UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 2, 2010

 

 

CERUS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   0-21937   68-0262011

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

  (Commission File No.)  

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

2411 Stanwell Drive

Concord, California 94520

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (925) 288-6000

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 


Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Principal Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

(e) Employment Agreement with Laurence M. Corash, M.D.

On March 2, 2010, Cerus Corporation (the “Company”) entered into an employment letter with Laurence M. Corash, M.D. (the “Employment Letter”). Pursuant to the terms of the Employment Letter, Dr. Corash is eligible to receive the following compensation, effective as of March 1, 2010 (the “Effective Date”):

 

   

A semi-monthly base salary of $15,625.00, for an annual compensation of approximately $375,000.00;

 

   

Continued participation in the Bonus Plan for Senior Management of Cerus Corporation, as amended to date (the “Bonus Plan”), subject to the terms, conditions and limitations of the Bonus Plan (a copy of which is being filed as Exhibit 10.44 to this Current Report on Form 8-K);

 

   

Termination of the Stock Program (as defined in the Employment Letter, by and between the Company and Laurence M. Corash, M.D., entered into by the parties on July 30, 2009, a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 10.44 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 000-21937), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 5, 2009); and

 

   

Dr. Corash will remain an at-will employee of the Company and the Company may modify his compensation terms, in its sole discretion, at any time.

The foregoing description is a summary of the terms of the Employment Letter and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Employment Letter, which is attached as Exhibit 10.43 and incorporated herein by reference.

(e) Amendment of Bonus Plan for Senior Management of Cerus Corporation

On March 3, 2010, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) of the Company approved an amendment to the Bonus Plan to provide that 100% of the Performance Bonus (as defined in the Bonus Plan) will be paid in cash. All other provisions of the Bonus Plan remain in full force and effect.

A copy of the Plan, as amended, is attached as Exhibit 10.44 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.


(e) Determination of 2010 Target Bonuses

On March 3, 2010, the Compensation Committee established the target bonuses under the Bonus Plan for each named executive officer, expressed as a percentage of such named executive officer’s 2010 annual base salary. The actual amount to be paid to each named executive officer under the Bonus Plan will be determined by the Compensation Committee in accordance with the terms of the Bonus Plan. The target bonuses for each named executive officer are as follows:

 

Name

  

Target Bonus
(as a % of 2010
Annual Base Salary)

 

Claes Glassell

President and Chief Executive Officer

   60

Laurence M. Corash, M.D.

Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer

   35

William M. Greenman

Senior Vice President, Business Development and Marketing

   35

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit

Number

  

Description

10.43    Employment Letter, by and between the Company and Laurence M. Corash, M.D. dated March 2, 2010.
10.44    Bonus Plan for Senior Management of Cerus Corporation, as amended on March 3, 2010.


SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

        CERUS CORPORATION
Dated: March 8, 2010      
    By  

/s/ Kevin D. Green

      Kevin D. Green
      Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit

Number

  

Description

10.43    Employment Letter, by and between the Company and Laurence M. Corash, M.D., dated March 2, 2010.
10.44    Bonus Plan for Senior Management of Cerus Corporation, as amended on March 3, 2010.

Exhibit 10.43

March 1, 2010

Laurence Corash

Re:    New Compensation Terms

Dear Larry:

This letter agreement (the “ Agreement ”) memorializes your new compensation terms with Cerus Corporation (“ Cerus ” or the “ Company ”) which become effective as of March 1, 2010 (the “ Effective Date ”). You must sign and return this Agreement within five (5) business days after receipt in order to accept these new compensation terms.

N EW C OMPENSATION T ERMS

You will be paid semi-monthly at the base salary rate of $15,625.00, which calculates to an annual salary of $375,000.00 (the quoting of an annual salary is for illustrative purposes only). As you requested, the “Stock Program” (as defined in the employment terms agreement between you and the Company dated July 29, 2009 (the “ Employment Terms Agreement ”) is terminated, effective as of the Effective Date.

In addition, you will continue to participate in the Company’s Cash Bonus Plan for Senior Management of Cerus Corporation, as amended (the “ Bonus Plan ”), in accordance with the terms, conditions and limitations of the Bonus Plan. Your “cash bonus”, should one be awarded for 2010, will be paid as per the Bonus Plan, as amended on February 4, 2010. Annual bonuses are not guaranteed and such bonuses, if any, are awarded at the sole discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors (“ Board ”). As provided in the Bonus Plan, you must remain employed through the date the bonus is paid in order to earn and be eligible to receive a bonus; no pro rata or partial bonuses will be provided. The Board shall have the sole discretion to change or eliminate the Bonus Plan at any time, and to determine the amount of bonus earned, if any.

We agree that this change in compensation structure does not modify your at-will employment status, and both you and the Company retain the discretion to terminate your employment at any time, with or without cause, and with or without advance notice. In addition, the Company retains the discretion to modify your compensation terms from time to time.

This Agreement provides your complete compensation terms with the Company, and any other agreements (whether written or unwritten) between you and the Company regarding your compensation terms are hereby superseded and replaced with the compensation terms contained herein. Your other agreements with the Company (to the extent such agreements’ compensation terms are not superseded herein), including but not limited to the Employment Terms Agreement, your Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement, and your equity award agreement(s), will continue in effect. In addition, this Agreement does not alter or effect the Cerus Corporation Change of Control Severance Benefit Plan.


This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California without regard to conflicts of law principles. Any ambiguity in this Agreement shall not be construed against either party as the drafter. Any waiver of a breach of this Agreement, or rights hereunder, shall be in writing and shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any successive breach or rights hereunder. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts which shall be deemed to be part of one original, and facsimile signatures shall be equivalent to original signatures.

To indicate your understanding and acceptance of your new compensation terms, please sign and date below, and return this Agreement to me within five (5) business days. You may retain the enclosed additional copy of this Agreement for your files.

We look forward to your favorable reply and to continuing our productive work relationship.

 

Sincerely,

/s/ Claes Glassell

Claes Glassell
President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Understood and Accepted   

/s/ Laurence Corash

  Date 3/2/10
   Laurence Corash  

Exhibit 10.44

BONUS PLAN FOR SENIOR MANAGEMENT OF

CERUS CORPORATION

Approved: January 1, 2006

Amended: December 11, 2008

Amended: February 4, 2010

Amended: March 3, 2010

This document sets forth the complete terms and conditions of the Bonus Plan for Senior Management of Cerus Corporation (“Cerus” or the “Company”) (the “Senior Management Bonus Plan”). This Plan went into effect on January 1, 2006 and was amended on December 11, 2008, February 4, 2010 and March 3, 2010, and will remain in effect until modified or terminated by the Company. The Plan Year for this Senior Management Bonus Plan runs from January 1 each year to December 31 each year.

1. Purposes of the Senior Management Bonus Plan

 

   

Focus the organization on the goals which are most critical to the Company’s success;

 

   

Attract and retain a high caliber of employee;

 

   

Promote a pay-for-results philosophy;

 

   

Provide competitive compensation opportunities;

 

   

Allow management judgment and flexibility; and

 

   

Reinforce the overall compensation strategy.

2. Coverage

This Senior Management Bonus Plan covers the following bonus programs for senior management at Cerus: Signing Bonuses, Retention Bonuses and Performance Bonuses.

3. Eligibility

 

   

Employees must qualify as “Senior Management” of the Company to be eligible for bonuses under the Senior Management Bonus Plan. The Company retains the sole discretion to determine which employees qualify as Senior Management and will provide written notice to all eligible employees of their status as a member of Senior Management.

 

   

The only employees who are eligible for Signing Bonuses or Retention Bonuses are those employees who are expressly notified of such eligibility in a writing signed by a Company officer.

 

   

Senior Management is not eligible for Recruiting Bonuses.


   

All employees who have been designated as Senior Management are eligible for Performance Bonuses. Senior Management who work part-time are eligible to receive pro-rata Performance Bonuses based on the number of hours they are regularly scheduled to work. New Senior Management employees who are hired after the Plan Year begins are eligible to participate on a pro-rata basis after completing three months of employment (unless otherwise approved by the CEO). Eligible Senior Management participants who are on a leave of absence for any portion of the Plan Year are also eligible to participate on a pro-rata basis, provided they work at least thirty days during the Plan Year.

 

   

Employees are only eligible for bonuses under this Senior Management Bonus Plan if they sign and date this document and return it to the Company.

4. Amount and Calculation of Bonuses

 

   

The amount of any Signing Bonus or Retention Bonus that an eligible employee may receive will be as set forth in the written document signed by a Cerus officer notifying the employee of their eligibility for such a bonus. Any terms and conditions set forth in that document will also apply.

 

   

Performance Bonuses:

 

   

At the beginning of each Plan Year, the Company shall set commercial goals and strategic goals for the Plan Year. Goals are generally submitted to the Compensation Committee by the CEO for approval by the Compensation Committee before the end of the first quarter of each year.

 

   

Commercial Goals:

 

   

Commercial goals will generally be based upon empirical results for the applicable Plan Year, such as revenue, end of year cash balance and profits.

 

   

At the beginning of each Plan Year, Compensation Committee will:

 

   

assign a percentage value that reflects the significance that the commercial goals, as a whole, will be accorded in the determination of bonus payouts at the end of the Plan Year (the “Commercial Goals Multiplier”)

 

   

assign a value to each commercial goal that reflects the significance that such commercial goal will be accorded in the determination of bonus payouts at the end of the Plan Year (each, a “Commercial Goal Component Value”). The aggregate value of the Commercial Goal Component Values will equal 100% of the portion of the bonus payout at the end of the Plan Year attributable to achievement of the commercial goals.

 

   

assign a threshold metric, a target metric and a stretch metric for each commercial goal.


   

At the end of each Plan Year, the Compensation Committee will determine, in its sole discretion, if and the extent to which each commercial goal has met its threshold metric, target metric or stretch metric and assign a multiplier to each commercial goal that reflects such determination (each, a “Commercial Goal Payout Multiplier”) as follows:

 

   

Achievement of less than the threshold metric: multiplier of 0;

 

   

Achievement of at least the threshold metric, but not the target metric: multiplier of no less than 0.5 and no more than 0.99;

 

   

Achievement of the target metric, but not the stretch metric: multiplier of no less than 1.0 and no more than 1.49; and

 

   

Achievement of the stretch metric or more: multiplier of no more than 1.5.

 

   

The Commercial Goal Payout Multiplier for each commercial goal is then multiplied by the Commercial Goal Component Value assigned to such goal to determine the amount of the performance bonus earned for each such commercial goal (each, a “Commercial Goal Component Payout” and in the aggregate, (the “Earned Commercial Goals Payout”).

 

   

Strategic Goals:

 

   

Strategic goals will generally consist of corporate development milestones used to measure how well the Company has executed on its business plan for the Plan Year, such as product development goals, clinical development goals or corporate partnering effort goals.

 

   

At the beginning of each Plan Year, the Compensation Committee will assign a percentage value that reflects the significance that the strategic goals, as a whole, will be accorded in the determination of bonus payouts at the end of the Plan Year (the “Strategic Goals Multiplier”).

 

   

At the end of the Plan Year, the CEO will determine, subject to final review by the Compensation Committee, if and the extent to which the strategic goals have been met (the “Earned Strategic Goals Payout”).

 

   

At the end of each Plan Year, the Company will create a bonus pool based on the achievement of the commercial goals and strategic goals for the applicable Plan Year as follows:

 

   

Each Senior Management employee’s current bonus-year base pay is multiplied by the applicable bonus target percentage for that employee and then aggregated among all Senior Management employees (collectively, the “Employee Base Pay Component”). (Target bonus percentages are assigned at the beginning of each Plan Year in writing.)


   

The product of the Commercial Goals Multiplier and the Earned Commercial Goals Payout will be added to the product of the Strategic Goals Multiplier and the Earned Strategic Goals Payout, the sum of which shall then be multiplied by the Employee Base Pay Component to determine the total amount available in the bonus pool.

 

   

Once the bonus pool is created, the CEO shall determine distribution of the bonus pool among members of Senior Management based upon individual performance and contribution, which distribution shall be submitted to the Compensation Committee for approval. Whether Senior Management employees receive a Performance Bonus, and the amount of any such Performance Bonus, is entirely within the discretion of the CEO and the Compensation Committee, and is also dependent on the Company’s ability to pay.

 

   

The Company determines the actual amount of Performance Bonuses based on the above criteria every January for the preceding year. Once the amount of the Performance Bonus (if any) is determined 100% of the Performance Bonus will be awarded in cash.

 

   

Any restricted stock units previously granted under the Senior Management Bonus Plan as a Performance Bonus will be subject to a vesting schedule whereby 1/3 vest on the first year anniversary of grant, 1/3 vest on the second year anniversary of grant, and 1/3 vest on the third year anniversary of grant, subject to the employee’s continued service with the Company. Shares of common stock that vest pursuant to these restricted stock units cannot be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of until the entire grant is vested (or if the employee leaves prior to full vesting, until such time as the entire grant would have vested if the employee had remained employed). The terms and conditions of any such grants will governed entirely by the applicable plan documents and restricted stock unit agreement.

5. Payment of Bonuses

 

   

No bonus is earned prior to the date it is actually paid under this Senior Management Bonus Plan. Therefore, in the event an employee’s employment is terminated (either by the Company or by the employee, whether voluntarily or involuntarily) before a bonus is paid, then the employee will not have earned that bonus, and will not be entitled to any portion of that bonus. The bonus will be paid as set forth below but in no event will any earned bonus be paid later than March 31 of the year following the year in which it was earned.

 

   

Signing Bonuses are paid on the first payday following the employee’s completion of the required period of active, full-time employment stated in the employee’s offer letter. If the employee does not complete the required period of employment, or is not in good standing with the Company as of the date the Signing Bonus otherwise would be payable, then the employee will not have earned the Signing Bonus and no Signing Bonus will be paid.

 

   

Retention Bonuses are paid on the first payday following the retention date specified in the employee’s Retention Bonus Memorandum provided that the employee remains an active full-time employee of the Company from the date of such memorandum through the Retention Date.

 

   

The Performance Bonus is paid in the January following the end of the Plan Year. An eligible employee must be actively employed by the Company in good standing on the day the bonus is paid in order to receive the Performance Bonus.


6. Bonuses Disputes

 

   

A Bonus Review Board will be established to review and decide any disputes arising under this Senior Management Bonus Plan. It shall consist of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of Administration. Any employee with an issue related to this Senior Management Bonus Plan shall provide a written request for review to Human Resources who, in turn, shall convene the Board to resolve the issue. All decisions of the Bonus Review Board are final and binding.

7. Legal and Ethical Standards

 

   

No employee shall attempt to earn a bonus by engaging in any conduct which violates any anti-trust laws, other laws, or the Company’s ethical standards, policies or practices.

 

   

No employee shall pay, offer to pay, assign or give any part of his or her bonus, compensation, or anything else of value to any agent, customer, supplier or representative of any customer or supplier, or to any other person, as an inducement or reward for direct or indirect assistance in earning a bonus.

 

   

Any infraction of this Senior Management Bonus Plan, or of recognized ethical standards, will subject the employee to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment and revocation of any bonuses under this Senior Management Bonus Plan to which the employee otherwise would be entitled.

8. Miscellaneous

 

   

Nothing in this Senior Management Bonus Plan is intended to alter the at-will nature of employment with the Company, that is, the employee’s right or the Company’s right to terminate the employee’s employment at will, at any time with or without cause or advance notice. In addition, acceptance of this Senior Management Bonus Plan shall not be construed to imply a guarantee of employment for any specified period of time.

 

   

This Senior Management Bonus Plan contains the entire agreement between the Company and its employees on this subject, and supercedes all prior bonus compensation plans or programs of the Company and all other previous oral or written statements regarding any such bonus compensation programs or plans.

 

   

Cerus reserves the right to modify any of the provisions of this Senior Management Bonus Plan in its sole discretion at any time with 10 days’ written notice to eligible employees; provided, however, that this Senior Management Bonus Plan may not be modified or amended except in a writing signed by a Company officer and upon approval by the Company’s Compensation Committee.

 

   

No bonus amounts are guaranteed and all bonuses must be earned in accordance with the terms of this Senior Management Bonus Plan. The Company will make all determinations under the Senior Management Bonus Plan within its sole discretion, including but not limited to: whether a Performance Bonus has been earned and the amount of any Performance Bonus; and whether an employee is in good standing.

 

   

This Senior Management Bonus Plan shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of California.

*    *    *


I have read and understand the provisions of this Bonus Plan and hereby accept its terms.

 

 

    

 

  

 

Employee Name (Printed)      Employee Signature    Date