinue payment for the filing, prosecution and/or maintenance of any patent application and/or patent within Licensed Patent Rights (including but not limited to all expenses for work performed by TSRI’s OPC or by outside patent counsel). Licensee shall remain liable for all patent prosecution and maintenance fees and costs incurred prior to the date of such notice of election and during the ninety (90)-day period immediately following the date of such notice. Any such patent application or patent so elected shall immediately be excluded from the definition of Licensed Patent Rights and from the scope of the licenses granted under this Agreement, and all rights relating thereto shall revert exclusively to TSRI.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

7.4           Ownership . TSRI exclusively owns all right, title and interest in and to the TSRI’s interest in the Licensed Patent Rights.

 

7.5           TSRI Right to Pursue Patent . If at any time during the term of this Agreement, Licensee’s rights with respect to any of the Licensed Patent Rights are terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, TSRI has the right, but not the obligation, to take whatever action TSRI deems appropriate to obtain or maintain the corresponding patent protection. If TSRI pursues such patent protection under this Section 7.5, Licensee agrees to cooperate fully, including by providing, at no charge to TSRI, all appropriate technical data and executing all necessary legal documents.

 

7.6           Infringement Actions .

 

7.6.1            Prosecution of Infringements . *** agrees to promptly notify *** in the event that *** becomes aware of any infringement or threatened infringement by a third party of any of the ***.  In order to maintain the licenses granted hereunder in force, subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.6.1, *** shall prosecute any and all infringements of any *** by third parties that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse impact on any ***, unless otherwise agreed in writing by *** and ***.  ***does not have any obligation to prosecute any infringements of any *** by third parties that *** does not reasonably expect to have a material adverse impact on any ***.  If any such infringement could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse impact on any ***, *** shall have the right to bring and control any action or proceeding with respect to infringement of any ***, at its own expense and by counsel of its own choice.  If any such infringement could also reasonably be expected to have a material adverse impact on any licensed product under the ***, *** would provide *** the right, at its own expense, to be represented in any such action by counsel of its own choice.  *** may enter into settlements, stipulated judgments or other arrangements respecting such infringement, at its own expense, but only with *** prior written consent if such settlements, stipulated judgments or other arrangements would affect *** business or its rights in the ***; provided that such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.  *** shall permit any such action or proceeding by *** to be brought in *** name if required by law or to join any action or proceeding as a necessary party if required for prosecution of such action or proceeding (which shall be a condition to any obligation of *** to prosecute infringement of any *** to the extent necessary to enable *** to do so), and *** shall hold *** harmless from all liabilities and expenses with respect to such infringement action or proceeding brought by ***.  *** agrees to provide reasonable assistance of a technical nature which *** may require in any action or proceeding brought by *** as provided in this Section 7.6.1, for which *** shall pay to *** a reasonable hourly rate of compensation. Beginning upon execution of the *** ***, and at *** request, *** shall use commercially reasonably efforts to have *** cooperate and if necessary cause *** to join any action or proceeding brought by *** as a necessary party if required for prosecution of such action or proceeding (which shall be a condition to any obligation of *** to prosecute infringement).  If *** does not prosecute any such infringement of ***, *** shall promptly notify *** in writing.  In such events, *** will have the right, but not the obligation, to prosecute such infringement itself.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

7.6.2            Allocation of Recovery . Any damages, settlements or other recovery from an infringement action undertaken by *** pursuant to Section 7.6.1 shall first be used to reimburse the parties for the fees and expenses incurred in such action, and shall thereafter be allocated between and paid to the parties as follows: *** to ***, and *** to *** which may be allocated between *** and *** as they may agree in writing in connection with any cost-sharing arrangement with respect to such action. If *** fails to prosecute any such action or fails to prosecute such action to completion, and *** instead prosecutes such action, then any damages or other recoveries net of the parties’ fees and expenses incurred in such infringement action shall be allocated entirely to ***.

 

7.6.3            Defense of Infringements . Licensee or its Sublicensees shall, at its expense, have the sole right, but not the obligation, to defend any suits against Licensee or Sublicensees alleging infringement of any third party intellectual property right due to Licensee s or its Sublicensee’s practice of the Licensed Patent Rights or its development or commercialization of Licensed Products. Licensee shall promptly notify TSRI in writing of such claims, and TSRI and Licensee shall confer with each other and cooperate during the defense of any such action. TSRI shall, at its expense, have the right to retain separate independent counsel to assist in defending any such actions to the extent involving TSRI. In no event shall TSRI have any liability whatsoever for any damages, litigation costs or other amounts due to any third party in connection with any such action or suit described in this Section 7.6.3 (except for costs of TSRI s own counsel as provided above). If the third party intellectual property right is held not to be infringed or is held unenforceable or invalid, any recovery of damages with respect to such suit shall first be applied to reimburse all litigation fees and expenses of TSRI, next to reimburse all litigation fees and expenses of Licensee, and thereafter Licensee shall be entitled to keep the remaining balance from any such recovery. For clarity, the parties agree that this Section 7.6.3 shall in no way limit Licensee s obligations under Section 8.1 to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Indemnitees (as defined in Section 8.1 below) with respect to third party claims alleging infringement of such third party s intellectual property rights.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

8.            Indemnity and Insurance .

 

8.1            Indemnity . Licensee hereby agrees to indemnify, defend (by counsel reasonably acceptable to TSRI) and hold harmless TSRI and any parent, subsidiary or other affiliated entity of TSRI and their respective trustees, directors, officers, employees, scientists, agents, students, successors, assigns and other representatives (collectively, the “Indemnitees”) from and against all damages, liabilities, losses and other expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees, expert witness fees and costs incurred by the Indemnitees, with respect to any third party claim, suit or action asserted against any of the Indemnitees, whether or not a lawsuit or other proceeding is filed (collectively “Claims”), that arise out of or relate to (a) Licensee’s or any of its Sublicensees’ practice of any invention claimed by the Licensed Patent Rights, (b) alleged defects or other problems with any of the Licensed Products manufactured, sold, distributed or rendered by or on behalf of Licensee or any Sublicensee, including without limitation any personal injuries, death or property damages related thereto, (c) the research, development, manufacture, use, marketing, advertising, distribution, sale or importation of any Licensed Product by or on behalf of Licensee or any of its Sublicensees, (d) the negligent or willful acts or omissions of Licensee or any of its Sublicensees, (e) any allegations that the Licensed Products developed, manufactured, sold, distributed or rendered by or on behalf of Licensee or any Sublicensee and/or any trademarks, service marks, logos, symbols, slogans or other materials used in connection with or to market Licensed Products violate or infringe upon the trademarks, service marks, trade dress, trade names, copyrights, patents, works of authorship, inventorship rights, trade secrets, database rights, rights under unfair competition laws, rights of publicity, privacy or defamation, or any other intellectual or industrial property right of any third party, (f) Licensee’s or any Sublicensee’s failure to comply with any applicable laws, rules or regulations in connection with activities contemplated by this Agreement, and/or (g) the labeling, packaging or patent marking of any Licensed Product or containers thereof by or on behalf of Licensee or any Sublicensee. In each case, Licensee’s liability for damages under its indemnity shall be reduced or apportioned to the extent such Claim was proximately caused by or resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of any Indemnitee. Licensee shall not enter into any settlement, stipulated judgment or other arrangement with respect to such Claims that (i) imposes any obligation on Indemnitees, (ii) does not unconditionally release Indemnitees from all liability, or (iii) would have an adverse effect on TSRI’s reputation or business, without TSRI’s prior written consent. Notwithstanding the above, Indemnitees, at their expense, shall have the right to retain separate independent counsel to assist in defending any such Claims. In the event Licensee fails to promptly indemnify and defend such Claims and/or pay Indemnitees’ expenses as provided above, Indemnitees shall have the right, but not the obligation, to defend themselves, and in that case, Licensee shall reimburse Indemnitees for all of their reasonable attorney’s fees, costs and damages incurred in settling or defending such Claims within thirthy (30) days of each of Indemnitees’ written requests. This indemnity shall be a direct payment obligation and not merely a reimbursement obligation of Licensee to Indemnitees.

 

8.2           Insurance .

 

8.2.1            TSRI as Additional Insured . Licensee shall name TSRI and Indemnitees as “additional insureds” on any commercial general liability and product liability insurance policies maintained by Licensee, its Affiliates and Sublicensees applicable to the Licensed Products.

 

8.2.2            Coverages . Beginning at the time any Licensed Product is being commercially distributed or sold (other than for the purpose of obtaining regulatory approvals) by Licensee or a Sublicensee, Licensee shall, at its sole expense, procure and maintain commercial general liability insurance with reputable insurers in amounts not less than *** per occurrence and *** annual aggregate. Prior to the initiation of the first clinical trial and continuing throughout the clinical trials involving any Licensed Product, Licensee shall, at its sole expense, procure and maintain commercial general liability insurance with reputable insurers in the same amounts as specified above. . Such commercial general liability insurance shall provide coverage for: (i) product liability; (ii) completed operations; (iii) clinical trials, as applicable; (iv) broad form property damage; (v) advertising injury; (vi) premises operation; (vii) personal injury; and (viii) contractual liability coverage for Licensee’s indemnification and other obligations under this Agreement. If Licensee desires to self-insure all or part of the limits described above, such self-insurance program must be approved in advance by TSRI in its sole discretion. The insurance coverage amounts specified herein or the maintenance of such insurance policies shall not in any way limit Licensee’s indemnity or other liability under this Agreement.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

8.2.3            Waiver of Subrogation . Licensee, on behalf of itself and its insurance carriers, waives any and all claims and rights of recovery against TSRI and the Indemnitees, including without limitation all rights of subrogation, with respect to either party’s performance under this Agreement or for any loss of or damage to Licensee or its property or the property of others under its control. Licensee’s commercial general liability insurance policy shall also include a waiver of subrogation consistent with this Section in favor of TSRI and the Indemnitees. Licensee shall be responsible for obtaining such waiver of subrogation from its insurance carriers. Licensee’s insurance policies shall be primary and not contributory to any insurance carried by its Sublicensees or by TSRI. At the time when Licensee sends its annual progress report to TSRI under Section 5.2 and upon TSRI’s additional request, Licensee shall deliver to TSRI copies of insurance certificates and endorsements that comply with the requirements of this Section 8.2.

 

8.2.4            Cancellation/Changes in Coverages . Licensee shall provide TSRI with written notice at least fifteen (15) days prior to the cancellation, non-renewal or material adverse change in any such insurance, provided that if Licensee itself becomes aware of any such cancellation, non-renewal or material adverse change less than fifteen (15) days before such cancellation, non-renewal or material adverse change becomes effective, through no fault of Licensee, then Licensee shall provide TSRI with written notice as promptly as possible after Licensee becomes aware of the same. If Licensee does not obtain replacement insurance providing comparable coverage within such fifteen (15) day period (or prior to the cancellation, non-renewal or material change in the existing policy), TSRI shall have the right to immediately terminate this Agreement by providing written notice to Licensee and without any additional cure periods.

 

8.2.5            Continuation of Coverage . Licensee shall maintain such commercial general liability and product liability insurance beyond the expiration or termination of this Agreement during (a) the period that any Licensed Product is being commercially distributed or sold by or on behalf of Licensee or a Sublicensee; and (b) a reasonable period after the period referred to in sub-clause (a) above, which in no event shall be less than ten (10) years.

 

9.            Limited Warranty, Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability .

 

9.1            Limited Warranty . TSRI hereby represents and warrants that it has full right and power to enter into this Agreement and to grant the license and rights granted to Licensee herein.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

9.2            Disclaimer . EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SECTION 9.1, NEITHER PARTY MAKES ANY WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS CONCERNING LICENSED PATENT RIGHTS OR ANY OTHER MATTER WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS, TITLE, ACCURACY OR ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF CONDUCT OR TRADE CUSTOM OR USAGE, AND EACH PARTY DISCLAIMS ALL SUCH EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTIES. NEITHER PARTY MAKES ANY WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION AS TO THE VALIDITY, SCOPE OR ENFORCEABILITY OF ANY OF THE LICENSED PATENT RIGHTS, OR THAT ANY LICENSED PRODUCT OR LICENSED PATENT RIGHTS WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY THIRD PARTY RIGHTS, OR THAT NO THIRD PARTY IS IN ANY WAY INFRINGING UPON OR MAY INFRINGE UPON ANY LICENSED PATENT RIGHTS COVERED BY THIS AGREEMENT. FURTHER, TSRI HAS MADE NO INVESTIGATION AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY THAT THE LICENSED PATENT RIGHTS ARE SUITABLE FOR LICENSEE’S PURPOSES.

 

9.3            Limitation of Liability . IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOST PROFITS OR EXPECTED SAVINGS) ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR ITS SUBJECT MATTER, EXCEPT WITH RESPECT TO LICENSEE’S INDEMNITY OBLIGATIONS UNDER SECTION 8.1. TSRI’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY, IF ANY, FOR ALL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ITS SUBJECT MATTER SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT PAID BY LICENSEE TO TSRI UNDER THIS AGREEMENT. THE FOREGOING EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS SHALL APPLY TO ALL CLAIMS AND ACTIONS OF ANY KIND AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE OR STRICT LIABILITY), OR ANY OTHER GROUNDS, AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND NOTWITHSTANDING ANY FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY. THE PARTIES FURTHER AGREE THAT EACH WARRANTY DISCLAIMER, EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES OR OTHER LIMITATION OF LIABILITY HEREIN IS INTENDED TO BE SEVERABLE AND INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER PROVISIONS BECAUSE THEY EACH REPRESENT SEPARATE ELEMENTS OF RISK ALLOCATION BETWEEN THE PARTIES.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

10.          Confidentiality and Publicity .

 

10.1          Treatment of Confidential Information . The parties agree that during the term of this Agreement, and for a period of five (5) years after this Agreement terminates, a party receiving Confidential Information of the other party will (a) maintain in confidence such Confidential Information to the same extent such party maintains its own proprietary information, but with no less than a reasonable degree of care; (b) not disclose such Confidential Information to any third party without the other party’s prior written consent; and (c) not use such Confidential Information for any purpose except those permitted by this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a party is required by law, regulation or court order to disclose Confidential Information of the other party, the party required to make such disclosure shall (i) promptly send a copy of the order or notice to the other party not less than ten (10) days before the proposed disclosure (or such shorter period of time as may be reasonably practical under the circumstances); (ii) reasonably cooperate with the other party if the other party wishes to object or condition such disclosure through a protective order or otherwise; (iii) limit the extent of such disclosure to the minimum required to comply with the order or notice; and (iv) use reasonable efforts to seek confidential treatment (i.e., filing “under seal”) for that disclosure. In addition, a party may disclose Confidential Information of the other party to its Affiliates and employees, to Sublicensees and potential Sublicensees, to investors or acquirers or potential investors or acquirers of a party in connection with due diligence or similar investigations or in confidential financing documents, to an organization to whom TSRI intends to assign or transfer or does assign or transfer this Agreement or the payment obligations due hereunder to TSRI, provided, in each case, that any such third party agrees in writing to be bound by terms of confidentiality and non-use at least as stringent as those set forth in this Section 10.1 (except that the duration of the confidentiality obligation need not match the duration stated in this Section 10.1), but with no further right to disclose or otherwise distribute the other party’s Confidential Information.

 

10.2          Publications . Licensee agrees that TSRI shall have a right to publish in accordance with its general policies, and that, subject to TSRI’s compliance with Section 10.1 as it applies to Confidential Information of Licensee, this Agreement shall not restrict, in any fashion, TSRI’s right to publish.

 

10.3          Publicity . Except as otherwise required by applicable law, rule or regulation (including, without limitations, rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and rules of any stock exchange upon which Licensee’s securities may be listed), no party shall originate or distribute any publication, news release or other public announcement, written or oral, whether in the public press, stockholders’ reports or otherwise, relating to this Agreement or to any sublicense hereunder, or to the performance hereunder or under any such sublicense agreements, without the prior written approval of the other party, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. Scientific publications published in accordance with Section 10.2 of this Agreement shall not be construed as publicity governed by this Section 10.3.

 

11.          Term and Termination .

 

11.1         Term . Unless terminated sooner in accordance with the terms set forth herein, this Agreement shall expire upon the expiration of all Licensed Patent Rights.

 

11.2         Termination Upon Mutual Agreement . This Agreement may be terminated by mutual written consent of both parties.

 

11.3         Termination by TSRI . TSRI has the right to immediately terminate this Agreement as follows (unless a further cure period is provided below):

 

(a)          If Licensee does not make a payment due hereunder and fails to cure such non-payment (including the payment of interest in accordance with Section 13.2) within thirty (30) days after the date of TSRI’s written notice of such non-payment;

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

(b)          If Licensee defaults upon any of its material obligations hereunder (other than any payment obligation, which is subject to Section 11.3(a)), including, without limitation, its indemnification or insurance obligations under Section 8 and does not cure such default within thirty (30) days after receipt of notice from TSRI specifying in reasonable detail the nature of such default

 

(c)          As provided in Section 5.3;

 

(d)          Upon TSRI’s written notice to Licensee in the event Licensee has a petition in bankruptcy filed for or against it, has a receiver appointed over any of Licensee’s assets, makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or has any other proceedings filed against Licensee under any bankruptcy or insolvency laws;

 

(e)          If Licensee is convicted of a felony relating to the development, manufacture, use, marketing, distribution or sale of Licensed Products; or

 

(f)          In the event Licensee or a Sublicensee directly or indirectly institutes or makes any Challenges;

 

(g)         If an audit pursuant to Section 6 shows an underreporting or underpayment by Licensee or any Sublicensee of fifteen percent (15%) or more for any twelve (12) month period and Licensee or Sublicensee does not cure such underpayment within thirty (30) days after the report of such underreporting or underpayment; or

 

(h)         Except as provided in subparagphs (a) – (g) above, if Licensee defaults in the performance of any other obligations under this Agreement and the default has not been remedied within thirty (30) days after the date of TSRI’s written notice of such default.

 

11.4          Termination by Licensee . Licensee may terminate this Agreement by giving *** days’ advance written notice of such termination to TSRI.

 

11.5          Rights Upon Expiration . Upon the expiration of this Agreement, neither party shall have any further rights or obligations, other than the obligation of Licensee to make any and all reports and payments due under Sections 3, 4, 7 and 11.8 with respect to events that occurred prior to such expiration in accordance with Sections 3.3, 4, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 7.3 (all of which Sections referenced in this sentence shall survive such expiration for such purposes). Notwithstanding the above, Sections 1, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 6 (for the period described therein), 7.4, 8.1, 8.2 (for the period described therein), 9.2, 9.3, 10, 11.5, 12 and 13 shall also survive the expiration of this Agreement.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

11.6         Rights Upon Termination .

 

11.6.1     Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, upon any termination of this Agreement prior to the regularly scheduled expiration date of this Agreement, the licenses granted hereunder shall terminate and revert to TSRI, and all sublicenses granted by Licensee shall also automatically terminate. Except as otherwise provided in Section 11.7 of this Agreement with respect to work-in-progress, upon such termination, Licensee and subject to Section 11.6.2, its Sublicensees shall have no further right to develop, manufacture, market, distribute or sell any Licensed Product or to otherwise practice or use any Licensed Patent Rights. Upon any such termination, Licensee shall promptly return all materials, samples, documents, information and other items which embody or disclose any Licensed Patent Rights; provided, however, that Licensee shall not be obligated to provide TSRI with Licensee’s proprietary information which Licensee can show that it independently developed Any such termination shall not relieve either party from any obligations accrued to the date of such termination, including without limitation the obligation of Licensee to make any and all reports and payments due under Sections 3, 4, 7 and 11.7 with respect to events that occurred prior to such termination or as provided in Section 11.7, in accordance with Sections 3.4, 4, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 7.3 (all of which Sections referenced in this sentence shall survive such termination for such purposes). In addition, Sections 1, 2.3, 2.5, 6 (for the period described therein), 7.4, 8.1, 8.2 (for the period described therein), 9.2, 9.3, 10, 11.6, 11.7, 12 and 13 shall also survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

 

11.6.2     At the election of the applicable Sublicensee upon written notice to TSRI, the sublicense granted hereunder to such Sublicensee that was in effect immediately prior to termination of this Agreement will survive such termination, with TSRI as the Sublicensee’s direct licensor, subject to the following conditions:

 

(a)          such Sublicensee is not then in default under its sublicense;

 

(b)          Sublicensee must pay to TSRI all past due royalties, non-royalty revenue, patent costs and all other monies owed by Licensee to TSRI under this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receipt of an itemized invoice from TSRI (or such Sublicensee’s pro rata share of such monies if there are multiple Sublicensees); and

 

(c)          within sixty (60) days after termination of this Agreement, such Sublicensee shall execute and deliver to TSRI, for signature by TSRI, a license agreement between such Sublicensee and TSRI (the “New License Agreement”), which New License Agreement shall be subject to the same non-financial terms and conditions as those in this Agreement; provided, however, that each New License Agreement shall contain substantially the same terms and conditions regarding sublicense scope, sublicense territory, duration of sublicense grant, and diligence obligations of the Sublicensee as the sublicense agreement between such Sublicensee and Licensee; and (i) Sublicensee shall agree in the New License Agreement to terms providing that in no event shall TSRI be liable to Sublicensee for any actual or alleged breach of such sublicense agreement by Licensee; (ii) TSRI shall not have any obligations to such Sublicensee other than TSRI’s obligations to Licensee as set forth herein; (iii) such New License Agreement shall be subordinate and comply in all respects to the applicable provisions of this Agreement; (iv) such Sublicensee’s payment obligations with respect to its surviving license to the Licensed Patent Rights shall be those set forth in this Agreement (and not those set forth in the sublicense agreement between such Sublicensee and Licensee); and (v) in no event shall TSRI be obliged to accept provisions in the New License Agreement (A) unless such provisions correspond to rights granted by Licensee to Sublicensee in conformance with this Agreement, and such provisions are not in conflict with the rights, duties and obligations accruing to Licensee under this Agreement; or (B) where such provisions are inconsistent with the legal obligations under any other sublicense agreement granted by Licensee, or by applicable federal, state or local statute or regulation. Licensee must include or specifically reference this Section 11.6.2 in each of its sublicense agreements in order for such Sublicensee’s sublicense to survive termination of this Agreement.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

11.7          Work-in-Progress . Upon any early termination of the licenses granted hereunder, Licensee shall be entitled to finish any work-in-progress and to sell any completed inventory of Licensed Products which remain on hand as of the termination date, so long as Licensee sells such inventory in the normal course of business and at regular selling prices and pays to TSRI the royalties applicable to such subsequent sales in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, provided that no such sales shall be permitted following the date that is six (6) months after the termination date.

 

11.8          Final Royalty Report . Upon termination or expiration of this Agreement, Licensee shall promptly submit a final report to TSRI, and any payments due to TSRI under this Agreement that accrued prior to such termination or expiration shall be paid by Licensee to TSRI at the time of delivery of the final report.

 

12.          Assignment; Successors .

 

12.1          Assignment . Any and all assignments of this Agreement or any rights granted hereunder by Licensee without TSRI’s prior written consent are void, except Licensee may assign this Agreement or rights granted hereunder without the prior written consent of TSRI (i) to an Affiliate of Licensee; or (ii) to a successor in interest to all or substantially all of the assets of Licensee, whether by way of a merger, consolidation, sale of assets, sale of stock, or similar transaction. TSRI has the right to assign this Agreement or the Licensed Patent Rights for monetization purposes or any or all of the payment obligations due to TSRI under this Agreement to any third party without Licensee’s prior written consent, provided that Licensee retains all rights set forth in this Agreement and under the license to the Licensed Patent Rights granted herein.

 

12.2          Binding Upon Successors and Assigns . Subject to the limitations on assignment in Section 12.1, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of any successors in interest and assigns of TSRI and Licensee. Any successor or assignee of Licensee’s interest shall expressly assume in writing the performance of all the terms and conditions of this Agreement to be performed by Licensee and such written assumption shall be delivered to TSRI Any such successor or assignee of TSRI’s interest shall expressly assume in writing the performance of all the terms and conditions of this Agreement to be performed by TSRI and such written assumption shall be delivered to Licensee.

 

13.          General Provisions .

 

13.1          Independent Contractors . The relationship between TSRI and Licensee is that of independent contractors. TSRI and Licensee are not joint venturers, partners, principal and agent, master and servant, employer and employee, and have no other relationship other than independent contracting parties. TSRI and Licensee shall have no power to bind or obligate each other in any manner, other than as is expressly set forth in this Agreement.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

13.2          Late Payments . Late payments of any and all amounts due hereunder shall bear interest from the due date until the date paid at a rate of one and one-half percent (1½%) per month, or Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250), whichever is greater.

 

13.3          Governmental Approvals and Compliance . Licensee shall, at its expense, be responsible for obtaining all necessary governmental approvals for the development, production, distribution, performance, sale and use of any Licensed Product, and shall comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in conducting its activities under this Agreement. Licensee shall, at its expense, also be responsible for any warning labels, packaging and instructions produced or distributed with respect to the use of Licensed Products and for the quality control for any Licensed Products.

 

13.4          Patent Marking . To the extent required by applicable law, Licensee and its Sublicensees shall properly mark all Licensed Products or their containers in accordance with the applicable patent marking laws. Upon TSRI’s request, Licensee shall provide to TSRI copies of its patent marking of all Licensed Products.

 

13.5          No Use of Name . The use of the name “The Scripps Research Institute”, “Scripps”, “TSRI” or any variation thereof in connection with the marketing, advertising, distribution, sale or performance of Licensed Products is expressly prohibited.

 

13.6          U.S. Manufacture . To the extent required, Licensee agrees that it and its Sublicensees will abide by the Preference for United States Industry as set forth in 37 C.F.R. Section 401.14 (I), which requires that any Licensed Product sold in the United States shall be manufactured substantially in the United States.

 

13.7          Foreign Registration . Licensee agrees, at its expense, to register this Agreement with any foreign governmental agency which requires such registration.

 

13.8          Dispute Resolution . Any dispute or claim between the parties arising out of or relating to this Agreement, including without limitation the breach thereof, shall be resolved according to the following dispute resolution procedures:

 

(a)          Such dispute shall be first addressed by the representatives of TSRI and Licensee who have primary responsibility for managing this Agreement.

 

(b)          If the dispute is not resolved by such representatives within fifteen (15) days after the date either party gives written notice that such dispute exists, then the dispute shall be referred to and addressed by the senior management of each party.

 

(c)          If such dispute is not resolved by the parties senior management within thirty (30) days after the date the dispute is referred to them, then the dispute shall be submitted to mediation. The mediator shall be a retired judge or other neutral third party mutually selected by TSRI and Licensee who has at least ten (10) years’ experience in mediating or arbitrating cases in the bio-pharmaceutical industry and regarding the same or substantially similar subject matter as the dispute between Licensee and TSRI. If the parties are unable to agree on such mediator within twenty (20) days after they exchange initial lists of potential mediators, a mediator with the same qualifications will be selected by the JAMS office in San Diego located at 401 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101 (after consultation with the parties).

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

   

(d)          The location of the mediation shall be in the County of San Diego, California. TSRI and Licensee hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the mediator mutually selected by the parties or to the neutral mediator selected by JAMS of San Diego for purposes of the mediation, and to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal and state courts located in San Diego County, California for any action or proceeding regarding this Agreement in the event mediation is unsuccessful as provided in sub-clause (e) below, or as provided in sub-clause (f) below, and waive any right to contest or otherwise object to such exclusive jurisdiction or venue, including without limitation any claim that such exclusive venue is not a convenient forum.

 

(e)          If the dispute is not resolved through mediation, either party may refer the dispute to a court of competent jurisdiction in San Diego County, California.

 

(f)          Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, prior to or while a mediation proceeding is pending, either party has the right to seek and obtain injunctive and other equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to enforce that party s rights hereunder.

 

13.9          Entire Agreement; Modification . This Agreement and all of the attached Exhibits (which are incorporated herein) set forth the entire agreement between the parties as to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all prior or contemporaneous agreements or understandings, whether oral or written, regarding this subject matter. This Agreement cannot be amended except by a written instrument signed by both parties.

 

13.10         California Law . This Agreement shall be construed and enforced according to the laws of the State of California without regard to its conflicts or choice of law rules.

 

13.11         Headings . The headings for each Section in this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to limit or expand on the meaning of the language contained in the particular Section.

 

13.12         Severability . If any provision of this Agreement is judicially determined to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect, and the stricken provision shall be revised in a manner that best reflects the original intent of the parties.

 

13.13         No Waiver . The failure of a party to enforce any of its rights hereunder or at law or in equity shall not be deemed a waiver or a continuing waiver of any of its rights or remedies against the other party, unless such waiver is in writing and signed by the waiving party.

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

13.14          Name . Whenever there has been an assignment by Licensee as permitted by this Agreement, the term “Licensee” as used in this Agreement shall also include and refer to, if appropriate, such assignee.

 

13.15          Attorneys’ Fees . In the event of a dispute between the parties or any default hereunder, the party prevailing in the resolution of such dispute or default shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs incurred in connection with resolving such dispute or default, in addition to any other relief to which it is entitled. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the parties agree that this Section 13.15 shall not apply and attorney’s fees and costs shall not be awarded to either party with respect to any Challenge or any action where Licensee or a Sublicensee alleges that it is not required to comply with or perform some or all of the provisions of this Agreement based upon a good faith claim that any of the Licensed Patent Rights are invalid or unenforceable.  TSRI and Licensee each represent that it has been represented by its own counsel in the negotiation and execution of this Agreement.   Each party further represents that it has relied solely on the advice and representation of its respective counsel in agreeing to this Section 13.15 and all of the other provisions of this Agreement.

 

13.16          Notices . Any notices required or permitted by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered as follows, with notice deemed given as indicated: (a) by personal delivery, when received; (b) by overnight courier guaranteeing next-day delivery, upon the next business day immediately following delivery to such overnight courier; or (c) by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested and postage prepaid, upon verification of receipt. Notices shall be sent to the respective addresses set forth below, unless subsequently changed by written notice to the other party:

 

For TSRI: The Scripps Research Institute
  10550 North Torrey Pines Road, TPC-9
  La Jolla, California  92037
  Attention: Vice President, Business Development
   
with a copy to: The Scripps Research Institute
  10550 North Torrey Pines Road, TPC-8
  La Jolla, California  92037
  Attention: Chief Business Counsel
   
For Licensee: Fabrus, Inc.
  11099 North Torrey Pines Road, Suite 230
  La Jolla, California 92037
  Attention:  Chief Executive Officer
   
With a copy to: Cooley llp
  4401 Eastgate Mall
  San Diego, California  92121
  Attention: L. Kay Chandler
  Fax No.:  (858) 550-6014

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

13.17          Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts that together shall constitute originals and one and the same instrument.

 

13.18          Cumulative Remedies . The rights and remedies stated in this Agreement shall be cumulative and in addition to any other rights and remedies the parties may have at law or in equity.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement by their duly authorized representatives as of the Effective Date.

 

TSRI:   LICENSEE:
     
THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE   FABRUS, INC.
     
By:  /s/ Scott Forest   By: /s/ Ron Martell  
         
Title:   VP, Business Development   Title:        CEO

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

EXHIBIT A

 

LICENSEE’S COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

 

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

EXHIBIT B

 

BENCHMARKS

 

Benchmarks   Date by which Licensee must meet Benchmarks
Initiation of *** of a Licensed Product   *** from the Effective Date
Initiation of *** of a Licensed Product   *** from the Effective Date
Initiation of *** of a Licensed Product   *** from the Effective Date

 

 
Confidential Treatment has been requested for portions of this exhibit. The copy filed herewith omits the information subject to the confidentiality request. Omissions are designated as “***”. A complete version of this exhibit has been filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  

EXHIBIT C

 

REPORTING EVENTS

 

Licensee shall notify TSRI in writing of each of the following events with respect to each Licensed Product in the United States, Europe or Japan within thirty (30) days of such occurrence:

 

1.          ***

 

2.          ***

 

3.          ***

 

4.          ***

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.44

 

July 14, 2014

 

VIA HAND DELIVERY

 

Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus

721 Route 202-206, Suite 200

P.O. Box 1018

Somerville, New Jersey 08876-1018

Attention: John J. Eagan, Esq.

 

Re: Sublease dated as of May 16, 2011 by and between Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A. and Senesco Technologies, Inc.

 

Dear Mr. Eagan:

 

Reference is hereby made to that certain Sublease dated as of May 16, 2011, as amended on April 11, 2014 by and between Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A. and Senesco Technologies, Inc. (the “Sublease”). Pursuant to Section 2 of the Sublease, as amended, please consider this letter our formal written election to exercise our right to extend the term of the Sublease through November 30, 2014. Following the delivery of this notice, the definition of “Termination Date” in the Sublease shall mean November 30, 2014.

 

Should you have any questions concerning this matter, please feel free to contact me at (908) 864-4444. This letter shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of New Jersey.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  SENESCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Joel Brooks
  Name: Joel Brooks
  Title: CFO

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 21.1

 

SUBSIDIARIES

 

Senesco, Inc., a New Jersey corporation

Fabrus, Inc., a Delaware corporation

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

 

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM


We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement (Nos. 333-178881, 333-177586, 333-167388, 333-157417, 333-140238, 333-104105, 333-187133 and 333-195688) on Form S-8 and Registration Statement (Nos. 333-170140, 333-166277, 333-148779, 333-146691, and 333-138405) on Form S-3 of Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Subsidiaries of our report dated September 26, 2014, relating to our audits of the consolidated financial statements, included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Senesco Technologies, Inc. and Subsidiaries for the year ended June 30, 2014. Our report dated September 26, 2014, relating to the consolidated financial statements includes an explanatory paragraph relating to an uncertainty as to the Company's ability to continue as a going concern.

/s/ McGladrey LLP

New York, New York

September 26, 2014

 

 



 

 

EXHIBIT 31.1

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302

OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Ronald Martell, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Senesco Technologies, Inc.

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

 
 

  

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: September 29, 2014  
  /s/ Ronald Martell
  Ronald Martell
  Chief Executive Officer
  (principal executive officer)

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 31.2

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302

OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

I, Joel Brooks, certify that:

 

1. I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Senesco Technologies, Inc.

 

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

 
 

 

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date: September 29, 2014  
  /s/ Joel Brooks
  Joel Brooks
  Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer
  (principal financial and accounting officer)

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 32.1

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

 

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Senesco Technologies, Inc. for the year ended June 30, 2014 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, the undersigned, Ronald Martell, Chief Executive Officer, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that:

(1)          The Annual Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)          The information contained in the Annual Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Senesco Technologies, Inc.

 

Dated: September 29, 2014 /s/ Ronald Martell *
  Ronald Martell
  President and Chief Executive Officer
  (principal executive officer)

 

*  A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to us and will be retained by us and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 32.2

 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Senesco Technologies, Inc. for the year ended June 30, 2014 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof, the undersigned, Joel Brooks, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that:

(1)          The Annual Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)          The information contained in the Annual Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Senesco Technologies, Inc.

 

Dated: September 29, 2014 /s/ Joel Brooks *
  Joel Brooks
  Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer
  (principal financial and accounting officer)

 

*  A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to us and will be retained by us and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.